Post by mrs.jacinthe on Nov 15, 2016 7:20:05 GMT -5
Randomness, vents, and AWs go here.
I got up at 3:30 this morning and now I'm drinking coffee before I try to get a wall painted in the new family room. There are no words for how much I hate this wall texture. None. Painting the upper half of a 15x14 room shouldn't require four days and two gallons of paint.
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Nov 13, 2016 2:05:20 GMT -5
I was getting thumb pain for a while when I was a new knitter because I knit continental and I was using my thumb to kind of pinch the yarn for more tension. When I changed the way I hold yarn and relaxed my hands in general (no need for a death grip on the needles), the pain went away.
That is ridiculous! Does that mean that there was at some point ductwork under the floor that is no longer there?
My OMFG, on Friday I went to see a new potential project. Abandoned single family house the owner wants to turn into retail on bottom, apartment upstairs. The second the front door opened I smelled something dead. Opened the door to find two decaying kittens and tons of bird feathers. Not newborns but toddler kittens. Decaying. I was like SERIOUSLY LIFE?!?! Has my week not been bad enough, you give me dead kittens???
Gag!
And yes, apparently the old HVAC system had a register there. No idea why they took it out.
That's special. Is the rest of the floor insulated? Can you get down there?
Not insulated anywhere from underneath, that we can tell. We can get down there (there's room to stand up in spots, actually), and that's what R will have to do, I think. But still. What a piece of work this house is.
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Nov 12, 2016 13:50:32 GMT -5
So ... we're getting new carpet for the family room. We wanted to do painted floors, but it just isn't going to happen this year and I can't keep that green disaster any longer.
We are moving stuff away from the walls so I can paint before the new carpet goes in on Thursday, and R found a "soft spot" along one of the walls that was shaped suspiciously like a vent register. So he was like, oops, must have carpeted over a floor vent. He got out his knife and cut up the carpet and we found ...
A portal to hell. Or homeowners' hell, anyhow.
Here's a closer photo:
I don't know if you can tell, but that's a hole THROUGH THE FLOOR OF OUR HOUSE OPEN ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE CRAWL SPACE. They took the register out and just CARPETED OVER THE HOLE.
OMFG. Now we're all ... well, how do we patch that so that when they carpet on Thursday, we're no longer able to see dirt? Also, they spent a great deal of time telling us that that room was always cold in the winter, so that's why they installed the gas stove in the corner. YOU DUMBASS. THE ROOM IS COLD BECAUSE IT IS LITERALLY OPEN TO OUTSIDE AIR.
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Nov 12, 2016 10:37:53 GMT -5
Day after Thanksgiving. But yeah, I'm not 100% into Christmas this year. I'll still decorate and such, but I hope it doesn't stick in my craw too badly.
I just keep trying to think of Christmas as a reminder that even in a messed up world, there is still innocence and goodness.
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Nov 10, 2016 21:54:42 GMT -5
I'm so sad. And appalled. And angry. And I think I've reached a tipping point. I was talking with R on the way home from work today and we're going to start donating only to "threatened" orgs - PP, NPR, Sierra Club, etc. I'm going to start to volunteer for PP as a patient escort. I think, when we're in the place where we can consider taking on foster kids, we'll ask specifically for those in threatened situations - immigrants, LGBTQ teens, etc.
Damn it, I need to *do* something, and if standing in the way of horrible people is all I can do, I want to do it. Come at me.
I'm a REA and have a debit card that is connected to my business account. I use this account to deposit commission checks and then use the card for any business expenses. It's definitely easier to have it separate from my personal accounts. I don't see the benefit of having a business card over just a personal credit card that is only used for business. I would just pick whatever personal CC best fits your life/reward wants. I would caution on spending a lot of money to start your business though. It's so easy to get caught up in overspending with the idea that you 'need' certain things. So many newbie REA spend thousands of dollars getting started to never see a return. I printed up some business cards for cheap at staples, and bought several personalized for sale signs and that was it. I had my husband take a head shot of my that actually looks better than the professional ones I had taken later. Once I had some money coming in from RE, I started putting money into the business with some advertising. I quickly found out that print advertising is almost dead and was a waste of money. Spend your time on a good website and getting a good internet presence. I realized that an online presence and in person networking is the best way to get clients. I'd also explore other ways to make money in real estate with property management or BPOs. I would not go into debt over something that you don't even know if you want to do long term. It's hard work, you are working 24/7 even on vacation, and the pay is unpredictable. I've watched a deal that was going to pay a 12k commission fall apart because of the buyer was convinced the attic has ghosts and backed out of the sale.
I make good money now, but it took several years to build it into something that would support me. And honestly, its only profitable because I mainly do property management. I don't mean to be all doom and gloom, it's fun and pays well if you are good at networking and putting yourself out there to attract clients. It just takes a bit of time to get going!
