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Wrestling with computer failures on this end (again) so am unable to put-up a literary
masterpiece today. Sorry 'bout that. Too many bugs in the system. Hammering this out
on ye olde back-up machine.
Another hot one here before a little moderation over the weekend.
Sorry about the computer issues. I hate it when that happens!
Glad I drive old cars...
Dr. Michael Yeadon warns: "Modern cars are no longer just vehicles—they’re surveillance cages on wheels."
Think about it: 10+ cameras per car, most facing YOU, not the road. ADAS systems track your eyes, hands, even blink rate—not for safety, but control. Geofencing is… pic.twitter.com/86g2RJmSOm
text continues...
Geofencing is already buried in T&Cs—your car could soon refuse to drive beyond gov-approved zones.
This isn’t paranoia—it’s policy.
A lawyer recently discovered her "dealer update" included hidden consent for remote geofencing activation. Once enabled, your car could:
⚠️ Slow down or shut off if you cross invisible boundaries.
⚠️ Lock you out if you cover your face (hello, digital ID).
⚠️ Feed data straight to authorities—who’s driving, where, when.
Fifteen-minute cities? Imagine your car enforcing them. Try leaving your zone when your vehicle’s software decides you can’t.
"They’re not building convenience—they’re building compliance."
The endgame? A world where you don’t own your drive—you’re just renting it from those who control the code.
Fight back.
✔️ Reject "smart" cars.
✔️ Read the fine print.
✔️ Demand analog alternatives.
Because freedom shouldn’t come with an "OFF" switch they control.
Computerized cars seem to be a threat.
Well, take care and (try to) be cool. Thanks for the OT!
up
9 users have voted.
—
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
@Lookout
.
Oh well, fueled-up the Tacoma this AM (at least it has a working aircon).
We no longer have a gas station in town. Have to drive about ten miles
to buy petrol.
Committed to avoid the sun today. Do not need a heat stroke for lunch.
Thanks for dropping in and good luck.
Another hot one here before a little moderation over the weekend.
Sorry about the computer issues. I hate it when that happens!
Glad I drive old cars...
Dr. Michael Yeadon warns: "Modern cars are no longer just vehicles—they’re surveillance cages on wheels."
Think about it: 10+ cameras per car, most facing YOU, not the road. ADAS systems track your eyes, hands, even blink rate—not for safety, but control. Geofencing is… pic.twitter.com/86g2RJmSOm
text continues...
Geofencing is already buried in T&Cs—your car could soon refuse to drive beyond gov-approved zones.
This isn’t paranoia—it’s policy.
A lawyer recently discovered her "dealer update" included hidden consent for remote geofencing activation. Once enabled, your car could:
⚠️ Slow down or shut off if you cross invisible boundaries.
⚠️ Lock you out if you cover your face (hello, digital ID).
⚠️ Feed data straight to authorities—who’s driving, where, when.
Fifteen-minute cities? Imagine your car enforcing them. Try leaving your zone when your vehicle’s software decides you can’t.
"They’re not building convenience—they’re building compliance."
The endgame? A world where you don’t own your drive—you’re just renting it from those who control the code.
Fight back.
✔️ Reject "smart" cars.
✔️ Read the fine print.
✔️ Demand analog alternatives.
Because freedom shouldn’t come with an "OFF" switch they control.
Computerized cars seem to be a threat.
Well, take care and (try to) be cool. Thanks for the OT!
@Lookout
Any car built after 2025 will have a kill switch. Why?
With all those cameras, how is it that drug and child trafficking has not decreased?
I remember being creeped out I was at the investigations of that bomber guy at Trump's hotel and the guy that rammed a pedestrian crowd in New Orleans.
The next revolution will be on horseback, bike, and foot, so it seems!
Enjoy your day and drink lots of water, friend!
Another hot one here before a little moderation over the weekend.
Sorry about the computer issues. I hate it when that happens!
Glad I drive old cars...
Dr. Michael Yeadon warns: "Modern cars are no longer just vehicles—they’re surveillance cages on wheels."
Think about it: 10+ cameras per car, most facing YOU, not the road. ADAS systems track your eyes, hands, even blink rate—not for safety, but control. Geofencing is… pic.twitter.com/86g2RJmSOm
text continues...
