What Really Grinds My Gears 5

[sonar]

23 minutes ago, CaptainJess said:

I've had a crap few days. First my Mac stops working last week and I can't get an appointment at the Apple Store until Thursday night. It's probably going to cost me a fortune to fix as well 

Then NAB calls me on Sunday night to tell me that there has been suscipious activity on my card and they have to cancel it and re-issue a new one. Luckily no money was taken, they were only doing some small $0 transactions to see if the card was active. Now I have to wait until Thursday to get the new one. 

And to top it off, there's been some issues bubbling at work which have finally got the better of me this week, so I'm starting to properly look for another job. 

If anybody knows of a decent Marketing/Comms job going out west, let me know. 

I've also started a new diet where I've given up soft drink, so all this has happened while I've had ridiculous withdrawal headaches. FML

Jess, I know your're having a shiitty day and I don't want to add to it but if you can do it don't take your pc to Apple...........watch this...

 

[thefairy]

14 minutes ago, sonar said:

The thing is that "ordinary" people who want a home to raise a family can't afford one house let alone how ever many these idiots have. 

Hahhha. That was my point. I struggle with paying and living in one let alone have 7. But I know I won't have alot of risk as those who invest in more property.

It is all about more risk and reward.

[CaptainJess]

@spectacular291 Yeah I pretty much came to the conclusion that soft drink was just a bunch of empty calories and a lot of extra sugar that I didn't need. It was something simple to cut out that would make a huge difference. I don't drink alcohol, so I've been sticking to water and small amounts of juice in moderation. 

I've also just been watching my portion sizes and trying to make healthier choices with snacks etc. Plus I've started walking everyday for an hour. Hopefully it helps.

@SomeGuy1977 No I don't have an android. Got an iPhone. I've got enough cash to last me until I get the card though. It's just going to be a pain to go and update all my details for various things like insurance, phone bills etc.

@sonar Don't worry. I've got my IT boyfriend coming with me for the technical stuff and I'm the one with the legal knowledge, so I'm not getting ripped off. In fact, I'm going to try and invoke my statutory warranty under consumer law. The laptop is only 4 years old. For nearly $2000, it should last longer than that. The repair costs should be covered by Apple.

I've already spoken to one of the Apple guys on the phone and he basically said that as soon as I got a diagnosis and cost to ring them back up and they can start the process for statutory warranty. I got the impression he didn't care about Apple much, so didn't worry if they were getting screwed. Most people wouldn't bother or have a clue about it, so would most likely just pay.

I'm going to see what they say. If it's something cheap to fix I will. If it's going to be major, then I might just buy a new non-Mac laptop and get the BF to do data recovery off the old one. 

[Prydzopolis]

3 hours ago, thefairy said:

Hahhha. That was my point. I struggle with paying and living in one let alone have 7. But I know I won't have alot of risk as those who invest in more property.

It is all about more risk and reward.

They are just hoping that the status quo continues, who knows what these people are going to do when things go pearshaped. There whole strategy focused on property, no diversification, highly leveraged and just have to hope that the property/Australian economy continues to push on ahead.

[Carns]

6 hours ago, CaptainJess said:

I will shortly have enough to put a deposit down on a modest apartment somewhere out this way. But these people have pushed prices up so much that finding something decent is difficult.

Not sure what type of apartment you're looking for Jess, but I would strongly advise against buying anything off the plan, or anything built within the last 5-10 years. The quality of modern apartment buildings is shockingly bad, very poor build quality. I'd highly recommend something a bit older if you're looking specifically at that (if possible).

Not all are bad, but the ones I've seen are usually pretty shite (and I've seen a few at different build stages as I do work for a few developers in my line of work). The mantra is build it as cheap and as quickly as possible, as they won't be the poor bastards living there.

[CaptainJess]

@Carns I was actually looking at something new so I could take advantage of the $10,000 FHOG. 

The problem is, if I don't have that, my options are limited even more in regards to what I can afford with the deposit I have. 

I'm doing my research and taking advice from people who know the market and real estate better than I do.

Ultimately I plan to live in it for a minimum of six months and then see what happens with my living/relationship status going forward. If I eventually move in somewhere else with the BF, then I will convert it to an investment property and just put whatever rent I get towards the mortgage. Hopefully I can keep it until it's paid off or increased in value and use it later on only if need be. Ultimately I would like to repay my parents for their support and maybe set-up my own kids for the future. 

[Carns]

34 minutes ago, CaptainJess said:

@Carns I was actually looking at something new so I could take advantage of the $10,000 FHOG. 

The problem is, if I don't have that, my options are limited even more in regards to what I can afford with the deposit I have. 

I'm doing my research and taking advice from people who know the market and real estate better than I do.

