Cleaning the Gutters

Discussion in 'Free Thoughts' started by Bowser, Oct 11, 2012.

  1. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    It's going to rain this weekend, so now I have to climb on the roof and clean the gutters. It's times like this that I wish I owned a condo where you pay monthly dues and everything is maintained by others. Which is best: owning a house or a condo?
     
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  3. Neverfly Banned Banned

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    I vote house. Yes, there's work to be done. It's what makes us, us, you see. To get up and work.

    Preferably a house that is not flanked by other houses.
    Or Walmarts and shopping centers.
    Buncha Land- house in the middle.
     
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  5. Buddha12 Valued Senior Member

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    Our gutters are guaranteed not to clog. And if they do? LeafGuard will completely clean your gutters for free. With that kind of promise, LeafGuard is the clear choice for gutter installation and replacement.

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    I'm not trying to advertise this company but it is one of many that are available to you if you take the time and go online to see what is out there to give you a way to never again clean your gutters.

    As to owning a home or condo, it depends upon many things. There are many restrictions with a condo including a maintenance fee of over 200.00 a month sometimes and condo association fees that can go over 100.00 a month plus your mortgage, taxes and insurances. Then if the condo has "unforeseen" expenditures like the roof needs to be replaced then you are again assessed another fee to have that work , which isn't part of the maintenance fee, done which could cost 1000.00 or more from each condo owner. Home owners are also forced to join home owners associations which charge a monthly fee to provide whatever it is you need where you live.

    Renting is the best way to go for everything is paid by your landlord but of course you'll never own the property but do you really want to own today with prices of property going down? :shrug:
     
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  7. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    I just finished cleaning my neighbors leaves out of my gutters. I'm not the youngster I once was--I'm hurting. I did manage to sweep much of the moss off my roof. I will have to call somebody to kill that stuff soon. Another joy of home ownership.
     
  8. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    Our mortgage is less than is rent on most apartments; however, there is the never-ending expenditures that comes with a house. If I was to do it again, I would surely shoot for a low maintenance property, or a condo.
     
  9. Stoniphi obscurely fossiliferous Valued Senior Member

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    I just paid off our mortgage a few months ago, we own this place free and clear. Yeah, cleaning the gutters is a chore so I will be getting a leaf guard/covers installed on them eventually. Yes, there is upkeep, but for every cost there is a commensurate benefit and we very much enjoy living in our home, even if we have neighbors close by.

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    I picked this town to buy in when I was 18 years old, saved my money for 11 years before I bought this house. Wife and I expanded our 600 square feet into 2400 square feet with more basement and an attic as well. Now, at 62 I am rebuilding our passive solar heating system which I originally built 30 years ago. This place is what we wanted, it looks how we like it to and functions how we want it to. One of the best things about owning it is that I can go ahead and change something if I want to and no one is going to tell me that I cannot do that or how long it should take to do it. I very much enjoy the freedom and do not mind at all the responsibility that comes with that.

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  10. Buddha12 Valued Senior Member

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    That is all fine and dandy but do you realize that in todays world there are many communities that have deed restrictions, home owners associations or convents that won't allow certain things to be done to your own home? Things like the color, improvements, size, trucks parked in your driveway, flags flying, how high your grass can grow, what kind of trees you can plant and on and on. So while I certainly agree with you that in many instances homeowners can do what they want it is becoming increasingly harder to find communities that allow you to do what you'd like, unfortunately, due to some people out there that really don't care what their homes look like for one reason or another.

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  11. Buddha12 Valued Senior Member

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    But when you factor in your home insurance, property taxes, any fees for a home owners association, maintainance costs, or other things that add to your payment you'll find renting much better except you'll never own the property only rent it. Renting will keep your costs to a minimum and garbage, water, maintainance, taxes and other fees are all included in your rent bill every month. Depending on your income level and what you can afford, remember that taxes always go up as does rent costs, that if anything goes wrong with the apartment building it is up to its owners to take care of everything leaving you away from any problems that can and do happen. Need a new refridgerator, carpet, paint or stove ,renting an apartment will get you a new one free of charge.
     
  12. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    When we rented a house years back, our rent would go up every year. It simply reached a point where we decided it was better to buy our own. And it seems that rents have gone up dramatically over the past several years, so much so that people can hardly afford them. With home prices taking a dump, this might be a good time to buy, rather than putting money into renting.
     
  13. Buddha12 Valued Senior Member

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    Again many factors should be looked at before making a final decision. Will the new home cost you more over time with taxes, upkeep and insurances? Renting holds those costs down. I know that taxes exceed over 3,000.00 a year with some newer homes plus you must pay for home owners insurances which can be very pricey if you get cost replacement or other types of high end insurances. You just have to see what you earn and what you can afford but remember that the home prices can go down as time goes by then you lose everything you put in.

    Trying to sell in an upside down market like we have today is almost impossible to ever get a good return on your investment. Also age has a factor, if you are older you don't need to be working around the house to keep things going so taking life easy and relaxing with a rental would be easy to do for there's not much to leave anyone with a rental so in laws won't be after you.

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  14. Stoniphi obscurely fossiliferous Valued Senior Member

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    Yes. I sat down and read a copy of the BOCA building code manual cover to cover like a fine novel. I have been before the Zoning Board of Appeal and won my case via said building code. I own a house on an R - 1 lot in a city so there are indeed things I cannot do. Nothing I want to do though.

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    Additionally, just today I received an offer for a lump sum payment for an extremely substantial amount of money to 'reverse mortgage' my property. While I have no intention of doing that, it is nice to know that I could do so if something catastrophic happened and I needed a large chunk of change.

    If you are 30 days late on your rent in this state, the landlord can remove your belongings into the street, change the locks and you would then have no place to live. I would have to fail to pay my property taxes for many years before the city could do that to me. If I went on social security, that income would pay those taxes, though I would have to come up with something to eat. Since I own this property I could grow a garden to supplement free food from the food bank down the street. Couldn't do that in a rental apartment.
     

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