Venting Thread

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Tue Jan 31, 2017 7:46 pm

Have done my own remodels (granted Durham and sac), 15k? Is my best game guess

pokinmik · Post by **pokinmik** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 6:19 am

Yea that shit adds up real quick. Two giant pieces of glass for a couple modern showers can be $6K alone at least.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 7:13 am

We are just remodeling our shower (enlarging it, shrinking a closet) and its going to cost us about 10k.

Not cheap.

But our shower is currently tiny (2'6" by 3') and its going to be 4' by 4' so we are pretty excited.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 8:12 am

Prima donna's.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 8:13 am

Matches well with my toilet.

legallykenny · Post by **legallykenny** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 12:38 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:Have done my own remodels (granted Durham and sac), 15k? Is my best game guess

First estimate came in at 35k plus materials. Gonna have to shop around a bit.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 12:43 pm

Wow! That's a ton of money.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 12:49 pm

well when you insist on gold plated fixtures and crystal chandeliers and genuine ivory accents it can add up.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 1:15 pm

Not really that's Santa Monica labor cost.

They know they can get it

legallykenny · Post by **legallykenny** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 3:40 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:well when you insist on gold plated fixtures and crystal chandeliers and genuine ivory accents it can add up.

Maybe you missed the "plus materials" part.
I also have much better taste than that.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 3:41 pm

legallykenny wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:well when you insist on gold plated fixtures and crystal chandeliers and genuine ivory accents it can add up.
Maybe you missed the "plus materials" part.
I also have much better taste than that.

was a bad joke, only trump has that kind of taste.

legallykenny · Post by **legallykenny** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 3:54 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:
legallykenny wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:well when you insist on gold plated fixtures and crystal chandeliers and genuine ivory accents it can add up.
Maybe you missed the "plus materials" part.
I also have much better taste than that.
was a bad joke, only trump has that kind of taste.

Definitely take a look at some listings in Beverly Hills and Brentwood sometimes. There are some, uhm, distinct styles.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Wed Feb 01, 2017 4:13 pm

legallykenny wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:
legallykenny wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:well when you insist on gold plated fixtures and crystal chandeliers and genuine ivory accents it can add up.
Maybe you missed the "plus materials" part.
I also have much better taste than that.
was a bad joke, only trump has that kind of taste.
Definitely take a look at some listings in Beverly Hills and Brentwood sometimes. There are some, uhm, distinct styles.

That reminds me, occasionally when I am bored I look at more expensive house listings and even in Tucson there is some insanely ugly shit in nice houses. Why someone would buy a $3 mill house in the foothills then destroy it is beyond me.

legallykenny · Post by **legallykenny** » Thu Feb 02, 2017 11:05 am

scumdevils86 wrote:
legallykenny wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:
legallykenny wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:well when you insist on gold plated fixtures and crystal chandeliers and genuine ivory accents it can add up.
Maybe you missed the "plus materials" part.
I also have much better taste than that.
was a bad joke, only trump has that kind of taste.
Definitely take a look at some listings in Beverly Hills and Brentwood sometimes. There are some, uhm, distinct styles.
That reminds me, occasionally when I am bored I look at more expensive house listings and even in Tucson there is some insanely ugly shit in nice houses. Why someone would buy a $3 mill house in the foothills then destroy it is beyond me.

If it makes you feel better, this is listed for $3mm in my neighborhood:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2525 ... 5437_zpid/" target="_blank

prh · Post by **prh** » Sat Feb 04, 2017 11:57 am

legallykenny wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:
legallykenny wrote: Definitely take a look at some listings in Beverly Hills and Brentwood sometimes. There are some, uhm, distinct styles.
That reminds me, occasionally when I am bored I look at more expensive house listings and even in Tucson there is some insanely ugly shit in nice houses. Why someone would buy a $3 mill house in the foothills then destroy it is beyond me.
If it makes you feel better, this is listed for $3mm in my neighborhood:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2525 ... 5437_zpid/" target="_blank

I look at houses on Zillow a lot, and that might be the worst set of listing photos I've ever seen.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon Feb 20, 2017 9:44 am

Finally addressed all of Fridays work emails. Now on to today's onslaught.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Mon Feb 20, 2017 9:48 am

Would love to file my taxes sometime this year...wife still doesn't have her w2 from her old job. They mailed it to an address she hasn't lived at in 3 years and don't seem to have any urgency in replacing it.

CatFanOneMil · Post by **CatFanOneMil** » Mon Feb 20, 2017 10:05 am

legallykenny wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote:Have done my own remodels (granted Durham and sac), 15k? Is my best game guess
First estimate came in at 35k plus materials. Gonna have to shop around a bit.

