[Coronita]

Sorry to hear that.. That does suck..

Goldberg died of a freak accident..That’s probably more of a random event than anything else……

[Coronita]

[quote=FlyerInHi]

Are old people who didn’t save their money and invest it wisely up the creek, so to speak?[/quote]

Yes, pretty much.

[Coronita]

Bump…..

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/03/rents-apartments-costs-living-homes-realestate/

Rising jobs push rents even higher

More evidence emerged Wednesday that San Diego’s accelerating economy is driving up rents faster than employers are increasing wages, pinching many households.

The San Diego County Apartment Association reported that the average rent in the county was $1,514 a month in its April survey. That’s up 20 percent from the same time last year, although association officials cautioned that its survey does not precisely compare the same set of units each year.

Yet other recent, larger surveys have found even higher average costs, ranging from $1,575 to $1,756 per month — with rents rising at annual rates of between 3 percent and 6 percent — roughly double the 2 percent pace of average wage growth.

[Coronita]

i have a sibling that worked for i-banking since they graduated from undergrad…. And it’s not just Goldman newbies that have really long hours..Every i-bank newbie had long hours, at least for the very first 3-4 years, until you became an associate…Maybe 90+hours/week. The base pay was bad, but the bonus (at the time) was good sometimes 3-4x of base. My sibling commented that they enjoyed what they did, and that they didn’t nearly have as much stress as those guys that were derivatives traders. Usually though, most folks in i-banking are done with before their thirties. Many end up doing something else not quite as grueling: hedge funds, VC’s, etc.

I compared that to my startup days when I was young. I too put in maybe 70-80 hours, to the point that in one startup, we had a bunch of hammocks in there so you didn’t even need to go home and sleep. Back then, it was kinda fun, since aside from work, you had a bunch of friends that just hung out. I didn’t mind working long hours, because back then, it wasn’t a drag, and you ended up spending most of your time with those people outside of work doing other things anyway.

In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the most financially prudent thing to do. Even though stock options was alright, I remember blind dating this one girl that did reasonably well as a headhunter (not enough to retire on), but then spent all her money flipping homes in SF and bay area, and did well…Really well… I thought that was pretty cool, because among of sea of tech workers (male and female), she was one of the few people that was cruising along at her own pace, not really giving a shet about anything else. She was actually a pretty cool girl that was pretty good looking too, except at the time I was too dumb to care about dating. Typical geek, I was.,,,If I saw a talking frog on the street that would of turned into a princess if I kissed it, I would have picked up the frog and kept it as as frog thinking: “cool frog that can talk, I’ve never seen one before…..” HA!

These days, with family and age, I wouldn’t want to do something like that again…though sometimes, work tends to follow me home…

[Coronita]

So I bought a new pair of shoes that are extra wide. How are shoes suppose to fit?

If your foot is inside the shoe, should the side of the big toe and side of the little toe be touching the side of your shoes. Or should there be space in between. I think there’s just a small space in between. The current size is 2E wide… The next size would be a 4E which would be extra extra wide….

[Coronita]

[quote=svelte][quote=scaredyclassic]Foot comfort is my thing. Seriously.

Shoes are evil. Even normal dress or running shoes cramp feet.

Bad!

You need room to spread out.

http://Www.birthdayshoes.com

Google barefoot philosophy to understand the problem of shoes.

I swear by http://www.sanuk.com

I stopped wearing regular dress shoes many years ago in favor of very wide footwear.

Birkenstock shoes can work for work. Also primal professional shoes. Or upscale sanuk.

Shoes are the enemy. They are rounded. Feet should be wide at toes with big toe spread for ground grippage.

After sleep and poop, feet are my 3rd highest concern.[/quote]

Think I’d rate my concerns food, sleep, eyes, with sex coming a close 4th.

I protect my eyes very very carefully.

Feet are important too though. I too always go with extra wide shoes with plenty of toe room. Even to work, I wear shoes as close to slippers as I can get away with (leather on the outside, soft on the inside, no shoe strings, loose fit).

