Quote from: Pakuni on September 05, 2024, 10:20:29 PM
Seems I struck a nerve.
Huh.

THEY are sensitive.

Quote from: Pakuni on September 05, 2024, 10:20:29 PM
Seems I struck a nerve.
Huh.

I think we've all resolved some issues this evening. Lol.

Quote from: Jay Bee on September 05, 2024, 10:22:02 PM
THEY are sensitive.

Still insecure.

Quote from: rocky_warrior on September 05, 2024, 10:34:03 PM
Still insecure.

Not at all. The FBI shall protect me!

Quote from: Jay Bee on September 05, 2024, 10:44:15 PM
Not at all. The FBI shall protect me!

Indeed. They will.

Quote from: Pakuni on September 05, 2024, 10:13:28 PM
Today's reminder that HOAs suck.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, David Martin took a water cooler and placed it on his driveway in front of his Goodyear, Ariz., home. He filled the cooler with water bottles and ice and told anyone who passed by to take one.

It was just a small gesture to help his neighbors during a hard time, Martin told The Washington Post. He decided to keep it going, and the cooler, with Martin's offer of free chilled water, has sat outside his garage ever since. His neighbors have gratefully obliged. So have delivery drivers, dog walkers and passersby playing basketball at a park near his house, especially this summer as southern Arizona scorches under a record-breaking heat wave.

The only objection, Martin was stunned to discover, came from his homeowners association.
]In April, Martin's HOA began fining him and his wife for violating an association rule to store items out of view, according to Martin and letters Martin shared with The Post. It increased to hundreds of dollars in the following months. The group, whose complaints were first reported by AZFamily, threatens to continue fining Martin until he removes his water cooler, he said. He refuses to pay.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/beat-heat-arizona-man-offers-135053920.html

Assume Rocket is the head of this HOA

Solid but not spectacular jobs report this morning pretty much confirms a Fed cut later this month, which eventually should push down already-falling mortgage rates. A .50 cut would really help the housing market, but .25 appears to be more likely.

Climate Change Should Make You Rethink Homeownership

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/29/opinion/renting-owning-climate-change.html?

As the Southeast begins to recover from back-to-back hurricanes, potential home buyers across the country should take notice of the billions of dollars in property damage from the storms, some of it uninsured. The tremendous loss in places such as Swannanoa, N.C., and Keaton Beach, Fla., shows that homeownership in a world of growing disaster risk is less of an asset than it once was.

Homeownership is not simply a financial decision, but also a deeply emotional one. It's core to the American dream, representing financial permanence and a sense of stability for young and old families alike. But climate change is likely making homeownership more expensive and less predictable in large swaths of the country, and it's only getting worse.

As insurance premiums and property taxes rise, and future home values grow more uncertain, it's time for some prospective buyers set on living in areas with high risk of hurricanes, floods, wildfires and tornadoes to reconsider homeownership as a financial goal. Renting is quickly becoming a better way for many people to enjoy these places with much less financial baggage.

One of the biggest reasons homeownership is not what it used to be is the turmoil in property insurance markets. According to a recent report by Intercontinental Exchange Inc., a data and technology firm, the average property insurance payment for a mortgaged single family home has increased by 52 percent around the country since 2019.

My research with Philip Mulder at the University of Wisconsin- Madison shows a sharp increase in property insurance in the most disaster-prone parts of the country. In Florida, for example, average premiums have increased by $1,450 between 2020 and 2023. In essence, the insurance industry has decided that the risk of living in certain areas is now greater than it was previously.

For many wealthier homeowners, paying more in insurance premiums isn't a deal breaker. Other homeowners may adjust to growing insurance costs by bearing more of the risk themselves: raising their deductibles, reducing their coverage or dropping insurance policies altogether. But without coverage, families will face crushing losses in the event of a disaster.

A second cost borne by homeowners in a warming world is higher property taxes in part because towns and cities must pay for resiliency and repair efforts. Those taxes have increased on average by 18 percent for single family homes since 2019, Intercontinental Exchange Inc. found, and growth has been stronger in areas more prone to climate risk. If communities want to protect themselves against future disaster risks, the cost of large infrastructure investments — like sea walls or improved storm water drainage — are going to be felt by local taxpayers.