Holy crap, + materials means it will be somewhere in the checkbook near 50k...sheesh...I've done construction for 30 years the only thing I can suggest is they are redoing a ton of plumbing which might depend on the age of the building or prices there are just unreasonable...

Suppose you move a wall or two...tear out and disposal fees there might be a grand...lumber is $500.00...

Plumbing is gonna land somewhere between 3-5k depending on FIXTURES...and plumber...

Tile another 2k...cleanup/paint and overhead 10%...you're still under 10k for "normal" prices...unless you've gotta tear up a slab and if thats the case add 3-4 k...but still...12k TOPS...

I'm in the wrong part of the country and retired from that crap...still...shop around...15k should be tops including material...

Here's a good test...google what the price of a new home/new construction is in your area, divide it by the square footage to get a relative idea of what new construction cost per square foot are for your area...then figure out how many square feet of remodel you are doing is and plug in the numbers...should give you a ball park...remodels are always higher (maybe 15%) but they should not jack the price up for "unknowns".

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Feb 20, 2017 10:23 am

Hang around Home Depot parking lot early Saturday morning, labor is dirt cheap. Unless ICE gets there first.

legallykenny · Post by **legallykenny** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 6:15 pm

CatFanOneMil wrote:
legallykenny wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote:Have done my own remodels (granted Durham and sac), 15k? Is my best game guess
First estimate came in at 35k plus materials. Gonna have to shop around a bit.
Holy crap, + materials means it will be somewhere in the checkbook near 50k...sheesh...I've done construction for 30 years the only thing I can suggest is they are redoing a ton of plumbing which might depend on the age of the building or prices there are just unreasonable...

Suppose you move a wall or two...tear out and disposal fees there might be a grand...lumber is $500.00...

Plumbing is gonna land somewhere between 3-5k depending on FIXTURES...and plumber...

Tile another 2k...cleanup/paint and overhead 10%...you're still under 10k for "normal" prices...unless you've gotta tear up a slab and if thats the case add 3-4 k...but still...12k TOPS...

I'm in the wrong part of the country and retired from that crap...still...shop around...15k should be tops including material...

Here's a good test...google what the price of a new home/new construction is in your area, divide it by the square footage to get a relative idea of what new construction cost per square foot are for your area...then figure out how many square feet of remodel you are doing is and plug in the numbers...should give you a ball park...remodels are always higher (maybe 15%) but they should not jack the price up for "unknowns".

There is essentially no new build residential construction in Santa Monica and existing condos can go for 700 a square foot easily, so that kind of comp doesn't do me much good.
I've since received two more quotes in the same ballpark.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:32 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:Would love to file my taxes sometime this year...wife still doesn't have her w2 from her old job. They mailed it to an address she hasn't lived at in 3 years and don't seem to have any urgency in replacing it.

Still no W2 for the wife 41 days after the deadline...still getting jerked around by the good christians at the school she worked for.

Also no hot water since Saturday and the handyman can't fix it.

Oh and apparently the power just went out at home when I just filled the fridge and freezer with a ton of food this weekend.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:50 pm

Update:

power is back on.

after promising half a dozen times the school never actually did anything about sending a replacement w2. only took 6 weeks to figure this out.

and the water heater had some sort of part broken that is a safety mechanism that can only be ordered and replaced through GE directly. could be 3 weeks or more before we receive the part. so no hot water for a long time. joy. not sure what obligation the management company has. as they are attempting to fix it but it will take weeks to do so. but apparently the laws in arizona state they are required to provide a "reasonable" amount of hot water at all times.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:55 pm

Well that most definitely sucks. I'd hurry up and make really good friends with a neighbor.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:08 am

Taking my daughter to ballet class today. Overhearing the conversations of all the other moms and the stuff they care/talk about.

I just, I can't, please shoot me now.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:09 am

CalStateTempe wrote:Taking my daughter to ballet class today. Overhearing the conversations of all the other moms and the stuff they care/talk about.

I just, I can't, please shoot me now.

It really is a treat. I don't suppose any of them would fit into the 35 year old category that we used to speak of in a thread so lovingly (either on this board or the old one I don't recall)?

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:35 am

THAT was a great thread!

Yes, in that I'm sensing they are all married, and while some are nice, a few are a tad catty regrading the stuff they are commiserating on.

I can't wait to get back to work in two weeks. This is enough to drive me to day drinking, but not in the fun frog and firken blow off the afternoon kinda way.

Sid · Post by **Sid** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 3:36 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:Taking my daughter to ballet class today. Overhearing the conversations of all the other moms and the stuff they care/talk about.

I just, I can't, please shoot me now.

