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rank trails in order of heat stroke danger


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21 hours ago, ATXZJ said:

For sure. Admittedly, I lost my fall weather riding due to injury and my last MTB ride was this past easter. 

You'll have a place to crash soon if you do seek the mountains😉. Found a couple places to buy right outside monte saint anne  for the summer and southern AZ for the winter. Just have to get this house sold before the door slams on foreign buyers in canada. 

Since i work outside every day,  i have a particular disdain for the TX heat.  It seemed to me that gravel biking is the only way to go when summer hits in ATX. 

 

 

I like your idea of Quebec.  I’ve had the thought of getting a house up in NH or  Vermont and spending summers there.  Prices are not bad.  Have you done research about living abroad and taxes?  I haven’t yet but picked up these books a couple of weeks ago.  I should get one for Canada!

 

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also don’t forget to keep in mind capital gains taxes for anything over $500k above your cost basis (I still find it hard to believe that is something we are having to worry about…good problem to have!)  Save all the receipts for all the $ you’ve spent to get it ready to sell.

 

as far as trails and heatstroke risk, this is why I rode so much road in the summer and a lot of flat stuff and not so much hills.  Airflow and just hydrating allows me to feel comfortable…but I’m some trails (Thumper) it just feels awful!

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1 hour ago, AntonioGG said:

I like your idea of Quebec.  I’ve had the thought of getting a house up in NH or  Vermont and spending summers there.  Prices are not bad.  Have you done research about living abroad and taxes?  I haven’t yet but picked up these books a couple of weeks ago.  I should get one for Canada!

 

E09F35A5-6879-4846-ADE4-20ECC96BE67C.thumb.jpeg.69297745105665bc961be047bfbbdbb4.jpeg

also don’t forget to keep in mind capital gains taxes for anything over $500k above your cost basis (I still find it hard to believe that is something we are having to worry about…good problem to have!)  Save all the receipts for all the $ you’ve spent to get it ready to sell.

 

as far as trails and heatstroke risk, this is why I rode so much road in the summer and a lot of flat stuff and not so much hills.  Airflow and just hydrating allows me to feel comfortable…but I’m some trails (Thumper) it just feels awful!

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We had planned to move to Victoria on Vancouver island this summer on a permanent basis but after meeting with a Canadian emigration attorney, we decided it wasn't worth it. The points system they use had us at a disadvantage due to our age (40s). Wife would've had to return to uni for a phd in order for us to be fast tracked. She wanted nothing to do with that. 

We both love Quebec and MSA, but had no interest in living there during the winters. Luckily we can buy a nice small home for under $175k USD and live there six months out of the year before we have to leave. Property taxes are low and the only time we'll get pinched a bit is when we sell. We'll still be based out of the USA so not much issue with taxes. 

If we were moving abroad we'd seriously look at Ecuador. If we could swing it, Spain but neither of those are in the cards since we still have to work. 

If we cant sell our house here, then I'll probably just sell my park bike and buy another gravel bike. I enjoy hitting the stuff around south Austin. I lived in Buda and would rally my cross bike through the town in the early AM and then the gravel paths on the city parks. There's so much to be said for airflow on an X bike vs being down in a ditch doing 3mph on a MTB. Blarf.

 

 

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15 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

 I’ve had the thought of getting a house up in NH or  Vermont and spending summers there.  

also don’t forget to keep in mind capital gains taxes for anything over $500k above your cost basis (I still find it hard to believe that is something we are having to worry about…good problem to have!)  Save all the receipts for all the $ you’ve spent to get it ready to sell.

 

The New Mexico fire cured me of wanting a second place. One more thing to worry about. I was all in on pulling the trigger on a condo in Santa Fe, then I started doing the math. Property tax, condo fees, utilities (which are on 24x7) and whatnot added up to $10K+ per year, and we were looking on the cheap end. That is a lot of money that you can throw at an airBNB. Also pulling money out of the market and putting it into real estate is a gamble in opportunity cost.

As to capital gains, make a spreadsheet and start scanning documents. I have a pretty organized system. Don't count on trying to find paper receipts when you sell, years from now. I have a significant amount of reduction, but with the way real estate has appreciated, even with the $500K cap I'm gonna be spending a lot. Most importantly you want to make sure that you don't establish residency until you are totally out of your house here. You don't want a second state trying to claim capital gains on you.

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28 minutes ago, AustinBike said:

The New Mexico fire cured me of wanting a second place. One more thing to worry about. I was all in on pulling the trigger on a condo in Santa Fe, then I started doing the math. Property tax, condo fees, utilities (which are on 24x7) and whatnot added up to $10K+ per year, and we were looking on the cheap end. That is a lot of money that you can throw at an airBNB. Also pulling money out of the market and putting it into real estate is a gamble in opportunity cost.

