#mortgage companies in winter park

[cliftonmortgage]

Unlocking Your Dream Home: The Power of Mortgage Expertise

As much as the Maitland Mortgage Refinance process may be rather complicated, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Where a team of dedicated buyers’ agents worked for a decade in real estate buying with a focus on good customer relations, clients can get the direction they need toward their dream home. Through the principles of trust and the promise of going out of their way to provide more than what is expected of them while upholding integrity, the dedicated mortgage service provider is a critical asset in any real estate business.

Getting a mortgage can be confusing, no matter if it’s your first time or if you are a seasoned investor. The more options and choices on the table, the more bewildering it is; having a competent team around makes a lot of difference. A professional Maitland Mortgage service helps you navigate this process and make the right choices that complement your financial goals. 

A Wealth of Experience at Your Fingertips

Highly experienced professional staff with years of mortgage industry experience make professional service provision to every client possible. They have detailed background information that enables them to understand the loan products and other aspects of the market and the process involved in real estate. 

If examining for a traditional loan, or one through a government agency, or trying to decide whether to refinance, it is valuable to speak with experienced people who can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of each course of action. They can assist in completing all those forms, explain the eligibility conditions, and direct you to the correct type of financing. 

Building Trust Through Exceptional Service

Being trusted is the essence of mortgage function since it encompasses steering the biggest purchase of their lives. It is all about the extra mile in rendering service to better the client’s gains. It creates extraordinary service. By acknowledging and embracing shareholder literacy, mortgage professionals can build clients’ confidence. 

When the clients are in a position where they feel supported and are therefore willing to participate fully in the process, this comprises asking questions, coming up with queries, posing concerns, and even seeking information. It’s the employees who provide quick responses and show great appreciation for the client’s contribution make the overall flow from pre-approval to closing stages smooth as butter. 

Exceeding Expectations with Integrity

A lack of commitment to promises can be commonplace in an industry, but a commitment to business principles cannot. It does assure the client and maximize his patronage, but it also ensures that there will be a good word in town about the firm.  Customers need a service that meets its set commitments in areas such as competitive rates, closing, and advice after the loan has been made. An ethical mortgage service provider has high responsibilities for its clients and builds long-term customer relations and satisfied customers.

[hakesbros]

Save Money Whenever You Purchase, Sell Or Refinance

The apparent query is if 2022 might be one other record-setting year. The reply, if there is one, will certainly be primarily based on quite a few variables. Will growing values and the anticipated rise in mortgage rates preclude a considerable variety of buyers from qualifying? Will out-of-state consumers relocating to Las Cruces improve sales sufficient to make up the difference? To what extent, if any, will future COVID-19 variants affect buying and selling?

You can replace your MHVillage Account Information at any time. When you register or work together with an MHVillage website, your present data such as your name, tackle, e-mail tackle, zip code, phone numbers, and other info. You may also provide details about your home should you record it for sale or request a valuation. Once you register with MHVillage and check in to its services, you are not anonymous. MHVillage collects your personal information if you register on one of its web sites, when you use MHVillage products or services, or whenever you visit the web sites owned by MHVillage or the pages of sure MHVillage companions.

You might contemplate checking our present record of available companies for sale in Las Cruces. You may discover a chance to purchase a turnkey business with a longtime customer base. You must register your contact data to view secure homes for sale las cruces info on this listing. And that’s not even all this Southwestern property has to offer. Maybe it’s simply wishful considering after months of carrying wool sweaters to outlive winter in New England, however taking a look at this adobe home for sale in Las Cruces, I swear I feel warmer.

Visit our News & Advice section to learn more about buying and leasing industrial actual estate, from calculating the proper amount of space to the phrases you need to perceive. We apologize, however the function you are trying to entry is presently unavailable. We are aware of this concern and our group is working onerous to resolve the matter. The house is listed for $825,000 by Ashley Parkey, Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices – NM Properties. If you are looking to promote your home within the Mesilla Park space, our listing brokers may help you get the most effective price. In addition to homes in Mesilla Park, there was also 1 rental, zero townhouses, and 1 multi-family unit for sale in Mesilla Park final month.

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MHVillage may mix details about you that it has gathered with data that it may acquire from business companions or different sources. This coverage covers how MHVillage, Inc. treats private information that MHVillage collects and receives, together with information related to your previous use of MHVillage services and products. Personal information is details about you and is restricted to you want your name, handle, e-mail address, telephone number, web site actions, etc, but isn't in any other case publicly available. You have reached this page because you are trying to entry our web site from an space the place MHVillage does not present products or services. Stacker believes in making the world’s information more accessible through storytelling. To that finish, most Stacker tales are freely out there to republish beneath a Creative Commons License, and we encourage you to share our tales with your viewers.

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With present safety measures in place, attention to element in phrases of pricing and advertising, and dealing on the client's behalf we will offer dedicated service to all our clients. Hakes Brothers has been building new homes in Las Cruces for over 15 years and has established its popularity as a premier home builder with native roots. Our team is devoted to constructing lovely new homes in sought-after locations, incorporating revolutionary designs and exceptional features that showcase a genuine new homes for sale in las cruces nm consideration to element. With a concentrate on both craftsmanship and value, our distinctive new homes for sale in Las Cruces, NM, provide the facilities of a custom-built home at a fraction of the price. Conveniently positioned in northeast Las Cruces, Red Hawk Estates is designed on your unique lifestyle, with eight flexible floor plans and a full menu of included features. The subtle, open-concept homes are surrounded by in style amenities, together with world-class golf, community parks, and provoking views.

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[westernwind]

My Job is to Watch Dreams Die

By /u/jobthreadthrowaway

I work at a real estate office. We primarily sell houses that were foreclosed on by lenders. We aren't involved in the actual foreclosures or evictions - anonymous lawyers in the cloud somewhere is tasked with the paperwork - we are the boots on the ground that interacts with the actual walls, roofs and occasional bomb threat.

When the lender forecloses - or is thinking of foreclosing - on a property one of the first things that happens is they send somebody out to see if there is actually a house there and if there is anybody living there who needs to be evicted. Lawyers are expensive so they send a real estate agent or a property preservation company out to check. There is the occasional discovery of fraud where there was never a house on the parcel to begin with, but such instances are rare. Sometimes this initial visit results in discovering a house that has burned down or demolished, is abandoned or occupied by somebody who has absolutely no connection with the homeowner. Sometimes the houses are discovered to be crack dens or meth labs, sometimes the sites of cock or dog fighting operations, or you might even find a back yard filled with a pot cultivation that can't be traced back to anybody because it was planted in yet another vacant house in a blighted neighborhood. The house could be worth less than zero - blighted to the point where you can't even give it away (this is a literal statement, I have tried to give away many houses or even vacant lots with no takers over the years) or it could be a waterfront mansion in a gated golf community worth well over seven figures that does not include the number "one". Sometimes they are found to have been seized by the IRS, the local tax authority, the DEA or the US Marshal. Variety is the rule. The end results are the law.

If the house is occupied my job is to make contact and determine who they are: there are laws that establish what happens to a borrower as opposed to a tenant and the servicemember relief act adds an additional set of questions that must be answered. Some of the people have an idea of why I am there. Some claim they never knew they were foreclosed on, or tell me that they have worked something out with their lender, some won't tell me a thing and some threaten me to never return in the name of the police, their lawyer, or the occasional "or else/if I were you". During one initial visit the sight of 50-60 motorcycles parked on the lawn suggested that we try again the next day. At a couple the police had cordoned off the area and at one they were in the process of dredging the lake searching for the body of a depressed former homeowner.

If nobody is home I have to determine if they are at work, on vacation, in the army, wintering/summering at their other home, in jail, in a nursing home, dead or if they moved away. It isn't easy. Utilities can be left on for months. Neighbors can be staging the yard and house to appear occupied to prevent blight in their neighborhood. By the same token people will stop cutting the lawn for months, let trash and old phone books pile up on their porch, lose gas and electric service and continue to live in properties that have not only physically unsafe to approach but are so filthy that when it comes time to clean them out the crews have to wear hazmat suits. One house had a gallon pickle jar filled with dead roaches on the porch. Somebody lived in that house and thought that was a logical thing to do. People like me are tasked with first contact.

Evictions are expensive and time-consuming. Ultimately once the process gets that far there isn't much that can be done to prevent it. You didn't pay your mortgage, the lender gets the house back. There are an infinite number of reasons why the mortgage couldn't be paid, some are more sympathetic than others, but in the end you will be leaving the property willingly or not. The lawyers handle the evictions - they churn through the paperwork in the background, ten thousand properties at a time. They have it down to rote function based on templates, personal experience with the various judges and intimate knowledge of the federal, state and municipal laws, along with dealing with the occasional sheriff who refuses to evict somebody, the informal policies established by the local judges and a myriad of other problems that can arise. As a business decision many lenders have determined that it is cheaper to settle with the occupants - instead of going through the formal eviction they will offer cash. In exchange for surrendering a property in reasonably clean condition with the furnace still hooked up, the kitchen not stripped and the basement not intentionally flooded the lender will cut the occupants a check. It costs much less than an eviction, provides reasonable hope that the plumbing won't freeze and can take a fraction of the time to obtain possession. This is where the personal element becomes real.

Some people jump at the chance. They don't want to live here anymore. They may be getting married and moving in but couldn't sell the unneeded house. They have a new job across the country, they're moving to the other side of the planet. They were renting and found a better place in a neighborhood where the thieves don't grin at them through the kitchen window while they disconnect a running air conditioner knowing that the average response time for the police is measured in weeks for a call like that. The cash is a down payment, a security deposit (since their landlord never returns theirs), or maybe a moving van. These are the best cases. Sometimes they are happy to hear from me. Other times, not so much.

When I make first contact and explain that the lender is offering them money to leave sometimes they tell me that they haven't slept for months, knowing that something was going to happen but never knowing if tomorrow was the day when somebody kicked in their door and threw their kids out on the lawn. Their lenders won't tell them anything, they have nothing to go on but horror stories from other people that they never knew. It never occurred to them that they should call an attorney and ask what was going on. I can be the first people to discuss their situation who isn't a debt collector: you can hear the release of a massive weight in their voice. It isn't much, but at least it is something.

Or they can get angry and defensive, tell me that they were never foreclosed on, tell me that I am trespassing and owe them $5,000 in "land use fees" for "using" their property as I walk to the front door. They threaten to sue, they threaten to call the cops, they say I should look under my car before I start it from now on. They send letters written in various forms of English - one time scribed in crayon - detailing their rights and how I am violating some maritime treaty from the 1700s. In my travels I have learned that if you copyright your name you can't be named in any kind of legal action, if you never write down your ZIP code then you aren't a resident of the United States and that if I tell somebody that their lender is offering them money to vacate while leaving the staircase (yes, these get stolen) and driveway (yes, these get stolen) in place then I am guilty of slave trading under some United Nations something or other.