Pray ballet doesn't lead to dance classes. The real absolute pleasure is the ballet/dance recitals. Sure, it's nice to see your daughter, but to sit through 3 hours of watching others kids prance around is fucking painful.

Bring a flask, it helps only marginally.

wyo-cat · Post by **wyo-cat** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 3:50 pm

Thank God my girls are athletic, dance classes and all that goes with it would drive me up the wall. Softball parents chap my ass sometimes, but I would want to strangle dance parents.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 4:05 pm

Sid wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote:Taking my daughter to ballet class today. Overhearing the conversations of all the other moms and the stuff they care/talk about.

I just, I can't, please shoot me now.
Pray ballet doesn't lead to dance classes. The real absolute pleasure is the ballet/dance recitals. Sure, it's nice to see your daughter, but to sit through 3 hours of watching others kids prance around is fucking painful.

Bring a flask, it helps only marginally.

My nephew married a single mom, and adopted her daughter as his own.

He used to take her to dance classes in Tucson, but the instructor told him that no dance dads were allowed, only dance moms. If you saw the Mermaid show at some mall she was in it.

Horrible show btw. How can that fat woman teach dancing?

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 4:23 pm

My 7-year-old son is in hip hop dance classes and he loves it. He's a smart kid. It's him and like twenty 12- to 15-year-old girls and they all love him and think he's just the cutest.

I don't mind taking him. Some of the moms are pretty cute.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 4:35 pm

Yeah. Your lucky chi, not so much with the "talent" here.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 6:46 pm

The one on the left was just telling me tonight that she used to be a cage dancer at a club in Chicago. I can imagine that. In fact, I'm going to make it my mission to imagine it often.

wyo-cat · Post by **wyo-cat** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 6:49 pm

I have a thing for tall chicks...

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 6:52 pm

wyo-cat wrote:I have a thing for tall chicks...

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 6:56 pm

wyo-cat · Post by **wyo-cat** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:11 pm

Long legs...just sayin.

Sid · Post by **Sid** » Thu Mar 23, 2017 7:32 am

Chicat wrote:My 7-year-old son is in hip hop dance classes and he loves it. He's a smart kid. It's him and like twenty 12- to 15-year-old girls and they all love him and think he's just the cutest.

I don't mind taking him. Some of the moms are pretty cute.

Spot on. I think you can imagine the talent level out here in S. Orange County as these dance schools are packed to the gills with kids. Some amazing breast augmentation to perve on, God bless these moms!

We just wrapped up flag football playoffs for my son. My kid loves defense. I coached the D my buddy handled the O duties. Best group of kids I've been around, absolute fantastic kids & parents too! The first playoff game were tied with 2 minutes to go and the other team had the ball. They had to throw, couldn't run. My son breaks on the ball, pulls it in jukes out 3 kids hits paydirt, pick 6! That was an out of body experience just watching our teams parents go absolutely fucking nuts on the sideline as my kid is getting dogpiled by his teammates in the end zone. We held them on the next series for the win. Got smoked 2 hours later by the best team in our league, but I was still over the moon and really didn't care.

Kids are awesome!!!

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Mar 23, 2017 4:57 pm

Just got back from the store with four new phones for the family. My wallet seems a bit light at the moment.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Sat Apr 08, 2017 9:18 am

Our country has an embarrassment of riches, and yet in a metro culturally diverse area of 1.5million, I cannot find fenugreek (kapoor methi) leaves...

Fine, I'll grow my own...

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 9:38 am

How come I can never remember my apple ID password, despite it always being one of the 4 in my rotation of passwords?!?

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 10:29 am

Seriously...I am paying your closing costs and you are going to whine about the roof because you see some repairs I made? Some repairs I made anticipating an FHA appraisal (they are tough on wood cracks), some repairs I did above and beyond what an inspector would ask?

You are getting in off Ameridream (that still exists) and I am paying your closing costs...you are getting a home for an appraisal fee and inspection fee, and you have the audacity to wait out the inspection period claiming to have "concerns with the roof"...the roof on a 40 year old home that is not leaking and has no turned up shingles and has 15 new eaves because I paid to have those replaced "just in case."?

Get the fuck out of here. If your 4 homes sold in his life agent thinks this is an open negotiation, he has a rude awakening and a loss of his $9500 commission staring him in the face...

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:00 am

Hell yeah EV, I love real estate negotiations and have "won" the two we've been in, but with that sh*t tell the agent and his customers to take a walk. Lol.

Break

Their

Ballz

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:08 pm

So... I'm a freelancer and 1 of my clients is a very big national company. Not to bore with the details but I was working on a very big event for them and it was about to blow up because actual employees of this company were totally incompetent... so I stepped in and basically saved this production doing work that was totally out of my scope.

