Happy Monday!

mrsconn23 · October 2022

I'm ba-ack! I was off all last week. We did a staycation and SGMIL came into town for a couple days. It was an OK week. I was having back issues for a couple days, but they got better as the week went on. We went to the art museum and did some shopping with SGMIL. We did the immersive Monet exhibit and it was excellent. She also bought DefConn new shoes and me some clothes from my fave boutique. DH got a bottle of bourbon.

The weekend was a little weird. Just a whole lot of stuff that went sideways and a lot of frustration. FIL took DefConn last night and DH and I had alone time for 5 min, LOL.

DH went to NC for a business trip today. And it's been a slog of little fires to put out since I got in this morning. It's been Very Monday so far.

charlotte989875 · October 2022

Well I’m exhausted. Baby M had a slight fever yesterday afternoon and woke up in the middle of the night asking for mama. He’s much better this morning but I’m exhausted. I’ve also had way too much coffee so I’m basically staring at my computer hoping my work gets done.

MissKittyDanger · October 2022

We were all dragging this morning.
M, BK, MIL, SFIL & I did pumpkin patch/farmers market yesterday. So much fun and cold but damn exhausting.
M, BK and I opted to go out for dinner afterwards and just eat early. I regret eating early because it felt like after was just so long.

Then it's rainy today, so waking up when it's heavy cloud and still dark is hard a.f

I'll share some photos from yesterday. BK had me jumping in the hay with her, and she was so silly at one point lmao

Tomorrow is BK's school photos. I gotta figure out what she's wearing $:\$ I'll probably find a plain/neutral top for her.
It's already so cool out, I pulled out her undershirts. They're long so I can tuck them into her pants and keep her back warm.

charlotte989875 · October 2022

We also did the pumpkin patch Saturday afternoon. M was tired and said “lay down with the pumpkins”.

ei34 · October 2022

Welcome back @mrsconn23
Ugh good luck @charlotte989875 how exhausting

Another pumpkin patch fun knottie here...perfect fall weather and all the kids (mine plus nieces and nephews) had a ball. Super dreary, foggy, and sleepy here today.

CharmedPam · October 2022

Weird weekend @mrsconn23 but sounds like a great week off!
@charlotte989875 if that doesn’t get printed and framed SOMEWHERE you’re missing a great opportunity

i had a really good weekend. Friends came over, we did a haunted house (which was super cool!) and watched Halloween Ends (which none of us got why all the hate about it?) Sunday was lazy till 2:30 when I went to get my nails done, then I got motivated and worked out and pinted my haunted house furniture. Tonight is my booster shot and laser hair removal treatment.

ILoveBeachMusic · October 2022

Weekend was good. We were able to get everyone home for family pictures. Saturday morning we took the kids to the apple orchard to pick apples and do the Fall activities. They didn't particularly want to do pumpkins so that was fine. It was beautiful but cool and windy. Sunday was picture day. It was perfect. Beautiful fall colors and not too cool. The twins really hammed it up. The baby didn't know what was going on and just wanted to follow his brothers. The kids all love the puppy. They were really good with him and very gentle. He of course didn't know what to make of them, though. They face timed with us after they got home because they wanted to see the puppy.

He is doing pretty well. This house breaking stuff is hard though. I can't remember how long it took with the other dogs but I know we have several months ahead of us. He hasn't messed in his crate overnight so that is good. He is good about going outside when we take him, but he doesn't know how to tell he has to go out. We just need to take him out a lot to make sure we catch him! He is a sweet little guy though.

Last night we went to a retirement party for a friend. It was fun because we hadn't seen her and her husband in a really long time. Now that she is retired we can get together for lunch and stuff.

short+sassy · October 2022

@mrsconn23, I'm glad you had a good staycation!

@charlotte989875, I wish that was the way computers worked, lol.

@MissKittyDanger, sounds like a fun day at the pumpkin patch!

I was crunching some major numbers this morning. I went through each of my rental properties and analyzed the expenses vs. the rent vs. the equity I have. Ugh, one of them has turned into a real dog and I think it's time to sell at least that one.

I'm so torn on what to do! Sell all my rentals? Keep some, sell some?

Pros to sell:

--Insurance rates are getting insane down here. Then again, the state's insurance commissioner made a statement today that they are expecting 12 insurance companies to enter the market by early next year. They'll still be high, but that would curb some of the current insanity.

--I'm tired of worrying about hurricanes every year.

--My husband and I want to leave the city. Easier said than done. But no longer having property except for our current home would be a big step to leave. I could always hire a property manager if we moved, but that would cut in on the thin profits.

--The market is softening and I think it will just get worse over time. Especially if the insurance situation stays at the current status quo. This is the biggest fear for me. I'm worried if I don't sell now, they'll sell at a lower amount later.

