Overheard at Work

[TheStachery]

My first dog hated all delivery people of any color, except for Ron, the UPS man. Ron brought all the dogs treats.

Here's to you Ron!

[fiftyincher]

If you just need a "Desktop" for normal office work (writing etc.) and nothing to carry around, and want to go cheap and small, you can have something like this (and not some big tower):
 http://up-shop.org/4-up-boards
It works fine and reliable, has official intel support and is basically the innards of a double+ as expensive smartphone, just without the screen - but with the possibility to use a real screen. (no fun to do excel on 6')
[/quote]

Excel on 6'?!? That must be awesome

[hoosier]

This happened over the course of the past few weeks with a coworker.  Guy probably makes $100K.

Him:  I'm glad fall is almost here, I'm tired of being broke all the time.
Me:  Say huh?
Him: Yeah, I'm spending like $150 a weekend in fuel for my boat.  The slip (boat parking spot) is like another $200 a month. 
Me:  Wow, I had no idea it cost that much.
Him:  Yeah, I think next week I'll pay to have it winterized and put it into storage.
Me:  Oh, how much does that cost?
Him:  I think the winterizing cost $200, then it's only $80/month for indoor storage.
Me:  Oh.  OK.

About a week later...

Me:  Done boating for the year?
Him:  Yeah, but I think I'm going to sell my boat.
Me:  Tired of spending money on it?
Him:  Kinda.  I think I'm going to sell it and get a newer one with an aluminum trailer so I don't have to buy a F250.  I don't like towing mine with my F150.
Me:  How much does that thing weigh?
Him:  About 10K loaded.  I only get about 8 MPG pulling it.
Me:  I wouldn't want to do that either.
Him:  I figure I can probably sell my boat for $15K, but I hate to do it because I have some equity in it, and a new one will be about $35K.  Can't buy a F250 for $20K, amiright!
Me:  Well, good luck.

[boarder42]

You can get a mini PC for well <$100, a netbook < $250. I'm quite surprised so many people are still willing to pay big amounts of money for premium products while computers and consumer electronics can be dirt cheap.

You can get an absolute garbage one, sure.

Mini PC for under $100? You're talking, what, a raspberry pi with a few addons? Or something of comparable processing power. Similarly, netbook under $250... come on.

Sure, if it's either that or go internet-less, these things are great. Or if you plan to run near bare metal, or on a very minimalist OS, they're obviously more powerful than the computers that people used to do great work. But if you try to run anything modern on it, it'll bog down and crap itself.

For $250, you're far better off buying a used real computer than a shite netbook.

have you heard of slickdeals.  just got a 65" samsung TV for 80 bucks.  same kinds of deals can be had with computers there if you're patient.

[MgoSam]

You can get a mini PC for well <$100, a netbook < $250. I'm quite surprised so many people are still willing to pay big amounts of money for premium products while computers and consumer electronics can be dirt cheap.

You can get an absolute garbage one, sure.

Mini PC for under $100? You're talking, what, a raspberry pi with a few addons? Or something of comparable processing power. Similarly, netbook under $250... come on.

Sure, if it's either that or go internet-less, these things are great. Or if you plan to run near bare metal, or on a very minimalist OS, they're obviously more powerful than the computers that people used to do great work. But if you try to run anything modern on it, it'll bog down and crap itself.

For $250, you're far better off buying a used real computer than a shite netbook.

have you heard of slickdeals.  just got a 65" samsung TV for 80 bucks.  same kinds of deals can be had with computers there if you're patient.

Is this site legit? It always seemed like a scam.

[druth]

You can get a mini PC for well <$100, a netbook < $250. I'm quite surprised so many people are still willing to pay big amounts of money for premium products while computers and consumer electronics can be dirt cheap.

You can get an absolute garbage one, sure.

Mini PC for under $100? You're talking, what, a raspberry pi with a few addons? Or something of comparable processing power. Similarly, netbook under $250... come on.

Sure, if it's either that or go internet-less, these things are great. Or if you plan to run near bare metal, or on a very minimalist OS, they're obviously more powerful than the computers that people used to do great work. But if you try to run anything modern on it, it'll bog down and crap itself.

For $250, you're far better off buying a used real computer than a shite netbook.

have you heard of slickdeals.  just got a 65" samsung TV for 80 bucks.  same kinds of deals can be had with computers there if you're patient.

Is this site legit? It always seemed like a scam.

It's just an aggregator of deals from other sites, so there isn't much for them to scam you on.

[boarder42]

You can get a mini PC for well <$100, a netbook < $250. I'm quite surprised so many people are still willing to pay big amounts of money for premium products while computers and consumer electronics can be dirt cheap.

You can get an absolute garbage one, sure.

Mini PC for under $100? You're talking, what, a raspberry pi with a few addons? Or something of comparable processing power. Similarly, netbook under $250... come on.

Sure, if it's either that or go internet-less, these things are great. Or if you plan to run near bare metal, or on a very minimalist OS, they're obviously more powerful than the computers that people used to do great work. But if you try to run anything modern on it, it'll bog down and crap itself.

