Melody91's Q&A

Thanks to the person who 'thought or wished I had been helped.'It has NOT happened, unfortunately.Where did you suggest I get help to keep this matter 'off-line?'Please be very specific and bless you for your concern for our welfare!Also, Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello again-What a discussion we have going!!!And it sure DOES seem that the people who seem to be making the major decisions are the wealthy & have no clue (or do not identify with) what is happening to those who lose money with the market.Whomever addressed Melody saying, 'there is no shame in renting,' I was not speaking about myself; rather, I was speaking about the younger couples and singles in their mid-thirties needing a break to get settled. I also feel there is less stability in renting, as some people raise prices, though it seems to be a Renter's Market.I am very concerned for the kids, meaning young adults starting out, whatever their job or occupation or job may be.  They've put their whole lives on delayed gratification...and only to find themselves without true housing, renting bedrooms in people's private homes, losing jobs worked for for over a decade, and no promise ahead. We never had to face that.My true goal is that we all find a way for our rather troubled world to work better for all of us.I am not the type who worries for myself only; that is not to say I am not suffering having lost more than was reasonable, nor that my children also do not share in that  I cannot contribute to them what I would have liked. It does hurt inside as a parent, though.If the Powers That Be...make things work only for 'the HAVES' and for no one else, then it further escalates the historical gap between the social classes & the educational inequities or opportunities/and lack of same, open to their children....who are the next generation and ARE the future. They are feeling it, and it adds ti the pressures they live with in growing up, which we did not have to face! That IS INDEED sobering.  I believe in some ways, both the War & the Madoff fraud scandal (however that was allowed to occur) are coming out of the pockets of those who can afford it least...like most of us now and in the foreseeable future.  Does anyone else see it that way, or are there other variables I have over-simplified in trying to wrap this up?Whoever said people ought not to live beyond their means, that has always been true; yet never more true in recent history than now!Yet, as the last person pointed out, by saying still right now, our equity is being lost while at the same time property taxes and assessments on Condos are escalating to beat the band, (on the older buildings) which abound here.This somehow developed a thread of its own beyond the initial 'should the tax credit to 1'st time buyers be extended.?'I am not sure where we should go with this from here other than to start a new thread, if there is such an interest. Good luck to all!We did not get such breaks; yet things were not as tough either for many of us a while back.I personally think if you want to up-size this might be a time as there does exist , I think it is called , a 1031 EXCHANGE; so you do not have to pay taxes on potential profits. HERE, it is upside down; MAYBE legislation ought to be passed giving REAL breaks to people who have lost. My only fear is we'll pay for it some where else, unbeknown st to us, and unlabeled.

"Hello & I happen to agree with you on many of the good questions that you raised!Please know, I am not THE enemy; just a regular hard working ethical citizen trying to survive this somehow 'fiscal instability or debt of insanity' thrust upon us and upon the younger generation, & those yet to come...all completely innocent of its history, yet prey to its domino effect.FYI: I do not possess the answers. AND if I did,what is the likelihood I would be listened to?AT this point, with taxes on homes going up astronomically, as costs of maintenance increase exponentially, as well as for heat & electricity, while values shrink...I , like the rest of us, am trying to figure out a strategy of survival, and someday, to what I call 'thrival,' which I sincerely wish for all of us.The scenarios you presented, just as I presented the humdinger of which I knew first hand, also are not fair!Pray tell, what is the answer?  My now less than optimistic take on this is that unless a  strong lobbying group rallies for it...we shall continue to carry such burdens; &  sadly watch the younger generation deal with this, & to whom we are asked to explain this mess. How do you answer those people?Your polite candor is much appreciated.I end with my now Credo, "Everyone deserves fairness under the law. ALL!  (HOW to reinforce this brings more complicated answers...Uh-Huh!)