I also really like Ecco shoes. There is one Ecco style I am so enamored with I have several new pair in storage so I have enough to last me the rest of my life…don’t have to worry about whether they get discontinued. :-)[/quote]

I use to have ecco shoes. There was an old soft leather type that I really liked so much that I bought two pairs. After I finally wore out the first pair and I took out the other pair. However, the first day with them, for whatever reasons, the heels completely fell apart…literally melted and stuck to the ground as I was walking… I guess leaving them in the garage for so many years did something to them. I haven’t been able to find something similar, because they changed their styles. So that’s why I wear tennis shoes most of the time….

Thank goodness I’m a software geek and don’t need to wear a suit most of the time. I don’t understand how some women manage to wear high heels most the time. It looks really uncomfortable…

[Coronita]

[quote=Hobie]Looks like pedal to the metal syndrome ;)[/quote]

Lol. In a slow miata?

[Coronita]

[quote=scaredyclassic]On a scale of 1 to 10 how much does it hurt[/quote]

Maybe a 3 if I kick something by accident, or if I put on my pumps, err… I mean sneakers…… If I’m barefoot, it’s not an issue unless I’m on my tiptoes doing my daily ballerina thing….

[Coronita]

Crappy image…
[img_assist|nid=20917|title=ouch|desc=|link=node|align=left| width=300]

Tried this…
[img_assist|nid=20918|title=1|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=300]

Now this…
[img_assist|nid=20919|title=2|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=300]

Don’t know how it happened. Maybe it’s hereditary. Maybe it was because when I was kid, I kicked a pole pretty hard with a roundhouse kick during martial arts sparing class when the guy I was sparing with moved and I missed… Maybe my shoes are too narrow…Well, they definitely are too narrow now…

Damn, gotta lay off the red high heel pumps…But seriously, I don’t were dress shoes most of the time. Mostly running shoes.

Oh, and I think I’m flat-footed and my shoes tend to wear uneven with the insides wearing down much faster.

[Coronita]

[quote=ltsdd]Anyone else here seeing the similarity between the “irrational exuberance” of the stock market, recent/current IPOs and mergers & acquisitions to those leading up to the major market corrections in 2001 & 2002?

Stock prices may have been reacting positively to these news. However, my interpretation of these M&A is that these companies probably realized there’s little or no growth in the near future and are using M&A as a way to create more value (read stock prices).

Out of curiosity, I searched it up and I found this site that shows 7 out of 10 largest M&A transaction worldwide occurred in 1999 & 2000.

http://www.imaa-institute.org/statistics-mergers-acquisitions.html#MergersAcquisitions_United States of America

Are we closer to a serious correction in the stock market?[/quote]

At least in the semiconductor industry, consolidation is occurring out of a need to survive…It’s the way business is being done. The big buyers are OEMs and the larger companies have been bundling their offerings, and this makes it difficult for smaller players that don’t have a complete solution. Also, there is ever increasing pressure from the new players from asia, that is pushing prices and margins down.

Qualcomm is trouble too. That Samsung Galaxy S6 loss broke up their bundled offering at tier 1 OEMs, and allowed other players back in. And that might not be temporary, as Samsung starts building their own chips in other areas as well. Because Samsung can.

In China, the chinese chip companies have not caught up..yet.. But that gap is closing as well, and closing pretty fast. Both Huawei and Xiaomi are both following Samsung’s playbook and planning to source their own chips as well, once they have learned from U.S. companies. Companies like MediaTek are also giving others a run for their money. And then there’s intel, that doesn’t mind taking losses on mobile to buy customers (at least not right now)…

A lot of these deal makings are probably also happening out of a need to appease shareholders. Earnings growth is not as fast as the street would like, so rather than focus on chip engineering, looks like financial engineering is more effective at boosting share price (at least in the short term)…

While the past few years have been a growth in hardware and chips, I think we’ve reached a saturation in which hardware is maturing.. Software and uses of all that shiny new hardware has not yet caught up. So, while growth in the hardware might be slowing down, it seems like growth in the software sector/applications is still strong….

[Coronita]

Thanks for all for the feedback so far. I guess it was sort of a mixed blessing last week when one of the seals on a double pane windows on my primary home blew out. Because of that window, I have been doing a lot of research on windows. And now I know a lot more about windows 🙂

Most window issues can be repaired, at a fraction of the cost of replacing the entire window. So this letter really rubbed me the wrong way.

If you’re going to make up a lie, at least make it believable.

