Post your driveway/garage/carpark!

[CALL_911]

I did have to do it one time in downtown.

STORYTIME!!!!!!

[Onslaught]

STORYTIME!!!!!!

It's not a big story. I had a friend who had a condo in the middle of the city. One side of the road had nice condos and the other side was borderline geto. I had my Sig in my coat pocket and I was walking to my car around 2:30 at night. I could hear someone coming up behind me fast when I was unlocking my car door. I turned fast and said "can I help you?" but he kept coming fast. So I pulled the gun out and he turned and ran off even faster. He was so close that I'm not sure if I could have got the gun up for a shot or not in time. Fortunately  he was startled and ran off.
I'm not some gun crazy NRA nut job. I only have that gun for  protection and I hope to never use it. But if someone runs at me and won't answer me when I talk to them it's an option.

[Vinsanity]

I'm pretty sure it's a rental.

Correct, sir.

Here is the full story: http://www.carspin.net/forums/index.php?topic=11530

[JYODER240]

You watch to many movies.

[CALL_911]

It's not a big story. I had a friend who had a condo in the middle of the city. One side of the road had nice condos and the other side was borderline geto. I had my Sig in my coat pocket and I was walking to my car around 2:30 at night. I could hear someone coming up behind me fast when I was unlocking my car door. I turned fast and said "can I help you?" but he kept coming fast. So I pulled the gun out and he turned and ran off even faster. He was so close that I'm not sure if I could have got the gun up for a shot or not in time. Fortunately  he was startled and ran off.
I'm not some gun crazy NRA nut job. I only have that gun for  protection and I hope to never use it. But if someone runs at me and won't answer me when I talk to them it's an option.

Oh. I was hoping it was an Indiana Jones story, with a lot more action. Good story, anyway.

[Raza]

You watch to many movies.

Man, what do you know?  You're a white Ohioan.  You're probably a legacy member of the Klan. 

[TheIntrepid]

Man, what do you know?  You're a white Ohioan.  You're probably a legacy member of the Klan. 

As if there are any non-white Ohioans.

[JYODER240]

Man, what do you know?  You're a white Ohioan.  You're probably a legacy member of the Klan. 

I've grown up around plenty of good ol'country boys, and no I'm not one of them. They talk alot but won't ever do anything. I couldn't tell you how many kids from HS had a baseball bat in their trucks labeled "nigger beater" and a confederate flag in the rear window, but the truth is they'd never actually do anything. You could walk through some very redneck parts of Ohio at the worst you'd get is a few comments and dirty looks.

[JYODER240]

As if there are any non-white Ohioans.

Do you actually know anything about Ohio?

[TheIntrepid]

Do you actually know anything about Ohio?

Yes. My cousins live there. They're not white. Thus the smiley.

[Eye of the Tiger]

my mom's house, my blue scort, my sister's tracer, mom's expedition, her boyfriend's f350, my bike, the 4-wheelers, tractors, etc...






dubz!




the driveway is steeper than it looks in this picture

[the Teuton]

I've grown up around plenty of good ol'country boys, and no I'm not one of them. They talk alot but won't ever do anything. I couldn't tell you how many kids from HS had a baseball bat in their trucks labeled "nigger beater" and a confederate flag in the rear window, but the truth is they'd never actually do anything. You could walk through some very redneck parts of Ohio at the worst you'd get is a few comments and dirty looks.

You also went to Red Neck and Preppie High School.  Less than 10 years ago, your house was a corn field, and in many parts there still is tons out farm out there.  Mind you, Hartville isn't quite as KKK as Louisville, but it's close, just because of all of the old mixing with the yuppie suburbanite new.  Louisville's school district is 98% white, and the other 2% can't make it on the basketball team, even though they're better than the white kids.

My school at least had a little diversity.

Oh yeah, apparently I'm going to have to take pics of my new driveway when I get home.  I'm calling my mom tonight to see if we now have a garage.

[Colonel Cadillac]

Glad to see the Connecticut plates Nick! That is a very nice looking Escort and the Expedition is quite impressive. The long driveway is always a plus, and there's lots of vegitation. Looks like Connecticut!

[TheIntrepid]

Oh yeah, apparently I'm going to have to take pics of my new driveway when I get home.  I'm calling my mom tonight to see if we now have a garage.

I don't think my parents would buy a house without asking me first whether or not I like it.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Glad to see the Connecticut plates Nick! That is a very nice looking Escort and the Expedition is quite impressive. The long driveway is always a plus, and there's lots of vegitation. Looks like Connecticut!

The Expedition is nice looking, but the Escort? You are too kind. 

[Colonel Cadillac]

I don't think my parents would buy a house without asking me first whether or not I like it.

I think my parents would ask for my imput, and then if it did not coincide with theirs they would get it anyway
Especially considering I don't live at home all that much anymore.

[TheIntrepid]

I think my parents would ask for my imput, and then if it did not coincide with theirs they would get it anyway
Especially considering I don't live at home all that much anymore.