Geofencing is already buried in T&Cs—your car could soon refuse to drive beyond gov-approved zones.
This isn’t paranoia—it’s policy.
A lawyer recently discovered her "dealer update" included hidden consent for remote geofencing activation. Once enabled, your car could:
⚠️ Slow down or shut off if you cross invisible boundaries.
⚠️ Lock you out if you cover your face (hello, digital ID).
⚠️ Feed data straight to authorities—who’s driving, where, when.
Fifteen-minute cities? Imagine your car enforcing them. Try leaving your zone when your vehicle’s software decides you can’t.
"They’re not building convenience—they’re building compliance."
The endgame? A world where you don’t own your drive—you’re just renting it from those who control the code.
Fight back.
✔️ Reject "smart" cars.
✔️ Read the fine print.
✔️ Demand analog alternatives.
Because freedom shouldn’t come with an "OFF" switch they control.
Computerized cars seem to be a threat.
Well, take care and (try to) be cool. Thanks for the OT!
up
6 users have voted.
—
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I am being bad. I overslept, heading to the office late. If i had a boss, I'd have some 'splainin' to do.
Sorry about the computer crash. That can really be a wreck.
Thanks for the effort you made for the oT, my friend!
up
4 users have voted.
—
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I had read somewhere about the tech monopolist neo-fascist utopia where entire metropolitan areas would be under the control basically of one corporation, in which all commercial and political relationships are controlled by one corporation.
The newly constructed housing communities are going in this direction. They provide the building/residence. They set the prices and rates for a lot of services that go beyond the residence itself. You must have an internet provider, the one they select, whether you want it or not. They make a lot of community rules that are enforced. Imo these go well beyond the usual covenants and restrictions one expects. They provide the mortgage. If you don't finance, typically they will charge thousands more for the property. Maybe 10 to 20k more for the low end units. Even if you pay cash, you must pay fees for services, like maintenance, lawn care, and so called "amenities" whether you want them or not. You can't mow your own lawn, nor plant bushes or gardens, etc.
To point out the absurdity of the package imposed on the buyer, even if you paid cash, typically in an amount well over 300k, for the most penurious and cheaply built new unit, you really don't own the property. The HOA, amenities packages typically start at about 800 dollars a month for a new home, and this is the lowest end property here. Then the property tax starts at 500 a month. So you own the property "outright" as they say but in actuality you are still paying unreasonable rents and fees, like a serf. And there is no limit on it going up in the future.
If you try to buy a slightly upscale home, it only gets worse. Someone said to me, "what that's low." If you want to preserve whatever little tax advantage you may have from being over 65 or a long time resident home owner, it looks like you'll need a lawyer to get it. The "save our homes" provision statute in the state tax code is thousands of words long. The procedure is incomprehensible and I majored in real estate and tax law years ago, but I'm hopelessly out of date it appears. I've rarely seen such a long complex statute. It's unbelievable.
In another reversal of custom, in a new home purchase, in addition to the buying price, all the costs and fees of closing are forced on the buyer. Several months of the monthly carrying costs must also be paid in advance. The custom in my state was for the seller to pay closing costs. The seller typically had the financial liquidity from the sales transaction to pay and this facilitated commerce. So you sell your old property and pay thousands or more in the five figure range, to the middlemen, to sell one's home, and now, on the other corporate city side, you pay the same fees and costs (only more) on the other side when you buy in the new home market. Go figure. So for a newly constructed home or condo even for the most modest transactions middleman fees of 50 thousand dollars in total for a move selling, then buying would be commonplace.
I've been listening to professional brokers who note the unreasonable conditions prevailing in the housing market, which appears to be on the brink of a 2008 type collapse. (I can hope can't I?). Experts say the bubble market has been artificially inflated for years. So the debate now is among the hucksters, real estate developers and middlemen, bankers and politicians whether the market should be "allowed to collapse."