--I'd have cash in hand for better deals in other parts of the country. I have no intention of buying now. But as markets soften, I think there will be good opportunities. Though at the cost of higher interest rates.

Cons to sell:

--I lose the net monthly income, but then I could utilize the money in better and (probably) more profitable ways. Though perhaps not right away.

--The metrics I'm using to analyze the properties is comparing the net monthly income vs. the equity. Without the "dog" property, the other ones have about an 8% annual return, but it will be more like 6%-8% in 2024. Not terrible numbers, but not great. I'd usually do better investing in conservative mutual funds and for a lot less risk and hassle.

--Capital gains. To the tune of 15% of my profit.

--Three of my properties have loans with a 3% prepayment penalty, within the first 3 years. That is coincidentally a lot of 3's, lol. I've only held those loans for 2 years.

Where is a crystal ball when I need it?!?! Lol.

climbingsingle · October 2022

I was off last week too! It was so nice. I hadn't had a week off straight since last year. We went up to the finger lakes for a few days. My hip is still hurting so I was limited to what we could do. But we visited a lot of wineries and breweries that I loved.
Got back home and had a few more days to chill and catch up on things. Finally had my MRI this Saturday (ridiculous that I had to wait this long, thanks Aetna!).

N is away with his son for a few days - they left yesterday so I have the place to myself until Thursday.

I sadly had to log back into work today and had over 1000 emails in my inbox. Still trying to get through them all. Ugh.

MissKittyDanger · October 2022

CharmedPam · October 2022

Love them @MissKittyDanger, what a cute family! Btw my wanderprint mug came in. I’ve only used it for water but the ice in my tumbler stayed intact almost throughout the day! Cold for at least 8+ hours with it. I’m very happy with that and the quality.
boooo to back to work emails @climbingsingle. But glad you got away. Hope your hip feels better.

@short+sassy I can see both sides. Buuuuut playing devils advocate here, if you keep your properties it’s only going to make you stay in NOLA. However, if you sell them and really want to leave, you’ll be more acceptable to reach that moving goal if they’re sold.

short+sassy · October 2022

@MissKittyDanger, that is a perfect shot with BK jumping and her pigtails flying! So cute.

Casadena · October 2022

Weekend was good! ILs were over Friday night to see the boys and help H with dinner and bedtime. Saturday we painted pumpkins and played at school in the morning and went to park nearby after lunch and nap! Sunday we did Costco in the morning, then the library in the afternoon and it was so much fun.

We decided very late to do family pictures soon and found a good price on a photographer that can get us in this weekend when it's supposed to be 70 degrees, yay! I was hoping the weekend we got would be warm enough that we wouldn't have to wear coats!

short+sassy · October 2022

CharmedPam said:

Love them @MissKittyDanger, what a cute family! Btw my wanderprint mug came in. I’ve only used it for water but the ice in my tumbler stayed intact almost throughout the day! Cold for at least 8+ hours with it. I’m very happy with that and the quality.
boooo to back to work emails @climbingsingle. But glad you got away. Hope your hip feels better.
@short+sassy I can see both sides. Buuuuut playing devils advocate here, if you keep your properties it’s only going to make you stay in NOLA. However, if you sell them and really want to leave, you’ll be more acceptable to reach that moving goal if they’re sold.

I definitely plan to sell them so we can leave NOLA. But that was the plan for sometime next year, after we had made a firm decision on where we were going and what our next steps in RE investing were going to look like.

Next year would be much better timing for me but, if I wait, I think I'll be trying to sell at the worst time.

If was really lucky, I could have rolled the profits into my next RE investments and avoided paying capital gains taxes. But it's a stupidly short timeframe to do that in. You have to identify the property(s) you're buying with the proceeds, within 45 days of selling.

If I already had an area/city planned out, I might have been able to jump that fast. Selling now is much sooner than I want to buy, so I'm stuck with capital gains. But if the properties lose their value, that would be even worse. Plus I'd probably be stuck with capital gains either way.

-------------------------------------------------

An unexpected horse has entered the race for "where to move".

Madison, WI.

MCOL. Great job market, both for opportunities and decent pay. It ranks in the top 10 for safest cities in the US. Short-term rentals aren't allowed in the city. But there is a lake about 30 minutes away that allows them. It has a good ROI.

But the one major negative? The weather. Especially the winter. But even the fall and spring are usually chilly, rainy, and overcast. At least that's my impression from the research I have done.

Casadena · October 2022

@short+sassy Madison is an awesome town and theres so many small lakes/lake towns nearby that in my totally-uneducated-on-STRs opinion would make for a great opportunity. I'm partial to the snow, but understand how that could be a deterrent. However, lots of people love a wintery cabin type getaway so maybe that would be good for you year round too?