For $250, you're far better off buying a used real computer than a shite netbook.

have you heard of slickdeals.  just got a 65" samsung TV for 80 bucks.  same kinds of deals can be had with computers there if you're patient.

Is this site legit? It always seemed like a scam.

yeah as said above its just a forum where people post deals. you have to weed thru some of the moderator posted paid for crap (which has gotten slightly worse over the years) but at the end of the day you can get stuff for really good cheap clearance prices.  i scored 9 paddleboards from a target clearance this year.  150 bucks each resold for 500 each.  if you know what you're looking for you can setup deal alerts.  i use this to get all of our household products like toilet paper and cleaning supplies for super cheap usually amazon subscribe and save.  get our dog food here.  anything i happen to be looking for.  like a 65" TV i spent 4-5 months just waiting we already have 3 ... yeah consumeristic sucka here.  but at 80 bucks i almost bought 4 to resell just dont like to deal electronics. 

but yeah the site is 100% legit

[MgoSam]

You can get a mini PC for well <$100, a netbook < $250. I'm quite surprised so many people are still willing to pay big amounts of money for premium products while computers and consumer electronics can be dirt cheap.

You can get an absolute garbage one, sure.

Mini PC for under $100? You're talking, what, a raspberry pi with a few addons? Or something of comparable processing power. Similarly, netbook under $250... come on.

Sure, if it's either that or go internet-less, these things are great. Or if you plan to run near bare metal, or on a very minimalist OS, they're obviously more powerful than the computers that people used to do great work. But if you try to run anything modern on it, it'll bog down and crap itself.

For $250, you're far better off buying a used real computer than a shite netbook.

have you heard of slickdeals.  just got a 65" samsung TV for 80 bucks.  same kinds of deals can be had with computers there if you're patient.

Is this site legit? It always seemed like a scam.

yeah as said above its just a forum where people post deals. you have to weed thru some of the moderator posted paid for crap (which has gotten slightly worse over the years) but at the end of the day you can get stuff for really good cheap clearance prices.  i scored 9 paddleboards from a target clearance this year.  150 bucks each resold for 500 each.  if you know what you're looking for you can setup deal alerts.  i use this to get all of our household products like toilet paper and cleaning supplies for super cheap usually amazon subscribe and save.  get our dog food here.  anything i happen to be looking for.  like a 65" TV i spent 4-5 months just waiting we already have 3 ... yeah consumeristic sucka here.  but at 80 bucks i almost bought 4 to resell just dont like to deal electronics. 

but yeah the site is 100% legit

Nice thanks, I'll keep my eye on it. Please let me know if you have any advice for getting the most out of it. This is good timing as I'm looking to get a TV.

[Milkshake]

In the breakroom, me sitting in the corner, other guys talking:

CW1: I'm buying a new truck today.
CW2: What's wrong with your current truck? Isn't it only 3 years old?
CW1: Yeah, but the running board motors don't work anymore. The new one is a cool blue color and is only 37K.
CW2: What did your wife say?
CW1: She doesn't know yet.
CW2, me: LOL

For those who don't know what running boards are, they are the metal bars that run along the bottom of a truck that you can step on to get into the truck. The motor lifts them up and down to look "cool".

[mtn]

In the breakroom, me sitting in the corner, other guys talking:

CW1: I'm buying a new truck today.
CW2: What's wrong with your current truck? Isn't it only 3 years old?
CW1: Yeah, but the running board motors don't work anymore. The new one is a cool blue color and is only 37K.
CW2: What did your wife say?
CW1: She doesn't know yet.
CW2, me: LOL

For those who don't know what running boards are, they are the metal bars that run along the bottom of a truck that you can step on to get into the truck. The motor lifts them up and down to look "cool".

Not sure why they can't fix the motor, but the motorized ones can have a practical for people with ingress/egress issues. Doubt that is the case here, but they shouldn't be scorned entirely.

[Milkshake]

Not sure why they can't fix the motor, but the motorized ones can have a practical for people with ingress/egress issues. Doubt that is the case here, but they shouldn't be scorned entirely.

In this case the motor doesn't really lift the way it sounds, they more fold up and down when the car is locked/unlocked. There is no practical purpose to them being motorized. I do agree that true lifting running boards may help some people, but this guy is definitely not someone who needs that.

[boarder42]

Not sure why they can't fix the motor, but the motorized ones can have a practical for people with ingress/egress issues. Doubt that is the case here, but they shouldn't be scorned entirely.

In this case the motor doesn't really lift the way it sounds, they more fold up and down when the car is locked/unlocked. There is no practical purpose to them being motorized. I do agree that true lifting running boards may help some people, but this guy is definitely not someone who needs that.

wouldnt moving them up help with airflow and gas mileage.  i assume this is why they move.