I saw calculations last night presented by a couple of long time brokers that showed young double earner families were faced with the prospect of having to pay 400 grand plus for a home suitable for a family, in some markets, needing a family income in excess of 170K. Most people can't afford this. Most elder people can't afford it the terms of the condo type units they sell with all their other disadvantages. I've seen a couple of exceptions to this. It was alleged that nice family homes were available in the Atlanta region, below 300K because the market there was already well into a collapse. This would be preowned homes, some not that old, whose owners had paid too much, and were now in a financial trap.
No wonder so many have given up on having a home, and have to pay rents all their lives, if they can afford it. No surprise to see more homeless people on all the intersections of the major roads in my area. And the area is reputed to be middle class and relatively prosperous. Local government officials are obsessed with getting homeless people panhandling in traffic at intersections off the street, and destroying their sleeping hideouts in the local woods, which have as yet avoided the almost inevitable clearing for more corporate city developments. They keep upping the criminal penalties for the alleged offenses as some kind of remedy. Where are homeless supposed to go? I know from experience years back, the jail doesn't want them either, because the homeless are an expense. The magistrate will let them go at first hearing usually and not want to concede delays to the prosecutor.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I'm getting tired of the RE hype. Some of the professionals have said, this is why Trump is upset with the FED. He needs rates to go down to prevent the slump. Some brokers say it's conceivable that dropping FED rates won't work. The mortgage resale markets for shaky loans are deceiving the public about default rates.
.
sort of a damned if you do or don't situation
guess we were 'lucky' for buying into this property
35 years ago. A serious fixer upper which sold for
a hundred grand and is now valued roughly 6x.
don't really mind the idea of becoming homeless again if
I could get some payback, but wife & etc. are extenuating
circumstances out of my control at present. Life.
Good luck nonetheless.
Guess I could always go back to being a pirate?
I had read somewhere about the tech monopolist neo-fascist utopia where entire metropolitan areas would be under the control basically of one corporation, in which all commercial and political relationships are controlled by one corporation.
The newly constructed housing communities are going in this direction. They provide the building/residence. They set the prices and rates for a lot of services that go beyond the residence itself. You must have an internet provider, the one they select, whether you want it or not. They make a lot of community rules that are enforced. Imo these go well beyond the usual covenants and restrictions one expects. They provide the mortgage. If you don't finance, typically they will charge thousands more for the property. Maybe 10 to 20k more for the low end units. Even if you pay cash, you must pay fees for services, like maintenance, lawn care, and so called "amenities" whether you want them or not. You can't mow your own lawn, nor plant bushes or gardens, etc.
To point out the absurdity of the package imposed on the buyer, even if you paid cash, typically in an amount well over 300k, for the most penurious and cheaply built new unit, you really don't own the property. The HOA, amenities packages typically start at about 800 dollars a month for a new home, and this is the lowest end property here. Then the property tax starts at 500 a month. So you own the property "outright" as they say but in actuality you are still paying unreasonable rents and fees, like a serf. And there is no limit on it going up in the future.
If you try to buy a slightly upscale home, it only gets worse. Someone said to me, "what that's low." If you want to preserve whatever little tax advantage you may have from being over 65 or a long time resident home owner, it looks like you'll need a lawyer to get it. The "save our homes" provision statute in the state tax code is thousands of words long. The procedure is incomprehensible and I majored in real estate and tax law years ago, but I'm hopelessly out of date it appears. I've rarely seen such a long complex statute. It's unbelievable.
In another reversal of custom, in a new home purchase, in addition to the buying price, all the costs and fees of closing are forced on the buyer. Several months of the monthly carrying costs must also be paid in advance. The custom in my state was for the seller to pay closing costs. The seller typically had the financial liquidity from the sales transaction to pay and this facilitated commerce. So you sell your old property and pay thousands or more in the five figure range, to the middlemen, to sell one's home, and now, on the other corporate city side, you pay the same fees and costs (only more) on the other side when you buy in the new home market. Go figure. So for a newly constructed home or condo even for the most modest transactions middleman fees of 50 thousand dollars in total for a move selling, then buying would be commonplace.
I've been listening to professional brokers who note the unreasonable conditions prevailing in the housing market, which appears to be on the brink of a 2008 type collapse. (I can hope can't I?). Experts say the bubble market has been artificially inflated for years. So the debate now is among the hucksters, real estate developers and middlemen, bankers and politicians whether the market should be "allowed to collapse."