For those who reject the deal, nothing changes. They don't lose any rights and it isn't counted against them in any way - neither the lawyers nor the courts care because the lenders don't have to offer anything - the eviction process continues. I listen to the stories why they can't/won't take the deal. They can't afford anything else. They don't have anywhere else to go. They want to make the eviction as expensive as possible. They're going to get "a big settlement" from some vague lawsuit any day now. They want their kids to finish out the school year. They intend to take the furnace as soon as they find a new house. All kinds of reasons. Some are heartbreaking, others not so much.

For those who do take the deal, at the appointed date and time I meet them at their former home. I walk the yard and enter every room. I open every drawer and cupboard making sure the house is clean and doesn't have old engines, toxic chemicals or dead dogs lingering anywhere. Sometimes the kids are there, maybe waiting in the car, maybe not. I see the marks on the wall showing how the kids grew over the years. I see the anguished poetry scribbled on the wall by stoned teenagers and the occasional hole punched in the wall. One woman handed me the key to her reinforced bedroom door - during the divorce her now ex-husband was still living in the house and she had to barricade herself in at night. Another said "right there is where I found my son - he couldn't handle losing the house".

Sometimes they don't want the money and don't want to be evicted so they sign a waiver stating that everything left inside can be disposed of. Hospital beds. Oxygen tanks and wheelchairs. Hundreds of boxes of shoes. A mannequin. A 2nd grader's homework portfolio. A wedding album filled with pictures with one person torn out. Get rich quick "business plans". 40 years worth of drafting documents. To the lenders and the lawyers, these things don't exist - they close the file and order a trashout. Sometimes I linger as I check the basement for mold and lead. I am the final period on so many significant chapters. To most other people it is just part of the job but in so many other universes this is where I ended up. There is no difference between myself and these people other than the intangible twists of experience.

And so I listen. I feign dispassion but I'm not fooling anybody. Somehow they can tell that I care and thank me even as they admit that it isn't my fault, that it isn't my responsibility to listen. I've stood inside another's dream for an hour as they spoke, not really to be heard but to say goodbye - to leave the ghosts behind.

They go to the car and return with the openers.

The keys are peeled from a ring.

They thank me. Sometimes they cry.

And they're gone.

I wait for their car to vanish before I put up the sign. To most everybody else it is just another house on just another block in just another city in just another financial catastrophe.

But I was there. I saw the dream end.

But at least I don't make them turn out the lights one last time as they leave.

That's my job.

[smatmaysum]

Meritage Homes Corporation: A Comprehensive Overview

Meritage Homes Corporation is a prominent American homebuilding company known for its focus on energy-efficient homes and sustainable building practices. Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Meritage Homes operates in numerous states across the United States. This article delves into the history, business strategy, notable projects, challenges, and future outlook of Meritage Homes Corporation.

History and Evolution

Meritage Homes was founded by Steve Hilton and John Landon under the original name Monterey Homes. The company quickly established a reputation for high-quality construction and innovative home designs, leading to significant growth and expansion.

Key Milestones

1985: Meritage Homes was founded as Monterey Homes in Scottsdale, Arizona.

1997: Monterey Homes went public through a merger with Homeplex Mortgage Investments Corporation, adopting the name Meritage Homes Corporation.

2006: Meritage Homes entered the Fortune 1000 list, marking its position as a leading homebuilder in the U.S.

2013: The company became the first national builder to install spray-foam insulation as a standard feature, highlighting its commitment to energy efficiency.

2020: Meritage Homes was recognized as the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for its efforts in sustainable building practices.

Business Strategy

Meritage Homes Corporation's business strategy centers on innovation, sustainability, and customer satisfaction. The company focuses on delivering high-quality homes that cater to the needs of modern buyers while incorporating advanced technologies and sustainable practices.

Innovation and Sustainability

One of the key pillars of Meritage Homes' strategy is its commitment to sustainability. The company has been a pioneer in building energy-efficient homes, integrating features such as spray-foam insulation, advanced HVAC systems, energy-efficient windows, and water-saving fixtures. This not only reduces the environmental impact but also provides homeowners with significant cost savings on utilities.

Customer-Centric Approach

Meritage Homes places a strong emphasis on understanding and meeting the needs of its customers. The company offers a range of home designs and customization options, ensuring that buyers can find a home that suits their lifestyle and preferences. Additionally, Meritage Homes prioritizes quality construction and reliable customer service, aiming to provide a seamless homebuying experience.

Strategic Expansion

Meritage Homes has expanded its presence across the United States through strategic acquisitions and organic growth. The company operates in key markets including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. This broad geographical footprint allows Meritage Homes to tap into diverse housing markets and mitigate regional economic fluctuations.

Notable Projects and Communities

Meritage Homes has developed numerous notable communities that exemplify its commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability. Some of these include:

Verrado (Buckeye, Arizona): A master-planned community featuring a range of energy-efficient homes and amenities such as parks, trails, and schools.

Bristol Meadows (Cary, North Carolina): A community known for its modern home designs and proximity to the Research Triangle Park, a major employment hub.

Watermark (Winter Garden, Florida): A community offering eco-friendly homes with access to recreational facilities, shopping, and dining options.

Challenges and Criticisms

Despite its successes, Meritage Homes faces several challenges and criticisms:

Market Volatility: The homebuilding industry is subject to economic cycles, with factors such as interest rates, housing demand, and material costs impacting profitability.

Regulatory Compliance: Navigating complex building codes, zoning laws, and environmental regulations can be challenging and costly.

Labor Shortages: The construction industry often faces labor shortages, which can delay projects and increase costs.

Future Outlook

Meritage Homes Corporation continues to focus on growth and innovation, with several initiatives aimed at strengthening its market position and enhancing its offerings:

Expansion into New Markets: The company plans to enter new geographical markets to diversify its portfolio and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Enhanced Technological Integration: Meritage Homes is investing in smart home technologies and advanced construction techniques to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Sustainability Initiatives: Continuing its leadership in sustainable building, Meritage Homes aims to further reduce the environmental impact of its homes through new technologies and practices.

Conclusion

Meritage Homes Corporation has established itself as a leader in the American homebuilding industry through its commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability. By focusing on energy-efficient homes and customer satisfaction, the company has built a strong reputation and achieved significant growth. As Meritage Homes navigates the challenges of the industry, its strategic initiatives and dedication to sustainability position it well for continued success.

[baekhvuns]

I'm sorry, but Arsenal went from 0:2 to 3:2, first half was embarrassing but then they went desperate mode and they're still first SO I'M GOOD. Vini was clowning that's true, but Gavi??? Crazy guy 🔫 anyways, I'm waiting for CL, idc about this Spanish bullshit 💀 Liverpool said WE'RE REDEEMING OURSELVES FUCK YOU ALL 😭 this is hilarious tbh... sad, but wtf. PSG vs Bayern soon, how we feeling? 💀

I hope not to see anything Gr**nw**d related except him going to jail. I hate how easy some people are to persuade... shit like this is nuanced.

That obsessed weirdo isn't my friend, come oooon, I just met her in a queue then at a birthday cafe and I thought she was alright.

The fact SM doesn't even blur miss Judy's face and she's trying to convince us it's because she's with them?! They even blur staff members, be serious bitch. But why isn't SM doing anything?

I would say kpop is at its peak when it comes to popularity, the only reason some things are going down is the decrease in music quality and the oversaturation, some companies are doing TOO MUCH. Hybe thinks they're the cool new and hip co-worker who got hired and wanna change everything and "help" the old workers even though no one asked? SM has a lot of issues and crimes that they committed, but Hybe IS NOT going to help

Yeah Europe loves knives 🙃 it's worrying. Paris is bad, Atz needs to get away asap, I can't believe the French menace got 2 stops. Lmao I guess the IG video is right, Berlin is the alt city, so I can definitely see people like that

Not me getting Britishised 😭 when I went to the UK for the first time when I was around 12 I didn't know English, I could understand it, but speaking was a no no. My friend's cousin from Ireland hang out with us and I was so shocked, I couldn't understand her at all, but my friend - a native English speaker said "tbh I understand every 5 words she says". Now I'm used to the accents, I actually struggle with some American ones. Father Baek ily <3 it's good idc. British cousine is mostly gross and the names of the dishes? I still can't believe spotted dick exists. But some stuff are good, especially the vegan versions

Nope, Cornish people are fun and chill. YOU GUYS? As if people didn't comment on my messy accent in the past 💀 I wanted to sound more British, but guess I was trying too hard and some people were mad I was attempting to sound like someone I wasn't. Fun times </3

Really? No Woo fics? I wonder why, tbh I have no clue, I rarely read fics and when I do it's only Hwa. Hmmm, I don't fond hockey attractive, so I'd go for racer or fencer actually.

At this point Shinestars need to set up our fashion brand and use Hwa as our model and ambassador. Don't have mortgage, because I can't afford a house, heh 🥰 but SK is nice, I went to the trampoline/climbing park Atz filmed episode 7 of Salary Lupin at!

What?! I did not order Seonghwa's winter MD who said I did?!?!? Please no robbery!

The Korean spelling of Xikers is Ssaikeouseu, so in English it should be Saikers....... choices

My friend watched Horimiya thanks to me and she was convinced it was an older show, we definitely need more shoujo anime 🥰 Btw I watched this one show and this guy, he's a commander and professional simp, I love him https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uPwVxfYEwWg (for some reason I can't link anymore, sorry about that :/)

Alchemy of Souls didn't have to go that hard... I bet Hwa is tearing up watching

LA fans don't get as many stuff as Korean fans, but they're definitely extremely privileged. Speaking of, this bitch cannot be serious https://twitter.com/byeonbang_tiny/status/1631655077080629249?t=JjxE_WgNbAqpVrON4RvuLg&s=19 Apparently it's a priv of a problematic fansite ajshaujsjwjsiwjjwjw

Sorry? https://twitter.com/hoonhub/status/1632622782927323137?t=Ku7FG51bRsDVZJic-n_j5Q&s=19 why is this fandom full of unfunny losers. He was just sitting down eating while a friend was taking a photo? This: https://twitter.com/rubiIIage/status/1632723356972621826?t=3pRP_dorCvQDYs0c9b4axQ&s=19

Anyways look how beautiful, this fit aaaaaaaaaa https://twitter.com/pshsource/status/1632806590733598722?t=wOzvOEM6LFwiscXbMVaAwQ&s=19

I went to sleep after 4am thanks to him 🥰 He also trimmed his hair, but.... I'll allow it. He looked like a model, but then proceeded to show off his lightsaber pens 😭🤧😢

🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃 then the way he just appeared in his pjs and laid in bed? https://twitter.com/thinkingabtpsh/status/1632816075858427910?t=XcKNOX6iFjj7mT98_GOeTw&s=19 - DV 💖

hello!!