I think I’m going to go to my community today door to door and explain to people what happened. Although most people are probably tenants, recently the HOA rubbed all the tenants the wrong way too…It gets hot in the summertime, and most of the tenants had previously put up those removable outdoor shades. It had been fine for a long time. But recently, the HOA have been sending out notices to owners that those removable shades are not allowed, and cited some CCR rule… The CCR rule specifically states that no owner can attach anything to the exterior walls.. But it doesn’t say anything that explicitly bans outdoor shades that have their own standing frame. Anyway, it ruffled a lot of tenants the wrong way….So I suspect, they have a vested interest in making this HOA change.

I find this actually quite comical. The other condos I have have pretty decent HOAs. I’m surprised this one is acting the way it is.

[Coronita]

I think I’m going to try to campaign that rental community, and I think I’m going to try to unseat someone on the board. There’s at least one other individual that wants to run for a board seat next election too. So we might do this, just to be a pain in the ass. Because, although an HOA can be a pain in the ass, so can I.

I think if there really are more owners that work as one big group, it’s more of a bigger threat. $4600 is the cost of replacing the window. If 20 homeowners are all on the same page that $92,000.

The problem with suing the HOA is that if they lose, it ends up coming back to the homeowner…That’s why I think it’s just better to try to unseat the incumbents on the board, and once on the board, figure out what really happened.

The biggest challenge is just trying to reach out to the other owners. This community is less than 50% owner occupied, many of the owners probably don’t even think much about what the HOA is doing and just cuts the check when they tell them too. So my challenge is just finding out how to reach more of the owners in the community.

That said, after I reach out to those owners and tell them about this $4600 “optional” replacement program, I’m sure they would just be as livid as I was, and probably vote out the incumbents next time. I sure will.

I guess worst comes to worst, I can sell this unit next year too for a decent gain…

[Coronita]

…..and here was the brief email exchange…..
(names removed)

—————————————————————-
XXXXXXX,

I just received a notice titled “Two Year Window and Sliding Glass Door Replacement Program”…

I just want you to clarify that this program is “optional” and only necessary if the existing windows and sliding glass are not defective and have been properly maintained.

I have already contacted my inspectors when I purchased my unit 1 year ago, and all the inspectors indicated that my windows and sliding glass door are all functionally sound and properly maintained and do not need to be replaced.

According to Article VI, Section 1, I am only responsible for “maintenance and repair”, and that should be my discretion as to whether to repair any issues or replace. I just want to be clear about this. Because if this is NOT the case and this letter is implying replacement is mandatory, this is unacceptable and I will seek legal representation.

It’s absurd that this HOA and property management team is proposing this unnecessary expense throughout this year. This one tops all of it. If there is just cause to suggest that any owner’s window is not providing proper sealing, I would like to see the inspection report of your hired professional that proves that is the case.

-Me

——————————–

XXXX,

Please provide your Unit Address.

Thank you.

——————————–

From [email protected]
To: XXXXXlcom
Cc: [email protected]

Can you just answer my question: is XXXXX requiring all homeowners to replace their windows/sliding doors or is this just a voluntary program?

There currently is about 4 other condo owners in this community that would also like to know that I am proxying this question for, possibly an additional 6 other condo owners once they respond to my email. Together, we would like you to clarify on the letter that was sent to us by the HOA and XXX informing us of a 2 year replacement window “policy”. I have not seen this policy, and if you have a copy of it, please forward it to me as soon as possible. As a homeowner in this community, I am entitled to see this policy.

In the letter we received, it was worded to suggest that window replacement was mandatory. However, according to the CCR’s, the rules only specifies “proper maintenance”. It does not appear that the HOA or XXXXX has established which windows from which homeowner(s) are out of compliance nor have I received any notices from XXXXXX informing me what the problems are that need attention.

Also, a big red flag for this window replacement policy described in this letter was that the letter suggested windows needed to be replaced because there are close to 30 years old and many of the seals have broken and moisture has become trapped in between the window panes and fogged in between the window panes. This is IMPOSSIBLE for many of us owners, because the original windows are SINGLE pane windows, NOT dual pane windows, so there isn’t 2 layers of glass where moisture can be trapped between. It is also out of the current CCR’s rules to dictate that existing homeowners must upgrade from single to dual pane for energy efficiency. The HOA does NOT pay for the energy bills…We, the owners, do. And single pane versus dual pane does not affect the structural integrity of the building.