I saw calculations last night presented by a couple of long time brokers that showed young double earner families were faced with the prospect of having to pay 400 grand plus for a home suitable for a family, in some markets, needing a family income in excess of 170K. Most people can't afford this. Most elder people can't afford it the terms of the condo type units they sell with all their other disadvantages. I've seen a couple of exceptions to this. It was alleged that nice family homes were available in the Atlanta region, below 300K because the market there was already well into a collapse. This would be preowned homes, some not that old, whose owners had paid too much, and were now in a financial trap.
No wonder so many have given up on having a home, and have to pay rents all their lives, if they can afford it. No surprise to see more homeless people on all the intersections of the major roads in my area. And the area is reputed to be middle class and relatively prosperous. Local government officials are obsessed with getting homeless people panhandling in traffic at intersections off the street, and destroying their sleeping hideouts in the local woods, which have as yet avoided the almost inevitable clearing for more corporate city developments. They keep upping the criminal penalties for the alleged offenses as some kind of remedy. Where are homeless supposed to go? I know from experience years back, the jail doesn't want them either, because the homeless are an expense. The magistrate will let them go at first hearing usually and not want to concede delays to the prosecutor.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I'm getting tired of the RE hype. Some of the professionals have said, this is why Trump is upset with the FED. He needs rates to go down to prevent the slump. Some brokers say it's conceivable that dropping FED rates won't work. The mortgage resale markets for shaky loans are deceiving the public about default rates.
My laptop and dumbphone are having issues loading C99 lately. But after a dial-up like interlude it comes up.
Only this site though.
A mystery.
Gonna hit 88-90 today so we are trying to figure out how to fill the day without getting in the sun.
Looks like a trip up to Chehalis to pick up some sterile water bottles for testing our well water at the county health dept. I do it every couple of years. So far, so good.
Will be cruising by the new In-N-OUT in Ridgefield, Wa. they are building. Supposed to be open at the end of July. Doesn't get any closer to the end than today.
A sign went up at an intersection a few blocks away (within walking distance) that says: Coming soon In-N-Out
What luck!
Stay cool.
up
6 users have voted.
—
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
My laptop and dumbphone are having issues loading C99 lately. But after a dial-up like interlude it comes up.
Only this site though.
A mystery.
Gonna hit 88-90 today so we are trying to figure out how to fill the day without getting in the sun.
Looks like a trip up to Chehalis to pick up some sterile water bottles for testing our well water at the county health dept. I do it every couple of years. So far, so good.
Will be cruising by the new In-N-OUT in Ridgefield, Wa. they are building. Supposed to be open at the end of July. Doesn't get any closer to the end than today.
A sign went up at an intersection a few blocks away (within walking distance) that says: Coming soon In-N-Out
What luck!
Stay cool.
is an originally-California burger chain that has gone national here lately. Heavy on nostalgia: their tee shirts are old American muscle cars, by and large. Good fries, passable burgers. We have two just up the road from us now here in CO, but no palm trees....
@usefewersyllables
The best thing about In-N-Out is the price. They're still around the $3 range for a single burger W/cheese.
$4 for a double -double.
I used to live off of them in the 60s. Frequented the original in Baldwin Park and the one in San Dimas.
My old stompin' grounds.
is an originally-California burger chain that has gone national here lately. Heavy on nostalgia: their tee shirts are old American muscle cars, by and large. Good fries, passable burgers. We have two just up the road from us now here in CO, but no palm trees....
up
4 users have voted.
—
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
@QMS
A chain of privately owned drive through that started in SoCal in the late 40s.
Burgers and fries are all they make. Nothing else.
But they are done right with the freshest ingredients, neither the fries or burgers have been frozen.
They have been expanding for 77 years as far east as Texas and finally, up the west coast into Washington State.
Soon coming to Florida.
Great burgers.
Good luck with all of yur attempts at solving those issues and any others you might encounter. Gotta get on the road to ye olde dentist now, perhps more later.
be well and have a good one
up
4 users have voted.
