OT: General OT Thread [NO POLITICS, RACE OR RELIGION]

[Kerb Hohl]

The San Diego area is beautiful and perfect weather. But can't retire there when I've funded my retirement with Wisconsin wages.

My goal is to be a snowbird. I like it around here April-November. Maybe I'd stay around here through the holidays, then take off until May.

Mostly the same.

You can’t beat fall in WI/MN/etc. and I’m fine for some if november, maybe some of December with the, “hey, winter can be fun!” But then it’s not and the depression hits.

[BucksFanSD]

For anyone curious of our situation here in San Diego... A lot of the "tech bros" in the Bay Area and investors have bought up real estate here in San Diego during the pandemic. San Diego has had the lower salaries compared to SF and LA, due to less tech jobs (SF) and less headquarters jobs (LA/OC), among taking the "San Diego discount" in salary, but now with the pandemic and remote work a lot of the bay area and LA folks are flocking here. Locals then get priced out here, and in turn they're moving to the cities and states mentioned above. And yes, to buy something desirable, you likely have to waive the home inspection (but bring your contractor before making the offer or while in any contingency period). And even then there are all cash offers that make it hard to get an offer accepted.

[WRau1]

Anyone here familiar with the e Austin, TX area? Got a pretty good deal on a nice BNB for when I'll be there later this week and want to know what I should be expecting from the neighborhood I'm in. Google Street view makes it look pretty nice and there's a $1 taco place a block away so that's already a big W in my book.

Been lurking forever and rarely post but I love that neighborhood so this is a good excuse to come out of the shadows . Moved from WI to East Austin about 3.5 years ago. It's a good area, tons of stuff within walking distance. Easy to hop on a bike/scooter if you venture a little further. If you want some recs:
- Veracruz - migas tacos
- Grannys - migas and chilaquiles tacos
- Tamale house - the migas and queso is my favorite food that i've had in austin so far
- Mickelthwait - bbq without the wait. Franklin is great but the line is nonsense
- Brew & Brew - good spot to work while drinking coffee and/or beer
- Nickel City - Buffalo bar that feels more like a midwest bar than most places around here, food is solid and drinks are good
- Kitty Cohen - great for cocktails when it's nice and sunny
- Kinda Tropical - solid food and drinks and good outdoor vibes
- Zilker and Lazarus are decent breweries. Zilker usually has a fried chicken truck that's decent.
- Scoot Inn and Hotel Vegas are fun music venues. The White Horse has live country music and two stepping.
- The river is nearby and has a nice little walk/bike trail. You can also rent a paddleboard/kayak, though that's more fun down by zilker park/barton springs

There's tons of other good spots in the area and tons to do, hope this helps and hope ya have a good time visiting!

Thanks for that list, exactly what I was looking for. You're the 2nd person to suggest Nickle City - the bar I usually go to (Station6) highly recommended that place and its only a mile from my bnb. Thank you!

[MissKhriddleton]

We haven’t really settled on a location yet either which is another part of it. I grew up in the burbs and moving back scares the hell out of me. I don’t want to feel like we’re a 45 minute drive to the city because then we’ll never actually make the drive. She would probably live on a farm if she could. I thought Tosa was a good compromise but it’s so much money.

What do people think of Menomonee Falls for buying a house? Seems to be more affordable than some of the other areas we are looking like Tosa, Brookfield, Elm Grove. If it was like 5 mintues closer to downtown, I feel like I would be all about it. But seeing a 25 minute drive is some sort of mental block to me. Also never got great vibes anytime I was driving through.

I do just need to get over the fact that I'm not in my 20's anymore and that I'll (hopefully) be having kids soon so it's time to give up city life.

[LUKE23]

My wife and I discussed getting a place in FL, but instead opted to build a cabin with her parents on a 2-acre lot in Nekoosa on Lake Petenwell. So we will own 1.5 Wisconsin places hopefully by next spring. Only two hours from Madison and on the second biggest lake in Wisco, it was hard to turn it down.

It would be nice to own a warm weather place, I just feel like if you are going to do that you need to get down there quite often and for large chunks of time, unless you are going to go through the work of renting it out which comes with its own pitfalls. Also, anything anywhere close to the beach is crazy prices right now.

I do anticipate selling my current Wisconsin (Oregon) house within the next 10-12 years as my girls move out, so maybe the warm weather place comes back on the table. I do absolutely hate Wisconsin winters and my tolerance gets worse every year.

[LUKE23]

Florida is one I don't get. My dad has been looking at places down there and the housing prices are rising there higher than anywhere else in the country, and the state is a hole. You literally couldn't pay me to live in Florida.