[TexasRunner]

They are advertised to move up to give more ground clearance. *rolleyes*

I have a van, and I am starting to see more and more that trucks serve no really useful purpose- that is, intrinsic to trucks and exempt from all other types of vehicles...

[dragoncar]

You can get a mini PC for well <$100, a netbook < $250. I'm quite surprised so many people are still willing to pay big amounts of money for premium products while computers and consumer electronics can be dirt cheap.

You can get an absolute garbage one, sure.

Mini PC for under $100? You're talking, what, a raspberry pi with a few addons? Or something of comparable processing power. Similarly, netbook under $250... come on.

Sure, if it's either that or go internet-less, these things are great. Or if you plan to run near bare metal, or on a very minimalist OS, they're obviously more powerful than the computers that people used to do great work. But if you try to run anything modern on it, it'll bog down and crap itself.

For $250, you're far better off buying a used real computer than a shite netbook.

have you heard of slickdeals.  just got a 65" samsung TV for 80 bucks.  same kinds of deals can be had with computers there if you're patient.

Pricing error?

[Milkshake]

wouldnt moving them up help with airflow and gas mileage.  i assume this is why they move.

Lol I'm guessing the motorized running board add on was probably $2k and the resistance drop from an aerodynamic shape to a slightly more aerodynamic shape probably saved around $0.001 per mile. Only 2 million miles until your investment pays off!

[boarder42]

You can get a mini PC for well <$100, a netbook < $250. I'm quite surprised so many people are still willing to pay big amounts of money for premium products while computers and consumer electronics can be dirt cheap.

You can get an absolute garbage one, sure.

Mini PC for under $100? You're talking, what, a raspberry pi with a few addons? Or something of comparable processing power. Similarly, netbook under $250... come on.

Sure, if it's either that or go internet-less, these things are great. Or if you plan to run near bare metal, or on a very minimalist OS, they're obviously more powerful than the computers that people used to do great work. But if you try to run anything modern on it, it'll bog down and crap itself.

For $250, you're far better off buying a used real computer than a shite netbook.

have you heard of slickdeals.  just got a 65" samsung TV for 80 bucks.  same kinds of deals can be had with computers there if you're patient.

Pricing error?

nope paid 680ish for it from amazon.  certain walmart's had it clearanced down to 200 so you could use a screenshot of that plus discover's price match guarantee plus the 5% CB bonus category on the IT card thats doubled at the end of the year.  Plus i had just signed up for the card so i had a 50 dollar credit.  add all that up its 680-480 = 200 - 34 CB - 34 CB - 50 signup credit = 82 dollars. for a top of the line samsung 1080p 120hz(true) back lit LED TV

this wasnt str8 published by slickdeals and how to do it you had to dig into the threads and learn about it.  the TV was posted as a Dell deal at 600 bucks flat rate and made front page.

[horsepoor]

Not sure why they can't fix the motor, but the motorized ones can have a practical for people with ingress/egress issues. Doubt that is the case here, but they shouldn't be scorned entirely.

In this case the motor doesn't really lift the way it sounds, they more fold up and down when the car is locked/unlocked. There is no practical purpose to them being motorized. I do agree that true lifting running boards may help some people, but this guy is definitely not someone who needs that.

No, the practical purpose is to bash you in the shins when you open the door just to reach in and grab something.  Or to force you to wait until it lowers to get into the vehicle.  My old truck has the tube-type steps mounted on it, and it definitely makes it easier to get in and out, but they've never seemed like they were in the way.

[Papa Mustache]

Not sure why they can't fix the motor, but the motorized ones can have a practical for people with ingress/egress issues. Doubt that is the case here, but they shouldn't be scorned entirely.

In this case the motor doesn't really lift the way it sounds, they more fold up and down when the car is locked/unlocked. There is no practical purpose to them being motorized. I do agree that true lifting running boards may help some people, but this guy is definitely not someone who needs that.

wouldnt moving them up help with airflow and gas mileage.  i assume this is why they move.

I think somebody needs to add wings to this truck's motorized running boards.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Not sure why they can't fix the motor, but the motorized ones can have a practical for people with ingress/egress issues. Doubt that is the case here, but they shouldn't be scorned entirely.

In this case the motor doesn't really lift the way it sounds, they more fold up and down when the car is locked/unlocked. There is no practical purpose to them being motorized. I do agree that true lifting running boards may help some people, but this guy is definitely not someone who needs that.

wouldnt moving them up help with airflow and gas mileage.  i assume this is why they move.

I think somebody needs to add wings to this truck's motorized running boards.

It worked for the maxi pad industry.

[jordanread]

Not sure why they can't fix the motor, but the motorized ones can have a practical for people with ingress/egress issues. Doubt that is the case here, but they shouldn't be scorned entirely.

In this case the motor doesn't really lift the way it sounds, they more fold up and down when the car is locked/unlocked. There is no practical purpose to them being motorized. I do agree that true lifting running boards may help some people, but this guy is definitely not someone who needs that.

wouldnt moving them up help with airflow and gas mileage.  i assume this is why they move.