—
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
.
do not recall that chain from the years
I lived in So. Cal, which was only 50 some
years ago. Do recall White Castle where you
could get 5 for a buck, but I think they started
in NY?
We have a local franchise (in Newport) named
5 Guys, which apparently have good burgers,
from what I hear.
a street corner thing, 1958 there were 5 of them, all in San Gabriel Valley, 1973 they had 13, all in L.A. county, 1979 up to 21 and 1988 up to 50, still all in SoCal; Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties.
so much for that, was always more of a Jack-in-the-Box fan for branded quickie burgers and stuff, really preferred no-name and never heard of in and out until about 10-20 years ago. Let's face it, down there there were fresh, taco, enchilada, tamale and marisco stands and carts all over, so you really had to feel like a burger and fries or else a malt to go for gringo food.
Missing one tooth, gained some plastic thing with a fake one on it, sort of broke even on the deal except thihs unit isn't very rugged, but the one they pulled wasn't either, so whatever.
be well and have a good one
.
do not recall that chain from the years
I lived in So. Cal, which was only 50 some
years ago. Do recall White Castle where you
could get 5 for a buck, but I think they started
in NY?
We have a local franchise (in Newport) named
5 Guys, which apparently have good burgers,
from what I hear.
up
4 users have voted.
—
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
@enhydra lutris
.
they call it a flipper
(like the magic dolphin)
works OK, but sometimes it falls out
and do not want to swallow it with
whatever food trying to ingest.
Not a permanent replacement
but the cost of studs being drilled
into the jaw is prohibitive
not covered is the term my sucky
insurance uses "cosmetic" heh
a street corner thing, 1958 there were 5 of them, all in San Gabriel Valley, 1973 they had 13, all in L.A. county, 1979 up to 21 and 1988 up to 50, still all in SoCal; Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties.
so much for that, was always more of a Jack-in-the-Box fan for branded quickie burgers and stuff, really preferred no-name and never heard of in and out until about 10-20 years ago. Let's face it, down there there were fresh, taco, enchilada, tamale and marisco stands and carts all over, so you really had to feel like a burger and fries or else a malt to go for gringo food.
Missing one tooth, gained some plastic thing with a fake one on it, sort of broke even on the deal except thihs unit isn't very rugged, but the one they pulled wasn't either, so whatever.
@enhydra lutris
on the Mexican food, it was everywhere. I grew up on it. The Green Burrito on Hacienda Blvd was my lunch and dinner through high school and CC.
Friday and Saturday nights found me cruising the boulevards. Whittier, Van Nuys, Colorado, and Tweedy boulevards were my hang out. and after a hard night of stoplight grand prix, In-N-Out was the late night spot.
Good times, the 60s & 70s Southern California.
Sure went to hell.
a street corner thing, 1958 there were 5 of them, all in San Gabriel Valley, 1973 they had 13, all in L.A. county, 1979 up to 21 and 1988 up to 50, still all in SoCal; Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties.
so much for that, was always more of a Jack-in-the-Box fan for branded quickie burgers and stuff, really preferred no-name and never heard of in and out until about 10-20 years ago. Let's face it, down there there were fresh, taco, enchilada, tamale and marisco stands and carts all over, so you really had to feel like a burger and fries or else a malt to go for gringo food.
Missing one tooth, gained some plastic thing with a fake one on it, sort of broke even on the deal except thihs unit isn't very rugged, but the one they pulled wasn't either, so whatever.
be well and have a good one
up
4 users have voted.
—
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Both have manual transmissions which is why we bought them way back when. They've been well taken care of, and have low mileage (MPG). Had several offers on the Celica cos I guess it's becoming a 'classic.' We're both retired, and drive very little now. If I had to buy another car, it would be a hybrid, stripped, and you can bet I would be reading all the fine print on its gadgetry. I call smart phones "spy" phones, turn mine off a lot, and use it only as a phone. I don't get this having a spyphone practically-growing-out-of- your-ear scene. It's nuts.
@orlbucfan
.
honda insights they were
the damn state would not
renew "inspection" because
of some idiot light that showed-up
in the dash. Consistently 60 + mpg
and fun to drive. Now it is back to the
mules which ferry me about. Oh well
such is life?