 Hello again-To all of you who think I was advocating for a 'free-ride' to entitled folks- I am not.You also have your own biases & lenses through which you see Grad Students: Not ALL Backpack through Europe...Some have worked every summer, 3 jobs at a time, to help pay for tuition & books.The real difference is whether one chose a practical field for THIS economy.I agree about the Trash Men and the Grad Students...many of whom did similar jobs even while in Grad School.Also, we are ALL naive, until a huge inequity happens...like a friend of mine had Home destroyed & they had worked their entire lives.The Insurance Co. was 'always about to put a check in the mail.' To end the horrid story, after helping many people FOR FREE, pro bono, in his career, he found he'd cash flowed a Bankrupting Insurance Company! That was discovered 3 years into the rebuilding. He had the ability to do so from inheriting a grandparents' home he sold to support his many life challenges, which include some possible terminal illnesses.Even his IRA & Keogh had to be cashed in early; AND he is in danger of losing the home he established for his children.He also needed (almost costing him his life) to borrow moneys from a charity for his expensive medications...None of us wish that on anyone.Not ALL processes work fairly here- of which MOST of us are totally naive, unless we have such an experience, or someone close has.Our friend literally "paid his dues from the time he was a kid, and then his entire career" and has been hood-winked out of all he had by a corrupt Insurance Company that had been kicked out of his State and changed their Name and came back A few MORE TIMES, each time with a new name. How is this LEGAL? Even Lawyers were inexperienced in this.FYI: Our friend's eldest got out of Grad School & cannot find a job, as it is not a required course, and his eldest did spend a Year in the Peace Corps. He has not had even a week off for a mini-vacation in close to 6 years, and also has health challenges.Of course there are people worse off.Still, this fellow has no income or benefits soon, & this also is not fair.This economy has many people unable to pay college tuitions; so Universities are not having as full classes. The Domino Effect is Real.Almost everyone is suffering in this economy; yet justice must also be served! No one ought to be close to bankruptcy being duped (somehow Legally?) by their Insurance Company.Please let us refrain from making a list of HAVES & HAVE-NOTS...and stop the generalizations which do not apply to all. Some of the ineptly applied generalizations can become a form of sterotyping towards discrimination. I do not think anyone here wants to encourage that!Thanks for letting me share why two of the replies seemed rather provocative to the point of insensitivity. Please consider, sterotypes are JUST that...fantasies of accumulated hypothetical situations which are then generalized to an entire group of people, which is NOT necessary applicable to many, all or most. There is a danger with stereotypes- They lack historical context (even current) & can lead to unfair or slanted conckusions...and, ergo discrimination.I do not think that is what anyone here desired to convey. Meanwhile,thank you for letting me share why two of the replies seemed rather provocative, to the point of insensitivity.Everyone deserves fairness under the law. ALL!   

Just curious as to why you would essentially financially 'punish' someone who has invested a lifetime of study and gone into full debt, usually likely to help society in one way or another, from being first time buyers?If you think they will all end up as 'rich academicians' nothing could be further from the truth. The State of California, for one, is furloughing (laying off) their new doctorates into unemployment and NO Health Benefits, in favor of hiring less trained/experienced MA level teachers (and lower salaried)...and this is growing.After a lifetime of delaying spending and gratifying their needs, with heads buried in study;being Teaching Assistants, madly grading 100 papers at a time with no rest for the weary, & preparing their OWN papers for submission; also with huge education debts hanging over their heads, WHY would you choose to be harder on this Group than ANY others? I have no idea & would appreciate a cogent and courteous answer when you can.  Many thanks-

As someone aptly pointed out, it is not what we think; rather what is passed as law.My personal opinion is that it ought to be truly SIMPLIFIED:  To me, that means certain criteria ought to be fulfilled; such as:A. First time home-buyers still with Student Loan Debts;B. First time home-buyers  in the lowest socio-economic classes; such as regular folks or even grad students who've not yet had a full time job with benefits, due to this grim economy;C. People who have served in any of the wars, & not had time to put down roots;D. People with Disabilities & Handicaps who also need a break in this troublesome economy...It ought to be on a case by case basis, and to help those who need it  most and truly need this break.That will ALSO stimulate the economy, as NO ONE likes everything the way it is...Paint, Rugs, Curtains, etc. are always needed to make one;s place feel like one's own; PLUS the workmen they'd likely need to employ to help them with this.Does THIS simplified version make sense to anyone, and/or, are there possible categories I may have inadvertently excluded?

Donal-Curb Appeal need not be a major cost; yet CAN definitely increase both the desirability/praiseworthiness of your home for sale!Remember statistics say that Buyers decide "within the first 8 SECONDS if they want to buy." If they are turned OFF by the outside clutter, jungle, dandelion convention, or garage if your kids' functional and broken toys, WILL they REALLY--- A. WANT to come inside and even look at your place? and... B. Be fairly well assured that you keep the INSIDE pristine , while the outside looks gunky/junky?C. It can ONLY improve your chances of a better assessment or chances for a higher sale price if it looks better; so, with that stated clearly, "What do you have to loose, to spiffy it up some, even on a minimal budget? It need not be complex."Sometimes, nice mulch, a rock garden, few shrubs, cut back hedges and a small tasteful sit out Bench is all that is required...(Waterfalls are nice too- yet more costly.) It depends on your terrain, & climate.  Good Luck...~Melody

Hello-A while back I asked the VERY same question about photos I had uploaded myself, which also were different from the current situation, and was not allowed to delete them without divulging personal info our friends at the Precinct did not want me to, in order to protect me (not from you)..due to atypical circumstances.Is there any way to work this out in a highly unusual situation & is there a private e-mail where I could ahsre more of the details if you need them?Many thanks,   Melody91

