Detroit Moves to the Woods?

[wap]

, but hot water radiant lives on today with low profile wall mounted radiators (common in Europe), baseboard, under floor, etc.

I'm not aware of residential steam heat still in use in any form today. Does it still exist?

Oh true...I was just thinking about the time before forced air existed in the US.

Steam is too complex and expensive these days, but was all the rage back when electricity was minimal and running a water circulation pump was likely tough. Modern times it's NBD, and I think we've discussed before the virtues of hot water radiant...which are still real today.

I spent a lot of time analyzing the engineering drawings for the new house this weekend with my dad. The HVAC system (forced air) is really unique...I'll have to nerd out on it here one of these days.

Yea, good point about hot water being unpractical without electricity. Likely why my house has HW since it was built with electricity in the first place.

In4nerdout on your heating system. I find this shit interesting, for some reason.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Oh true...I was just thinking about the time before forced air existed in the US.

Steam is too complex and expensive these days, but was all the rage back when electricity was minimal and running a water circulation pump was likely tough. Modern times it's NBD, and I think we've discussed before the virtues of hot water radiant...which are still real today.

I spent a lot of time analyzing the engineering drawings for the new house this weekend with my dad. The HVAC system (forced air) is really unique...I'll have to nerd out on it here one of these days.

You should consider a career in HVAC.

I find it oddly fascinating.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Oh true...I was just thinking about the time before forced air existed in the US.

Steam is too complex and expensive these days, but was all the rage back when electricity was minimal and running a water circulation pump was likely tough. Modern times it's NBD, and I think we've discussed before the virtues of hot water radiant...which are still real today.

I spent a lot of time analyzing the engineering drawings for the new house this weekend with my dad. The HVAC system (forced air) is really unique...I'll have to nerd out on it here one of these days.

Yea, good point about hot water being unpractical without electricity. Likely why my house has HW since it was built with electricity in the first place.

In4nerdout on your heating system. I find this shit interesting, for some reason.

HVAC nerds unite!

There's some seriously :minblown: intelligent things going on with the HVAC layout in this house. Will find some time soon to share.

[wap]

Yea, good point about hot water being unpractical without electricity. Likely why my house has HW since it was built with electricity in the first place.

In4nerdout on your heating system. I find this shit interesting, for some reason.

HVAC nerds unite!

There's some seriously :minblown: intelligent things going on with the HVAC layout in this house. Will find some time soon to share.

[wap]

I've always found home heating interesting going all the way back to my youth when, in the 1300's, the fireplace was invented as a more efficient heating system over the old style central hearth with a smoke hole in the roof, due to the onset of The Little Ice Age.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I've always found home heating interesting going all the way back to my youth when, in the 1300's, the fireplace was invented as a more efficient heating system over the old style central hearth with a smoke hole in the roof, due to the onset of The Little Ice Age.

Honestly, HVAC is the most primal requirement we have and it's neat to see different ways of achieving it.

Like our house utilizes the earth, the sun, and the thermal properties of concrete to heat and cool. The furnace is only supplemental. Living room is 74 right now and the furnace hasn't run since 9am.

[wap]

I've always found home heating interesting going all the way back to my youth when, in the 1300's, the fireplace was invented as a more efficient heating system over the old style central hearth with a smoke hole in the roof, due to the onset of The Little Ice Age.

Honestly, HVAC is the most primal requirement we have and it's neat to see different ways of achieving it.

Like our house utilizes the earth, the sun, and the thermal properties of concrete to heat and cool. The furnace is only supplemental. Living room is 74 right now and the furnace hasn't run since 9am.

That's very !
It's interesting for sure how your uses the surrounding environment plus the thermal mass of concrete to regulate it's internal temps.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Moving things along here! Closing on the house in the next 10 days. Ended up with a 30 year fixed at 2.75% which is absolutely . Broker suggested buying points down to 2.25% if we're going to stay in the house long enough, it would take 8 years to pay it back, so we're going to do that since 2.75 is so

Final monthly mortgage estimate all-in is $1,200. Without any other debt, it feels REALLY good knowing our monthly obligations will be so low, it's like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Excited to live the cheap life, and I might be able to have some vehicular fun if I'm able to maintain my current employment long term. BUT, the idea of socking money away to retire earlier is really appealing too.