Oh, and btw, my dumb phone works just fine
for what I need. Can not understand why people
stick their little computers to the side of their heads.
Good luck with your vehicles.
Both have manual transmissions which is why we bought them way back when. They've been well taken care of, and have low mileage (MPG). Had several offers on the Celica cos I guess it's becoming a 'classic.' We're both retired, and drive very little now. If I had to buy another car, it would be a hybrid, stripped, and you can bet I would be reading all the fine print on its gadgetry. I call smart phones "spy" phones, turn mine off a lot, and use it only as a phone. I don't get this having a spyphone practically-growing-out-of- your-ear scene. It's nuts.
Comments
Happy B'Day Jimmy Cliff
.
eighty one today
Zionism is a social disease
@QMS I have that soundtrack on
I have that soundtrack on vinyl. It's a very good classic Reggae sampler. Rec'd!!
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
Good morning...
Another hot one here before a little moderation over the weekend.
Sorry about the computer issues. I hate it when that happens!
Glad I drive old cars...
text continues...
Geofencing is already buried in T&Cs—your car could soon refuse to drive beyond gov-approved zones.
This isn’t paranoia—it’s policy.
A lawyer recently discovered her "dealer update" included hidden consent for remote geofencing activation. Once enabled, your car could:
⚠️ Slow down or shut off if you cross invisible boundaries.
⚠️ Lock you out if you cover your face (hello, digital ID).
⚠️ Feed data straight to authorities—who’s driving, where, when.
Fifteen-minute cities? Imagine your car enforcing them. Try leaving your zone when your vehicle’s software decides you can’t.
"They’re not building convenience—they’re building compliance."
The endgame? A world where you don’t own your drive—you’re just renting it from those who control the code.
Fight back.
✔️ Reject "smart" cars.
✔️ Read the fine print.
✔️ Demand analog alternatives.
Because freedom shouldn’t come with an "OFF" switch they control.
Computerized cars seem to be a threat.
Well, take care and (try to) be cool. Thanks for the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Yeah, hotter than hades here again today
.
Oh well, fueled-up the Tacoma this AM (at least it has a working aircon).
We no longer have a gas station in town. Have to drive about ten miles
to buy petrol.
Committed to avoid the sun today. Do not need a heat stroke for lunch.
Thanks for dropping in and good luck.
Zionism is a social disease
Good morning, LO!
Any car built after 2025 will have a kill switch. Why?
With all those cameras, how is it that drug and child trafficking has not decreased?
I remember being creeped out I was at the investigations of that bomber guy at Trump's hotel and the guy that rammed a pedestrian crowd in New Orleans.
The next revolution will be on horseback, bike, and foot, so it seems!
Enjoy your day and drink lots of water, friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Good morning, Cap'n!
I am being bad. I overslept, heading to the office late. If i had a boss, I'd have some 'splainin' to do.
Sorry about the computer crash. That can really be a wreck.
Thanks for the effort you made for the oT, my friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Welcome to Corporate Fiefdom!
I had read somewhere about the tech monopolist neo-fascist utopia where entire metropolitan areas would be under the control basically of one corporation, in which all commercial and political relationships are controlled by one corporation.
The newly constructed housing communities are going in this direction. They provide the building/residence. They set the prices and rates for a lot of services that go beyond the residence itself. You must have an internet provider, the one they select, whether you want it or not. They make a lot of community rules that are enforced. Imo these go well beyond the usual covenants and restrictions one expects. They provide the mortgage. If you don't finance, typically they will charge thousands more for the property. Maybe 10 to 20k more for the low end units. Even if you pay cash, you must pay fees for services, like maintenance, lawn care, and so called "amenities" whether you want them or not. You can't mow your own lawn, nor plant bushes or gardens, etc.
To point out the absurdity of the package imposed on the buyer, even if you paid cash, typically in an amount well over 300k, for the most penurious and cheaply built new unit, you really don't own the property. The HOA, amenities packages typically start at about 800 dollars a month for a new home, and this is the lowest end property here. Then the property tax starts at 500 a month. So you own the property "outright" as they say but in actuality you are still paying unreasonable rents and fees, like a serf. And there is no limit on it going up in the future.
