I'll miss you, but it sounds like it's for the best.
Happy house hunting.
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I'll miss you, but it sounds like it's for the best.
Happy house hunting.
Thanks, Oak, I'll miss you too. Although I may be here for one more snowbird season.
Good luck, and it sounds like it is really for the best. May it go smoothly!
I thought of you often this past week, Pax. I just returned from my first-ever visit to Cape Cod which was wonderful except that I am apparently allergic to it! It started with mild asthma symptoms my first night there, then developed into non-stop nasal congestion, sneezing and lots of coughing. Also I had a few hives. We left yesterday and my head cleared by the time we reached Connecticut. I'm still coughing a bit, as the histamines are still calming down.
I have no idea what I reacted to -- some kind of pollen, but don't know what. Pollen.com said grass and sorrel/dock were predominant. I don't usually have problems with grass but maybe there's a different variety up there. The worst days were at the beginning of the trip when it was windy. The best were when I was on a boat, visiting Martha's Vineyard one day and taking a canal cruise on another.
I'm already taking 2x the usual dose of Zyrtec plus Zantac every day for the chronic hives. I was going to try adding Flonase but the pharmacist recommended against it because I recently switched to Flovent for my daily inhaler and it uses the same active ingredient. So I took a decongestant instead and used albuterol on and off.
I've never had an allergic asthma reaction like that before, nor have I had such a strong reaction to any pollen. I just kept thinking, I could never live here. Or visit again in the spring or early summer. I'm so tired of coughing!
I hope your move back to Illinois goes well!
I am sorry you had that, NY. Even though I spent every summer of my life at the Cape, until I was 17, I have noticed that in the past 5 years or so, I get the achy, allergy symptoms when I am there. It's happened enough to make me think it's the mold. I mostly notice it when I go there and ride, which makes sense, as under normal everyday activity levels, I am not breathing in that crap in the same way. I don't notice it if I go to the beach for the day. Last summer, I spent 3 days at a friends' house in Orleans. I was ok hiking in the dunes on a dry day, but when we rode the next morning in pea soup humidity, I could barely breathe or move.
So sorry I missed your post, NY, that just stinks, hope you're feeling better now.
We had wrath of god wind and rain yesterday, it must've stirred something up because I'm tight and gasping again today. Must say, it's getting really tiresome. So glad we have a trip home to IL planned in a couple of weeks.
Hey Pax, there's no chance you could have mold in your home, is there? Just thinking that mold-induced illness can present as asthma and other respiratory issues, and in Florida, mold is a real possibility. Who knows what's hidden behind the walls and vents, sometimes. Are your symptoms worse indoors or out? Just a thought....
Emily, I expect there's mold in the walls here, and from what I've gathered from talking to my doc and even the HVAC guy, that is the norm rather than the exception. Not out of control black mold, just run of the mill household mold from condensation caused by the AC running nine months out of the year. I breathe best when I'm at the icebox (work), they keep it very cold and it's a newer building with better filtration.
Did you consider getting HEPA room filter? It may help collect pollen and spores floating in the room. Here https://smile.amazon.com/Honeywell-1...om+HEPA+filter
We have two of these. they are bit noisy at the high speed.
Hi SC! We do have one, got it about a month after this started, I credit it with my ability to sleep several hours in a row without waking up gasping.
We go home next weekend (the 17th), seems like options will be much clearer after that. Since the inhalers that are allowing me to breathe are causing my skin to break down (skin tears, small wounds that won't heal), we're now planning for sooner rather than later.
I hate to hear that your inhalers are making you sicker! But, at least you can be focused when you go to Chicago next week. Hope the trip goes well.
Crankin - I knew it could happen, especially at the dosage levels I'm on, but it is certainly annoying. I enjoy the breathing part, but the open sores become disconcerting, after a time, when they refuse to heal.
I'm hoping we walk into the condo we're looking at and fall in love. It would be the easiest way to make the move and let us get thins show on the road!
So sorry you've such a reaction to the inhalers Pax :(
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Thanks, Catrin. It is such a strange thing, the thing that makes life tolerable, also makes it harder. I guess I'm lucky to live in an age where out of control asthma is moderately fixable, even if the cost is a bit extreme.
Man, Pax, that really stinks. As if the asthma weren't bad enough! I hope the trip to Illinois is a very successful one and the condo rocks!
Hang in there, Pax. Enjoy your trip and good luck with the condo.
Update:
Just got back to FL from our trip home to Illinois, we looked at some apartments and condos that had me mentally screaming "NO WAY IN HELL!!". I mean who puts their place on the market and leaves it so filthy that prospective buyers are afraid to touch the light switch or counter??
So, we rented our old apartment (exact same unit) in the upscale fancier place... it costs a little more but I guess I've become snobby in my older age, I don't want to live in a dump. We'll be moving back to IL by the end of August.
We're going to rent for the first year while our FL condo sells and then make some decisions about a more permanent place. And after owning a condo for the last two years we're putting freestanding houses back on the list of possibles, the drama here is a bit over the top, I'd prefer not to deal with it again.
Good decision, Pax. Congrats!