As to capital gains, make a spreadsheet and start scanning documents. I have a pretty organized system. Don't count on trying to find paper receipts when you sell, years from now. I have a significant amount of reduction, but with the way real estate has appreciated, even with the $500K cap I'm gonna be spending a lot. Most importantly you want to make sure that you don't establish residency until you are totally out of your house here. You don't want a second state trying to claim capital gains on you.

Good advice

 

We've only been in our place for 4 years so we'll be under the $500k cap. For good or bad.

We definitely have our concerns about maintaining a second property, particularly out of the country. We've owned a couple rentals and it was a PITA. 

We have a trip planned to Quebec next month to meet with our realtor, and also start discussing property management. It's most likely going to be worth it to pay the management fees so they can handle renting it out for ski season. The idea of leaving a 75-100 y/o home unattended during the Canadian winter would definitely keep us up at night.

As far as heat goes, we're planning on having our primary home in southern AZ. Basically 15 miles from Mexican border. Failing that we'll wait for the market to dip and look at some places around Flagstaff. Never thought I'd be considering AZ but it has grown on me. Well, except phoenix. Fuck that city.

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Seeing my friends going through the angel fire mess has taught me that a second home is either genetic or not for you. Management companies are good, but that adds an extra layer of complexity in my mind. The upside is someone to take care of all of the issues. the downside is someone to take care of all the issues. Toilet keeps running? Maybe they replace the toilet instead of the flapper because they "know a plumber".

Anyway, a property management company is a mixed blessing.

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For us, line of sight is worth it. 

We figure we'll be able to cover expenses and fees by renting it out for the winter. Since we'll own it outright we just want to maintain it rather than focusing on it as an income property. 

There's some condos being built around the entrance to mont saint Anne that were going to check out. It'd be nice to have something new/newish. Have have a lot laws, policies and taxes to review once there. 

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On 6/4/2022 at 10:50 AM, mack_turtle said:

I'm looking to the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains now. staying away from the Atlantic coast. Boone, NC, perhaps? something like that.

Good choice. Beech mountain is definitely on our list of places to hit.

 

Have you ever been to Chattanooga? We were blown away with the riding around there and how cool their downtown was.

Edited by ATXZJ
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2 hours ago, ATXZJ said:

Good choice. Beech mountain is definitely on our list of places to hit.

 

Have you ever been to Chattanooga? We were blown away with the riding around there and how cool their downtown was.

Great riding in that N GA / Chattanooga area.  Raccoon Mtn is a blast and they keep adding stuff all the time closer to town. Not too far to Knoxville and there’s DH stuff all around there now. 
 

Got friends in Johnson City, TN which is just west of Boone. Nice college town and one of my friends teaches at ETSU there. They recently opened up some trails in town. If you like to paddle there’s tons of great rivers between there and south to Asheville. One of my favorites drives is along the Ocoee and Nantahala rivers between Chattanooga and Asheville. Stunning river gorges to drive thru in leaf peeper season. 

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15 minutes ago, Chongo Loco said:

Great riding in that N GA / Chattanooga area.  Raccoon Mtn is a blast and they keep adding stuff all the time closer to town. Not too far to Knoxville and there’s DH stuff all around there now. 
 

Got friends in Johnson City, TN which is just west of Boone. Nice college town and one of my friends teaches at ETSU there. They recently opened up some trails in town. If you like to paddle there’s tons of great rivers between there and south to Asheville. One of my favorites drives is along the Ocoee and Nantahala rivers between Chattanooga and Asheville. Stunning river gorges to drive thru in leaf peeper season. 

Forgot about Knoxville and windrock too. Good suggestion. We rode some stuff in north Georgia when we were in Chattanooga. The whole experience was great. 

 

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Edited by ATXZJ
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8 hours ago, AustinBike said:

 

As to capital gains, make a spreadsheet and start scanning documents. I have a pretty organized system. Don't count on trying to find paper receipts when you sell, years from now. 

What type of receipts\documents do you keep? 

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3 hours ago, Cafeend said:

What type of receipts\documents do you keep? 

All of my remodeling, captured the contact and the checks. On the most recent one I a, also capturing all of the purchases. TV mounted in the screen porch that will not go with me? That is on the list. Basically you are better off claiming it and having them fight you than not claiming it.

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Should we do a meet up at a brewery to discuss living abroad and trade info?  My dad is retiring in Mexico and I’m finding the finances difficult to navigate.  Hints like how to get his SS money to him down there monthlyZ same with his 401k and it would apply to us as well.