Ultimately I plan to live in it for a minimum of six months and then see what happens with my living/relationship status going forward. If I eventually move in somewhere else with the BF, then I will convert it to an investment property and just put whatever rent I get towards the mortgage. Hopefully I can keep it until it's paid off or increased in value and use it later on only if need be. Ultimately I would like to repay my parents for their support and maybe set-up my own kids for the future. 

I get it. Most people our age are in similar circumstances. BUT many of the current apartments are dramatically overpriced and have major construction issues. The number of buildings I have seen either a) falling apart after a few short years; or b) were poorly (and incorrectly) constructed to begin with; is staggering.

The regulation of these buildings barely exists and I see many court cases with disgruntled owners who feel they've been majorly ripped off by buying a dud.

The shitty thing is, most people are stuck with a dodgy apartment that is overpriced and can sometimes be difficult to sell.

Unfortunately, in Sydney, there is no simple answer to getting in to an over inflated (and relatively volatile) housing market. And, personally, I wouldn't take a small (relatively speaking) government incentive as the sole reason to buy an overpriced, poorly constructed lemon.

You should also be wary that the market for apartments could potentially drop in Sydney due to the glut in building them. Many housing experts have been predicting that the apartment market will (somewhat) fall through the floor in the next few years. People need to be wary so that they don't over capitalise.

I am fully aware of how shitty it is for young people to get into the market, I am also aware that we really need to be careful about the type of investment we make. It is the biggest financial investment of most peoples lives, after all.

[mack]

Also remember that NSW laws now only give a 2 year warranty for general defects. Only if a defect threatens the actual livability or could cause a collapse do you get 6 year test. 2 years is nothing with housing. Even 6 years isn't enough.

[thefairy]

Houses so expensive. Very hard to find a new house that is built to last and have good workmanship.

Apartments? The new ones are built by dodgy builders like what Carns said too many defects because 

1. They cut corners and do the minimum

2. Bad quality material.

3. Somethings don't even meet council guidelines, BCA or Australian standards. They push everything to the limit.

[thefairy]

My suggestion to you is find a house that built by a wog.

My house is built in the 50s by a maltese gamily and they built it like a bunker.

[JackDoff]

^^^^^^ What he said Capt J 

Maybe look in the Outer West starting at Seven Hills working out to Penrith . Older houses 50-60 yrs old , 3-4 Br , not the prettiest but decent sized yards n built like the proverbial brick shithouse . They still get $500 a week rent n you could slowly fix them up to your liking over time if your not moving in straight away. Good luck!     

 

[Carns]

1 hour ago, JackDoff said:

^^^^^^ What he said Capt J 

Maybe look in the Outer West starting at Seven Hills working out to Penrith . Older houses 50-60 yrs old , 3-4 Br , not the prettiest but decent sized yards n built like the proverbial brick shithouse . They still get $500 a week rent n you could slowly fix them up to your liking over time if your not moving in straight away. Good luck!    

I was in the housing market last year and was looking specifically for these types of properties. My partner and I literally looked at 65 different homes like this over a 6 month period (and put offers/bids on at least 10 different properties). We didn't end up buying one because we had a very strict budget and would not budge on it and always got outbid (the bank would actually lend us double what we were willing to spend, but it was the principle of the matter).

Our circumstances changed and we didn't end up going through with it, but there are plenty of fixer uppers out there where there is great value to be made. The market is still way overpriced though. I saw a place in Prospect that was sold in 2013 for $350-400k, that sold in 2016 for about $750k, which is absurd considering they'd done **** all to the house (polished the floor boards, a lick of paint and some minor external changes).

I see the fixer uppers as a better investment because you get land as well as the property. And the land value is worth more than the bricks and mortar. Each to their own though, some people don't have the means, understanding or motivation to buy a shitty place to fix up over time.

[Smoggy]

One major hurdle for me with Australia is getting past the fact that not all houses are made of brick, coming from the UK and especially the region I am from everything was either double brick or made from  the local solid old quarried stone and about a few meters thick lol A bit like the old fashioned sandstone places you see here and there that are the old heritage places here, well that is the normal in many areas of the UK......even the cheaper end terraces were made nice and solid.

Looking around the blue mountains over the last few months are revealed a whole hosts of non brick houses in a whole range of conditions lol There was one house we went to see where I am pretty sure if I fell against the wall that is the main wall that faces to the outside I am pretty certain I would have gone straight through it, or if you ran at it you would probably have run straight through and left a hole in the wall the same shape as you lol Many you wouldn't need to hire equipment to knock down, they are well on the way down already, but that is the end of the market we are looking at. Ok if you can afford to rebuild quickly, but we wouldn't be able to.

Hard for me though to go to a house viewing and the house not being brick......