Once we close, house updates will be coming fast.

[Desertbreh]

Moving things along here! Closing on the house in the next 10 days. Ended up with a 30 year fixed at 2.75% which is absolutely . Broker suggested buying points down to 2.25% if we're going to stay in the house long enough, it would take 8 years to pay it back, so we're going to do that since 2.75 is so

Final monthly mortgage estimate all-in is $1,200. Without any other debt, it feels REALLY good knowing our monthly obligations will be so low, it's like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Excited to live the cheap life, and I might be able to have some vehicular fun if I'm able to maintain my current employment long term. BUT, the idea of socking money away to retire earlier is really appealing too.

Once we close, house updates will be coming fast.

You can swing that mowing lawns and blowing snow.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Moving things along here! Closing on the house in the next 10 days. Ended up with a 30 year fixed at 2.75% which is absolutely . Broker suggested buying points down to 2.25% if we're going to stay in the house long enough, it would take 8 years to pay it back, so we're going to do that since 2.75 is so

Final monthly mortgage estimate all-in is $1,200. Without any other debt, it feels REALLY good knowing our monthly obligations will be so low, it's like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Excited to live the cheap life, and I might be able to have some vehicular fun if I'm able to maintain my current employment long term. BUT, the idea of socking money away to retire earlier is really appealing too.

Once we close, house updates will be coming fast.

You can swing that mowing lawns and blowing snow.

Absolutely...and that was the goal.

[troyguitar]

Moving things along here! Closing on the house in the next 10 days. Ended up with a 30 year fixed at 2.75% which is absolutely . Broker suggested buying points down to 2.25% if we're going to stay in the house long enough, it would take 8 years to pay it back, so we're going to do that since 2.75 is so

Final monthly mortgage estimate all-in is $1,200. Without any other debt, it feels REALLY good knowing our monthly obligations will be so low, it's like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Excited to live the cheap life, and I might be able to have some vehicular fun if I'm able to maintain my current employment long term. BUT, the idea of socking money away to retire earlier is really appealing too.

Once we close, house updates will be coming fast.

We pay more than that for a fucking apartment in Corning.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Moving things along here! Closing on the house in the next 10 days. Ended up with a 30 year fixed at 2.75% which is absolutely . Broker suggested buying points down to 2.25% if we're going to stay in the house long enough, it would take 8 years to pay it back, so we're going to do that since 2.75 is so

Final monthly mortgage estimate all-in is $1,200. Without any other debt, it feels REALLY good knowing our monthly obligations will be so low, it's like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Excited to live the cheap life, and I might be able to have some vehicular fun if I'm able to maintain my current employment long term. BUT, the idea of socking money away to retire earlier is really appealing too.

Once we close, house updates will be coming fast.

We pay more than that for a fucking apartment in Corning.

1 bed apartments in Traverse City proper cost more. We got lucky in a number of ways.

[troyguitar]

We pay more than that for a fucking apartment in Corning.

1 bed apartments in Traverse City proper cost more. We got lucky in a number of ways.

Yeah a decent apartment in the actual "city" part of Corning is $2-3k/mo with no parking. To live in Corning.

I don't know who is renting these places, but they keep building more.

[razr390]

1 bed apartments in Traverse City proper cost more. We got lucky in a number of ways.

Yeah a decent apartment in the actual "city" part of Corning is $2-3k/mo with no parking. To live in Corning.

I don't know who is renting these places, but they keep building more.

Higher ups at your wife’s company? We have an EVP based out of San Antonio but our HQ is in Northern VA so he rents a place there for $2-3k a month.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

1 bed apartments in Traverse City proper cost more. We got lucky in a number of ways.

Yeah a decent apartment in the actual "city" part of Corning is $2-3k/mo with no parking. To live in Corning.

I don't know who is renting these places, but they keep building more.

I don't know how people afford to live.

Ferndale and Royal Oak rental prices are in that range these days. We couldn't afford our house in the city (which was pushing $2,900 with the new taxes) without the wife pulling in a major salary, so we're bailing. People must just be saving nothing or going into deeper debt? I don't get it. None of what's going on seems sustainable to me.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Yeah a decent apartment in the actual "city" part of Corning is $2-3k/mo with no parking. To live in Corning.