I'm sorry, but Arsenal went from 0:2 to 3:2, first half was embarrassing but then they went desperate mode and they're still first SO I'M GOOD. Vini was clowning that's true, but Gavi??? Crazy guy 🔫 anyways, I'm waiting for CL, idc about this Spanish bullshit 💀 Liverpool said WE'RE REDEEMING OURSELVES FUCK YOU ALL 😭 this is hilarious tbh… sad, but wtf. PSG vs Bayern soon, how we feeling? 💀

YOU WON BUT FOR WHAT, GOT RM AND MANU CRYING 😭😭😭😭 sEEE NOW, vini does this on a daily but if gavi does it it’s a big tHing 🔫 but u know what i respect, he plays like veratti who’s available for like 10 games a year bc of his red cards jvdkwhckc u can bet gavi won’t do that the next leg bc pedri will calm him down <3 LMFAOOOO SUDDENLY NO INTEREST IN LA LIGA???? 😭😭😭 LIVERPOOL ABSOLUTELY ANNIHILATED MANU IM SO SURPRISED WITH THE EASE THEY DID IT ITS SO FUNNY RBEJFH psg v bayern, u know i have no hope bc 1. neymar’s out for surgery, 2. they still suck at defence 3. somewhat good thing is that messi & mbappe are actually DOING SOMETHING,,, so iM PREDICTING it’s either a 1-0 like last time, a draw or bayern going crazy or just disgrace but tbh it’s psg so can’t expect anything

maybe rm redemption arc in summer? theyre trying to get mbappe now 😬

I hope not to see anything Grnwd related except him going to jail. I hate how easy some people are to persuade… shit like this is nuanced. /// That obsessed weirdo isn't my friend, come oooon, I just met her in a queue then at a birthday cafe and I thought she was alright.

no seriously it’s the way the fans on instagram are still rotting for him bc he’s in his ‘prime’ and will eventually ‘become bigger’ yeah, a bigger idiot,,, he might as well retire or go china,,, LMFAOOO 😭😭😭 she must’ve been really nice for u to not notice her vibes 😭😭

The fact SM doesn't even blur miss Judy's face and she's trying to convince us it's because she's with them?! They even blur staff members, be serious bitch. But why isn't SM doing anything?

NO LITERALLY LIKE WHAT DOES SHE GOT ON THEM BC THEY USUALLY BLUR EVERY ONGOER IN VLOGS,,, ppl are going a little 📈📉 over some theories regarding her,,, nct’s team knows judy! someone reached out to them and apparently they know about her, hopefully the hefty lawsuit comes to her and her friends bc damn

I would say kpop is at its peak when it comes to popularity, the only reason some things are going down is the decrease in music quality and the oversaturation, some companies are doing TOO MUCH. Hybe thinks they're the cool new and hip co-worker who got hired and wanna change everything and "help" the old workers even though no one asked? SM has a lot of issues and crimes that they committed, but Hybe IS NOT going to help

true! but the popularity is like, this one person said thiS perfectly but i can’t find it but it was something along the lines of people assuming kpop is worldwide just because ppl know of them on twt, twt ≠ worldwide fame! DEFINITELY THE MUSIC QUALITY also probably the way they’re marketing idols, there’s like no fun, even at award shows, like not even a smile atp 😭😭 i def think companies caught onto the lore thing and now everyone and their mother has a lore to it, which can make things complicated + the way not many are experimenting with diff genres which sm does! but recently it’s been a 📉📈📉 hybe’s saviour complex is mad,,, the way their stans are like no one wants sm BUT HYBS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR IT SO WHY DONT THEY LEAVE THEM BE 😭😭😭 why are they funnelling money for SM 😭😭??  atp kakao is good bc at least they’re not trying to put a hand in the management or direction bc hybe def’s getting mhj in it and it’s 🔫🔫

Yeah Europe loves knives 🙃 it's worrying. Paris is bad, Atz needs to get away asap, I can't believe the French menace got 2 stops. Lmao I guess the IG video is right, Berlin is the alt city, so I can definitely see people like that ///  Not me getting Britishised 😭 when I went to the UK for the first time when I was around 12 I didn't know English, I could understand it, but speaking was a no no. My friend's cousin from Ireland hang out with us and I was so shocked, I couldn't understand her at all, but my friend - a native English speaker said "tbh I understand every 5 words she says". Now I'm used to the accents, I actually struggle with some American ones. Father Baek ily <3 it's good idc. British cousine is mostly gross and the names of the dishes? I still can't believe spotted dick exists. But some stuff are good, especially the vegan versions

NO LITERALLY WHY DID PARIS GET 2 STOPS 🤨🤨🤨 this makes sense w my new fic where yunho’s a parisian with identity crisis so i guess it’s valid then <3  will report back to u the day i visit berlin 🫡 a whole ppt presentation with black smudged eyeliner,, LMFAOOO FORGET UR BAPTISM UR BRITISHISIZED 😭😭😭 stop bc the ireland english would be a whole new level of english,, father baek has an obsession with it that he tries to shove it down on my throat, will nEVER EAT THAT 🤚🏻 spotted dick is so ???? 😭😭 hilarious pls have u ever ate it?? the hongjoong san video w jolly right after our discussion, HONGJOONGS REACTIONS FBWND

Nope, Cornish people are fun and chill. YOU GUYS? As if people didn't comment on my messy accent in the past 💀 I wanted to sound more British, but guess I was trying too hard and some people were mad I was attempting to sound like someone I wasn't. Fun times </3

YES YOU GUYS DBWBDJS 😭😭😭 nAURRRR AND U WERE LIKE 12???? JAIL TO ALL OF THEM 🔫🔫🔫 it be ur own people fr,, i rmr when i came here, it wasn't even about my accent, it was bc of where i was from so everything stereotypical was blamed on me <3

Really? No Woo fics? I wonder why, tbh I have no clue, I rarely read fics and when I do it's only Hwa. Hmmm, I don't fond hockey attractive, so I'd go for racer or fencer actually.

no bc same 😭😭 these days i don’t know read fics anymore, me too! usually if miss tenelka writes them 🤲🏻🤲🏻 see the hockey player was a junior x senior one <3 wILL save that for choi san!

At this point Shinestars need to set up our fashion brand and use Hwa as our model and ambassador. Don't have mortgage, because I can't afford a house, heh 🥰 but SK is nice, I went to the trampoline/climbing park Atz filmed episode 7 of Salary Lupin at! /// What?! I did not order Seonghwa's winter MD who said I did?!?!? Please no robbery!

NO LITERALLY IT’S A CRIME ATP! waiting for the day it comes true and it seems 1 step closer with balmain x hj, now we need some crazy photoshoot with any brand atp 😭😭 omg the mortgage here with the inflation iS MENTAL!! OOOOOOOO WHERE THEY ALL THREW HANDS AT EACH OTHER??? did u guys try to imitate that bc 🔫 IM REALLY ON MY WAY, SINCE UR IN SK I CAN GO TO UR PLACE EASILY

The Korean spelling of Xikers is Ssaikeouseu, so in English it should be Saikers……. choices //// My friend watched Horimiya thanks to me and she was convinced it was an older show, we definitely need more shoujo anime 🥰 Btw I watched this one show and this guy, he's a commander and professional simp, I love him (for some reason I can't link anymore, sorry about that :/)

saikers….the anime loving ceo is back at it again,,, WE NEED MORE SHOUJO BACK!!! horimiya’s art is so pretty, did ur friend watch maid sana 👁👁 HE’S A COMMANDER???? HELLOOO FBMWDBMWBDWK (no worries! for some reason i can’t answer ur asks on my tumblr phone app and it just doesn’t post so if it’s late it’s bc im trying to copy paste this to my laptop 😭😭)

Alchemy of Souls didn't have to go that hard… I bet Hwa is tearing up watching /// LA fans don't get as many stuff as Korean fans, but they're definitely extremely privileged. Speaking of, this bitch cannot be serious Apparently it's a priv of a problematic fansite ajshaujsjwjsiwjjwjw

alchemy of soul is my simp nation <3 also the glory pt 2 is on the way!!! help that fansite is like exo’s korean fans 😭😭😭😭😭 gatekeeping artists now?? come on u literally LIVE IN THE SAME COUNTRY u guys get free uni concerts all we get is broken flash mobs 😭😭😭

Sorry? why is this fandom full of unfunny losers. He was just sitting down eating while a friend was taking a photo? /// This: https://twitter.com/rubiIIage/status/1632723356972621826?t=3pRP_dorCvQDYs0c9b4axQ&s=19

was not able to access the video but iM gonna agree with u blINDLY BC twt atiny’s are really unfunny,, so ppl are upset bc he was sitting alone and atiny’s joked about it? i mean like isnt that what friends do? like sit alone and the other sees them and takes a photo to idk later send it to them for funsies 😭😭

Anyways look how beautiful, this fit aaaaaaaaaa I went to sleep after 4am thanks to him 🥰 He also trimmed his hair, but…. I'll allow it. He looked like a model, but then proceeded to show off his lightsaber pens 😭🤧😢 ////🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃 then the way he just appeared in his pjs and laid in bed? - DV 💖

YEAH THIS MAN, HE’S GOT TO STOP, HE HAS THE MUSHROOM HAIR AND THE OUTFIT??? SCREAMS YSL IMFHWKFHWK MODEL HWA 🫡🫡 IS ALIVE!  

what the hell what the hell pt2

anon,,, 😯

when we had originality

[projectlandscapeltd]

Why You Should Move To Calgary, Alberta Canada

Calgary, Alberta is a booming city that has been known as one of the best places to live in Canada. It is easy to find a job in Calgary, especially if you have a university degree or some sort of trade education. The city has beautiful scenery and enjoyable weather all year long. There are many parks and outdoor activities for people who love the outdoors. There are many safe and friendly neighborhoods throughout Calgary in which to live. Affordable housing is available throughout the city.

Calgary, Alberta is a booming city that has been known as one of the best places to live in Canada.

Calgary is a booming city that has been known as one of the best places to live in Canada. The population of Calgary is growing rapidly, and it's no wonder why: there are many reasons why this city is so great!