Everything ended up going great and it certainly did not go unnoticed that It was me who made everything happen.

I just received an "award certificate " from this company thanking me for all my work.

Along with this certificate came a gift card to Starbucks for $10.

You're welcome and go fuck yourselves.

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 2:31 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:Hell yeah EV, I love real estate negotiations and have "won" the two we've been in, but with that sh*t tell the agent and his customers to take a walk. Lol.

Break

Their

Ballz

Their BINSR came over asking us to change the wiring in the electrical (1978 build, has aluminum wires), replace all facia on roof (just had a contractor replace all he said needed, and he had a profit motive to do as many as were actually needed), replace roof basically, something with our garage door, reattach patio flood lights with licensed electrician, and have HVAC professional reattach condensation line. Basically, this idiot agent wants us to retrofit the home to 2017. What...I don't need to re-do the pipes too? Thanks...

The patio lights were detached when painting the fascia...my bad. But, no, I am not going to pay an electrician to do that. And the condensation line must have come loose. I got it.

That's it. Response to BINSR is "homeowner will re-secure patio lights and secure condensation line."

Period.

Fuckers. We are now going to start taking a list of callers as "accepting backup offers if current offer falls through"....

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 2:34 pm

Alieberman wrote: Along with this certificate came a gift card to Starbucks for $10.

You're welcome and go fuck yourselves.

This...is the worst.

And an example of my entire career working for banks.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 2:35 pm

EVCat wrote:
Alieberman wrote: Along with this certificate came a gift card to Starbucks for $10.

You're welcome and go fuck yourselves.
This...is the worst.

And an example of my entire career working for banks.

yea...luckily credit unions are better.

though i got some pretty shitty news that i could vent about today at work but i won't for now.

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 2:52 pm

I will say, I have worked for CUs and Banks, and while CUs have things that are awesome for customers, their reach is limited. From an employee standpoint, the best corporate culture I have ever been a part of is the most reviled bank in America...Wells Fargo. I was never in Community Banking or under Carrie Tolstedt so I only know what everyone reads about that disaster, but in two different runs at the bank, no other employer could match the training, cross-training, and opportunity I was offered like Wells.

Also, no other bank ever gave me an off cycle 24% raise because they thought I might leave, either. I think Chase would rather have mediocre help than do that...

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 3:11 pm

I've never talked to a former employee of Chase/BofA/Compass/Wells (and it's probably been dozens and dozens) that valued or enjoyed their time with those banks.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 3:46 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:I've never talked to a former employee of Chase/BofA/Compass/Wells (and it's probably been dozens and dozens) that valued or enjoyed their time with those banks.

There is a Chase on site where I work. 2 former Chase employees now work on site but not for Chase. Didn't leave for great jobs either.

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:48 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:I've never talked to a former employee of Chase/BofA/Compass/Wells (and it's probably been dozens and dozens) that valued or enjoyed their time with those banks.

Well...we aren't talking. But we are communicating. I value Wells. I have enjoyed most of my time at Wells, minus one bad run of a manager. Wells took a chance allowing me to change disciplines based upon some off book work I did. They also gave me a 25% raise without me asking to retain me.

I work with lots of bank employees, and have worked with lots of bank employees over 20 years of this industry, 17 in mortgage...the disgruntled ones always have a reason to be disgruntled, and they are disgruntled wherever they go within a year. People who do not find a reason for their work, or are miserable, are always miserable. It never changes. If people constantly complain in real life, it is generally their issue. There is so much to be happy about in life...if you grumble through everything, it is not the rest of the world. And banks do have stringent rules/don't hold a lot of hands for sure. But for employees who work mostly on their own, like me, on multiple projects across multiple LOBs and managers, and have no real set day work other than working toward deadlines, those rules are meaningless...if I do my work, I get rewarded.

But Wells has, by far, the best overall corporate culture of the big banks. Inclusive, diverse (it is a San Francisco company), and incredibly quick to move for such a large bank.

It has its problems...obviously. The Kovacivich cross-sell philosophy carried over in to Stumpf, then got run by a secretive, hot headed, controlling senior executive (Carrie Tolstedt), and Stumpf's trust in the "Run it like you own it " line of business model almost killed the bank. But Wells corporate culture, if you are not just negative, is so much more rewarding than any of the other 6 banks and 2 financial institutions (interthinx, Schwab) I have worked.

It is like so much...you get what you put in. And there are bad pockets and bad managers in any company. But I find most people who complain about entire sectors of business, having failure at every stop...the mirror is the best cure.

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