I don't know who is renting these places, but they keep building more.

Higher ups at your wife’s company? We have an EVP based out of San Antonio but our HQ is in Northern VA so he rents a place there for $2-3k a month.

This is likely a good part of it, but it's hard to believe that there's THAT many execs renting apartments.

[troyguitar]

Higher ups at your wife’s company? We have an EVP based out of San Antonio but our HQ is in Northern VA so he rents a place there for $2-3k a month.

This is likely a good part of it, but it's hard to believe that there's THAT many execs renting apartments.

The only ones I know of are people in the 25-35 year old bracket who generally don't own or seem to aspire to own anything. Leased apartment, leased car, leased phone, going out to pay Corning restaurant prices every day, etc.

Either they somehow make WAY more money than us or they don't save a cent.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

This is likely a good part of it, but it's hard to believe that there's THAT many execs renting apartments.

The only ones I know of are people in the 25-35 year old bracket who generally don't own or seem to aspire to own anything. Leased apartment, leased car, leased phone, going out to pay Corning restaurant prices every day, etc.

Either they somehow make WAY more money than us or they don't save a cent.

No way they make more, they're just ok saving nothing or even less than nothing. I don't understand.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

No way they make more, they're just ok saving nothing or even less than nothing. I don't understand.

What's the point in saving anything when we're headed for an apocalypse anyway? Full ahead!

That's one way to look at it I guess.

[razr390]

The only ones I know of are people in the 25-35 year old bracket who generally don't own or seem to aspire to own anything. Leased apartment, leased car, leased phone, going out to pay Corning restaurant prices every day, etc.

Either they somehow make WAY more money than us or they don't save a cent.

No way they make more, they're just ok saving nothing or even less than nothing. I don't understand.

This is a huge part of my existential crisis. Looking around at people my age they don’t OWN anything. We rent because of circumstance, but I am also throwing money at 401k, I have company provided healthcare, I invest and save a bit (even though I wish I could be doing better).

People here buy houses 4 ways, have a $900 car note, and work for $9-12/hour.

It’s fucking mind boggling. While I don’t mean to “put people down” I also can’t avoid the feeling I get when a bunch of my generation reach 30-40 years old and realize they haven’t done shit for themselves and now want everyone else to pay for it.

Fuck. That.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

No way they make more, they're just ok saving nothing or even less than nothing. I don't understand.

This is a huge part of my existential crisis. Looking around at people my age they don’t OWN anything. We rent because of circumstance, but I am also throwing money at 401k, I have company provided healthcare, I invest and save a bit (even though I wish I could be doing better).

People here buy houses 4 ways, have a $900 car note, and work for $9-12/hour.

It’s fucking mind boggling. While I don’t mean to “put people down” I also can’t avoid the feeling I get when a bunch of my generation reach 30-40 years old and realize they haven’t done shit for themselves and now want everyone else to pay for it.

Fuck. That.

I'm not sure this is a generational thing as much as it's a life stages thing. I remember people going nuts at that age with reckless abandon. They either figure it out or don't. The key, as always, is to live at or preferably below your means always. I bought my first house at 28, and it was on the low side of our budget in a pretty crappy area of Detroit. Wife found a job, I got a raise, we moved up. Another raise, we moved up again.

But to bring this back to the point of this thread...the hardest trap to not fall into is the constant drive for more and better and whatnot. We did it with our house in the city, then the wife lost her job, I got a pay cut (though only briefly), and the sobering reality of our constant drive for bigger/better set in and made us reprioritize things. We can no longer "Afford" our house in the city, so we're taking the opportunity to simplify. I can't begin to express how lucky I am to have found our new house from our friend, it's enabling us to live in an area that we otherwise wouldn't afford (Old Mission Peninsula is AF, especially on land with water access like we have). But the house needs work and the timing was not the best, so we're making it work hell or high water.

Money can buy many things. Stuff, sure...but also freedom. Living significantly below our means has taken all the pressure we used to feel off work. Wife hasn't found a job yet, but that's OK because she's working her butt off (almost literally) on the move and getting the new house situated. It's not a big deal at all because we can more than afford it on my salary alone. Once we're in and settled, if I get forced back to the office, I can just quit and do whatever basic job I can find and still make the mortgage. But more likely, I'll maintain my job and sock as much money away as I can for the ultimate freedom of no longer being tied to the man.

