Random crap with Uno.

[Unorthodox]

Yeah, they took down the movie clip version of that as far as I can tell.

[Unorthodox]

Fairly productive weekend overall. 

Despite the trashy element of moving the trampoline to the front yard (because the back will be a hole and equipment soon, we hope), we got a megacrapton of yardwork in over the weekend.

Mother moved to the back yard.  Kyle dropped Father, and he'll need repair, but it's doable.  Provided me the info I needed since they were both tests on new waterproofing techniques.  The Carcass of the Chimera dragged off to a corner where I can work on dismantling it.  In the end, the scythe on that thing was disintegrating in my hands.  Removed all trellises from the gardens to clear a path for backhoes, and started some sheet composting in the gardens themselves to prep them for next year. 

All told, the yard is not ready for construction to go.  Just need to pick up the patio furniture and move the grill out front when it happens. 

Composed a new system for watering the lawn for the next year, maybe two until I can install a new automated sprinkler system. 

Perhaps more importantly, hEt and I headed down into Salt Lake, having exhausted Ogden, and were able to find furniture we liked for the new house, which led to decisions on flooring and cabinet colors as well. 

Also got the swamp cooler fired up with 90 degree temps coming this week. 

[Buster's Uncle]

...This is a forum where middle-aged white men post about doing yard work...

I'm extremely cool with that, having done a lot of it myself, but it's funny.  Some of us really don't seem the types.  I mean, individual personalities aside, 4x tbs gamers can be really detail-oriented and all, but this is a gaming forum full of gamers, and it's still funny.  The Civ community has aged.


I suppose a lot of your yard plans are necessarily vague and improvisational, you needing to have a look at the space left after the expansion's done and see the construction damage before you can form them up...

[Unorthodox]

I've written off the gardens, basically.   I have 4 individual pumpkins to plant.  Normally it's 20+ pumpkins and rows of corn.  That leaves the flowers we've already done.  I've moved the whiskey barrel planters from the back yard to the front now.  One of those will house 2 tomato plants (last year 18 tomato plants in the garden), just enough to have some fresh later in the summer.  One will try to house a pumpkin (supposed to be a bush pumpkin suitable to container life). 

After the house is done, we'll have to decide on what to do about a patio in the back before I can make any more definite yard plans.  Features we're looking for in the back:  Permanent built in fire pit.  More permanent gazebo.   I just couldn't picture it on the drawings until the house is done, so it's a next year thing. 

[Buster's Uncle]

...Of course, this is an artist talking about one of many creative projects.  That part makes perfect sense.  Anybody with a builder playstyle it would make sense for, too...

[Unorthodox]

Joe's back on hunger strike. 

Don't know what's up with her now...

[Unorthodox]

Appraisal up, far better than what we needed it to come in at.  Now more waiting... 

[Buster's Uncle]

Is what you needed a high valuation or low?  High, I assume.  Why are you fooling with a loan, anyway?

[Unorthodox]

Well [fuddle-duddle]. 

Bank says at least 2 weeks out, which is a hell of a lot different than the first of June they originally said.  There goes being done by October. 

[Unorthodox]

Is what you needed a high valuation or low?  High, I assume.  Why are you fooling with a loan, anyway?

As specific as we need to get:  We needed a 30 to get the amount of loan we needed, and my rough maths said we should get that based off our old appraisal updated to new square footage alone.  Bank lady said it should be 50 based off house market raise.  Appraisal came back at 70. 

Why a loan?  Because it makes more sense at the end of the day.  Even with a new loan, we're walking away with more equity than we currently have.

Not touching the cash funds means it can be put to work in the mean time as well.   

edit:  Amount of loan I wanted, not needed.  I wanted a very generous contingency built in in case something goes fubar. 

[Buster's Uncle]

I've a deep aversion to giving away money paying interest - that's why you save instead.  -But if investments beat the interest, that makes sense, or if the savings are just tied up and you don't want to disrupt.  Loans are for cash flow and/or further investment that will beat the interest to begin with.

Just askin'.  Figured you'd have sound reasons.

[Unorthodox]

With a child heading into college soon, we need the cash assets where they are presently, essentially. 

We went in just hoping for enough to pay for the extension (usually you only see about 80% return on a remodel), the fact we're making equity out of the deal is a little surprising, and particular to our specific circumstances.  All the newer construction of bigger houses around us meant our house had more room to 'grow' in value.  Assuming the 70 holds through the construction (they reassess after completion), we'll more than double our equity. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Equity only matters if the house is sold while you and/or hEt are still alive, surely, leaving out the kids' long-term financial interests as heirs 40 years or so down the road.  You've been around bankers too much, man.

[Unorthodox]

Equity is normally a safety net you hope to never touch, thus more is always a good thing.  Nothing wrong with it going to the kids. 

Equity can come into play depending on what the economy does, however.  A home equity line of credit can be cheaper than a car loan, for instance (less interest to pay).  My parents also like to keep a portion of their house equity tied up for tax purposes. 

[Buster's Uncle]

NOTHING wrong with it going to the kids.  -That was a major goal of Daddy's, God bless 'im, though he left everything to Momma and she's trying to live forever.

My point is that you could mess up planning too much for 40 years from now and not enough for next year.  You gotta live there in the meanwhile, and that has to come first.  Comfort and other intangibles matter now more than money value later - maybe.  Anything could happen with Talia by the time she's my age, and she may not need it...