These two costs, insurance and property taxes, usually adjust on an annual basis, so they can change quickly, and uncertainty about them is making it harder to budget for the expected costs of homeownership. Historically, buying a house with cash or a fixed-rate mortgage was thought to broadly lock in housing expenses. This is no longer true, with important consequences for retirees on a fixed income or low-income home buyers looking for predictability.

There is also greater uncertainty around the value of the house itself. To date, we've seen little evidence that house prices truly capture the cost of climate change. But the prices of houses in places with growing climate risk should reflect that risk, and eventually decline. That means some homes won't end up being the good investments they now appear to be.

All of those issues with owning are making renting a safer, lower-risk option for many people who want to avoid those costs, maintain flexibility and put their wealth in assets that aren't exposed to weather risk. While landlords still have to take on the risk, they may have more resources for and experience shopping for insurance, giving them better coverage in the long run.

There are very real downsides to renting. Renters may find themselves needing to move if the property is destroyed, unsafe or redeveloped, or if rent increases are too high. Landlords may not maintain the property well, or they may be slow to invest in ways to make it more resilient to extreme weather. In some rental markets, landlords may pass along much of these costs of climate change to their tenants. Many households have also enjoyed the freedom and stability of homeownership for years and don't want to go back to dealing with a landlord.

But at a minimum, the choice between renting and owning should be made with clear information about risks.

Quote from: MU82 on October 29, 2024, 10:40:48 AM
Climate Change Should Make You Rethink Homeownership

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/29/opinion/renting-owning-climate-change.html?

As the Southeast begins to recover from back-to-back hurricanes, potential home buyers across the country should take notice of the billions of dollars in property damage from the storms, some of it uninsured. The tremendous loss in places such as Swannanoa, N.C., and Keaton Beach, Fla., shows that homeownership in a world of growing disaster risk is less of an asset than it once was.

Homeownership is not simply a financial decision, but also a deeply emotional one. It's core to the American dream, representing financial permanence and a sense of stability for young and old families alike. But climate change is likely making homeownership more expensive and less predictable in large swaths of the country, and it's only getting worse.

As insurance premiums and property taxes rise, and future home values grow more uncertain, it's time for some prospective buyers set on living in areas with high risk of hurricanes, floods, wildfires and tornadoes to reconsider homeownership as a financial goal. Renting is quickly becoming a better way for many people to enjoy these places with much less financial baggage.

One of the biggest reasons homeownership is not what it used to be is the turmoil in property insurance markets. According to a recent report by Intercontinental Exchange Inc., a data and technology firm, the average property insurance payment for a mortgaged single family home has increased by 52 percent around the country since 2019.

My research with Philip Mulder at the University of Wisconsin- Madison shows a sharp increase in property insurance in the most disaster-prone parts of the country. In Florida, for example, average premiums have increased by $1,450 between 2020 and 2023. In essence, the insurance industry has decided that the risk of living in certain areas is now greater than it was previously.

For many wealthier homeowners, paying more in insurance premiums isn't a deal breaker. Other homeowners may adjust to growing insurance costs by bearing more of the risk themselves: raising their deductibles, reducing their coverage or dropping insurance policies altogether. But without coverage, families will face crushing losses in the event of a disaster.

A second cost borne by homeowners in a warming world is higher property taxes in part because towns and cities must pay for resiliency and repair efforts. Those taxes have increased on average by 18 percent for single family homes since 2019, Intercontinental Exchange Inc. found, and growth has been stronger in areas more prone to climate risk. If communities want to protect themselves against future disaster risks, the cost of large infrastructure investments — like sea walls or improved storm water drainage — are going to be felt by local taxpayers.

These two costs, insurance and property taxes, usually adjust on an annual basis, so they can change quickly, and uncertainty about them is making it harder to budget for the expected costs of homeownership. Historically, buying a house with cash or a fixed-rate mortgage was thought to broadly lock in housing expenses. This is no longer true, with important consequences for retirees on a fixed income or low-income home buyers looking for predictability.

There is also greater uncertainty around the value of the house itself. To date, we've seen little evidence that house prices truly capture the cost of climate change. But the prices of houses in places with growing climate risk should reflect that risk, and eventually decline. That means some homes won't end up being the good investments they now appear to be.

All of those issues with owning are making renting a safer, lower-risk option for many people who want to avoid those costs, maintain flexibility and put their wealth in assets that aren't exposed to weather risk. While landlords still have to take on the risk, they may have more resources for and experience shopping for insurance, giving them better coverage in the long run.