That's wild that you're going to be in your same apartment! I agree, I'd rather pay more for something a little nicer. I'm too old to live in a total dump.
I also get your idea about possibly going for a single-family home instead of a condo this time around. After living in and/or renting several condos over the past few years, we've pretty much come to the conclusion that we are not condo people. It would take a very special place to get us to try again: no one over top of us and an end unit townhouse would be probably the only way we'd even consider it.
Thanks, Crankin.
Thats where we're at, Emily. Condos are fine if the involved parties have the same basic viewpoint regarding money and behavior, but so far we're finding that to be rather rare. No, I don't think it's a good idea to spend tens of thousands of our reserves on boat docks used by 15 of 75 units, no I'm not thrilled with people giving out their pool and clubhouse keys to local "friends and family" numbering in the 100's to use the facilities night and day. Mostly I think we should all be polite and respectful, keep an eye on "our" property and help out our elderly neighbors... these points we seem to differ on. *sigh*
As someone who qualifies for the category I can type this, Have you looked at 55 and older neighborhoods :)~ We don't live in one but we do live above our bike shop in a small retail/residential area so am extremely spoiled.
I would definitely look at one if they existed in our town, I like little kids but prefer not to live amongst them. There are areas that appeal to retirees so we'll look there.
I think it's cool that you're getting back into your old place. Wishing you the best as you consider what might come next. Personally I've never owned, and at this stage in my life I don't see that happening, but I can certainly see the attraction. The next time I move it may well be to a complex that caters to the >55 crowd, I'm certainly there. I find that I appreciate the quiet much more than I once did, though where I currently live is quiet 99% of the time.
We keep looking at the math, trying to decide if we want to bother buying. In our market it's a wash monthly cost wise between owning and renting. The two differing points come from a) in 20 years you'll have good equity, and b) in 20 years you won't have paid a cent for maintenance. So we go back and forth.
Financially, buying a condo was not a good decision for me. I didn't realize it when I bought 12 years ago but it was a terrible time for me to buy a place. It was such a seller's market, I ended up with a real fixer-upper because I was outbid on everything else. If I'd known how much it was going to cost to renovate I think I would have continued to rent, at least for a few years if not longer. If I tried to sell it now I would end up getting the same price I paid back then. I don't even have all that much equity, due to having to refinance with an FHA loan and mortgage insurance to get rid of the original adjustable rate mortgage.
However there are other reasons why I like owning my place instead of renting. And around here rents do seem to increase significantly from year to year, so maybe owning a fixer-upper is not the worst investment.
It's just a complicated decision.
As for retirement communities, I think I would at least consider living in one at some point. But yes it would have to be quiet -- solidly built like the pre-war apartments where I lived in NY and Chicago (she types after turning up the TV volume to the max to drown out the clomp-clomp-clomp of the elephant upstairs...).
In my opinion, it's always better to buy, unless you are buying something that is going to require a lot of repairs that can break the bank. And sometimes, you never know what is going to come up, with home ownership. Personally, although I live in a very small, cut-de-sac townhouse development, I don't like having to see my neighbors come and go, knowing their daily routines, etc. I know, it's weird, but after 25 years of living in somewhat secluded neighborhoods, it is different. It's not noisy at all and everyone behaves, but I haven't lived this close to neighbors since I left AZ in 1990. I guess that's why all the houses there have block walls around the backyards. I truly only knew the people on either side of me.
I do know a good close friend in her late 70's, who sold her condo about 15 years ago. She's had to move into an apartment about 5 years ago that's cheaper rent and she likes less because she's running out of money... She has been single for most of her life..in so far she never owned real estate jointly with anyone else.
I live in a building that has had children..no more than 1-2 small children since the units are smaller. Probably less than 5 families out of 30 units. So the bldg. itself is reasonably quiet. But then there's only 3 units per floor ...so all I have to "worry" about is upstairs which is very rare that there's much noise.
We watched our 75 year old neighbor get tossed out of the condo she was renting. The owner died and her son put it on the market as fast as he could, so here she is, 75, living on social security, and trying to find an affordable place (subsidized senior places are very rare here). She can't afford to move back to NY, and her daughter is a poor single mom, she can't move in with her because of the subsidy her daughter gets... she is in a terrible spot. She's hoping to find a roommate situation.
That's the sort of thing that gives me pause, we have money now so perhaps owning would keep the wolf from the door as we age. A paid for place and some money in the bank could go a long way towards peace of mind.
I've rented condos twice and there are definitely aspects of it that I prefer to regular rental apartments. But yes there is always the risk that the owner will want you gone so they can sell. I got the feeling that the last renter of the place above mine had to leave before she wanted, because the place was put on the market just after she left.
I think you're generally right about keeping the wolf from the door. Owning a place seems to give more control over expenses. Of course there will be some things that need to be fixed or replaced, and property taxes can be very high in some areas. But the mortgage doesn't increase like rent does, if you have a fixed rate mortgage.