I think somebody needs to add wings to this truck's motorized running boards.

It worked for the maxi pad industry.

I hate this particular thread so much. But I almost threw up laughing so hard because of this comment. Thank you TGS,

[Rural]

Not sure why they can't fix the motor, but the motorized ones can have a practical for people with ingress/egress issues. Doubt that is the case here, but they shouldn't be scorned entirely.

In this case the motor doesn't really lift the way it sounds, they more fold up and down when the car is locked/unlocked. There is no practical purpose to them being motorized. I do agree that true lifting running boards may help some people, but this guy is definitely not someone who needs that.

wouldnt moving them up help with airflow and gas mileage.  i assume this is why they move.

I think somebody needs to add wings to this truck's motorized running boards.

It worked for the maxi pad industry.

And Red Bull.

[Jack]

They are advertised to move up to give more ground clearance. *rolleyes*

That's idiotic. One of the good things about proper, fixed, running boards is that they should prevent your rocker panels from being bashed in. Since movable ones can't be solidly mounted (tautologically), they would utterly fail to do that.

[TexasRunner]

They are advertised to move up to give more ground clearance. *rolleyes*

That's idiotic. One of the good things about proper, fixed, running boards is that they should prevent your rocker panels from being bashed in. Since movable ones can't be solidly mounted (tautologically), they would utterly fail to do that.

Ya its pretty dumb...

AMP Research invented POWERSTEP™, the automatic, electric-powered running board that instantly extends when you open your door, and then hides itself safely out of sight when the doors close for improved ground clearance, aerodynamics and appearance.

http://r.ebay.com/et3CKW

[Jack]

I think it's a Bill Joel song - "If you can drive with a broken back at least you can polish the fenders"

"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" -- a mustachian song second only to "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore.

You can get a mini PC for well <$100, a netbook < $250. I'm quite surprised so many people are still willing to pay big amounts of money for premium products while computers and consumer electronics can be dirt cheap.

You can get an absolute garbage one, sure.

Mini PC for under $100? You're talking, what, a raspberry pi with a few addons? Or something of comparable processing power. Similarly, netbook under $250... come on.

I got an Asus C200MA Chromebook for $100 from Amazon during their manufactured holiday a couple months ago. It's actually fast enough, at least for web browsing and writing R code.

[LeRainDrop]

Hardest part about moving is finding a new barber. I've had 3 good ones in my life. 2 are in the same shop. Now I've just moved again, and I can either just schedule it around when I visit my parents, or else go through the process of finding a new one. What a pain.

+1.  My usual shop located by my old house 25 minutes away was closed for a long weekend and I really needed a cut.  So, I went to another shop that is actually around the corner from my house.  The barber there (who happened to be female) asked if I was new to the area since I had never been in before.  I said no, I go to so and so normally but they were closed today and I really needed a cut.  She then quipped that most men are more faithful to their barber then their wives or girlfriends.  I laughed, because it's probably true.

The hairstylist who'd I'd been going to once every four-to-five months for nearly nine years died unexpectedly earlier this year.  That was really shocking.  Now, I'm so ashamed because I followed the referral from my friend to a new stylist, and while I really like how she cuts my hair, it costs more!  (Fortunately, I'm still just a haircut girl, no coloring or other expensive processes.)

[Debts_of_Despair]

Guy complaining about how gas taxes are too much and other states have it better, would save thousands if he moved out of state, etc.  This is coming from a guy who commutes to his office job in a full size pickup.  Because, you know, gas taxes are really important when you are getting 15 mpg.

[pancakes]

Pay day yesterday including a small bonus.

Spendypants colleague was buying furniture for their house this morning. Another colleague pointed out that they are digging themselves out of debt and maybe don't need more furniture but should save that money.

Spendypants colleague started ranting defensively, claiming they are out of debt as they owe less than $1000 to family and they need furniture because it is "for the house which is an investment" (house is owned by their parents and a bank, and they pay far less than the mortgage to live there).

I can guarantee that as our next pay approaches we the office will be listening to this person complaining about how their credit card balance has ballooned and how tight things are. .

[kayvent]

Spendypants colleague started ranting defensively, claiming they are out of debt as they owe less than $1000 to family and they need furniture because it is "for the house which is an investment" (house is owned by their parents and a bank, and they pay far less than the mortgage to live there).

He is not too far off unfortunately.

Before the '09 crash I watched a lot of HGTV and home selling shows for a period of one to two months. Why I stopped watching was this:

• There was one episode of a show where a lady and her husband were unable to their home.
  
• It was one the market for over a year and not a single offer
• That meant no one was even interested enough to give a lowball
• An interior decorator (the hosts) comes in, spends sub-300$ in paint and pictures and curtains, and rearranges the furniture
• Within a few weeks their is a bidding war and they get more than they listed their house for

I had to stop after watching this madness. Just three hundred dollars and a day of labour from an interior decorator turned the house from pathetic to attractive. If a lowball was 15,000 below the listed price and they got 5000 over it, just for how the house looked buyers where willing to pay more than an additional 20K. No one saw the beauty within the home or maybe people don't realize that they don't keep the furniture in the house they buy.