If you try to buy a slightly upscale home, it only gets worse. Someone said to me, "what that's low." If you want to preserve whatever little tax advantage you may have from being over 65 or a long time resident home owner, it looks like you'll need a lawyer to get it. The "save our homes" provision statute in the state tax code is thousands of words long. The procedure is incomprehensible and I majored in real estate and tax law years ago, but I'm hopelessly out of date it appears. I've rarely seen such a long complex statute. It's unbelievable.
In another reversal of custom, in a new home purchase, in addition to the buying price, all the costs and fees of closing are forced on the buyer. Several months of the monthly carrying costs must also be paid in advance. The custom in my state was for the seller to pay closing costs. The seller typically had the financial liquidity from the sales transaction to pay and this facilitated commerce. So you sell your old property and pay thousands or more in the five figure range, to the middlemen, to sell one's home, and now, on the other corporate city side, you pay the same fees and costs (only more) on the other side when you buy in the new home market. Go figure. So for a newly constructed home or condo even for the most modest transactions middleman fees of 50 thousand dollars in total for a move selling, then buying would be commonplace.
I've been listening to professional brokers who note the unreasonable conditions prevailing in the housing market, which appears to be on the brink of a 2008 type collapse. (I can hope can't I?). Experts say the bubble market has been artificially inflated for years. So the debate now is among the hucksters, real estate developers and middlemen, bankers and politicians whether the market should be "allowed to collapse."
I saw calculations last night presented by a couple of long time brokers that showed young double earner families were faced with the prospect of having to pay 400 grand plus for a home suitable for a family, in some markets, needing a family income in excess of 170K. Most people can't afford this. Most elder people can't afford it the terms of the condo type units they sell with all their other disadvantages. I've seen a couple of exceptions to this. It was alleged that nice family homes were available in the Atlanta region, below 300K because the market there was already well into a collapse. This would be preowned homes, some not that old, whose owners had paid too much, and were now in a financial trap.
No wonder so many have given up on having a home, and have to pay rents all their lives, if they can afford it. No surprise to see more homeless people on all the intersections of the major roads in my area. And the area is reputed to be middle class and relatively prosperous. Local government officials are obsessed with getting homeless people panhandling in traffic at intersections off the street, and destroying their sleeping hideouts in the local woods, which have as yet avoided the almost inevitable clearing for more corporate city developments. They keep upping the criminal penalties for the alleged offenses as some kind of remedy. Where are homeless supposed to go? I know from experience years back, the jail doesn't want them either, because the homeless are an expense. The magistrate will let them go at first hearing usually and not want to concede delays to the prosecutor.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I'm getting tired of the RE hype. Some of the professionals have said, this is why Trump is upset with the FED. He needs rates to go down to prevent the slump. Some brokers say it's conceivable that dropping FED rates won't work. The mortgage resale markets for shaky loans are deceiving the public about default rates.
Thanks for the OT, Q!
edited for typos/ grammar
語必忠信 行必正直
'tis a dilemma my friend
.
sort of a damned if you do or don't situation
guess we were 'lucky' for buying into this property
35 years ago. A serious fixer upper which sold for
a hundred grand and is now valued roughly 6x.
don't really mind the idea of becoming homeless again if
I could get some payback, but wife & etc. are extenuating
circumstances out of my control at present. Life.
Good luck nonetheless.
Guess I could always go back to being a pirate?
Zionism is a social disease
Thanks for the extra effort
My laptop and dumbphone are having issues loading C99 lately. But after a dial-up like interlude it comes up.
Only this site though.
A mystery.
Gonna hit 88-90 today so we are trying to figure out how to fill the day without getting in the sun.
Looks like a trip up to Chehalis to pick up some sterile water bottles for testing our well water at the county health dept. I do it every couple of years. So far, so good.
Will be cruising by the new In-N-OUT in Ridgefield, Wa. they are building. Supposed to be open at the end of July. Doesn't get any closer to the end than today.
A sign went up at an intersection a few blocks away (within walking distance) that says: Coming soon In-N-Out
What luck!