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Most all of my riding is done 4-7 pm. Yeah, usually hottest part of day, but more importantly, the least humid part of the day. I am not a heavy sweater, so I need the lowest humidity possible to keep cool. Another benefit for late in day is sun angle, with less overhead and more through trees. Rode Quarter Notch once about noon...never again.  Unless it's overcast/cloudy, then that would be ok.

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13 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

Should we do a meet up at a brewery to discuss living abroad and trade info?  My dad is retiring in Mexico and I’m finding the finances difficult to navigate.  Hints like how to get his SS money to him down there monthlyZ same with his 401k and it would apply to us as well.

You had me at brewery. Happy to have the discussion, not sure how much I have mapped out (we were looking at Seville, Spain, pre-pandemic...)

I expect to be at the R&I the next couple weeks and then out of town for a couple weeks.

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Twitter today: 

@EvilMopacATX:  This week Austin is going to feel like a Honduran jungle had a three-way with an iron smelter and the core of a nuclear reactor. 

We bought an acre lot in Cortez, CO (southwestern CO)  in Oct., but even putting a small modular home on it is going to be crazy expensive - realistically minimum $175,000. Just hooking up new utilities (gas, water, sewer, elec are all at the lot line) is ~ $15,000. 

Finding a renter for the winter months would be easy, though.  The housing stock is low and everything is crazy expensive -- think the equivalent of Austin housing prices in Cortez and abt $100,000 higher in Dolores, 9 miles up the road and 1,000' higher in elevation.  

In a bit we're driving up there to check out a fully furnished "condo" (apartment in a house) to rent for Aug - Oct. in Cortez.  Hawkins Preserve for hiking (also bike-able) is literally out the back door and I noticed some other trails/paths very close by. Geer Natural Area has some hills with a mtn bike trail system on the north end of town.  Phil's World is about a 12-minute drive and at some point, a bike/pedestrian path will go from Cortez to Mesa Verde National Park entrance. That path will go right by the fairgrounds, which are across the highway from Phil's World, so connectivity happening. 

The economy in Cortez has always been driven by tourism and they are very aware of the amount of tourism pulled in by mountain bikers and other outdoor pursuits. 

Buying a "previously gently owned" travel trailer and living in it in a shady RV park might be the better option for three or four summer months, then store it for the winter in Cortez or Farmington.  

 

 

 

Edited by June Bug
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On 6/5/2022 at 3:33 PM, Cafeend said:

What type of receipts\documents do you keep? 

So the taxable gain part on a personal residence you’ve lived in for more than 2 years kicks in at a PROFIT above $500k. So if your selling price is below $500k your buy and sell closing docs will suffice. If the sales price is more than $500k but sales price is not more than $500k above original purchase again just buy/sell docs suffices. It’s when you need to add in other expenses to knock it down below $500k the details record keeping kicks in. Like AB said pics of checks is great, but just keeping a running spreadsheet of all the stuff you can recall generally works. A lot of it on examination comes down to showing a consistent attempt at record keeping, not that you pulled a number out your ass. A best guess with an approx date for things like roofs can fly if you’re showing you’re tracking it over time. And don’t forget outdoor stuff, landscaping, fencing, dirt, all that stuff adds into your cost basis. 

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Yeah, I have two things going:

1. A master spreadsheet with all of the expenses from each of the remodeling jobs (that I can capture). This would show the continual pace of improvements.

2. A folder on my server full of scans of documents related to remodeling jobs. We're in the middle of a big one right now and this morning I scanned a payout schedule for this portion that matches the check I just gave to the contractor, as well as a $40 reciept from Home Depot for a deadbolt. 

The little receipts are the ones that slip away, it is important to capture them. I have ~$1000 worth of updates to the house in this job that would have gotten forgotten because they are just random credit card purchases. A $35 TV mount from Amazon would not normally be a "capital improvement" but when it is part of a screen porch remodeling it would be considered part of that project.

Brian, I have a question for you. Would "upgrading my home to a smart home" by adding smart thermostats, smart garage door, wired networking, etc. be considered a capital improvement? All of that would stay when we leave. It would be used in the marketing of the home as well so we could show the listing with the "smart home upgrades" listed. Someone said this is just normal maintenance but I was hoping that it could be captured as a capital improvement.

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I would on opener & thermostat. No different than updating permanently affixed things like light fixtures or switches. Wiring, cable, plumbing in walls definitely.  If it’s directly related to making ready for a sale a lot of things like painting that are more maintenance oriented can be considered “cost of sale” expenses vs capital improvement and added to gain calculation. 

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