CharmedPam · October 2022

I went to Madison over the summer and actually found a lot to do in the area (1 hour radius). And cheaper than Illinois! Supper club’s galore lol.

charlotte989875 · October 2022

I also loved Madison! Really cool restaurants & things to do, beautiful scenery, and people were very nice!

short+sassy · October 2022

Thanks everyone for the input on Madison! I was there for one day many, many years ago. A high-school friend (B) was going to University of IL, but I had already graduated. My graduation gift from my mom was a one-month trip around the US. I knew I wanted to move away from CA, so I also used it as an opportunity to check out potential places to go to. I flew into Chicago and we made a big circle. Raleigh-Durham, Asheville, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Atlanta, NOLA, and then back to Chicago.

He was studying architecture and wanted to visit Madison on our road trip. I vaguely remember sitting in a coffee shop on a cute street with antique stores. There were lots of trees.

@Casadena, from what we've researched, those lake houses have bookings year round, so that was great to see. Though summer is definitely the busier and higher-priced season. I've never lived where it snowed, so I'm kinda scared of that, lol. My H is also a big baby when it comes to cold weather. I'm just worried we'll move there and not like it because of the weather.

I also looked up year round temps earlier today and it put it more in perspective. January is the coldest month and daytime temps average 27. I've been in temps that cold, although not for days at a time. It's not pleasant, but it was doable.

CharmedPam · October 2022

As far as winter goes @short+sassy, get a place with an HOA or hire a service to plow your driveway when it snows. Do grocery delivery, make sure your a prime member and get a WFH job. if you don’t leave your house, winter doesn’t exist!

short+sassy · October 2022

CharmedPam said:

As far as winter goes @short+sassy, get a place with an HOA or hire a service to plow your driveway when it snows. Do grocery delivery, make sure your a prime member and get a WFH job. if you don’t leave your house, winter doesn’t exist!

I was thinking about that earlier today! Like, "Huh. If we live in Madison, we would need to hire someone to shovel snow." Such an alien concept!

A WFH job is always the goal, no matter where I live. Maybe they're kinder about it in colder climates. When I was looking at job listings just to get a feel for what's out there, I noticed there were a lot of hybrid or WFH jobs. A lot more than here.

I love grocery delivery. Though I've only used Walmart for it.

I definitely hear what you are saying! Holing up in the house with the heat on and looking at the pretty snow outside sounds much more palatable than driving in it, lol.

CharmedPam · October 2022

Our job is not like most, and I totally get that - but when we’re in storms or even just snow, we can stay at home and “keep up on the plowing”. Because my machine can only throw so much. I have to do it in “rounds”.

ILoveBeachMusic · October 2022

I've heard nothing but good things about Madison. A good friend's son lives there with his two kids. He really likes it. I was there many years ago when I was in high school. I don't think I could handle the cold during the winters but know that area does get a lot of tourism both winter and summer.

kerbohl · October 2022

CharmedPam said:

Weird weekend @mrsconn23 but sounds like a great week off!
@charlotte989875 if that doesn’t get printed and framed SOMEWHERE you’re missing a great opportunity

i had a really good weekend. Friends came over, we did a haunted house (which was super cool!) and watched Halloween Ends (which none of us got why all the hate about it?) Sunday was lazy till 2:30 when I went to get my nails done, then I got motivated and worked out and pinted my haunted house furniture. Tonight is my booster shot and laser hair removal treatment.

I also watched Halloween Ends! It thought it was excellent.

CharmedPam · October 2022

kerbohl said:

CharmedPam said:

watched Halloween Ends (which none of us got why all the hate about it?)

I also watched Halloween Ends! It thought it was excellent.

Sometimes I wonder if people complain just to complain? Hocus Pocus 2 was a great sequel and very disney. What did I hear? It was too Disney. Yeah. That was the whole point when Disney decided to do it.

now, Rob Zombie’s Munsters? That one was painful.

STARMOON44 · October 2022

Madison is a great city! But it is very cold for a long time and very different from NOLA culturally.

kerbohl · October 2022

CharmedPam said:

kerbohl said:

CharmedPam said:

watched Halloween Ends (which none of us got why all the hate about it?)

I also watched Halloween Ends! It thought it was excellent.

Sometimes I wonder if people complain just to complain? Hocus Pocus 2 was a great sequel and very disney. What did I hear? It was too Disney. Yeah. That was the whole point when Disney decided to do it.

now, Rob Zombie’s Munsters? That one was painful.

I loved Hocus Pocus 2 as well! I thought they did a great job. But maybe I am easily contented with movies.

short+sassy · October 2022

STARMOON44 said:

Madison is a great city! But it is very cold for a long time and very different from NOLA culturally.

It's tough because it checks all of our boxes...except for weather. And we unfortunately have a lot of specific boxes, lol. And almost anywhere we're thinking of will be colder, so then it's really more a question of "how much colder".