I am fortunate. The brokerage I'll be working with covers business cards, signage, website, insurance, etc. The amount I've budgeted (the $1k) is actually probably excessive, considering what I actually have to spend out of pocket, which is head shots (the entire brokerage uses the same photographer), joining NAR, a new cell (I need a separate number from my personal one, but I'm getting a ting phone for this), and whatever gas money is required.
That said, I'm going into this eyes wide open. I have a few things going for me - a great brokerage manager, a full-time job that will parlay into as many hours as I want as an independent contractor, a fantastic mentor realtor, and a relatively high COL (so commissions will be larger) with a reasonably steady market. If I diversify, I plan on going into the relocation division.
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Nov 5, 2016 20:25:45 GMT -5
Hi there! Popping in from H&F and H&G for a CC question.
I have just become licensed as a real estate agent. Here in CA, that means I'm an independent contractor (not sure if other states are the same, although I presume so). So, for tax purposes, my expenses are deductible. Instead of trying to keep track of gas and cell and other expenses individually, I was thinking that if I got a separate CC for just the real estate stuff, I would be better able to track those deductions - and possibly wind up with some rewards/miles/cash as well. Win-win!
But I'm frozen on what is the best kind of card for this purpose. I can't do an amex or discover, because some places around here don't take them and I don't want the complications involved with deductions on multiple cards. I thought about getting a business card and was looking specifically at Bank of America Cash Rewards for Business, but I they need an annual sales number for their application, and I'm just getting started so I don't have that yet.
So I'm leaning towards a personal card for now and then transitioning that over to a business card once I've got actual numbers to use in the application process. Since I'll be using it for *only* business expenses, I figure the more modest "rewards" cards are probably my best bet, as I would guess I'll probably have about $1k in startup expenses (gas, cell, head shots, etc) in the first three months. I do fly United regularly in order to visit my mother, and the United MileagePlus Explorer initial reward is 30,000 miles for $1k spent, which I think will work. There's also the BankAmericard Travel Rewards card, which again does 20,000 points for the first $1k spent. I'm torn about what to do here. I will be paying the card off regularly, but possibly not every month at first, depending on how long it takes to close that first sale.
Any thoughts, better ideas, serious warnings, or other comments?
ETA: I am still working for my other job(s) as well, so I will have a steady source of income during those first few months. I'm crazy, but not entirely stupid.
My Bec co-worker quit this morning with no notice. So today has been interesting, to say the least. (This is the one who regularly used the r-word in conversation). I'm not sorry at all
Now I'm wondering what the "R" word is.
"retarded"
Not referring to the slowing of something. She was saying it as the negative mental ability connotation, "that's retarded" (I hate writing that). Despite requests to stop, she never did, and I hated it. Also, she was the loudest human being ever - singing and whistling and just making obnoxious noises.
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Nov 4, 2016 17:41:35 GMT -5
My Bec co-worker quit this morning with no notice. So today has been interesting, to say the least. (This is the one who regularly used the r-word in conversation). I'm not sorry at all
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Nov 3, 2016 15:39:05 GMT -5
A lot of restaurants around here have the hat kind to keep the patios warm in winter. They're functional, if ugly.
I've only ever seen the cone kind from a distance, but they look like they use a lot more propane, based on lots more flame, if that's something which concerns you.
I'm now on the path to painting the pink room navy. Did two coats of a light pink and with the lighting in that room it just does.not.work. So I'm using a color that's in the office already that has similar light (same size window, same side of the house) and I love it. I'm hoping it will be a cozy bedroom. The bed is a gray upholstered bed with a white and gray quilt so I think it will pop. We also have our old dresser now in what we call the cave room (small "bedroom" with no windows) with a tv on it. I kind of want to paint it, but I don't know if I can. It's not solid wood or anything. Thoughts?
Do it. If it's not valuable or antique, paint it. With non-wood, just make sure you scuff it up a bit before painting to make sure the paint adheres properly.
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Nov 3, 2016 7:54:36 GMT -5
I'm exhausted, but I just keep taking on more things. Why do I do this to myself? (It's not even a matter of being unable to say no. It's more a matter of being unable to stop myself from trying to carry out a good idea.)
I've got to get new tires on my car (this upcoming Monday, @juno, in case you were worried. ) because my old ones are 5 years old and are extremely bald, but why the HELL are they so expensive? It's like, here are four strips of molded rubber. That'll be $700 please. WHY? Ugh.
And an AW: I passed the real estate exam here in CA! So now I'm getting all set up but it looks like I'll be ready to go as a salesperson by the beginning of January. It's exciting and terrifying. (Anybody need a house?)
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Nov 1, 2016 7:09:29 GMT -5
I definitely think you need an ottoman or coffee table in there. Is it an actual family room (like, where your family hangs out), or is it mostly just there? For me, that would determine which you might want.
I like those coffee tables that lift up to make a table. It's like the ultimate in lazy-person furniture. Like this:
If you just google "lift top coffee table" you'll get hundreds of styles.