/rant

[With This Herring]

Spendypants colleague started ranting defensively, claiming they are out of debt as they owe less than $1000 to family and they need furniture because it is "for the house which is an investment" (house is owned by their parents and a bank, and they pay far less than the mortgage to live there).

He is not too far off unfortunately.

Before the '09 crash I watched a lot of HGTV and home selling shows for a period of one to two months. Why I stopped watching was this:

• There was one episode of a show where a lady and her husband were unable to their home.
  
• It was one the market for over a year and not a single offer
• That meant no one was even interested enough to give a lowball
• An interior decorator (the hosts) comes in, spends sub-300$ in paint and pictures and curtains, and rearranges the furniture
• Within a few weeks their is a bidding war and they get more than they listed their house for

I had to stop after watching this madness. Just three hundred dollars and a day of labour from an interior decorator turned the house from pathetic to attractive. If a lowball was 15,000 below the listed price and they got 5000 over it, just for how the house looked buyers where willing to pay more than an additional 20K. No one saw the beauty within the home or maybe people don't realize that they don't keep the furniture in the house they buy.

/rant

I don't think you can believe some (most?) of what you see on HGTV...

[BDWW]

Spendypants colleague started ranting defensively, claiming they are out of debt as they owe less than $1000 to family and they need furniture because it is "for the house which is an investment" (house is owned by their parents and a bank, and they pay far less than the mortgage to live there).

He is not too far off unfortunately.

Before the '09 crash I watched a lot of HGTV and home selling shows for a period of one to two months. Why I stopped watching was this:

• There was one episode of a show where a lady and her husband were unable to their home.
  
• It was one the market for over a year and not a single offer
• That meant no one was even interested enough to give a lowball
• An interior decorator (the hosts) comes in, spends sub-300$ in paint and pictures and curtains, and rearranges the furniture
• Within a few weeks their is a bidding war and they get more than they listed their house for

I had to stop after watching this madness. Just three hundred dollars and a day of labour from an interior decorator turned the house from pathetic to attractive. If a lowball was 15,000 below the listed price and they got 5000 over it, just for how the house looked buyers where willing to pay more than an additional 20K. No one saw the beauty within the home or maybe people don't realize that they don't keep the furniture in the house they buy.

/rant

I don't think you can believe some (most?) of what you see on HGTV...

It's not that unbelievable though. One of realtor friends tells stories about how buyers get turned off by the most superficial things. One house had purple carpet in the living room, and fetched about 15K less than comps because the seller wouldn't replace it. It's amazing how many people can't see the forest for the trees.

[MgoSam]

Spendypants colleague started ranting defensively, claiming they are out of debt as they owe less than $1000 to family and they need furniture because it is "for the house which is an investment" (house is owned by their parents and a bank, and they pay far less than the mortgage to live there).

He is not too far off unfortunately.

Before the '09 crash I watched a lot of HGTV and home selling shows for a period of one to two months. Why I stopped watching was this:

• There was one episode of a show where a lady and her husband were unable to their home.
  
• It was one the market for over a year and not a single offer
• That meant no one was even interested enough to give a lowball
• An interior decorator (the hosts) comes in, spends sub-300$ in paint and pictures and curtains, and rearranges the furniture
• Within a few weeks their is a bidding war and they get more than they listed their house for

I had to stop after watching this madness. Just three hundred dollars and a day of labour from an interior decorator turned the house from pathetic to attractive. If a lowball was 15,000 below the listed price and they got 5000 over it, just for how the house looked buyers where willing to pay more than an additional 20K. No one saw the beauty within the home or maybe people don't realize that they don't keep the furniture in the house they buy.

/rant

I don't think you can believe some (most?) of what you see on HGTV...

It's not that unbelievable though. One of realtor friends tells stories about how buyers get turned off by the most superficial things. One house had purple carpet in the living room, and fetched about 15K less than comps because the seller wouldn't replace it. It's amazing how many people can't see the forest for the trees.

Absolutely! When I looked at homes, I could see things that would need to go if I owned it, but my approach would be to calculate how much it would cost and factor that into my ideal price.

That said, I do believe that sellers should stage their homes if they no longer live in them. The house I bought was empty and for that reason I know I could lowball them. Had they staged their house, I believe they would have gotten a better offer.

[BDWW]

Spendypants colleague started ranting defensively, claiming they are out of debt as they owe less than $1000 to family and they need furniture because it is "for the house which is an investment" (house is owned by their parents and a bank, and they pay far less than the mortgage to live there).

He is not too far off unfortunately.

Before the '09 crash I watched a lot of HGTV and home selling shows for a period of one to two months. Why I stopped watching was this:

• There was one episode of a show where a lady and her husband were unable to their home.
  