I would be curious as to why, unless you are bringing politics into the equation. Personally, I couldn't give AF about that when picking a second place to live. Weather, things to do, proximity to water, ease of travel. Florida has all of them.

[buckboy]

We haven’t really settled on a location yet either which is another part of it. I grew up in the burbs and moving back scares the hell out of me. I don’t want to feel like we’re a 45 minute drive to the city because then we’ll never actually make the drive. She would probably live on a farm if she could. I thought Tosa was a good compromise but it’s so much money.

What do people think of Menomonee Falls for buying a house? Seems to be more affordable than some of the other areas we are looking like Tosa, Brookfield, Elm Grove. If it was like 5 mintues closer to downtown, I feel like I would be all about it. But seeing a 25 minute drive is some sort of mental block to me. Also never got great vibes anytime I was driving through.

I do just need to get over the fact that I'm not in my 20's anymore and that I'll (hopefully) be having kids soon so it's time to give up city life.

I like the Falls. I owned a duplex there way back when and lived in it for a year or so. Definitely not a hot spot for nightlife, but as you said, once you have kids that will be less important........and you'll appreciate the (relative) tranquility. The burbs are underrated as you get older, especially with kids.

[buckboy]

Yeah, Florida is really nice along the coasts. Just stay out of the middle/north parts of the state, which I imagine anyone buying a 2nd home would.

[BUCKnation]

We haven’t really settled on a location yet either which is another part of it. I grew up in the burbs and moving back scares the hell out of me. I don’t want to feel like we’re a 45 minute drive to the city because then we’ll never actually make the drive. She would probably live on a farm if she could. I thought Tosa was a good compromise but it’s so much money.

What do people think of Menomonee Falls for buying a house? Seems to be more affordable than some of the other areas we are looking like Tosa, Brookfield, Elm Grove. If it was like 5 mintues closer to downtown, I feel like I would be all about it. But seeing a 25 minute drive is some sort of mental block to me. Also never got great vibes anytime I was driving through.

I do just need to get over the fact that I'm not in my 20's anymore and that I'll (hopefully) be having kids soon so it's time to give up city life.

Menomonee Falls is nice imo. Has everything you need and isnt really that far from downtown.

[MickeyDavis]

We haven’t really settled on a location yet either which is another part of it. I grew up in the burbs and moving back scares the hell out of me. I don’t want to feel like we’re a 45 minute drive to the city because then we’ll never actually make the drive. She would probably live on a farm if she could. I thought Tosa was a good compromise but it’s so much money.

What do people think of Menomonee Falls for buying a house? Seems to be more affordable than some of the other areas we are looking like Tosa, Brookfield, Elm Grove. If it was like 5 mintues closer to downtown, I feel like I would be all about it. But seeing a 25 minute drive is some sort of mental block to me. Also never got great vibes anytime I was driving through.

I do just need to get over the fact that I'm not in my 20's anymore and that I'll (hopefully) be having kids soon so it's time to give up city life.

The Falls and Germantown are both nice. About 20 miles from downtown. Not a bad drive. New Berlin is nice but pricey. Franklin and Oak Creek are nice and about 12 miles from DT depending where in those cities you are. None of them have "bad" areas but some parts are certainly nicer than others.

[M-C-G]

We haven’t really settled on a location yet either which is another part of it. I grew up in the burbs and moving back scares the hell out of me. I don’t want to feel like we’re a 45 minute drive to the city because then we’ll never actually make the drive. She would probably live on a farm if she could. I thought Tosa was a good compromise but it’s so much money.

What do people think of Menomonee Falls for buying a house? Seems to be more affordable than some of the other areas we are looking like Tosa, Brookfield, Elm Grove. If it was like 5 mintues closer to downtown, I feel like I would be all about it. But seeing a 25 minute drive is some sort of mental block to me. Also never got great vibes anytime I was driving through.

I do just need to get over the fact that I'm not in my 20's anymore and that I'll (hopefully) be having kids soon so it's time to give up city life.

The Falls and Germantown are both nice. About 20 miles from downtown. Not a bad drive. New Berlin is nice but pricey. Franklin and Oak Creek are nice and about 12 miles from DT depending where in those cities you are. None of them have "bad" areas but some parts are certainly nicer than others.

I think Muskego is probably an underrated spot given its location, you are still quick to the highway and not that bad to downtown. Not sure what the prices look like, but always felt like that was the 'next' version of buying in Brookfield, New Berlin, Falls, etc.

