crunchtastic

This is a perpetually empty second floor location above a Subway, a liquor store and a hair salon. I wish them luck!

hmm, I didn't look it up, but I suppose you mean the whole liberty and pursuit of prosperity thing? God, I love advertising!

Actually, some agents do have discretion, as do a number of different people in sales, operations or underwriting who have authority on policy issue. The cost calculators are used as guides for but are definitely not the final say; in all insurance, there's some room to maneuver in underwriting. Agents either don't know or don't tell you that because it slows down the sales process. And in homeowner's especially commission rates are low, so speed to close is their goal. I feel your pain though--the mortgage co vs. the insurance co, grrr. Did that dance with my hurricane claims.

I don't. I believe that the American Dream of Home Ownership is a marketing machine that would survive just fine if the mortgage deduction were taken away. The banking, realtor and home building interests would make sure of that, despite the fact they spend huge dollars to convince us that taking away the deduction is tantamount to the full scale destruction of the middle class. After all, they were able to lure buyers into mold pits in half-built swampy fields at prices jacked to 40 and 50% in certain parts of the country at the height of the bubble. The LIAR loans may be gone for now but a new version of creative financing will surface again, it always does. To use another analogy, if a bankrupt car company can convince people to take a 7 year note on a mostly crappy $35,000 ride that depreciates 20% in value the minute after you buy it, I'm quite confident in America's propensity to get suckered into real estate that is not in their best interests to buy. Present company excluded, of course. People don't want to believe they have to move around in order to provide for their families. "putting down roots" even though it may not be an economic reality is a powerful hook. Getting a mortgage puts one above the migrants and wage slaves. Those realtor ads about 'there's never been a better time to own a home' rely on a very specific subtext that hasn't changed in decades, because it doesn't need to. In marketing we use the word 'aspirational' though, because it's not as distasteful as acknowledging that we're a largely class-based, rent vs own society. So, I guess that wraps up my nightly dose of bummer, huh? The downside of my business is knowing how the marketing sausage is made. 80% of the people out there buying things are influenced more by advertising (and in the case of anything requiring financing, its dark cousin lobbying) than rational decision making.

Correct! It ain't sailing the Grenadines, but good neighbors are hard to come by.

Pigeon infestations, gross! Just rats with wings and nastier poop. Red, whatever you do, don't bring any women over until your boarder is gone. Rats are a 100% deal breaker.

not necessarily. It's partly based on what it would cost to replace the home. So, an old wood frame house would be cheaper to insure than a newer brick place. But a frame house is more likley to be a total loss in the event of fire. There are lots of variables that go into the actuarial equation including build materials, types of HVAC systems, the nature of the land its built on, location, even architectural style. I do know this-- insurance agents have a tendency to vastly under insure an older home. Mine could not be rebuilt for $150,000 one guy told me was the max he would insure for. The old-growth wood floors alone would cost half that to replace. For your primary residence, always insure for replacement cost, not ACV.

I hadn't been over to the Big Picture in a few days, and sure enough Ritholz has good commentary on the original blog post. also some good comments: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/03/looking-again-at-housing/ Looks like we're all saying something similar--once you crunch the math for location and circumstance, the cost differences can really be marginal. It's the intangibles that count. Red did a good job of summing up my situaiton as well. One thing is for sure: it takes time and cash to maintian a place, moreso for a freestanding home single family home, and much more so for an old place. Man, and you're not kidding about the travel. I used to fly down to the islands 3 or even 4 times a year, visit friends out of state. Not no mo'...And I still haven't started my deck dismantling and patio build, which was supposed to be this year's spring project.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to put some poison under the house too. Critters like to go under decks and sheds to die, I've discovered. I don't have an issue with it now because of all the outside cats, but in other places it seemed like I always had decaying rats and possums under the deck during warm weather. Especially during drought conditions. My last place in SA I built a composite deck, which is screwed together rather than nailed. Thus, a PITA to dismantle. Rather than tear it up to get the rotten critters out, I just let them be. The smell goes away in about 3 weeks.

That's a nice, masculine murse, I'd say. And how 'bout that understated dark floral print on the sheets? Stylish!

Forget property tax, it's insurance. Mine has gone up anywhere between 8 and 30 percent every year I've owned. No kidding. My insurance is now more than taxes. Homeowner premiums rates will continue to rise, and rise faster than the rate of inflation. Don't get me wrong, home ownership has been a positive experience for me. I like to garden, I hate hearing other humans in their nasty habitats through the walls, etc. But, I was once one of those people who kept a small bag with passport, cash and change of clothes packed and ready to go in my closet, just in case. Apparently I've had a hard time giving up the illusion of unobstructed mobility. Still, it's an important consideration--mortgages can really tie you down if the circumstances aren't right.

Traps work best but you'd need to relocate the dogs outside or in another room. I've got some cute east-end street cats that will fix your problem schnell. How many you want? Once the rat discovered you have dogs and no cats, he's invited all his rat friends by now.