• It was one the market for over a year and not a single offer
• That meant no one was even interested enough to give a lowball
• An interior decorator (the hosts) comes in, spends sub-300$ in paint and pictures and curtains, and rearranges the furniture
• Within a few weeks their is a bidding war and they get more than they listed their house for

I had to stop after watching this madness. Just three hundred dollars and a day of labour from an interior decorator turned the house from pathetic to attractive. If a lowball was 15,000 below the listed price and they got 5000 over it, just for how the house looked buyers where willing to pay more than an additional 20K. No one saw the beauty within the home or maybe people don't realize that they don't keep the furniture in the house they buy.

/rant

I don't think you can believe some (most?) of what you see on HGTV...

It's not that unbelievable though. One of realtor friends tells stories about how buyers get turned off by the most superficial things. One house had purple carpet in the living room, and fetched about 15K less than comps because the seller wouldn't replace it. It's amazing how many people can't see the forest for the trees.

Absolutely! When I looked at homes, I could see things that would need to go if I owned it, but my approach would be to calculate how much it would cost and factor that into my ideal price.

That said, I do believe that sellers should stage their homes if they no longer live in them. The house I bought was empty and for that reason I know I could lowball them. Had they staged their house, I believe they would have gotten a better offer.

Personally, I was thinking, sweet 15k discount. Things like that don't bother me, I'm more interested in the bones: foundation, roof, siding, HVAC, electrical.   Carpet is very far down on the priority list.

Tangentially related to my biggest pet peeve about most modern construction. Cheap, shoddy construction hidden beneath a shiny veneer.

[TexasRunner]

Spendypants colleague started ranting defensively, claiming they are out of debt as they owe less than $1000 to family and they need furniture because it is "for the house which is an investment" (house is owned by their parents and a bank, and they pay far less than the mortgage to live there).

He is not too far off unfortunately.

Before the '09 crash I watched a lot of HGTV and home selling shows for a period of one to two months. Why I stopped watching was this:

• There was one episode of a show where a lady and her husband were unable to their home.
  
• It was one the market for over a year and not a single offer
• That meant no one was even interested enough to give a lowball
• An interior decorator (the hosts) comes in, spends sub-300$ in paint and pictures and curtains, and rearranges the furniture
• Within a few weeks their is a bidding war and they get more than they listed their house for

I had to stop after watching this madness. Just three hundred dollars and a day of labour from an interior decorator turned the house from pathetic to attractive. If a lowball was 15,000 below the listed price and they got 5000 over it, just for how the house looked buyers where willing to pay more than an additional 20K. No one saw the beauty within the home or maybe people don't realize that they don't keep the furniture in the house they buy.

/rant

I don't think you can believe some (most?) of what you see on HGTV...

It's not that unbelievable though. One of realtor friends tells stories about how buyers get turned off by the most superficial things. One house had purple carpet in the living room, and fetched about 15K less than comps because the seller wouldn't replace it. It's amazing how many people can't see the forest for the trees.

Absolutely! When I looked at homes, I could see things that would need to go if I owned it, but my approach would be to calculate how much it would cost and factor that into my ideal price.

That said, I do believe that sellers should stage their homes if they no longer live in them. The house I bought was empty and for that reason I know I could lowball them. Had they staged their house, I believe they would have gotten a better offer.

Personally, I was thinking, sweet 15k discount. Things like that don't bother me, I'm more interested in the bones: foundation, roof, siding, HVAC, electrical.   Carpet is very far down on the priority list.

Tangentially related to my biggest pet peeve about most modern construction. Cheap, shoddy construction hidden beneath a shiny veneer.

Unfortunately my wife is very much like these people.  We tour a house and she says "I like the curtains" or "that carpet is nice"...   With a 200k purchase price, I want to know about the stuff that is over 500$ to fix.  Do the rooms flow correctly, is the house structurally sound, does it shed water appropriately, will the backyard flood, what are the risks of 500-year rain flooding the place...  etc etc.

When I sell my house, I will likely get 20k out of the flooring I put in myself for 2000$ (it looked old when we bought it).

[dragoncar]

Spendypants colleague started ranting defensively, claiming they are out of debt as they owe less than $1000 to family and they need furniture because it is "for the house which is an investment" (house is owned by their parents and a bank, and they pay far less than the mortgage to live there).

He is not too far off unfortunately.

Before the '09 crash I watched a lot of HGTV and home selling shows for a period of one to two months. Why I stopped watching was this:

• There was one episode of a show where a lady and her husband were unable to their home.
  
• It was one the market for over a year and not a single offer
• That meant no one was even interested enough to give a lowball
• An interior decorator (the hosts) comes in, spends sub-300$ in paint and pictures and curtains, and rearranges the furniture
• Within a few weeks their is a bidding war and they get more than they listed their house for

I had to stop after watching this madness. Just three hundred dollars and a day of labour from an interior decorator turned the house from pathetic to attractive. If a lowball was 15,000 below the listed price and they got 5000 over it, just for how the house looked buyers where willing to pay more than an additional 20K. No one saw the beauty within the home or maybe people don't realize that they don't keep the furniture in the house they buy.