Calgary has beautiful scenery, amazing weather and lots of outdoor activities to do all year round. Plus, it's safe--the crime rate here is lower than other major cities in Canada like Toronto or Vancouver (which makes sense since those cities have larger populations). In addition to being a great place for families or young professionals looking for jobs at big companies like Suncor Energy Inc., Enbridge Inc., TransCanada Corp., etc.; Calgary also offers plenty of parks where you can enjoy your free time with friends & family members without having any worries about what might happen next."

The cost of living in Calgary is reasonable.

When compared to other major cities in Canada, Calgary has a lower cost of living. The average cost of rent in Toronto is $1,900 per month and Vancouver's average rent is $2,360 per month. In comparison, the average rental rate for a two-bedroom apartment in Calgary is $1,020 per month according to Numbeo.

The reason why it's so much cheaper to live here is because you can find great opportunities without having to pay exorbitant amounts of money on rent or mortgage payments. You'll also save money by shopping at local grocery stores instead of paying higher prices at big chain stores like Loblaws or Walmart!

It is easy to find a job in Calgary.

As a result of its strong economy, Calgary is home to many large corporations. The oil and gas industry is a major part of that economy and has been for decades. In fact, Calgary has been called "the Paris of Canada" in reference to its thriving cultural life and diversity.

Calgary's population grew by more than 50% between 2001 and 2016, making it one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada during this period. The city has also become increasingly multicultural over time: approximately half (49%) of Calgarians were born outside Canada; however this number drops significantly with each generation so that only 20% are foreign born third generation Canadians live there now!

The city has beautiful scenery and enjoyable weather all year long.

Whether you're a fan of the outdoors, or you just want to stay inside and enjoy the weather, Calgary has it all. The city's climate is ideal for anyone who wants to experience four distinct seasons--but not too many of them. Summertime lasts from June through August and is characterized by warm days (averaging around 20 degrees Celsius) and cool evenings (averaging around 10 degrees Celsius). Wintertime lasts from October through May and brings subzero temperatures with plenty of snowfall during this time period as well. Spring arrives in late March or early April; while there are still chilly days here and there throughout this season, spring is generally much more mild than winter thanks to its longer days (around 15 hours). Fall comes right after spring--and though it starts off slow at first with cooler temperatures than those we saw in summertime or springtime, fall rapidly picks up speed until we reach winter again!

There are many parks and outdoor activities for people who love the outdoors.

If you love the outdoors, Calgary has a lot to offer. There are many parks in the city and surrounding area, including Nose Hill Park (the largest), Fish Creek Provincial Park and Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. While there are tons of outdoor activities to choose from--hiking, biking, fishing and swimming--these three locations are some of our favorites.

There are many safe and friendly neighborhoods throughout Calgary in which to live.

Calgary is a safe city. In fact, it has one of the lowest crime rates in Canada and is considered to be one of the safest cities in North America. There are many neighborhoods throughout Calgary in which you can live that offer low crime rates and friendly neighbors.

Calgary's unemployment rate is low as well--at only 5%. Because there are so many job opportunities here, you'll never have trouble finding work!

Affordable housing is available throughout the city.

Calgary is a great place to live. The city offers affordable housing and many housing options, which means that you can find something that fits your budget. There are also many neighborhoods to choose from when looking for an apartment or house in Calgary.

Calgary is safe, so you don't have to worry about crime when moving there either!

Move to Calgary!

If you're looking for a city to live in, Calgary is a great option. It has a low cost of living, many job opportunities and the weather is great. The city also has many parks and outdoor activities for people who love the outdoors.

Calgary has many safe and friendly neighborhoods where you can find your perfect home!

Project Landscape is a Calgary Landscaping company that will help you enhance the beauty of your home, backyard or front entrance with professional landscaper services. Calgary landscapers and landscape design experts specializing in residential, commercial and industrial landscape projects throughout the Calgary area.

If you're looking for Calgary landscape designers, or a Calgary landscaper, look no further than Project Landscape. We specialize in commercial and residential landscaping, as well as interior design services that can help any building stand out from the others on your street.

Project Landscape 3511 64 Ave. SE, Calgary, AB T2C 1N3 403-257-4059 https://www.projectlandscape.ca/ https://www.google.com/maps?cid=11747008283103314784

[thecliftonmortgageservices-blog]

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[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Norman Thomas “Turkey” Stearnes

Norman “Turkey” Stearnes was one of the Negro League Baseball’s (NBL) most feared hitters. Born on May 8, 1901 in Nashville, Tennessee to Will S. and Mary (Everett), Stearnes, his mother was a cook for a private family earning $7 a week and was listed as a widow on the 1910 census. Stearnes had siblings, Louella, Lorenzo, and Annie. He attended Belleview Elementary School and Pearl High School in Nashville and has been described as quiet and unassuming. Believed to have been given the nickname “Turkey” because of his unique running posture, Stearnes claimed the name was attached because he had a potbelly as a child.

Stearnes was unable to continue school after his father died and had to work to help provide for the family. Taking odd jobs such as caretaker for hogs and cows, grocery store worker, wagon driver, and grocery deliver person, he also worked for the Baptist Publishing Board as a janitor and errand runner. Stating that he knew he would not be able to go to college, Stearnes did complete high school in 1922.

Sports being an outlet from school and chores, Stearnes learned to play baseball while attending high school. He began his career in professional baseball in 1920 with the Nashville Giants and then at the age of 22, he traveled north in 1923 and play for the Detroit Stars. Hitting better than .300 in 14 of 19 seasons, collecting six home run titles and leading the league in triples four times, Stearnes is credited with 176 home runs, the all-time NBL record and a .621 career slugging percentage. He played in four east-west all-star games in his 11 seasons with the Detroit Stars.

Winning the Negro Southern League pennant in 1932 and the Negro National League pennant in 1933 while playing with the Chicago American Giants, Stearnes played in a four-team doubleheader at Yankee Stadium in front of 30,000 fans in 1934, which at the time was the largest crowd ever to watch a black baseball event. Despite his success on the field, the Great Depression ended the ability of the Detroit Stars and other teams to pay salaries. Consequently, Stearnes moved around a lot, playing for the New York Lincoln Giants, Chicago American Giants, Philadelphia Stars before retiring in 1942 with the Kansas City Monarchs. Also, during off season (winters) Stearnes worked in a factory owned by Walter Briggs, who also owned the Detroit Tigers. At the time Stearnes was banned from this all-white team because of his race.

In 1946, Stearnes married Nettie Mae Radcliffe, a schoolteacher and niece of Birmingham Black Barons manager, Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe. Eventually he retired from the Ford Motor Company with a good salary. He lived out the rest of his life comfortably in a house where he paid the mortgage in full without relying on financial help from others.

Norman Thomas “Turkey” Stearnes died from cancer on September 4, 1979 in Detroit, Michigan at the age of 78. Buried in Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery, Clinton Township, Macomb County, Michigan, Stearnes was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. His wife, Nettie Mae, was instrumental in his induction. Stearnes has two daughters, Rosilyn (Brown) and Joyce (Thompson).

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/norman-thomas-turkey-stearnes-1901-1979/

[hakesbros]

Las Cruces, Nm Business Real Property For Sale

"the crosses") is the second-largest metropolis in the us state of New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County. Las Cruces is the most important city in both Doña Ana County and southern New Mexico. The Las Cruces metropolitan space homes for sale in las cruces nm had an estimated inhabitants of 213,849 in 2017. It is the principal city of a metropolitan statistical space which encompasses all of Doña Ana County and is part of the bigger El Paso–Las Cruces combined statistical area.

With minimal snowfall, Las Cruces is a good place to avoid harsh climates. However, if you’re looking for snow, Ruidoso is only an hour and a half drive and has a ski resort that many locals take pleasure in as a pastime during the winter months. HomeLight is committed to making our web site accessible and person pleasant to all. While we're continually working to enhance, we welcome your feedback and accommodation requests. If you might homes for sale in las cruces new mexico be having problem accessing or navigating our website, or in case you have any suggestions to enhance accessibility, please e-mail our staff. "My husband and I sold our home in Colorado and purchased another in New Mexico. The agents we selected were really helpful by HomeLight. We could not be happier in what was a really tense state of affairs."

Do you like to work with somebody who's committed and invested in representing you? We have over four,500 certified and skilled real estate and mortgage specialists in all 50 states hand-selected to serve American heroes like you. A home is certainly one of the largest investment selections you may make and our local specialists perceive how important their function homes for sale las cruces is in making it happen for you. Residents in Doña Ana County could also be eligible to receive rent and utility assist. Funds may be obtainable for county residents who are renters, together with those throughout the municipalities of the cities of Las Cruces, Sunland Park and Anthony, the Village of Hatch and the Town of Mesilla. This program is administered individually by Doña Ana County.

We’ve crunched the numbers and gone through hundreds of actual estate agent profiles to bring you only the most effective as you start your journey. Search, evaluate, and rent easily from this record of top Las Cruces actual property agents of 2023. Monthly payment quantity does not include property taxes, householders insurance or monthly mortgage insurance coverage and due to this fact shall be higher. The principal and curiosity fee is based on an rate of interest of 6.5% and APR of 3.94%, 30-YR Fixed FHA mortgage with three.5% down cost. Credit terms are based on credit rating and present market, charges could vary. Income and/or geographic restrictions could apply to totally different mortgage choices including $0 down financing.

We additionally supply Click-and-collect where you can buy online and pick-up in store for even quicker and simpler shopping. Coming from everywhere in the world, our IKEA co-workers share a particular set of values and a vision to allow people to stay a better, extra sustainable on a daily basis life. They come together inside numerous, inclusive, open IKEA work environments, the place every of them offers home builders in las cruces one thing distinctive. The metropolis of Las Cruces provides water, sewer, pure fuel, and stable waste services, including recycling facilities. El Paso Electric is the electrical energy supplier, CenturyLink is the telephone land line supplier, and Comcast is the cable TV provider. The space options trails via restored wetlands and serves as a major refuge for migratory birds and a key leisure area for the city.

Real estate listings held by brokerage companies aside from , are indicated by detailed details about them such because the name of the itemizing firms. Las Cruces is a part of the El Paso – Las Cruces Designated Market Area as outlined by Nielsen Media Research. The City of Las Cruces operates CLC-TV cable channel 20, an Emmy award-winning 24-hour Government-access television and Educational-access tv channel on Comcast cable TV in Las Cruces. CLC-TV televises stay and recorded Las Cruces city council conferences, Doña Ana County commission new homes las cruces conferences and Las Cruces School board conferences. The channel additionally televises City Beat, a monthly information journal, hosted by Jennifer Martinez, with information immediately related to the City of Las Cruces. Also out there for viewing is health information and other government/education related programming, in addition to present climate reports and street and site visitors data.