Our only outliers are Ocala, FL and Tucson, AZ. But, generally speaking, somewhere in the Midwest makes the most sense. Affordability is very key for us and much of the Midwest is that, plus has growth.

I'm okay with culturally different from NOLA. I'm actually looking forward to a change for wherever I go. That was also true when I moved from CA to here. I always joke it was like moving to another country, but without all the red tape.

TBH, there are aspects of NOLA culture that have never been a good fit for me, anyway. There is a lot that's great! I love the architecture, history, and food down here. But I don't like the slow pace. It's a music mecca and people love that but, UO, I don't like live music so that isn't a draw for me.

It was fun to have no such thing as "last call" when I was in my 20s. But, while I still like occasionally hanging out at a bar, nowadays I'm back home before any state's closing time, lol.

MobKaz · October 2022

CharmedPam said:

As far as winter goes @short+sassy, get a place with an HOA or hire a service to plow your driveway when it snows. Do grocery delivery, make sure your a prime member and get a WFH job. if you don’t leave your house, winter doesn’t exist!

@short+sassy Midwest winters are not for the faint of heart, and are absolutely an “acquired” taste.

Even at my age (mid 60’s), I actually enjoy non-24 inch snow shoveling. Especially in the evening, I find it very calming to be out pushing a few inches back and forth. It’s a good little work out. However, on those 12-24 inch snow falls when “all hands are on deck” and the entire neighborhood is out shoveling, it’s actually fun to chat it up with the neighbors as well and share the inevitable stories of Armageddon snow events of yore.

The good news about snowfall in the Midwest is that most towns are well equipped to clear roads, even when we get blasted (unless you are in “city city” areas where side streets are last.

The initial expense might be tough, but investing in some really good winter wear makes a difference as well. For me, the deal breaker on the cold days is the wind factor. Those windy AND cold days are a tough sell. As someone who hates temps over 80, I will say that people seem to maintain a “sense of humor” on the crazy cold days. There’s not much else to do but laugh at the absurdity of how cold it can get. However, I personally feel that on the hotter than Hades days, people just get crabby and sour. I’ll take absurd humor over that!

banana468 · October 2022

When I talk to my coworkers in Wisconsin and Minnesota, they snicker at what gets school canceled in Connecticut. You need to be prepared for the cold but they absolutely have the infrastructure to deal with it.

Amusing side note: my boss was once delayed from California to Minnesota because it was an abnormally cold morning in CA and the planes wings were iced over. They don't have de-icers in California so they literally had to wait for the sun.

MobKaz · October 2022

banana468 said:

When I talk to my coworkers in Wisconsin and Minnesota, they snicker at what gets school canceled in Connecticut. You need to be prepared for the cold but they absolutely have the infrastructure to deal with it.

Amusing side note: my boss was once delayed from California to Minnesota because it was an abnormally cold morning in CA and the planes wings were iced over. They don't have de-icers in California so they literally had to wait for the sun.

Born and raised in the midwest, ice storms of even the slightest impact still freak me out. I used to be a "snickerer" of other states, but it made me realize just how incredible midwest states are with their infrastructure and preparedness. We can get a foot of snow and be back out within a day with reasonable roads.

short+sassy · October 2022

banana468 said:

When I talk to my coworkers in Wisconsin and Minnesota, they snicker at what gets school canceled in Connecticut. You need to be prepared for the cold but they absolutely have the infrastructure to deal with it.

Amusing side note: my boss was once delayed from California to Minnesota because it was an abnormally cold morning in CA and the planes wings were iced over. They don't have de-icers in California so they literally had to wait for the sun.

You'd be surprised how often airports are delayed, sometimes closed, in Southern CA! Though usually it is due to fog.

I once paid $100 extra to fly into the Orange County airport, instead of LAX. But upon arrival, it was fogged in. We circled around for about 30 minutes waiting for it to lift, but eventually needed to be re-routed to LAX anyway, smh. Ugh! Though they did bus us down to the OC airport.

During my childhood, my maternal grandparents lived in the same town we did. They were flying back from Hawaii and ALL the So. CA airports were closed due to fog. They had to be re-routed to Las Vegas, lol.

But those were the good ole' days of flying. The airline put everyone up in a hotel for the night, with a time to arrive in the morning for the flight to LAX. The airline told everyone they weren't going to unload the plane, because it would be faster/smoother if they didn't. Instead, they gave each passenger money for incidentals they might need for the night.

So different from my recent experience, lmao. Sorry you missed the last flight to Barcelona, because your Charlotte layover was 6 hours instead of 2 hours. But that wasn't our fault either. Here's a tiny pillow and blanket that we usually give to children. Go sleep on the floor. A food voucher?!?! Are you kidding? Not even $5 for a cup of coffee.

Happy Monday!

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