My admin went last night and gave me the following report this morning on one of the combo plates: rice: awful and lumpy, refritos good, chile gravy good, tamale filling tasted of allspice (which she really harped on for a place calling itself tex mex) no onions in the cheese enchiladas (I'm with her there- if it's real there should be onions, dangit), and the plate was totally congealed right after it hit her table.Overall, she said it was some of the worst she's had in a while. I'm going to wait a bit, but still definitely go, if for no other reason than the puffy taco. Man, I miss me some real San Antonio puffy tacos. I wonder is they do a old-schooly chile relleno with cheese?

He makes some very good points. In my view, the greater risk is being tied to a home because you can't sell it. In today's labor and housing markets, being tied to a mortgage you can't get out limits your mobility, and you very ability to make a living. All the junior economists on HAIF will scoff at skimpy anectdotes, but I personally know people who are unemployed, have had their house on the market for months, but can't afford to move for a job because they won't have enough cash flow to either pay 2 mortgages or their family's expenses to stay in the house while they rent elsewhere. It's not proof of anything related to real estate markets, but damn I can't imagine feeling trapped like that. The uniquely American cult of home ownership is a separate topic in and of itself. Niell Ferguson has a good perspective on how we (and the English speaking world generally) has come to this idea of property ownership in his book The Ascent of Money. (He is much more of a Chicago schooler than I care for, but the book is and interesting and well done history nonetheless.) I'll say this, given the current market, my age, my income and business, if I were single and had to do it over again this very point in time, I would not buy a house. I'd otherwise invest the money not spent on insurance and maintenance, and keep myself free to move about for work. I got very lucky profit-wise on the first home I sold, but these days if you think you'll make a sale that even covers your costs, IMO you're taking a very big gamble. And you will have to sell at some point, most likely sooner than later.

OK, that makes sense. I know that the civic groups and the super neighborhood don't but I forgot about the the mgmt district.

The Chinese aren't slacking: http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20110302_China_s_man_purse___status.html Red, c'mon, a bunch of lawyers at the courthouse carrying laptop bag is nowhere near the same as a real Murse. Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing you rock a stylish tablet bag. Just remember, only the queen of England still matches shoes to bags. You should go with a pop of color.

On a semi related note...the Happy Days Lounge just down the feeder has been closed for some time, and it curently for lease. I can't help but wonder what the rent is for such a fine drinking location.

Good info and I like what they're trying to do. May I suggest changing the thread title? 'Charette' is pretty obscure jargon if you're not an urban planning academic. I have a large vocabulary and had to look it up, and almost didn't click on the thread because I was unfamiliar with the term. It does beg the question... is there such a thing as a 'dead charette'?

I don't understand the patrol for fee thing. My neighborhood organization does not have a contract of any sort with the constables, (nor, I;'m guesing, do the areas in the 2nd and 5th wards) but they are always in the neighborhood. If they don't have actual patrol districts and are for-hire only, then why do they have storefronts? Gulfgate might pay them, and they do have a storefornt there. Everyone here knows to call the precinct 6 HQ instead of (or in addition to) HPD for non-emergencies because they respond quickly. I don't know if it's because Victor Trevino lives here and himself makes a point to be visible in the commuity (he has his own TV show after all), but his folks are just as much a law enforcment presence as city cops.

Thanks for sharing another tree outfit that has a competent arborist. Mine were done today, actually (gi-normous pecan, sweet gum and live oak). I use and recommend Champion Tree Preservation (281-320-8201). Proper tree maintenance can be expensive if you have big ones, but trust me, spending a thousand bucks every other year beats what happened to many of my neighbors during Ike. A dude with a chainsaw and a truck during heavy trash week probably doesn't know much about correct pruning.

You have a point about the the dairy. Why not name a neighborhood for the industry that anchors it? I routinely tell people that if they can see the coffee plant in the skyline, imagine walking 8 blocks east, and there's my house. What do we make right here in the near east end? Coffee, milk and bread. Hmmmm. Plus lots of chickens in the hood... Breakfast Heights? Morning something.....I've got it: Sunrise Heights !

oh, duh. He got the at-large seat. I wouldn't be surprised though if he keeps seeking higher office.

My only prediction at this point is that C.O. Bradford will run for some political office, and lose, again. The way Annise is alienating former supporters, the time might be ripe for a social moderate Republican to take it. Isn't Bill King a perpetual bridesmaid? I believe last election he bowed out so early on because the chamber types wanted to go with Locke, whom they thought would turn the black vote.

Careful, or we'll end up with the Tillman Fertitta district. Speaking of Italians... Beware the ides of March.

I'm with Ricco. East DT is already anchored by Luckys, which is an everyman bar. So is Woodrows. I hope the new stadium and fans will allow the neighborhood to maintain a democratic nightlife scene, rather than the fauxsclusivity of the clubs on Washington. If Washington Ave is for (I'm intentionally stereotyping here) douches and goldiggers, and Montrose if for freaks, hipsters and people who want super-trendy drinking and eating, then let the east end be itself. Unpretentious, low to moderately priced and taking all comers. And especially catering to sports fans due to proximity of the stadiums.