There are very real downsides to renting. Renters may find themselves needing to move if the property is destroyed, unsafe or redeveloped, or if rent increases are too high. Landlords may not maintain the property well, or they may be slow to invest in ways to make it more resilient to extreme weather. In some rental markets, landlords may pass along much of these costs of climate change to their tenants. Many households have also enjoyed the freedom and stability of homeownership for years and don't want to go back to dealing with a landlord.

But at a minimum, the choice between renting and owning should be made with clear information about risks.

Bottom line?  Give Florida back to Spain

If sea levels rise you can just sell your house

Wat about global warming tho

    "Climate Change Should Make You Rethink Homeownership" ??

well, yeah, the climate changes...it changes roughly 3 or 4 times a year up here.  not so much in southwest, maybe 2 times.  if you want to include day to day stuff, then it changes A LOT there have bee hurricanes, cyclones, blizzards, earthquakes since the mesozoic era sometimes more, sometimes less.  people build, buy homes that were under water thousands of years ago.  the more populated an area gets, the more potential for devastation and the more expensive it becomes for insurance companies. 

this climate blah blah didn't seem to prevent many notable global warming nuts to build/buy gazillion $$ castles on coastlines


 

oh, i know, 8.5 out of 10 in 3...2...1...

Quote from: rocket surgeon on October 29, 2024, 04:50:58 PM
    "Climate Change Should Make You Rethink Homeownership" ??

well, yeah, the climate changes...it changes roughly 3 or 4 times a year up here.  not so much in southwest, maybe 2 times.  if you want to include day to day stuff, then it changes A LOT there have bee hurricanes, cyclones, blizzards, earthquakes since the mesozoic era sometimes more, sometimes less.  people build, buy homes that were under water thousands of years ago.  the more populated an area gets, the more potential for devastation and the more expensive it becomes for insurance companies. 

this climate blah blah didn't seem to prevent many notable global warming nuts to build/buy gazillion $$ castles on coastlines

8 out of 10

Another banner post for the Marquette Dental School to use on their website

Quote from: Uncle Rico on October 29, 2024, 04:57:10 PM
8 out of 10

Another banner post for the Marquette Dental School to use on their website

  6 minutes-must be a busy day for the gate keeper

Quote from: rocket surgeon on October 29, 2024, 04:50:58 PM
    "Climate Change Should Make You Rethink Homeownership" ??

well, yeah, the climate changes...it changes roughly 3 or 4 times a year up here.  not so much in southwest, maybe 2 times.  if you want to include day to day stuff, then it changes A LOT there have bee hurricanes, cyclones, blizzards, earthquakes since the mesozoic era sometimes more, sometimes less.  people build, buy homes that were under water thousands of years ago.  the more populated an area gets, the more potential for devastation and the more expensive it becomes for insurance companies. 

this climate blah blah didn't seem to prevent many notable global warming nuts to build/buy gazillion $$ castles on coastlines

Enjoying your 79 degree weather at 5 PM on 10/29 up in Wisconsin today?

Quote from: wadesworld on October 29, 2024, 04:59:36 PM
Enjoying your 79 degree weather at 5 PM on 10/29 up in Wisconsin today?

No, he's looking for that ivermectin report he promised

Quote from: rocket surgeon on October 29, 2024, 04:50:58 PM
    "Climate Change Should Make You Rethink Homeownership" ??

well, yeah, the climate changes...it changes roughly 3 or 4 times a year up here.  not so much in southwest, maybe 2 times.  if you want to include day to day stuff, then it changes A LOT there have bee hurricanes, cyclones, blizzards, earthquakes since the mesozoic era sometimes more, sometimes less.  people build, buy homes that were under water thousands of years ago.  the more populated an area gets, the more potential for devastation and the more expensive it becomes for insurance companies. 

this climate blah blah didn't seem to prevent many notable global warming nuts to build/buy gazillion $$ castles on coastlines

Please tell the Florida governor to stop asking for federal bailouts after climate blah blahs. Thanks!

Quote from: MU82 on October 29, 2024, 09:28:01 PMPlease tell the Florida governor to stop asking for federal bailouts after climate blah blahs. Thanks!