/rant

I don't think you can believe some (most?) of what you see on HGTV...

It's not that unbelievable though. One of realtor friends tells stories about how buyers get turned off by the most superficial things. One house had purple carpet in the living room, and fetched about 15K less than comps because the seller wouldn't replace it. It's amazing how many people can't see the forest for the trees.

Absolutely! When I looked at homes, I could see things that would need to go if I owned it, but my approach would be to calculate how much it would cost and factor that into my ideal price.

That said, I do believe that sellers should stage their homes if they no longer live in them. The house I bought was empty and for that reason I know I could lowball them. Had they staged their house, I believe they would have gotten a better offer.

Personally, I was thinking, sweet 15k discount. Things like that don't bother me, I'm more interested in the bones: foundation, roof, siding, HVAC, electrical.   Carpet is very far down on the priority list.

Tangentially related to my biggest pet peeve about most modern construction. Cheap, shoddy construction hidden beneath a shiny veneer.

Unfortunately my wife is very much like these people.  We tour a house and she says "I like the curtains" or "that carpet is nice"...   With a 200k purchase price, I want to know about the stuff that is over 500$ to fix.  Do the rooms flow correctly, is the house structurally sound, does it shed water appropriately, will the backyard flood, what are the risks of 500-year rain flooding the place...  etc etc.

When I sell my house, I will likely get 20k out of the flooring I put in myself for 2000$ (it looked old when we bought it).

Well the expected value of a 500 year flood is under $500

[arebelspy]

Well the expected value of a 500 year flood is under $500

Assuming the odds are calculated correctly, and it's not more like a once-every-75-year flood.  :)

[TexasRunner]

Well the expected value of a 500 year flood is under $500

Assuming the odds are calculated correctly, and it's not more like a once-every-75-year flood.  :)

Ya, we use rainfall data at work and it leaves me wondering how accurate data IS from 1910 or 1875.  Then the rates are supposedly based from verified dates/amounts of 1960's onward but they had to mathematically calculate what the rates were for 50 year rainfall and up...  The science of SWAGing numbers to be reasonable conservative, lol.

[scottish]

Whenever I hear "flood" I think this:

[Primm]

We've had two 1/500 year floods here in the past 40 years, and about 3 1/100 year floods.

[arebelspy]

We've had two 1/500 year floods here in the past 40 years, and about 3 1/100 year floods.

Indeed.  I've heard similar things often. 

And I'd question the accuracy not only due to data limitations, as mentioned above, but (even if those were all accurate and 100% known) due to the ability to project forward based on them, mostly due to the climate changing.

[ender]

We've had two 1/500 year floods here in the past 40 years, and about 3 1/100 year floods.

Indeed.  I've heard similar things often. 

And I'd question the accuracy not only due to data limitations, as mentioned above, but (even if those were all accurate and 100% known) due to the ability to project forward based on them, mostly due to the climate changing.

Keep in mind depending on the geographic area the "500 year flood" covers, it's not really unexpected that they wouldn't happen.

If for example you split the USA up into 500 pieces, you'd get a "500 year flood" about every year, give or take, and it wouldn't be overly surprising statistically.

[arebelspy]

True, there's definitely the same bias there that makes people think the world is dangerous today, but hearing about multiple in a given area is either faulty data/predictions, or really, really uncommonly bad luck.

[ender]

True, there's definitely the same bias there that makes people think the world is dangerous today, but hearing about multiple in a given area is either faulty data/predictions, or really, really uncommonly bad luck.

Plus there is always selfish interest in sensationalizing events, pretty much across the entire spectrum whether you are researcher or news media. No one really benefits from making a natural event seem more normal, it's boring. But make it rare? EXCITING.

Doesn't mean "500 year floods" aren't real, but also an added bias.

[Pooperman]

We've had two 1/500 year floods here in the past 40 years, and about 3 1/100 year floods.

Indeed.  I've heard similar things often. 

And I'd question the accuracy not only due to data limitations, as mentioned above, but (even if those were all accurate and 100% known) due to the ability to project forward based on them, mostly due to the climate changing.

Keep in mind depending on the geographic area the "500 year flood" covers, it's not really unexpected that they wouldn't happen.

If for example you split the USA up into 500 pieces, you'd get a "500 year flood" about every year, give or take, and it wouldn't be overly surprising statistically.

Increasing sea levels aren't really helping, either.

A true 500 year flood will happen in the Seattle/Vancouver area at some point. That'll be nasty.

[ender]

Increasing sea levels aren't really helping, either.

A true 500 year flood will happen in the Seattle/Vancouver area at some point. That'll be nasty.

I've wondered how much humans affect this, particularly in how drainage is managed. I know in my city we had some serious flooding within the past decade, but I think part of that is simply due to poor planning and drainage. Newer developments are deliberately and consciously managing this.