[themellowyellowmomma]

This or that.

1. Coffee or tea? Coffee but also tea. 2. Black and white or color? Depends on what it is. 3. Drawings or paintings? Art is art. 4. Dresses or skirts? Pants. 5. Books or movies? Depends. 6. Pepsi or Coke? Coke zero. 7. Chinese or Italian? Neither. 8. Early bird or night owl? Night owl. 9. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla. 10. Introvert or extrovert? Both, it depends on the person. 11. Hugs or kisses? Kisses. 12. Hunting or fishing? Fishing. 13. Winter or summer? Winter. 14. Spring or fall? Fall. 15. Rural or urban? Urban. 16. PC or Mac? PC. 17. Tan or pale? Pale. 18. Cake or pie? Pie. 19. Ice cream or yogurt? Ice cream. 20. Ketchup or mustard? Spicy mustard. 21. Sweet pickles or dill pickles? Eww. 22. Comedy or mystery? Mystery. 23. Boots or sandals? Boots. 24. Silver or gold? Silver. 25. Pop or Rock? Pop-punk, punk rock. 26. Dancing or singing? Singing. 27. Checkers or chess? Chess. 28. Board games or video games? Video games. 29. Wine or beer? Water or coffee. Sober. 30. Freckles or dimples? Both. 31. Honey mustard or BBQ sauce? Honey BBQ. 32. Body weight exercises or lifting weights? Lifting. 33. Baseball or basketball? Football. 34. Crossword puzzles or sudokus? Word search. 35. Facial hair or clean shaven? A moutain man. 36. Crushed ice or cubed ice? crushed. 37. Skiing or snowboarding? Snowboarding. 38. Smile or game face? RBF. 39. Bracelet or necklace? Necklace. 40. Fruit or vegetables? Veg. 41. Sausage or bacon? Bacon. 42. Scrambled or fried? Fried. 43. Dark chocolate or white chocolate? Dark. 44. Tattoos or piercings? Both. 45. Antique or brand new? Depends. 46. Dress up or dress down? PJs. 47. Cowboys or aliens? Aliens. 48. Cats or dogs? Cats. 49. Pancakes or waffles? EWW 50. Bond or Bourne? Bourne. 51. Sci-Fi or fantasy? Both. 52. Numbers or letters? Letters. 53. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? Harry Potter. 54. Fair or theme park? Fair. 55. Money or fame? Don't they go hand in hand? 56. Washing dishes or doing laundry? Laundry. 57. Snakes or sharks? Sharks. 58. Orange juice or apple juice? Orange. 59. Sunrise or sunset? Set. 60. Slacker or over-achiever? Middle. 61. Pen or pencil? Pen. 62. Peanut butter or jelly? Jam. 63. Grammys or Oscars? I don't care. 64. Detailed or abstract? Both. 65. Multiple choice questions or essay questions? Multiple. 66. Adventurous or cautious? Depends. 67. Saver or spender? Both. 68. Glasses or contacts? Glasses. 69. Laptop or desktop? Laptop. 70. Classic or modern? Classic. 71. Personal chef or personal fitness trainer? Both. 72. Internet or cell phone? Both. 73. Call or text? Text. 74. Curly hair or straight hair? Curly. 75. Shower in the morning or shower in the evening? Night. 76. Spicy or mild? Hot. 77. Marvel or DC? Darkhorse. 78. Paying a mortgage or paying rent? Rent. 79. Sky dive or bungee jump? Both. 80. Oreos or Chips Ahoy? I don't like snacks. 81. Jello or pudding? Eww. 82. Truth or dare? Truth. 83. Roller coaster or Ferris wheel? Both. 84. Leather or denim? Both. 85. Stripes or solids? Solids 86. Bagels or muffins? I'm from New York. 87. Whole wheat or white? Both. 88. Beads or pearls? None. 89. Hardwood or carpet? Wood. 90. Bright colors or neutral tones? Depends. 91. Be older than you are or younger than you are? Older. 92. Raisins or nuts? Nope. 93. Picnic or nice restaurant? Picnic. 94. Black leather or brown leather? Black. 95. Long hair or short hair? Long. 96. “Ready, aim, fire” or “Ready, fire, aim”? "fire". 97. Fiction or non-fiction? Both. 98. Smoking or non-smoking? Smoking. 99. Think before you talk or talk before you think? Depends on the company. 100. Asking questions or answering questions? Answering.

[dipulb3]

How the pandemic has changed Americans' spending and saving habits

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/how-the-pandemic-has-changed-americans-spending-and-saving-habits/

How the pandemic has changed Americans' spending and saving habits

Appradab Business asked readers how the pandemic has changed their spending and saving habits. Here’s what some of them had to say.

Paul Grim described himself and his wife, Michelle, as “more savers than spenders” before the pandemic struck.

Then Grim was laid off from his IT job. His wife, who is still working, has reduced her 401(k) contributions to free up some cash.

“We have been dipping into our emergency savings to cover our bills where unemployment falls short,” he said.

The couple, who live in upstate New York with their dog, Barley, are eating at home, minimizing impulse purchases and postponing pricey things like dental work.

“Once I am working again we intend to increase the amount of our emergency fund to ensure we are even more well-prepared for any potential future financial emergency, no matter how severe,” Grim said.

Jim Stearns of Alaska runs big events for nonprofits, including the state’s annual music festival Salmonfest. But his business dried up once large gatherings were canceled.

When he started collecting unemployment he was getting $800 a week, but that has since fallen to $200 a week, after the temporary $600 weekly federal supplement expired. Now he is tapping his savings to support himself and his teenage daughter.

“I’m spending very little as my savings slowly but surely diminishes by the day,” he said.

Stearns is less worried about himself than the hundreds of vendors and musicians he normally books for events. “I can limp along and survive. But the tragedy of this is this incredible trickle-down effect.”

Slashing expenses, saving more

Sarah Way reworked her family budget when her part-time job in California was cut back to one day a week and her husband’s employer temporarily cut his pay in half. Travel, dinners out and commuting expenses were eliminated by default because of the pandemic. But she went even deeper.

“We parked a car and took it off insurance. We cut cable TV. We slashed the grocery bill. After four months, my hubby’s salary went back to normal, but we didn’t adjust our budget back up,” Way said.

Instead, she noted, “We have increased our retirement savings and built a six-month cash reserve. We did complete a few house projects that had gone unfinished, but for the most part we are in better shape now than we were before Covid.”

Natalie Sawyer, a school administrator in Texas whose husband is a retired military officer and now a teacher, also took the pandemic as an opportunity to power-drive household savings.

“Before Covid, I spent money without even thinking about it. We ate out a lot and I shopped for things that I didn’t necessarily need. It was a kind of free-for-all with my money. Once Covid hit and [we] were forced to stay in, we started cooking all of [our] meals,” Sawyer said.

“With that in mind, starting in March I decided to put $500 a month in an interest-bearing online savings account just to see if I could make it work.”

Sawyer has saved an extra $4,200 so far. Even though she has resumed some shopping, she said, “I find myself not spending nearly as much as I used to and we’re still cooking a lot more at home. … Covid helped us realize that we don’t need most of the stuff that we were spending on.”

Karen Jones works in the cloud software industry in Oregon. Her husband, Kim, whose work is tied to outdoor concerts and fairs, was laid off early on in the pandemic, then brought back in June. But he was laid off again in mid-August.

Jones initially halted contributions to her 401(k) and put the money into their savings account. “I wanted cash that I could get to right away if needed and I didn’t have faith that the market wouldn’t slide further and negate any contributions that I made during that time,” she said.

The couple canceled vacation plans and paid off their credit cards. The extra money her husband got as a result of the temporary $600 a week federal unemployment subsidy went toward savings. Jones is also saving money on gas and lunches out because she has been working from home.

“We still eat out or [do] takeout once a week to support local businesses, but are not looking for any other big ticket activities such as vacations through the summer of next year,” Jones said.

Putting life on hold

Michelle Williams graduated from college during the Great Recession in 2008. And it was only recently that she and her husband, Sheldon, had felt financially and professionally secure enough to consider trading up to a better house from their starter home in Missouri. They also were going to start a family.

Now they’re holding off.

Williams, who works for her county’s public library, didn’t lose her job. But her husband was laid off in March. He has since found new work, but their household income is a little less than before. Still, Williams said, “We are very, very lucky.”

Normally she’d put any extra money they made toward their mortgage or student loan debt. And she had planned to start saving for retirement before Covid hit, but now all spare cash is used to create a six-month financial cushion should they lose their jobs in the next year or have a big medical expense. “I don’t know what might be coming in the near future,” Williams said.

Paying off debts

Kalikoweo Keolanui-Daniele and her husband, Louis Daniele, both work for a coffee producer in Hawaii and live in a remote area, where their home — now paid off — runs on solar power and rainwater. They also grow their own vegetables.

Neither has been laid off, but Keolanui said the pandemic has made a huge impact on their money habits.

She used their stimulus check to pay down credit card debt and put more money toward her auto loan so she can pay it off faster. Plus, she added, “I put at least half [my paycheck] toward savings and plan to continue to do this to build up an emergency nest egg.”

They’ve eliminated all non-essential spending — from recreational shopping to haircuts and beauty treatments. Keolanui did, however, invest in a good pair of hair scissors.

“I feel more and more comfortable the bigger that nest egg gets,” she said. “You just don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s so much uncertainty.”

Looking to buy a home

Gillian Needham, a mental health practitioner, and her partner, Mike Ryerse, were not savers before the pandemic. They used to spend most of their disposable income traveling from their home in Minnesota to see their favorite bands.

But the pandemic has provided them an opportunity to squirrel away money.

“Since Covid began, we have dropped event and bar attendance to zero and have been able to save nearly $10,000 in the last seven months,” Needham said. That money is now earmarked to help them buy their first house.

Looking ahead, Needham expects they’ll continue to save and not only because there’s not much they do during the cold winters. “[The longer] I do something the more it sticks,” she said.

‘Comfort shopping’

Anna Harrington, a college professor in Tennessee, has never been much of a shopper. She used to spend money on plants, concerts and theater. But since the pandemic, she’s become a kind of impulse shopper.

“I’m ‘comfort shopping’ the way that others ‘comfort eat,'” Harrington said. “I’m saving and spending the same amounts as before — I’m lucky that my job is secure. But this past summer, I bought the oddest things I never would have normally bought — a sunrise alarm clock, pink fuzzy bunny slippers, the entire Buffy the Vampire CD collection, and vintage furniture from the 1970s,” Harrington said.