Florida is too busy setting up a Florida insurance plan of last resort for homeowners and businesses. Sounds like a great solution. Cheaper than private insurance or where private insurance seems the risk too high to insure. They don't trust market forces.

Albeit, it's an underfunded plan in the event of a major event such as a 5 or a a couple of 4's in populated areas.

So then the rest of us can bail them out when the scheme collapses.

Same old. Just go ahead and write a check to them now.

Can't trust market forces that deem risks too high and that the build rebuild schemes need to change.

Full disclosure: I live on a barrier island about 1/4 mile west of the Atlantic Ocean in Indian River County. We've dodged a couple of Cat 5s since we first bought here a decade ago. Our island was clobbered by EF3 tornados when the outer bands of Milton came ashore a couple of weeks ago.

That said, I'll give Florida credit. Our power was largely on a couple days after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Our state moved quickly to repair hurricane damage. If you look closely, our power poles are largely concrete rather than wood and our infrastructure really is battle hardened. While it wasn't fast enough for some, we did very well. It's because we pay into hurricane recovery trusts with our power bills and our sales taxes here. And, our state learns from our experience. We aren't Louisiana.

Yes, our governor (love him or hate him) asked for help from the federal government. In our state's planning run-up to the hurricane, we had to. There are certain functions, ports for example, where the Corps of Engineers has jurisdiction and the state can't do anything without the Corps' approval. One of the more interesting moments was when our governor, in a pre-Milton press conference, talked about getting the Port of Tampa back online if the hurricane hit Tampa. The Corps reportedly told him, "it will take a couple of weeks." Our shocked governor simply told the Corps, "that's not the Florida way!"

When we had gasoline shortages in the run-up to Milton, our state created ad hoc fueling stations and we GAVE folks who needed it 10 gallons of gasoline. Our largest grocer, Publix, routinely rushes emergency water, food and other supplies to hard hit areas immediately after hurricanes. The first two things most people see after a hurricane hits are Florida Power and Publix trucks.

Yes, FEMA is here. Their focus largely is on low- and moderate-income folks who need help rebuilding and didn't have insurance.

For our state, hurricane recovery is like snow plowing for Chicago. Botch it and you end up being the Swamps version of Michael Bilandic.

Our insurance rates here are obscene. But that and many HOAs are the cost of living here. Just like ridiculous housing prices and earthquakes are the cost of living in coastal California. Every part of the country has its pluses and minuses.

Florida sucks.

Quote from: dgies9156 on October 30, 2024, 08:18:33 AMhelp from the federal government

Welfare state.

Quote from: 🏀 on October 30, 2024, 09:06:11 AMWelfare state.

This is a common misconception created by Midwestern and Northeastern states who measure total federal dollars collected versus spent.

Much of our federal largess comes from defense. We have Naval Air Stations in Jacksonville and Pensacola, Eglin Air Force Base near Panama City and U.S. Central Command at McDill Air Force Base in Tampa. We also have the space center in Cape Canaveral and a SFB in Rockledge.

One should put military installations where they're best positioned to defend the country in the event of attack. We have an enemy in Cuba who once upon a time housed ballistic missiles and recently housed a Russian submarine base. And, if we don't shoot rockets over the Atlantic in good quality weather (most of the time), where would you shoot them. The most logical place is Texas, which I suspect you'd find equally objectionable.

Look, Florida isn't perfect. But we're not a welfare state either.

Quote from: wadesworld on October 29, 2024, 04:59:36 PMEnjoying your 79 degree weather at 5 PM on 10/29 up in Wisconsin today?

actually no, i'm down in Az enjoying 90+ last thursday thru monday, tuesday it climate changed down to mid-high 70's into 80's mid afternoon.  today, the climate changed down to high 40's early morning and now will probably get into mid 70's slight breeze, but in direct sun it feels pretty warm.  must have been a lot of diesel burning and heavy breathing all that CO2 fluctuating 

Quote from: rocket surgeon on October 30, 2024, 11:13:17 AMactually no, i'm down in Az enjoying 90+ last thursday thru monday, tuesday it climate changed down to mid-high 70's into 80's mid afternoon.  today, the climate changed down to high 40's early morning and now will probably get into mid 70's slight breeze, but in direct sun it feels pretty warm.  must have been a lot of diesel burning and heavy breathing all that CO2 fluctuating 

Did you find time to get us that Ivermectin study you promised, medical professional?