 I agree with much of the above, and DID recently learn I needed to switch my auto policy to the same company as covering my home Owner's Policy; it saved an unbelievable couple of thousand dollars!There are a few things I thought of to add:1. An Inspector ought to come out and see what they suggest for the level of coverage;2. You ought NEVER insure for less than 80% of the value (as one cannot insure Land); since then one is then considered a co-insurer with the Bank; and one can get caught in a mess of red tape;3.I think one person was referring to an Umbrella Insurance Policy which is always a good idea, if your home is worth something.  These past years, with more and more and more unemployed people, we seem to have a litigious populace. So, it is best to be safe.4. Above Replacement Cost, one ought to purchase Insurance that gets one 'To the "Current New Codes' applicable at the time of this hypothetical loss, (that we pray never occurs) since that can run a lot of money ; if not so covered. I know of one case where it ran an extra $100K.     Best of luck...Mel

Natn-This is Melody chiming in again- as the topic did shift from 0.75 bath with your assuming it makes NO difference in value whether you do a Full Bath or 0.75 of a Bath; that seems to to an invalid conclusion.Having already stated below, that I have designed a small bathroom, and had added some of the ideas that I had thought to designed for extra  storage space,  that did NOT take up an extra floor space, I see that AgentNWHome.us agrees with me about both the comfort, value and energy saving (plus added home value) in doing Radiant Heating under the Floor and the Green Living Approach. After I wrote my last contribution, I remembered several other  Value Adding items I'd thought of, that were inexpensive, only BECAUSE it was a small space. In case that helps, here are a few more:1. Since it IS a small area, ALL Granite Places have a yard of Left-Over pieces, that they sell very ...OK, cheap.  I was able to obtain 3/4" left over slab for under $20 a square foot, without the cost of cutting & installation. Still, for a tiny bathroom, it is worth every penny, for your living pleasure, Plus adds Value to your Home.2. You can also have them install a hole for a soap dispenser (to put under the surface); these dispensers are also very reasonable at Home Depot, and keep counters clearer. One can also have another hole drilled to the left, if you want for anti-bacterial liquids, or for hand-softeners, to suit your needs, again, with the goal of freeing up counter space, to keep it neat, & less cluttered.3. For such small spaces, one CAN get lucky & purchase a 'buy' on discontinued TILES from the tile store. They have sections; also some tiles (not on sale) are relatively inexpensive; and for a pop of splash here and there, one can splurge on a reasonable theme with varaiants of the same size; another splash I happen to like, is depending for whom, and theme of the bathroom or kitchen, GROUTS do come in many colors.That can also give a different look to the floor or the tile of your shower.If you decide to DO a shower, and do tile, make sure it is the special non-skid type for floors!4. Also, if you do a shower, for a reasonable amount of money, you CAN have a small triangle seat installed...that adds comfort AND value.5. If you want a 'pop' for extra enjoyment & value, a strip of non-sale tiles can be put in the middle...or here and there, in a modernistic, symmetrical --asymmetrical pattern. (I've done that in kitchens, bathrooms, etc.). If you get the recycled kind for the 'pop' of dash, it also adds to the Green Living for our planet, AND increases your Value at the same time.6. I also remembered that in one small bathroom, (as there is hardly room to bend over to clean) I decided to check out a sink cabinet that was off the floor...also at a Home Depot type store.  It turned out good in two ways:   A. It is s snap for the Owner or anyone to clean under; and,   B. It gives a more modern  & fresh appearance.7.Also, I  remembered  purchasing a multi-sectional medicine cabinet, that had double faceted mirror inside & out, from Home Depot. To do it asymmetrically looked modernistic, and gave capability to store larger items on one side.,8. NOT to be overlooked, are the types of hand-pulls and knobs you chose. These ought to coordinate with the type of faucet you choose.They also ought to be on ALL of that rooms cabinet doors, etc; and the robe hangers (on the back of the door)  the toilet paper holder.While these may seem like 'nit-picking' they DO add to the overall look of a professional and finished product.Another place I had luck finding such items for another place, was on E-Bay!9. Last item I can think of, and NOT to save money on (while also not going Mercedes) is the Light Fixtures...plus dimmers. There also ought to be a built in night light.    All in all, in Kitchens and bathrooms, it is claimed that people look at the finishes you have; and 'IF they are up to the minute', people assume you have taken the same care throughout the rest of the home.    Sorry to be so long-winded; however, when designing, I think in detail; and I only learn from detailed descriptions. I feel somewhat self-conscious taking up so much space; yet love Design very much!Could someone from the Staff kindly/politely tell me, if ,despite my good motivation, this is to long or too much for this site?     Thank you kindly.  ~MelI