“When the bunny slippers arrived, I thought, ‘What am I doing?'”

Donating more than ever

Harrington also said that she’s making more charitable contributions than ever, including donating her entire stimulus check.

So is Kristina Laursen-Carr, a substitute teacher in upstate New York with four children. She feels lucky that her family’s finances have remained stable. Her husband, Joseph, a helicopter pilot who is retired from the military, is the main breadwinner and works for an air ambulance company.

When the pandemic hit, Laursen-Carr no longer traveled to pick up their two daughters and bring them home from college every weekend. And the family didn’t take vacation this summer. So she used the money they saved to bolster their retirement savings and help others.

“The best thing we started to do was buy food [and other] items for our local food bank on a weekly basis. We donate between $20 to $30 each week,” Laursen-Carr said.

Doyle Tarver, a retiree now living in Mexico, said his income — from Social Security and savings — has remained steady. But Tarver said he has been spending more in recent months than before the pandemic to support local businesses, even if it means sometimes buying things he doesn’t need. And he’s been tipping wait staff in restaurants up to 50%.

“I feel fortunate to be in the financial situation I am in and think everyone in a position to help should do so,” Tarver said. “There are many out there who have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced and need our help.”

[izzy-b-hands]

for the pacific asks: mobile

Sorry this took me a bit to answer, I fell asleep for a little while. Also, I'm so sorry this turned into a mini rant/essay.

Mobile- How do you feel about your hometown?

Tbh, I'm not a fan lmao. And gonna forewarn ya, this became a mild rant against Bismarck and ND, so I do owe you one for asking this and letting me get it off my chest. It felt really good.

Anyway:

Bismarck is...fine. Good place to raise a family. After that, leave. As someone who should have found a way to leave years ago, I can vouch for this. If you're old and Republican and don't hate winter, then come back when you're ready to retire I guess, but otherwise? There are better places in the States, in the world. You don't want to waste your time here. Visit once, then never again, is my pitch for the next tourist slogan.

There is not much to do (bars, hunting, other outdoor activities, church, movie theater, one sad mall or the even sadder other mall, drinking in other places you aren't always allowed like by the river or at someone's mildly illegal fire pit) and if those activities aren't enough for you, you can try and catch some of the seasonal things. Some of those are very cool (like the drag show and other events held during Pride.) The issue is that those things happen for one weekend in one month, and then that's it for the year. So if you liked that activity and want more outside of that weekend...that's too bad. Bismarck will make you wait until that particular weekend next year.

Fargo, a city about three hours away, has slightly more to do (more bars, they get more bands coming to them for concerts, more seasonal events and cool locally owned unique shops) and basically is like a more fleshed out version of Bismarck. So if you want the safety of Bismarck without the boredom, you go there. Then you realise that that will also get boring fast, and you leave permanently for Minnesota or Montana or literally anywhere else.

I got off track here and made this a North Dakota diss track, but I'm right and I should say it. Even when I've tried to join local groups for various interests, to try giving the city a chance again, they either fall apart, everyone moves away, or in my case you never really feel comfortable there or make any friends, so you stop going. I'd love for there to be places aside from the public library to go and just...exist. Aside from what I will admit are nice parks, Bismarck doesn't really have places like that, and when you don't have any friends that live locally anymore like me...you really feel it.

The local economy is also...not great. Could be worse, but could definitely be better for folks in my situation (god I would kill for rent that wouldn't take like an entire paycheck, and I am so lucky my mum lets me stay with her and pay half everything including the mortgage) and my god am I sick of hearing about the oil fields. Please, oil field companies, stop fracking, and also stop nearly killing and actually killing your employees out here, okay? That shouldn't be difficult because...killing people shouldn't be difficult, and I shouldn't have to actually say that.

Particularly for an writer like me...the economy doesn't have a spot for me. Jobs for my skills don't exist out here, at all. And on the rare occasion they do, they try to basically just make you a receptionist who also does three other jobs, only one of which will use your skills, while paying you 7.50/hr without health insurance. The publishing industry has not heard of ND or Bismarck aside from some independent presses, who really only want works about North Dakota, and that's it. I can only write about the prairie so much, and not in a way they've ever wanted to publish.

This isn't even getting into the lack of diversity and the issues there (so many. That is literally an essay on its own.) Or how though the elderly are a huge part of our population, because we're still kind of rural and a lot of them live in even more rural communities away from Bismarck, we give them shit medical care and care in general. We have a shortage of medical staff and specialists because no one wants to live here, and that's a whole thing as well, in addition to what I just mentioned with the elderly and uh

Well

I feel like BDG at the end of an Unraveled rn tbh. I want to end this happily. The scenery can be beautiful as long as you don't like trees (we have not many. Lotta flat land.) But pretty scenery does not a great place to live make, or we would just live in paintings or some shit. I've personally been wanting to move away since I was about ten years old, and have made plan after plan to try and make that happen, with obviously no success. If I could move anywhere else safely right now, I would jump at the opportunity.

That said...yeah. Come to ND and maybe if you feel like it Bismarck once, take a picture with Salem Sue, go the Medora Musical so you can regret having gone to the Medora Musical, walk in a park, be sad when a band you love is only going to Fargo and not Bismarck and you can't get transportation there, get blind drunk at a bar where men have Confederate flag belt buckles and women still wear their hair like it's 1986 and or 1995, avoid any drugs because this is opoid country as in they find a lot of other drugs here are cut or made with opoids, enjoy and by enjoy I mean hate that nothing is open super late or much on Sundays because here Christianity has an iron grip on those laws, take in the fact that outside of Pride weekend there are minimal chances for any fun activities for the LGBTQ (no gay bars here, not in Bismarck or last time I checked anywhere in the state, maybe a local pride group will do something randomly or hold a book group, but you're gonna have to go searching to find that stuff), and go on and have some kuchen and knoephla soup and feel it clog your arteries.

Then leave, and be happy that you have the ability to go, and also maybe take me with you, I will pay my own way please just let me bring my cat.

[thecliftonmortgageservices-blog]

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[dekuinthelake]

Happy Birthday Bloodborne

Seeing as it’s the 5th year Bloodborne has graced this mess of a planet with it’s omnipotent light I figured write a little thing about how much the game means to me. I’m going to get fairly personal so if you don’t like that kinda thing feel free to skip.

The first time I beat BB I didn’t think much of it, honestly. I’d had a rather basic playthrough where I didn’t see pretty much any of the optional bosses or do any of the story. I did as Gehrman suggested and just hunted some beasts. I took a break from it for a while and didn’t return to it until my life started getting... Difficult. 

My parents a year prior had gone through a rather turbulent divorce. In the wake of this, my sister and her boyfriend moved in so we could all help my dad pay for his house if only just barely. At the time we all knew even with four of us we didn’t make the type of money to help make payments and the inevitability of him loosing the house was a constant and looming stress. Worse still, my sister only agreed to move in if she was added to the mortgage, meaning she could threaten to sell on a whim, a privilege which she started using to strong arm me and my dad in to behaving a certain way. Her boyfriend was verbally abusive towards everyone, but especially condescending to her. Tension grew between all four of us, but especially between me and the boyfriend. I could ask my sister if she wanted to go out to lunch and catch up and she’d respond, “Let me ask my BF”. His control over her became apparent and the wedges he was intentionally drawing between her and our family was impossible to ignore.

All the while I was working a 4AM shift at a Zoo in the winter and barely getting any daylight or human contact since I had to be in bed so early to wake up for the drive. I cleaned a mile of glass in the dark every day non stop, only to have it be dirtied the moment the park opened. No matter how hard I worked to keep the park as clean as I could, even to the point of putting on dust masks to knock down spider, the higher ups weren’t happy with our companies work. As our contract was rapidly coming to an end, rumors began to circulate that we might not have it renewed if things didn’t improve. Worse still, someone had been stealing from the supply closet. Supposedly only the managers knew the code, and this sparked massive distrust in the Zoo staff towards our department to the point keys were taken away and our lives were made harder by no longer having access to vital shortcuts around the park which made getting from place to place take even longer in the miles long local. 

This futility and rage sparked the most obsessive play through of a game I’ve had to date. Undeniably, these situations were hopeless and lonely, and Bloodborne is a game that understood exactly how I was feeling. The Hunt is, after all, an eternal nightmare. No matter how many beasts, kin, or humans you kill, it’s an unending loop of uncertainty and oppressive danger. The tenuous state of things in Yharnam was uncomfortably familiar. Only in the game, it was far easier to focus on the things I could control.

The weapon I wielded. The stats I chose to upgrade. Which path I wanted to explore. The fluid combat enabled more split second choices every second, helped in large part by a generous stamina bar. More so than Dark Souls, Bloodborne expects you, the player, to take charge. You either commit to an aggressive plan and kill the beasts, or you die. 

When I first started, I played extremely cautiously and likewise did not have a lot of success. On new game +1, however, I began to realize that vital element. Hesitate and you die. Commit entirely and live. The more I played, the more I meditated on the very nature of what this game was communicating to me. 

In my actual life, I hadn’t come out as trans yet and it was something I was viciously debating internally. Earlier that year I tried to commit suicide. I half came out in the hospital, telling the ICU nurses my name was Mike. But even in the psych ward I was terrified to speak to social workers and groups about those feelings... Being that I had 6 hours completely alone and in the dark, it gave me time to listen to a lot of media by trans people. I distinctly remember one video where a trans woman was describing what dysphoria feels like and openly sobbing. I was starting to understand the core of why I hated myself, my body, and my current situation so much. 

But I was afraid. Even after the epiphany that I wanted to come out, I had a lot of doubt on if I could afford HRT, if I could commit to it, and what people would think. I worried starting T and in turn second puberty would bring back my horrible temper that I had going through it the first time. When I say I had rage problem, that’s putting it mildly. I’ve punched people before just for touching me when I was younger, and with the situation between me and my sister’s boyfriend getting more tense by the day I was rightfully concerned it might erupt in to actual physical violence. 

And so... I continued to come home from being alone all to spend most of my time alone playing Bloodborne. It was a great game to keep my mind off of things because of how much focus it demands to play. Funny enough, once you get good at it, the beasts are also a great punching bag.

A lot can be said about how Blood Vials aren’t the best method of healing. Having to stop boss attempts because you need to go farm some red Estus isn’t great design. However, running around that first part of Yharnam with the beast claws just shredding through citizens like a wild animal is possibly the most cathartic thing in my life at the time. It made me feel powerful, unstoppable, and like I was in complete control. I knew exactly how to handle the big pats one by one, and eventually I got skilled enough to just run into that big mob by the tree and stop people anyway because of how good the audio queues are at letting you know when you gotta dodge. I spent hours in both this location AND Chalice Dungeons farming for Echoes and consumables to the point that controlling my character in Bloodborne feels as natural as walking. 