It's kind of interesting to think about, really. If you get an inch of rain in a city, think about how much of the city is no longer grass or otherwise capable of absorbing that water. Most cities of any size have a large percentage of land covered in either concrete or buildings. If you cover 50% of the ground, then every rain storm doubly taxes the grounds ability to saturate (ignoring drainage planning).

Similar to Katrina and New Orleans, you can't really build an entire city in a swamp/low area and wonder when it floods. The water has to go somewhere.

[pancakes]

Spendypants colleague started ranting defensively, claiming they are out of debt as they owe less than $1000 to family and they need furniture because it is "for the house which is an investment" (house is owned by their parents and a bank, and they pay far less than the mortgage to live there).

He is not too far off unfortunately.

Before the '09 crash I watched a lot of HGTV and home selling shows for a period of one to two months. Why I stopped watching was this:

• There was one episode of a show where a lady and her husband were unable to their home.
  
• It was one the market for over a year and not a single offer
• That meant no one was even interested enough to give a lowball
• An interior decorator (the hosts) comes in, spends sub-300$ in paint and pictures and curtains, and rearranges the furniture
• Within a few weeks their is a bidding war and they get more than they listed their house for

I had to stop after watching this madness. Just three hundred dollars and a day of labour from an interior decorator turned the house from pathetic to attractive. If a lowball was 15,000 below the listed price and they got 5000 over it, just for how the house looked buyers where willing to pay more than an additional 20K. No one saw the beauty within the home or maybe people don't realize that they don't keep the furniture in the house they buy.

/rant

Ok if they were intending to sell the house and realise some profit from their modifications but they have no plans to sell it.

[cerat0n1a]

I've wondered how much humans affect this, particularly in how drainage is managed. I know in my city we had some serious flooding within the past decade, but I think part of that is simply due to poor planning and drainage. Newer developments are deliberately and consciously managing this.

Where I live, there are a reasonable number of houses in the centre of the village which are 500 years old and which were known to have never flooded. They've all been flooded twice since 2000. Not because of global warming, sea level rises or anything like that, but solely due to drainage effects. New houses built on the edge of the village in the 1970s/1980s with non-permeable driveways and roads means the water gets to the river more quickly than when it just soaked into the ground. Farmers have improved field drainage by digging ditches and removing hedges and small areas of woodland. This again puts any excess rainfall into the river system much more quickly and so river levels rise far more rapidly than the past.

[Goldielocks]

$1000.  For a phone. The mind boggles.

I'm often surprised that while computers (and consumer electronics in general) can be had so cheap (Mini PC <$100, Netbook < $200) so many people are still willing to pay vast amounts of money for the premium stuff.

When I first got into the computer business I was selling 360K Floppy drives for $1,500 each (circa 1983).  I had (government) customers at that time who were still winding their own core memories.  Moore's law in action!

My Cousin's first electrical engineering co-op job was winding core memories (switching tapes?) for a government system... in 1989, I think.  Not so long ago.

All. Day. Long.
In the basement
In summer.

[arebelspy]

I've wondered how much humans affect this, particularly in how drainage is managed. I know in my city we had some serious flooding within the past decade, but I think part of that is simply due to poor planning and drainage. Newer developments are deliberately and consciously managing this.

Where I live, there are a reasonable number of houses in the centre of the village which are 500 years old and which were known to have never flooded. They've all been flooded twice since 2000. Not because of global warming, sea level rises or anything like that, but solely due to drainage effects. New houses built on the edge of the village in the 1970s/1980s with non-permeable driveways and roads means the water gets to the river more quickly than when it just soaked into the ground. Farmers have improved field drainage by digging ditches and removing hedges and small areas of woodland. This again puts any excess rainfall into the river system much more quickly and so river levels rise far more rapidly than the past.

That is a good explanation.  Thanks Ender/cerat!

[MrRealEstate]

Regarding a 100 year flood zone and a 30 year mortgage, the odds of the house flooding while being owned by the bank is 30%. I know it's obvious when it's spelled out, but most people don't put two and two together. They only are unhappy when the lender requires them to purchase flood insurance.

[BlueHouse]

Regarding a 100 year flood zone and a 30 year mortgage, the odds of the house flooding while being owned by the bank is 30%. I know it's obvious when it's spelled out, but most people don't put two and two together. They only are unhappy when the lender requires them to purchase flood insurance.

DC appealed new flood zones (and won) around the time I was buying my house, so I was pretty concerned in finding an appropriate insurance amount. . The new (proposed) 100 year flood zone would have put 1/4 of the city (including the national mall, any fed buildings and almost all of the SW quadrant underwater once every 100 years. That's a huge change in insurance costs, but also would have changed the building code for the area in 100 year zone. There is a massive redevelopment effort underway on the waterfront in that quadrant. that would have required building redesign and increased insurance costs, new building footing if it fell in a flood zone. But DC appealed, so no need to listen to experts when we have tax bureaucrats deciding the proper building code based on what they want to pay rather than on science-predicted events.
Just thought that was interesting.