I will also add to those that haven't become parents yet but plan to. Almost the moment you have a kid, your clique becomes the parents that your kids play with, the logistics of keeping up with your old friends and old life become more work than it is worth, until they get a bit older. Then you hire a baby sitter and reconnect with those friends, doing some of the things you did before being parents.

[Ryan5UW]

We haven’t really settled on a location yet either which is another part of it. I grew up in the burbs and moving back scares the hell out of me. I don’t want to feel like we’re a 45 minute drive to the city because then we’ll never actually make the drive. She would probably live on a farm if she could. I thought Tosa was a good compromise but it’s so much money.

What do people think of Menomonee Falls for buying a house? Seems to be more affordable than some of the other areas we are looking like Tosa, Brookfield, Elm Grove. If it was like 5 mintues closer to downtown, I feel like I would be all about it. But seeing a 25 minute drive is some sort of mental block to me. Also never got great vibes anytime I was driving through.

I do just need to get over the fact that I'm not in my 20's anymore and that I'll (hopefully) be having kids soon so it's time to give up city life.

The Falls and Germantown are both nice. About 20 miles from downtown. Not a bad drive. New Berlin is nice but pricey. Franklin and Oak Creek are nice and about 12 miles from DT depending where in those cities you are. None of them have "bad" areas but some parts are certainly nicer than others.

Only problem with Germantown is it's too close to the Falls

[vital_signs]

The San Diego area is beautiful and perfect weather. But can't retire there when I've funded my retirement with Wisconsin wages.

My goal is to be a snowbird. I like it around here April-November. Maybe I'd stay around here through the holidays, then take off until May.

Mostly the same.

You can’t beat fall in WI/MN/etc. and I’m fine for some if november, maybe some of December with the, “hey, winter can be fun!” But then it’s not and the depression hits.

A beautiful midwest fall is hard to beat, but winter oooof. I was lucky enough to grow up with snowmobiles, without that I would have been losing it.

[jschligs]

My wife and I discussed getting a place in FL, but instead opted to build a cabin with her parents on a 2-acre lot in Nekoosa on Lake Petenwell. So we will own 1.5 Wisconsin places hopefully by next spring. Only two hours from Madison and on the second biggest lake in Wisco, it was hard to turn it down.

It would be nice to own a warm weather place, I just feel like if you are going to do that you need to get down there quite often and for large chunks of time, unless you are going to go through the work of renting it out which comes with its own pitfalls. Also, anything anywhere close to the beach is crazy prices right now.

I do anticipate selling my current Wisconsin (Oregon) house within the next 10-12 years as my girls move out, so maybe the warm weather place comes back on the table. I do absolutely hate Wisconsin winters and my tolerance gets worse every year.

We have a cabin on Lake Sherwood. Technically Rome, WI but address shows Nekoosa. Love the area. Grandparents and my mom grew up in WI Rapids. The town is struggling (paper mill ain't what it used to be) but I still love it up there.

[LUKE23]

We have a cabin on Lake Sherwood. Technically Rome, WI but address shows Nekoosa. Love the area. Grandparents and my mom grew up in WI Rapids. The town is struggling (paper mill ain't what it used to be) but I still love it up there.

Nice! Yeah, to me it feels like the northwoods but is an easy drive for my family and is basically halfway between us and my wife's parents (Rochester, MN). Also, easy drive for my parents and my brother and his fam. Pretty damn excited. As an added bonus - the lot is actually next door to my wife's parents' best friends they went to college with. They found the lot for us, and we pounced on it immediately. Felt like we got a pretty damn good deal.

[buckboy]

I don't know how I went 50 years without having heard of Petenwell Lake. That's a big piece of water. I assume you can get to Castle Rock Lake via boat lift?

We have a place in Three Lakes that can access the Eagle River chain via boatlift. Those are long day cruises when we do that. Lots of beer is required.

Great golf in that area too. Nice.

[LUKE23]

I don't know how I went 50 years without having heard of Petenwell Lake. That's a big piece of water. I assume you can get to Castle Rock Lake via boat lift?

We have a place in Three Lakes that can access the Eagle River chain via boatlift. Those are long day cruises when we do that. Lots of beer is required.

I'm pretty sure you can get to Castle Rock Lake, yes. I am not an expert on the area at all either, I've only been to the actual lot once and to my in-laws friends place once. It is a huge lake though, and we have shared dock access already set up, which is nice.

It's cabin life - beer is required for everything.

[ReasonablySober]

This Cain Velasquez story is heartbreaking.

[vital_signs]

On the petenwell lake area topic, Roche-a-cri state park is underrated imo, beautiful views at the top.

[stellation]

What sort of boring old man level have I reached if I buy a pair of New Balance shoes?