I started beating the game faster and faster. I was on +5 difficulty and working on the DLC by myself when things escalated... 

At this point, I knew staying at my dad’s house wouldn’t be possible. The verbal fights between me and my sister were getting more and more prevalent. More than that, I knew it was time to come out and I didn’t feel secure doing that in an environment that was actively hostile. The plan was to save up, move out with two friends... But moving out came far faster than I had anticipated. 

A few days after my birthday, we had a family meeting. I don’t remember what sparked it, but we all sat around and voiced our complaints with each other. When it was my turn to speak, I brought up the fact my sister’s boyfriend had been intentionally isolating her on top of in general just being a jackass to her. He’d make her get things for him, call her stupid when they played games... The works. I don’t remember what he said that sparked it, but I remember the feeling... A really familiar feeling I hadn’t had in years. My pulse thundered in my neck so hard I couldn’t hear anyone over it. I started yelling incoherent shit. My sister stood in front of him because I was aggressively stepping forward. It was that temper I thought I’d knocked coming back. If she hadn’t gotten in the way, I’m absolutely sure I would have pummeled that man. I hadn’t felt that way since I strangled a kid in school to the point he nearly passed out.

 It was then I knew I had to leave. By nature, I’m violent. I hate it. But the decisiveness which I’d slowly been building helped me find the courage to admit this.

I took off in my car and just hauled ass to the highway. I had a bloodborne CD I’d been playing on my way to and from work. It sounds silly, but larping I was just a hunter during those crushing morning shifts was helping me keep going. Sure it was hopeless, but I felt bad ass to keep trying. I needed to have an unbreaking will to deal with this dilemma. Having so recently made a second attempt to kill myself, I had this powerful urge that no matter what I couldn’t end up there again. So, I decided not to beat myself up about it and just accept that I had to move on and away from what little family I had left.   I remember not really thinking words. I listened to Gehrman’s music on repeat with the windows rolled down going 78 miles an hour and just... Screaming. Literally screaming as loud as I could in to the night. Over and over again until it hurt just to breathe. 

Even though I felt betrayed by the people I thought were closest to me there wasn’t anything I could do but endure. 

Eventually I arrived my current roommate’s parent’s place where they were living at the time. I told her and her husband what happened. We went to the store for something. I got a call from my dad saying my sister was threatening to move out and apparently had yelled at him for not keeping me in line despite the fact at one point he’d physically gotten up and started yelling in my face to calm down. That was it. I asked my friend’s parents if I could move in temporarily and... That was that. 

The next day we gathered up all my things. I had to leave my dogs which was possibly the most agonizing part. 

But that night? I beat the orphan of Kos by myself on +5 on my computer monitor plugged in the wall and set on a box. Doing that was this weird extreme elation. It’s like I’d defeated two massively difficult, seemingly impossible tasks in one day. I’m glad I had help with the moving, though. Unlike Kos, that would have been impossible alone haha.

That weekend passed and I went back to work at the Zoo as normal. After I finished my shift, however, every employee in my company was called to a meeting. This was it. We all knew what was coming. We were to be laid off in December, giving us 3 months to find new work or apply to the company that was taking over the contract. 

In the wake of this news, moral plummeted. No one really tried that hard. I was coming in high to work every day and drinking with a coworker during our shift while we tired our best to continue work. That last month I worked there was a weird drug addled haze of extreme emotions mixed with ignoring them in favor of listening to VaatiVidya lore breakdowns of Bloodborne. 

I was going home and spending hours on art inspired by the general vibe of the game and my impossible to digest feelings. I’d lost my job, home, and family. I don’t know if I would have survived without both Bloodborne and my art as an outlet.

In the following months, I had gotten to New Game +7 and started recording myself trying to kill bosses without healing. Even though to this day no one watches these attempts but me, making them was frankly vital to keeping me distracted and focused on something I could control. 

There was a time where I didn’t think Ludwig +1 was beatable but... Here I am two years later happily having 100% Bloodborne and beaten every boss on +7, most of them without even needing to heal. 

The biggest lesson I took away from this game was persistence and decisiveness. The Souls series in general made me realize something huge that to this day has helped me fight my depression back. I’m a stubborn fuck who will grind and grind and grind until I finally achieve victory.

Fight for the progress you want to make. Things seem hopeless a lot, but you have to keep going. With effort, you can change anything you want to in your life.

Two years later, I’ve been doing HRT for 1 year and 3 months. I just had top surgery done. I’m working a job I like that’s got normal daytime hours and pays more than any work I’ve ever had with benefits. I don’t think I would have had the tenacity to stick to these things without realizing a fundamental aspect about my personality thanks to the help of Bloodborne specifically. 

I can endure, learn, grow, adapt. 

Thank you, Fromsoft. I hope this conveys a shred of what this dumb little game means to me. I needed Bloodborne so much when I moved out. I’m so glad it exists.

[child-of-sunshine]

Just gotta rant for a minute so this is going under a cut

I can’t stand the way tumblr in general talks about “rich people” (which they can’t define to save their fucking lives) and particularly when they mention “millionaires” as though it actually means something significant in terms of wealth. 

First, no one seems to understand that by today’s inflated standards, a million dollars really isn’t that much. A quick google search will tell me that the average “middle-income” parent in America will spend over 250k to raise a child from birth to 18 years old. If a couple has 4 kids, they’re already spending over a million dollars on those kids. Yes, that’s over 18 years, but it’s still meaningful.

If a person makes 100k, which is supposedly the 85th percentile of income, it only takes them 10 years to make a million dollars. And yes, obviously they’re spending money too, and it’s not like their savings or their net worth are going to be a million in that time, but people don’t even seem to comprehend that their earnings over that time would literally be a million. Someone earning the average American income, let’s say 50k because I get conflicting information from various sources, would only take 20 years to earn a million dollars.

And calling “millionaires” (putting that in quotes because people (a) do NOT understand the difference between net worth and actual liquid assets or even income) rich, particularly in the context of the “eat the rich” rhetoric, is ridiculous. I know this site has a serious problem with black-and-white thinking, but for fuck’s sake.

Let’s take a look at my parents.

My dad grew up in a relatively low-income household. His mother’s grandparents came straight from Italy with a few dollars in their pockets and nothing else. Her family struggled to get food on the table at times. She worked very hard as a seamstress and married a man who had a good job at Ford back when that meant actual benefits including into retirement, and so they managed to raise two boys without having to worry too much about being able to afford food or housing. They saved like crazy and spent the minimum that they possibly could on themselves, so that when they reached retirement, they had a pretty decent amount of savings for the rest of their lives and could finally enjoy some luxury vacations and get a small but nice house in Florida.

My mom grew up in a truly low-income household. She was the youngest of five siblings living in a tiny, shitty town in Nowhere, Michigan, with two parents who smoked constantly, in a house that sat next to some kind of horrifying mystery waste pond (she and both of her sisters had cancer, my mom at just 36, and one of her brothers died from some kind of unknown neurological deterioration). Her father got TB and spent time in a sanitarium, after which he became a withdrawn alcoholic and then died relatively young. Her mother became depressed, stopped working, and died of cancer. My mom lost both of her parents in her early 20s, before she even met my father.

Both of my parents were gifted with the great privileges of great brains and being white. Even in their crappy hick town in the middle of nowhere, my mom managed to be in the top of her class (of 56 whole people) in high school and earned a scholarship to a state university, literally the only way she could have afforded to attend. My dad worked to pay for his college as far as I know (because back then you could actually do that). They both got bachelor’s degrees. My dad became an engineer, a good career, and quickly found a job with a relatively new, small local company. He worked extremely hard, long hours for years and moved up to being a manager, and the company has grown a lot over the 25+ years he’s now worked there, with the result that he now makes a low six-figure salary. My mom took a computer programming course after realizing her journalism degree wouldn’t get her much paid work, and has worked as a programmer for 25+ years now, switching jobs sometimes, usually making somewhere in the 60-70k range in the last decade or so.

My mother got pregnant with my sister around the time she and my dad got engaged. She was working a crappy programming job and he’d barely started as an engineer, making nowhere near six figures. They lived in a trailer park, in a trailer with a hole in the floor and steps that were a safety hazard. She’d spent some time living with her sister, who’s 13 years older than her and never had children (thus had a house and some savings). My dad’s mother, the seamstress, made my mom’s wedding dress for free as long as my mom bought the material for it, which was just about all they could afford. They had a nice, small wedding when my sister was about 2 (she was afraid of my mom’s dress lmao) and one of my cousins took the pictures.

Four years after my sister was born, my parents had saved up enough to put a down payment on our house, a moderate-sized family home in a suburban neighborhood that was just being built. The house was a little over 200k. She got pregnant with me and the house was finished just after I was born.

My mom got cancer when I was 2 years old. They haven’t talked to me much about it. Her sister spent a lot of money to buy her a really nice wig made of animal hair (which, unfortunately, she could rarely wear because it made her very itchy). She went through surgery, chemo, and radiation. She spent months sick as hell and miserable, while trying to raise two young daughters. Thankfully, they’d saved enough to be able to handle the medical bills, particularly with my dad’s good job that had good benefits and, by then, was paying him a pretty decent salary. My mom recovered, thankfully (over 20 years in remission now!).

In 2008, when the recession hit, my mom lost her job quickly. She tried finding new ones but couldn’t. No one was hiring programmers, they were getting rid of them. Her depression got a lot worse. I was in high school and depressed myself (in large part because of the situation at home, though my parents don’t know it, that became suicidal depression a while afterward), and they had to start paying for therapy for me. My sister was in college and had to try to pay for it herself because my parents’ college fund for her hadn’t gone as far as they’d hoped. My dad’s company supplies machines to auto manufacturers. They were worried. They laid off some people, thankfully not my dad, and others had to take pay cuts. My parents started sitting down and seriously going over finances. My mom and I had to completely quit figure skating, my only physical stress outlet (like I said, that contributed a LOT to the severe depression). We had to cut down the grocery bills and think about not buying gifts for family members’ birthdays and such. My grandparents, happily retired by then with good savings, paid off the rest of our mortgage and told my dad to pay them back without interest whenever he could, so that no matter what happened with the jobs, we at least wouldn’t have to worry about losing our house. I listened to my parents scream at each other over money and I cried myself to sleep a lot of nights.