[Carns]

I grew up in one of those old heritage buildings you refer to. Built in the 1860s on sandstone and the entire house double brick, so I felt a bit the same when I saw all the weatherboard houses in western Sydney. Fact is, most people couldn't afford the more expensive building materials.

It is still very much the case, build as cheap and as quick as possible, and damn the consequences.

[Smoggy]

1 minute ago, Carns said:

I grew up in one of those old heritage buildings you refer to. Built in the 1860s on sandstone and the entire house double brick, so I felt a bit the same when I saw all the weatherboard houses in western Sydney. Fact is, most people couldn't afford the more expensive building materials.

It is still very much the case, build as cheap and as quick as possible, and damn the consequences.

And I bet you didn't need air con in summer? My grandparents had a house like that in the UK, old and walls really thick and was bloody freezing all year round, even when the weather was hot....

[Carns]

1 minute ago, WSWBoro said:

And I bet you didn't need air con in summer? My grandparents had a house like that in the UK, old and walls really thick and was bloody freezing all year round, even when the weather was hot....

It's got 12 foot ceilings throughout, so it is easily a few degrees cooler in summer than outside (hot air rises and it stays cooler lower down). The problem with the double brick in summer is because of how harsh the Australian summer is, the heat gets trapped in the structure of the building and it remains warm well in to the night. A minor quibble though in the scheme of things.

[JackDoff]

Those heritage listed houses have got 1 thing modern houses will never have.....Character   

[Smoggy]

20 minutes ago, JackDoff said:

Those heritage listed houses have got 1 thing modern houses will never have.....Character   

I went to Tassie for a ride around a year or so ago and ended up in a place called Deloraine which is not far from Launceston, there was a house for sale for just over $500,000 that was an old heritage listed place built out of stone, one of the original houses of that area, stunning. If you can shift and get a decent job in those kinds of places and put up with the in breeding / limited gene pool in the local community then the opportunities are there.

[Carns]

6 minutes ago, WSWBoro said:

I went to Tassie for a ride around a year or so ago and ended up in a place called Deloraine which is not far from Launceston, there was a house for sale for just over $500,000 that was an old heritage listed place built out of stone, one of the original houses of that area, stunning. If you can shift and get a decent job in those kinds of places and put up with the in breeding / limited gene pool in the local community then the opportunities are there.

It's ******* cold too, but I guess you'd be used to that.

[Smoggy]

31 minutes ago, Carns said:

It's ******* cold too, but I guess you'd be used to that.

If I lived there I would have to buy a gun....to keep the mutants from the door......it was a bit like a sophisticated version of Gosford. 

[thefairy]

The Cove waving Captian Cook flags.

They need to be banned. Very offensive to the first Australians. 

I expect FFA to fine esfc club if I ever see any depiction of Captian Cook flying at the coves end. It is racist.

[Taurus]

Wife & I are separating after 25+ years playing happy familys & our residence will be auctioned on Saturday.

I dislike RE agents & the process in general.

I will need a drink when all is said & done   

[wendybr]

19 minutes ago, Taurus said:

Wife & I are separating after 25+ years playing happy familys & our residence will be auctioned on Saturday.

I dislike RE agents & the process in general.

I will need a drink when all is said & done   

None of that can be at all easy. You take care of yourself while all that is unfolding, Taurus.  

[thefairy]

7 hours ago, Taurus said:

Wife & I are separating after 25+ years playing happy familys & our residence will be auctioned on Saturday.

I dislike RE agents & the process in general.

I will need a drink when all is said & done   

So sorry to hear mate. I will buy you couple if I was there mate.

[Smoggy]

9 hours ago, Taurus said:

Wife & I are separating after 25+ years playing happy familys & our residence will be auctioned on Saturday.

I dislike RE agents & the process in general.

I will need a drink when all is said & done   

Sorry to hear that Taurus, take it easy mate.

[Prydzopolis]

Very sad to hear Taurus  

Real estate agents, I have had really bad experiences with them in the past. Both with my partner renting and when we were looking. They only cared about there commission at the end of the day and horrible people to deal with. So friendly upfront but once they can't get money out of you or they have there commission, they drop off the face of the earth.

You have my details, when I'm back in September feel free to call if you need a drinking buddy mate

 

[Taurus]

Don't stress peoples, I'm not.

 

[Carns]

On 8/21/2017 at 6:03 PM, thefairy said:

You give people an inch they take a mile.

Another article I'm sure you'll like...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-23/espns-robert-lee-taken-off-virginia-game-because-of-name/8835552

[Legionista]

Ridiculous isn't it Carns?

[Carns]

Yep.

I see the reasoning behind it, considering the absolute shitfight that has resulted. Even ESPN acknowledge it is stupid.