Stay cool.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
what is an in and out?
.
call me bubbled
Zionism is a social disease
In-N-Out
is an originally-California burger chain that has gone national here lately. Heavy on nostalgia: their tee shirts are old American muscle cars, by and large. Good fries, passable burgers. We have two just up the road from us now here in CO, but no palm trees....
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Price point
The best thing about In-N-Out is the price. They're still around the $3 range for a single burger W/cheese.
$4 for a double -double.
I used to live off of them in the 60s. Frequented the original in Baldwin Park and the one in San Dimas.
My old stompin' grounds.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
In-N-Out Burger
A chain of privately owned drive through that started in SoCal in the late 40s.
Burgers and fries are all they make. Nothing else.
But they are done right with the freshest ingredients, neither the fries or burgers have been frozen.
They have been expanding for 77 years as far east as Texas and finally, up the west coast into Washington State.
Soon coming to Florida.
Great burgers.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Good morning QMS, sorry about the puter and the sun.
Good luck with all of yur attempts at solving those issues and any others you might encounter. Gotta get on the road to ye olde dentist now, perhps more later.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Oh
.
do not recall that chain from the years
I lived in So. Cal, which was only 50 some
years ago. Do recall White Castle where you
could get 5 for a buck, but I think they started
in NY?
We have a local franchise (in Newport) named
5 Guys, which apparently have good burgers,
from what I hear.
Zionism is a social disease
It looks like it wasn't widespread. 1948 first burger stand,
a street corner thing, 1958 there were 5 of them, all in San Gabriel Valley, 1973 they had 13, all in L.A. county, 1979 up to 21 and 1988 up to 50, still all in SoCal; Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties.
so much for that, was always more of a Jack-in-the-Box fan for branded quickie burgers and stuff, really preferred no-name and never heard of in and out until about 10-20 years ago. Let's face it, down there there were fresh, taco, enchilada, tamale and marisco stands and carts all over, so you really had to feel like a burger and fries or else a malt to go for gringo food.
Missing one tooth, gained some plastic thing with a fake one on it, sort of broke even on the deal except thihs unit isn't very rugged, but the one they pulled wasn't either, so whatever.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
got one of those recently
.
they call it a flipper
(like the magic dolphin)
works OK, but sometimes it falls out
and do not want to swallow it with
whatever food trying to ingest.
Not a permanent replacement
but the cost of studs being drilled
into the jaw is prohibitive
not covered is the term my sucky
insurance uses "cosmetic" heh
good luck and thanks for the burger background
Zionism is a social disease
I hear ya
on the Mexican food, it was everywhere. I grew up on it. The Green Burrito on Hacienda Blvd was my lunch and dinner through high school and CC.
Friday and Saturday nights found me cruising the boulevards. Whittier, Van Nuys, Colorado, and Tweedy boulevards were my hang out. and after a hard night of stoplight grand prix, In-N-Out was the late night spot.
Good times, the 60s & 70s Southern California.
Sure went to hell.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
planning a trip up to Maine
in what is known as "Midcoast"
around Belfast on the coast
of Penobscot Bay
can't really afford it but have some free time
may even come back? Will see.
Zionism is a social disease
Weve got ICE autos: A truck and a Celica hatchback.
Both have manual transmissions which is why we bought them way back when.
They've been well taken care of, and have low mileage (MPG). Had several offers on the Celica cos I guess it's becoming a 'classic.' We're both retired, and drive very little now. If I had to buy another car, it would be a hybrid, stripped, and you can bet I would be reading all the fine print on its gadgetry. I call smart phones "spy" phones, turn mine off a lot, and use it only as a phone. I don't get this having a spyphone practically-growing-out-of- your-ear scene. It's nuts. 
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
yeah, really liked my hybrids
.
honda insights they were
the damn state would not
renew "inspection" because
of some idiot light that showed-up
in the dash. Consistently 60 + mpg
and fun to drive. Now it is back to the
mules which ferry me about. Oh well
such is life?
Oh, and btw, my dumb phone works just fine
for what I need. Can not understand why people
stick their little computers to the side of their heads.
Good luck with your vehicles.
Zionism is a social disease