Guess what? My dad is a millionaire. Definitely not in liquid assets, but in net worth he probably just barely hits 1 million. He now makes a low six-figure salary and when the economy is doing okay, he invests some of it in the stock market, mostly in low-risk stocks that are guaranteed to have payouts (I don’t know a lot about this, so that’s all I’ll say). He inherited/learned his dad’s extreme money-saving ways and saves as much as possible. He’s an engineer and very handy, so whenever possible he does home and car repairs himself to save a lot of money. I managed to get a scholarship that covered almost all of my undergrad tuition, I lived at home for half of undergrad and all of med school to save money, I worked in retail in undergrad and as an EMT in med school to pay for some of my own stuff, and they didn’t pay for any of my med school tuition, so that’s it for their educational expenses for me. My mom’s had a good, stable job for the last few years that pays in the low 80k range, I think. We live in a house worth ~250k that we now fully own thanks to my grandparents. 

A few years ago, my dad’s brother bought a crappy, tiny, nearly-condemned cabin in the woods up north for about 20k (seriously, it was shit). He and my dad put in a few hundred dollars and a TON of time and manual labor to fix it up, and now we pay half the bills on it and both of our families use it for vacations. We have a small (19ft) boat that my dad bought as a gift for my mom when she had cancer--he got it extremely cheap from a guy who’d bought it, barely used it, and just wanted rid of it. It’s a 1994 and full of problems now, but we’ve managed to keep it going (barely, at times) and my dad has taken really good care of it over the years. A friend of my dad’s got him into snowmobiling about a decade ago and once his brother bought the cabin and they fixed it up, my dad got a cheap, crappy used snowmobile, which he used for a few years before reselling it and upgrading to an actually nice, new one, because yeah, he could afford it. He’s upgraded a couple times, good for him. When I actually have the time off, I go up with him in the winter and ride one of his old ones that he kept and fixed after it had an engine problem. It doesn’t cost much to renew the trail permits each year and I borrow my uncle’s gear for riding, so other than the initial cost of the sleds, it really costs us nothing to go riding (gas is extremely negligible in snowmobiles, they can go 120+ miles on a single 8 gallon tank, and we store them ourselves at the cabin so we don’t pay for that). We store the boat in our garage at home (like I said, it’s small) so other than the permit and gas for that when we take it out, again, really no continuous expense.

My parents pay all of their taxes without trying to do any bullshit work-arounds. They don’t have a lawyer or a tax accountant or a financial advisor, my dad does it all himself. He keeps track of all of our finances himself. We don’t pay a landscaping service or a cleaning service or any of that crap, we do it all ourselves like any other middle-class family. My mom donates regularly to charities for cancer, animal rescues, and injured veterans. 

But to tumblr, incapable of seeing nuance, we’re “one-percenters (absolutely nowhere near true) who own a house and have a ‘vacation home’ and a boat and recreational vehicles” so we’re pretty much just as bad as Bezos, because anyone who isn’t actively struggling to put food on the table or in horrible medical debt because of our disaster of a system is apparently “rich” and there’s no such thing as shades of gray.

[koparatnewton-blog]

Thinking of Buying a Condo Hotel? Here Are 20 Things You Need to Know!

1. What is a condo hotel or condotel?

Think of a condo hotel (also sometimes called a condotel or hotel condo) as buying a condominium, although one that is part of a four-star caliber hotel. Therefore, as an owner, when you are on vacation, you'll get the benefit of more four-star services and amenities than you'd get in a typical condominium.

2. What types of services and amenities are found in condo hotels?

If you can imagine the niceties you'd find in an upscale hotel, then you can picture a condo hotel. Among the features are often resort-style pools, full-service spas, state-of-the-art fitness centers, fine dining restaurants, concierge services and room service. have a peek at this web-site Kopar at Newton

In some locations, like Las Vegas, you'll find condo hotels with their own casinos, retail areas, and entertainment venues. In places like Orlando, you'll find condo hotels with their own water parks and convention facilities.

3. What is the difference between a condo hotel and a traditional condominium?

The big difference between a hotel and a condo hotel is that a hotel typically has one owner, either individual or corporate, but a condo hotel is sold off unit by unit. Therefore, a 300-room condo hotel could have as many as 300 unit owners.

4. Is it evident to hotel guests whether they're staying in a condo hotel or a traditional hotel?

A hotel guest will likely never know that the hotel has multiple owners because the property is operated just like a traditional hotel and often under the management of a well-known hotel company like Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood, Trump or W. Also, each of the individual condo hotel units will look identical in design and décor to every other, just as they would in a traditional hotel.

5. Who typically buys condo hotels?

They're primarily sold to people who want a vacation home but do not want to deal with the hassles typically associated with second home ownership such as maintaining the property or finding renters in the off season.

6. What is the demographic of the typical condo hotel buyer?

The spectrum of condo hotel buyers is pretty broad. There are families that want a second home in a vacation destination. There are baby boomers who are at or nearing retirement and want somewhere they can "winter." There are also plenty of investors who purchase a condo hotel unit with little intention of ever using it; they're in it for the potential appreciation of the real estate.

7. Can you live in a condo hotel?

Condo hotels are not typically offered as primary residences. In fact, many of them limit the unit owner's usage of the condo hotel unit (typically 30-60 days per year) because the unit is expected and needed in the hotel's nightly rental program where it can be offered to guests and generate revenue.

8. Who gets the money when your condo hotel is rented out?

The hotel management company splits the rental revenue with the individual condo hotel owner. While the exact percentages vary from property to property, the typical rental split is in the 50%-50% range.

9. Who finds hotel guests and then cleans and maintains the condo hotel units?

The hotel management company markets the property and books hotel guests. It also maintains the unit and ensures the smooth operation of all of the hotel's services and amenities.

10. What are the advantages / disadvantages of purchasing a condotel over purchasing typical rental properties?

Advantages include:

· Hassle-free ownership; no landlord issues

· Rental revenue to offset some or maybe all ownership expenses

· A fantastic vacation home available for use whenever you want

· A real estate investment at a time when other investments may seem less attractive

· Strong likelihood of appreciation

· Pride of ownership --"I own a piece of a Trump"

Disadvantages include:

· Annual cash flow could be equal to or less than annual ownership costs

· Pets are usually not welcome.

· An owner's condo hotel unit may be rented when the owner wants to it, so advance reservations are required to guarantee availability.

· The condo hotel unit is subject to the same dips in the market that affect all hotels in the competitive market set: hurricanes, terrorist threats, warm winters up north, price of gas, etc., all of which can affect a unit's occupancy rate and the amount of revenue it generates.

11. Are condo hotel units difficult to finance?

Not at all, but they do take 20% down typically, whereas condos can be purchased with less cash down. It's also important to make sure you use a mortgage broker who has had success in getting condo hotel financing deals done. Many banks still do not do them, but more and more are getting involved as condo hotels become more widely available.

12. How long have condo hotels been around and where are they located?

Condo hotels have been around for several decades, but the huge surge of four-star and five-star condo hotels that have been making their way across the country, started around year 2000 in the Miami area. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale area still has the most condo hotels, but areas like Orlando and Las Vegas are developing condo hotel properties at an even faster rate and will likely surpass South Florida soon. Other up-and-coming areas are places like the Bahamas, Panama, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Canada and Dubai.

13. How much do condo hotel units cost?

That's like asking how much a car costs. There are different quality condo hotels. Some require greater amounts of money than others, obviously.

There are inexpensive condo hotels out there for as little as $100,000. These are typically found in properties that have converted their use from an existing hotel. They are hotel room-sized, lack kitchen facilities, luxury franchises, and other first-class amenities.

Then there are the four-star or greater properties that may start in the $300,000 to $400,000 range, but can go all the way up to $800,000 just for a studio unit. One- and two-bedroom units cost substantially more than a studio. Of course, the studios do come fully furnished and finished, and will be significantly larger in size than a typical hotel room, and may attract guests because of its name like St. Regis, Ritz or W.

14. What are typical maintenance costs?

On average about $1.00 to $1.50 per sq. ft., but the range can exceed $2.00 sq. ft. in the most luxurious properties.

15. Do you buy condo hotel units after they have been built, or can you purchase condo hotels in pre-construction?

Unless you are in a hurry to get started vacationing or you need to complete a 1031 exchange, it's best to buy condo hotels in pre-construction as early as possible. That's when prices are lowest and unit selection is greatest. You will likely wait two years or longer before closing on and taking possession of your condo hotel unit, but you will have locked in the price and will get the benefit of maximum appreciation.

16. Is there anything else investors should want to know about condotels?

There is more to buying this type of real estate than the old phrase, "location, location, location." While most condo hotels are located in desirable resort and business area locations, what is most important is a good franchise with a strong reservation system.

Also, do not be fooled by an aggressive rental split. One way or the other, the developer of the property will have to staff, maintain and operate the hotel and its services like the restaurants, bars, spas and pools from his share of the proceeds. If he's giving you a very favorable share of the rental, he's also more likely to be charging you a higher monthly maintenance fee. Of course, this goes both ways. If the maintenance split that is offered is closer to 50-50, then your maintenance should be more reasonable too.

17. Any suggestions to investors in choosing which condo hotel to buy?

Get good advice. That means you don't want to rely only on the pitch provided by an onsite salesperson at a condo hotel. You want to talk with a broker who specializes in condo hotels and who knows and understands the entire condo hotel market, not just the facts pertaining to a single property. He or she will listen to your wants and needs and then offer recommendations as to which properties best match your requirements. You'll have an opportunity to comparison shop and consider the pros and cons of each available property.

A good broker can be the difference between your buying a condo hotel that will be problematic and not live up to your expectations or one that will provide you with years of great vacations, good annual revenue and a substantial profit when you sell.

18. Does it cost more to use a real estate broker to purchase a condo hotel than buying a unit on one's own?

No. With new condo hotel properties, the prices are always set by the developer and are exactly the same whether you buy directly from an onsite salesperson at the property or using a broker.

The broker's commission is always paid by the developer and is already built into the price regardless of whether an outside broker participates in the sale or not. Since a broker's representation is free to buyers, it does make sense to enlist their aid and get the benefit of their advice before making a purchase.

19. How can prospective buyers find a good condo hotel broker?

Ask friends for broker recommendations or search online for "condo hotel broker." Visit condo hotel broker websites and see if the information they provide seems comprehensive and unbiased. If their website seems to focus on selling homes or office space, and the condo hotel information appears to be an afterthought, steer clear. Your best bet is to work with a condo hotel broker who specializes.

20. How can buyers learn about new condo hotel properties coming on the market?

Condo hotel brokers can be good information sources as they often learn about properties prior to their release to the general public. Another option is for them to subscribe to a condo hotel newsletter such as the one we publish called Condo Hotel Property Alert.