Housing Prices and Taxes

Recently, i've been seeing the woe is me Millennials complaining that their future was stolen, and other generations had it so much easier. True, the US has declined, and opportunities are more limited than they used to be (wait for what is coming, yes it does get worse).

They will say stuff like: the same house you bought for $100K now costs $400K. On the surface, that is true - but that is the wrong way to look at it.

A person bought a house (let's say in 1987) with a 5% 25-year mortgage (the mortgage rate in 1987 was more like 9+%). Straight inflation alone of December 1987 price would put it at $264,896.88 (yes, the US dollar lost more than 63% of its purchasing power since 1987). Once you figure out that they spent 169+K on the mortgage, the prices look a little different. Then you take into account property tax, selling fees, and the gain is less. It is not reselling a $100K house, it is selling a $200+K house (w/at least $264K value). But why is it selling for $400K? See below for some potential reasons.

So why has real estate "gone up in price"? 

Just Saying 6 - or something

 

Welcome the newest addition to my Just Saying family - Himeji Castle. This was a b-day present for myself. Apparently, this is a castle in Japan (also known as Castle of the White Heron), i never heard of it before the LEGO Architecture set was leaked. The structure itself is kind of a cool complex on about 400 acres. Apparently, this is just one section (the keep).

Overall, a decent, if a little bit expensive, set. There are 2125 pieces (including extras, and 150+ are just for the trees). It is about the size of the Giza Pyramid, but feels like a more solid base. Note: there is only the option of 1flowering cherry tree (the pink one). This took me about 6 hours. Yes, i did make a few mistakes, that i didn't correct - and i might be missing 1 piece (a purple 1x1 tile).

Yet Another $1B+ Lottery Jackpot

 The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an absurd $1.25 billion. Yet another post about how when i win "i'm going to try and take over the world" (not really, most of the world would be useless to me). Is it time to crank that Calloway song again ("I Wanna Be Rich")?

A $1.25 billion early birthday present would be nice. Who is anybody kidding, i (and most people) would take the $625 million cash option. i assume nobody will win until Tuesday but might as well buy the dream for a couple of days.

i still wish the price of a ticket and odds would be halved.

Why am i buying a lottery ticket when there is a very real chance of a coming financial crisis?  i'm kind of betting against my expectations. But, winning would be cool. i'm sure if i did actually win it would be like my spirit cartoon character Wile E. Coyote catching the Road Runner. Congratulations, you won the lottery - now what (winning could create different kinds of problems). Either that or it would turn out Alanis Morisette "Ironic". 

102 Days Until Halloween

Assuming the world exists (or at least my "world"), Halloween will be coming in 102 more days. Still way too far away.

i like Fall. i like Winter. Summer is an abomination that i cannot stand. There is no benefit to the miserable season known as summer. Once you get out of school, summer has no positives. It is too hot, too sunny. too bright (i hate natural sunlight), and too miserable.

Bring back good weather - cool, overcast and drizzly/rainy. 

Well, it's a $1 Billion jackpot... again.

It is that time again when the multi-state lottery jackpot goes up to $1 Billion again (last time around January 13th, 2023, a Mega Millions ticket on Friday the 13th). Mega Millions isn't that far behind at $720 million.

Since i'm told a time machine is not feasible (or possible) - i'll go with the standard: house and some fun stuff. i could go for an early large monetary b-day present.

i long for the simpler days when the jackpot would have been a couple hundred million dollars. i miss the days of the $1 ticket, twice a week. Lower payouts, but better odds - i'd take that trade.

If only i could go back in time and win $20+ million at 22. Life would have had so many more possibilities. Afterall, just "love" is never enough for a modern relationship. 

Even if i did win today, would i even have enough time to spend it (not the level of "fun" i could have had when i was younger)?

Fossil Rock Rocks

Did you ever have one of those people growing up who would listen to "classic rock" or '60s rock and ridicule just a little bit for that? i did, it was a guy who gave me rides to a morning church thing when i was in high school (for the Mormons out there, seminary - i hated waking up early for that, especially since i didn't believe in god). Now i kind of envied the era he grew up in. i remember he used to wear 70s style green leisure suits at one point.

Once you start to get older than sitcom parents, you know what just don't think of it - it is far too horrible.

Today i find myself listening to the radio on an Echo Dot (because that's probably the only way i can get a signal). Yeah 1980s Weekend! Wait, is the awesome music from the 80s to early 90s now considered "fossil rock"? Am i no better than Al Bundy? No that can't be so (but it is). 

If it is that is more like Cretaceous Period rock, not Triassic Period rock he listened to. i wish like Johnny Hates Jazz said, i could "Turn back the clock, bring the wheels of time to a stop, back to the days, when life was so much better".

Come on, the Kraken was released in 2020

 

Not a fan of the horkety, but here goes.... What does a mythological Scandanavian creature have to do with ice hockey?  You got me there. What's next an arena that "pledges" something to the climate - like that is even possible.  

This is a 2020 Canada Creatures of the North series (2 so far) silver coin of a Kraken. Kind of a cool coin. Should have cropped this borrowed photo image. For silver coins, the Canadian mint is one of the best (better than the US), the main series (Maple Leaf) is good but boring.