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Serous response to "just buying something to stop paying rent until I can get the house I want."
Compare the expected rent paid over 3-5 years against mortgage payments - equity gained + taxes and insurance + loan origination costs + realtor commission + an allotment for maintenance.
When I did this math back in SoCal years ago, the break-even point was nearly 8 years. So I kept renting.
It often doesn't make sense to buy if you don't anticipate staying parked in that spot for quite a while.
I agree, but in OK, our real estate is so cheap, it changes the dynamic. I can buy a new HERS 58 home 3 bed 2 bath 2 car garage for what I pay in rent.
I know I'm going to be here for at least 4 years, so might as well. I miss my tools and having a garage.
Now I have a decent-sized garage, and virtually no tools. Everything fits into a single rollaround chest. No compressor, no drill press, no bandsaw, no chop saw, no welder... Just a craftsman socket set, a tiny jack, a few hand drills, an angle grinder, and some bicycle-specific stuff.
I pretty much finished the AutoCAD layout for this move, and I'm sad to report that I can no longer fit my whole life into a 16' Penske truck; gonna have to upgrade to the 22'. The new sofa and the non-inflatable mattress set pushed me over the edge.
It's the lowe's branded greenworks mower. Also got the trimmer. We're on a smallish suburban plot, and although the mower comes with 2 batteries, we rarely deplete one of them mowing - it's a rapid charger too, you could probably charge one of the batteries in about the time it takes to drain the other one. I don't use the bag, and I leave the mulching cover in place so that it chops the grass instead of throwing it. It handles tall, tough, wet grass without complaining - a hell of a lot better than the gasser that came before it.
bruh, your grass aint the only green that's mulching.
Here's "my" mower. Three of us in the neighborhood share it. The first of the same model died. Total cost for two was $20 plus the cost of a new blade. We already had extension cords.
That's one of two I'm looking at. Didn't realize it was made by Greenworks (the shape of the motor head is totally different,) but comparing side by side, most of the hardware does appear identical.
Leaning towards this unit, which has a 60v, 4ah battery:
$100 less, and nearly the same total battery capacity.
Originally Posted by y8s
Here's "my" mower. Three of us in the neighborhood share it. The first of the same model died. Total cost for two was $20 plus the cost of a new blade. We already had extension cords.
Back in 2002-04, I had a corded B&D. Really had no complaints about it, and never ran over the cord, but over the years I've learned that sometimes it's ok to spend a little more for the nicer things. Yes, the battery adds an element of uncertainty as to reliability / longevity, but there's a strong convenience factor to consider. Plus, my new place has only one exterior outlet, and it's by the front door. That's a lot of cable to lug around to get to the end of the back yard:
Yeah, as I walked downstairs yesterday to let my lady out of the building, I heard the front brakes of her smart car squealing. If I already had a house and my tools, no issue. Buy some pads, swap them out, done. And I'd be greeted to a home cooked meal when I was finished. Without said tools or space, I don't know what we are going to do, because I don't want her to pay for a shop to do something I can easily finish in less than 2 beers.