I do not understand why recently the HOA and XXXXX has been increasingly asking homeowners to pay for this unnecessary, and unjustified “upgrade”. This $4600 window replacement policy, if it is mandatory, will cause severe issues among many of homeowners. 10 homeowners will incur a $46,000 cost total, and we would like to know why if the windows are not defective.

I own other rental properties locally, many in older conditions that this development, and this community is the first time I ever heard of something absurd like this.

So, for the purpose of clarity among potentially 10 of us in this community, can you please clarify if this “window replacement policy” is mandatory or voluntary….So we can decide if we need to do moving forward….
——————-

XXXXXX,

I believe you own Unit XXXX. To answer your question, this is a voluntary program.

Sincerely,
XXXXXX
———————-

XXXXX,

Thank you for answering our question.

In the future, it would be great if such notices sent to homeowners would clearly state if things are voluntary or mandatory.

I think most homeowners, including me, are not opposed to necessary replacement or repairs. After all, we have a vested interest in protecting our investments too in making sure they are performing well. And we do appreciate the effort you and the HOA made getting estimates for homeowners that might be interested in upgrades.

At the same time, I think the HOA and XXXX need to be sensitive to controlling costs on behalf of the homeowners in this community, We cannot be financially burdened with unnecessary upgrades. There may be a point later that I consider such upgrades. However, I would appreciate that as long as my properties are not causing damage to common area and I am not violating the CCR’s, that I have discretion as to when such upgrades are made.

Thank you, and have a great weekend.

-XXXXX

[Coronita]

[quote=spdrun]I’m not terribly empathetic to people who buy into bubbles hoping to make a quick buck. I’m quite empathetic to many other people. Can one have selective sympathy?

Thing is, people who buy a house, look at the numbers, and have them make sense probably won’t get burned since the long-term trend is up. Same with people buying diversified stock portfolios and holding long term.

I didn’t create the bubble-and-bust cycle. If I were emperor of the world, I’d probably get rid of it, but I’m not, so I hope to play it.[/quote]

There’s a huge difference between

(a) being indifferent for people who make bad financial decisions, but nevertheless trying to profit off a good deal that results from it…

versus

(b) actually enjoying seeing people eat shit and hoping people eat shit… just for the sake of seeing people eat shit to boost one’s ego in his/her viewpoint or conviction…

In (a), it’s a pure financial transaction. One does it because the opportunity is available, and one takes it to financially benefit from it.

In (b), one want people to lose their financial security (whether it’s a business or a job), take pleasure in seeing people lose their financial security, and if it really were up to oneself, would probably make that person lose his/her financial security, and rub it in all at the same time…Even those who are just as financially responsible as you yourself proclaim you to be, because in one mind, that’s the only way one can get ahead relative to everyone else.

(a) is business, not personal.

(b) I’m not sure WTF it is besides unnecessary ax grinding. And it definitely isn’t “venting against establishment” to effect change. I don’t think any sane person would interpret that to be as such…

————————————–

Let’s put this in perspective. If some lady posts on this blog that she purchased a rental property in Texas, had a lot of trouble managing it, and had to sell it at a loss, what would one’s initial reaction be?

(a) Since one can’t possibly financially benefit from this, indifferent. Maybe curious as to what happened, maybe some suggestions on the future…etc

or

(b) Laugh, rub it in, without even knowing the details….Because one takes pleasure in seeing others fail.

[Coronita]

[quote=spdrun]

Have you ever thought that anyone who “bashes” the US on any sort of public forum IS making a difference? Maybe a small one, but having one’s opinions read by any sort of audience is already making a difference.
[/quote]

Perhaps by someone that puts things eloquently worded..Yes, maybe. However, I don’t think you will find many people who would share a similar Schadenfreudism viewpoint that actually wants people to fail or suffer and get a high from it. Well except for maybe the tiny percentage of the population that are borderline socialpaths…. 🙂

Because again… Things in life are not all zero-sums games, in which you can only “win” if someone else loses…And so I’m not exactly sure why one would enjoy seeing others consistently “losing”…

[Author]

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