To Crankin's point, I know when my neighbors come and go and have a general sense of their schedules -- who leaves early for work and when then they typically get home. I know where they're from or where they went to school, from seeing their license plates and car decals. And I see who has dogs and who gets visits from kids who are probably nephews. But I don't know them personally, don't even know what a few of them look like. (I wish I knew which ones are breaking condo policy by putting out garbage at night, because it's getting out of hand. But I digress.)
I can see the benefits of living in a secluded area but I think I would be creaped out at night any time I heard a strange noise.
NY, fortunately for us, home (Central IL where the University of Illinois is) is super affordable, you can still buy a nice home in the $95,000 to $110,000 range, and a newer fancier home in the $135,000 to $165,000 range. We'll be able to pay cash for a place once the FL condo sells; I'd rather have a big fat bank account, but watching it dwindle as we age, and being at the mercy of a landlord's whims doesn't appeal much.
That is really cheap for nice housing....
Flyover states (outside of big cities) have some seriously affordable housing. Best kept secret of the Midwest; here it's a combo of a college town and very hard winters, equals a lot of movement in and out of town; tends to keep prices down.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crankin
I actually don't quite understand a profound desire to live in a secluded/isolated area (ie. single detached home) as one becomes a lot older. ie. living far from people. Unless you make sure you have a dog /security system. It does help to have general distant idea of your neighbours.Quote:
Originally Posted by ny biker
I had an employee whose elderly father suffered brain damage after he was beaten by an intruder in his single detached home. The dog prevented further injury... by barking at the intruder..
My partner's daughter's dog also stopped a thief who broke into her apartment suite...
I think that depends where you live. I live in the middle of nowhere and I prefer it that way. I have a clear view of the mountains from my back deck and no noise from the neighbors who are very far away. I live quite a way down a dirt road up a 17% grade hill. People have to be here as a destination. It's also a dead end. Thieves etc don't seem to like dead end roads -- there's only one way out. I feel completely safe here. I don't feel safe at any time of day or night in the city. It's all what you are used to I guess.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shootingstar
I wouldn't call where my last house was as isolated. Just a street on a huge hill (which thieves ignore), with houses on 2 acre lots of woods. I could see the houses of both my neighbors, but I was not close. The house before was in a typical cul de sac newer home neighborhood. The lots were also 1.5 to 2 acres, but mostly lawn and not as big as my last house. It was in a more rural suburb than Concord, but neither of these places qualify as isolated or "country" to me. I don't worry about intruders, etc., maybe because the crime rate is low here. Some think it's weird, because there's a medium security prison in my town, but, it's like part of the fabric of life here, it's on the highway, and has been here since the 1800s. There's also a minimum security prison, here, a farm, where prisoners are trained in various trades. This is right behind the hill and conservation trails of my former neighborhood. We could hear the softball games in the prison yard in the summer. Only once do I remember someone breaking out, and they did not run up the hill to escape... so, what Shooting Star mentions is not even in my thoughts in thinking about where I will live as I age. I certainly don't want to live someplace really rural, as we enjoy the amenities of small town life, with being able to walk to restaurants, shops, etc.
But the prices that Pax mentions, well, the last time I saw that was when we sold our house in Tempe, AZ, in 1990. I don't think there is anywhere in MA where you can buy for 95K.
Crankin - my cousins in and around Boston tried to convince my brother and I to move out there for years, but most of them had to move to NH or other far out destination to be able to afford a house. The old family home in Melrose sold for 500k, same house in IL probably 150k. The first house we bough was in 2000 and it was $64,500; however, I think we earn less than people on the coast do? For example, a Masters level therapist in an agency would make mid 50's and in private practice with a full four day client load would make mid 70's.
Well, generally salaries here are higher in all fields, but what you quoted is different for master's level therapists. First of all, very few clinic/agency jobs are full time salary; they are fee for service jobs at a very low rate of reimbursement. What happened is that we all basically get paid close to the Mass Health rate of reimbursement, since we've had health care for all, starting in 2002. This is way lower than private insurance reimburses. So, a full time 4 day clinician would make a bit less less than 50K. However, private practitioner salaries are way more than 70K, partly because most of them don't even accept insurance, charge between 150 and 300 per session, with some sliding scales. There are enough people here who can pay this and don't want any "record" of seeing a mental health practitioner. I have struggled with this idea. I am too lazy to apply for insurance panels and do the business aspect of a practice. I also feel a little conflicted about charging that much money, kind of unethical. But, everyone does it. There are group practices where I could earn 80-90 per hour and still have someone to do the business work, but for right now, I am sticking with the clinic, as I have a wide variety of people. I did make more money as a teacher, than in AZ, though. It was more that the upper end of the salary scale was much higher. We also had a professional work day, i.e. we didn't have to stay at school after the kids left, which for me, was good, as I got there super early to do my planning. It was just more professional, overall.
Sorry to read all of this!
I have something to say about the asthma. I have a friend who relocated in another city and he started to have asthma problems but when he comes back - everything is ok. I really haven't studied or something what are the pollution level in Florida's air but would advise you to relocate yourself or at least surely go back in your hometown! :( There is nothing worse than not being able to breathe so I wish you with all of my heart fast recovery!