I live at home most of the time, plus I criticize the fact that they've so far done to the current house:

Hardwood flooring ($12,000)
Stamped Concrete and Landscaping ($10,000)
Redoing all the bathrooms ($9,000)
Redoing the kitchen ($5000)
Finishing the Basement ($8,000)

To a ~3000 sq ft (not including basement) house that they bought 13 years ago.

[Soup DeVille]

As if there are any non-white Ohioans.

Doesn't Cleveland have an NFL team?

[Colonel Cadillac]

I live at home most of the time, plus I criticize the fact that they've so far done to the current house:

Hardwood flooring ($12,000)
Stamped Concrete and Landscaping ($10,000)
Redoing all the bathrooms ($9,000)
Redoing the kitchen ($5000)
Finishing the Basement ($8,000)

To a ~3000 sq ft (not including basement) house that they bought 13 years ago.

I won't go into what my parents have done to my house. I'll just say that it was pretty different when they bought it.

[TheIntrepid]

Doesn't Cleveland have an NFL team?

Oh yeah.

[Soup DeVille]

I live at home most of the time, plus I criticize the fact that they've so far done to the current house:

Hardwood flooring ($12,000)
Stamped Concrete and Landscaping ($10,000)
Redoing all the bathrooms ($9,000)
Redoing the kitchen ($5000)
Finishing the Basement ($8,000)

To a ~3000 sq ft (not including basement) house that they bought 13 years ago.

I spent almost that much money remodelling my first house, which was a 900 sg.ft 2 bedroom...

[J86]

3 cars, 1 motorcycle, 5 boats, no garage....just a driveway and alot of dead grass in the backyard...

[CALL_911]

I'll get a pic sometime soon.

[dazzleman]

I live at home most of the time, plus I criticize the fact that they've so far done to the current house:

Hardwood flooring ($12,000)
Stamped Concrete and Landscaping ($10,000)
Redoing all the bathrooms ($9,000)
Redoing the kitchen ($5000)
Finishing the Basement ($8,000)

To a ~3000 sq ft (not including basement) house that they bought 13 years ago.

What's wrong with what they've done, Trep?

[TheIntrepid]

What's wrong with what they've done, Trep?

Thing is, we bought our house for $203,000. We can easily get in excess of $600k now, because of how booming real estate around this area is. My neighbor just sold for $595,000 and they don't have a finished basement, hardwood, or even one fireplace. We have two. The point is that they can afford a MUCH bigger, MUCH nicer house than ours. Don't get me wrong, I like my house; I've grown up in it, but for my dad's status I think he can do a bit better.

[Soup DeVille]

Thing is, we bought our house for $203,000. We can easily get in excess of $600k now, because of how booming real estate around this area is. My neighbor just sold for $595,000 and they don't have a finished basement, hardwood, or even one fireplace. We have two. The point is that they can afford a MUCH bigger, MUCH nicer house than ours. Don't get me wrong, I like my house; I've grown up in it, but for my dad's status I think he can do a bit better.

So because he can buy a bigger house, he needs to?

Whatever.

[the Teuton]

I don't think my parents would buy a house without asking me first whether or not I like it.

It's not really my home anymore.  I live 120 miles east of them.  Pittsburgh is slowly becoming my permanent address.  When I come back home for holidays, I almost feel like I don't belong there.  College, this city are where I'm at.

[dazzleman]

Thing is, we bought our house for $203,000. We can easily get in excess of $600k now, because of how booming real estate around this area is. My neighbor just sold for $595,000 and they don't have a finished basement, hardwood, or even one fireplace. We have two. The point is that they can afford a MUCH bigger, MUCH nicer house than ours. Don't get me wrong, I like my house; I've grown up in it, but for my dad's status I think he can do a bit better.

Trep, you have to realize that a bigger and more expensive house is a financial burden that your dad may not want.

When I bought my current house, my mortgage broker told me that I could have been approved for a much bigger mortgage, and hence I could have had a more expensive house.

But other things are more important to me, like having the prospect of retiring young, and being able to spend freely on things other than my house.  I didn't want a house that was more expensive than I needed to force me onto a tight budget, and keep me working longer.

You probably won't understand until you're your dad's age, but when you overdo possessions, house included, it ends up that they own you, rather than the other way around.  He actually sounds pretty sensible in resisting the temptation to take his expense base up to the highest level possible.  Few people today are able to resist that temptation, and that's why so many people are deeply in debt and have to keep working their balls off to pay off all their bills.

The improvements that your parents did didn't cost a lot.  From an investment perspective, the only one I'd argue with is the finished basement.  Generally, finished basements don't increase the value of a home.  Otherwise, it's important from a value perspective to keep the house up to date.  They spent next to nothing in the kitchen -- I spent close to $50,000 on my kitchen because it had to be completely redone.

[CALL_911]

So because he can buy a bigger house, he needs to?

Whatever.

[Raza]

I've grown up around plenty of good ol'country boys, and no I'm not one of them. They talk alot but won't ever do anything. I couldn't tell you how many kids from HS had a baseball bat in their trucks labeled "nigger beater" and a confederate flag in the rear window, but the truth is they'd never actually do anything. You could walk through some very redneck parts of Ohio at the worst you'd get is a few comments and dirty looks.

Yes, that should make me feel very comfortable.