[razr390]

This is a huge part of my existential crisis. Looking around at people my age they don’t OWN anything. We rent because of circumstance, but I am also throwing money at 401k, I have company provided healthcare, I invest and save a bit (even though I wish I could be doing better).

People here buy houses 4 ways, have a $900 car note, and work for $9-12/hour.

It’s fucking mind boggling. While I don’t mean to “put people down” I also can’t avoid the feeling I get when a bunch of my generation reach 30-40 years old and realize they haven’t done shit for themselves and now want everyone else to pay for it.

Fuck. That.

I'm not sure this is a generational thing as much as it's a life stages thing. I remember people going nuts at that age with reckless abandon. They either figure it out or don't. The key, as always, is to live at or preferably below your means always. I bought my first house at 28, and it was on the low side of our budget in a pretty crappy area of Detroit. Wife found a job, I got a raise, we moved up. Another raise, we moved up again.

But to bring this back to the point of this thread...the hardest trap to not fall into is the constant drive for more and better and whatnot. We did it with our house in the city, then the wife lost her job, I got a pay cut (though only briefly), and the sobering reality of our constant drive for bigger/better set in and made us reprioritize things. We can no longer "Afford" our house in the city, so we're taking the opportunity to simplify. I can't begin to express how lucky I am to have found our new house from our friend, it's enabling us to live in an area that we otherwise wouldn't afford (Old Mission Peninsula is AF, especially on land with water access like we have). But the house needs work and the timing was not the best, so we're making it work hell or high water.

Money can buy many things. Stuff, sure...but also freedom. Living significantly below our means has taken all the pressure we used to feel off work. Wife hasn't found a job yet, but that's OK because she's working her butt off (almost literally) on the move and getting the new house situated. It's not a big deal at all because we can more than afford it on my salary alone. Once we're in and settled, if I get forced back to the office, I can just quit and do whatever basic job I can find and still make the mortgage. But more likely, I'll maintain my job and sock as much money away as I can for the ultimate freedom of no longer being tied to the man.

Yeah, we aren’t really where we want to be. We don’t have enough saved up to throw at a down payment on a house without burning our reserves. Our biggest gripe is we spend too much on eating out. shit.

Plus, costs are crazy. Diapers, toys, etc. but what I will say is at least we know where our shortcomings are and try to improve it. Sometimes after a long day we are both so mentally burned out from work/kid/etc that we just grab chipotle on the way home. It seems problem free but it adds up. Convenience costs a lot.

Currently rocking 2 car payments, rent, and all expenses on basically 1 income. We have a plan to attack some major costs but that’ll take some time.

I have no desire for more materialistic shit anymore. I occasionally make a small impulse buy or whatever, but I haven’t bought a new iPhone, or new phone case since the XS I got (2 years ago), biggest purchase/transaction I made on shit was the black wheels in June 2020, and that was minimal (just a trade) + cash.

I think it’s more important to know where you are and where you want to be, play the long game. We’d love a house for the space and privacy but our 2/2 in a good area 10 mins from my job is under $1/sq ft which is

[troyguitar]

Car payments are the devil. I really should get rid of mine. We don't need 2 cars in any way. The last time both of our cars were in use simultaneously was... 2018?

[razr390]

Car payments are the devil. I really should get rid of mine. We don't need 2 cars in any way. The last time both of our cars were in use simultaneously was... 2018?

We have my “mom’s” GTI and Jetta. Jetta will be paid off within 12 months so I will probably take that as the daily/beater and trade the GTI in on a used 2017-18 JGC for the “staying/long term” family SUV. Ticks a lot of boxes.

[Tar]

Car payments are the devil. I really should get rid of mine. We don't need 2 cars in any way. The last time both of our cars were in use simultaneously was... 2018?

We have my “mom’s” GTI and Jetta. Jetta will be paid off within 12 months so I will probably take that as the daily/beater and trade the GTI in on a used 2017-18 JGC for the “staying/long term” family SUV. Ticks a lot of boxes.

Tough times broseph, but they will pass like everything else. Just lay low for a year or two. I wouldn't even buy the SUV yet. One kid fits nicely in the Jetta.