Category Archives: Deals

Head of Household

It’s a new year, and I am checking off a whole shit ton of items on the to do. Actually, many of the things were back burner level of priority but I will say, it feels damn good to come outta the gates swinging and get shit done. It’s got me thinking though about other households throughout the country. There’s a LOT of logistics to handle… Who is taking care of these tedious things?!?!? J and I are just a household of TWO people. How is this being juggled with two jobs, kids, school, etc.?

First item I tackled was medical insurance. Since I’m an independent contractor, we have to get our own health insurance. After my monster medical bill at the start of COVID in 2020 (ERCP + gall bladder removal), I got firsthand experience seeing how much medical expenses can add up. I mean, even if we account for exaggerated pricing due to the continual battle between insurers and providers, I was in the hospital for a day and a half, and the bill was $110k. Yeah, let that sink in. Thank goodness, we were only responsible for $500 bc of insurance.

The point is, J and I are now squarely at that age where medical issues are popping up on the regular (hello frozen shoulder), so we def need coverage. For the last several years, we just got the Obamacare/Realtor group plan that ran about $1000/month (at least when we started a few years ago). I typically didn’t change plans year after year during open enrollment, bc I’m happy with Kaiser and I figured the annual increase would be marginal. Wrong. This year, our monthly premium increased from $1200/month to $1550. WTF? When I found out, the enrollment period had already closed. So I thought we were stuck for the next year paying an extra $250/month.

Of course, I immediately started panicking feeling like we were trapped. And then I did a little bit of digging and learned that various realtor associations offer group plans. So mine is through the state association of realtors but the local association also has packages. Long story short, since I changed from one local association to another, that was considered a “qualifying event” that re-opened the enrollment window. I mean, I won’t belabor it further, but lesson 1: pay attention to any notices about annual increases in insurance premiums and lesson 2: read the fine print.

With the local association, I’m able to downgrade our Kaiser plan and get that premium back down to $1200. Meanwhile, I get to keep my medical record number and continue seeing my current doctors. Yay!

The other low-priority task we did this month was bundle fiber and wireless service. We’d been on Verizon forever and the signal at home was shit. We just put up with it bc we knew switching was a pain. Well, this time we just ripped the band aid off. I met a super helpful store manager, talked to him a few times, and we got everything moved over, saving at least $100/month. The big lesson I learned from there? AARP recently got rid of their min age requirement!! And an existing membership can cover TWO people. So now not only do I get reading material that speaks to me (I AM Benjamin Button after all), but by piggybacking on my dad’s membership, I gain access to a whole other world of discounts (kinda like AAA) PLUS it saved me the $50 AT&T activation fee and granted me another 10% discount on the monthly bill. Yup, stack ’em up, baby. It’s been a while since I scored some good dealios, and I’d forgotten the highs I get from a sweet bargain. I know it sounds tedious, but once you get the hang of it, the savings add up.

Speaking of… I’m still using Rakuten/Ebates. Just a tiny extra step and over time, it accumulates to $1200 in savings just going through their shopping portal. And our upcoming midweek trip to St. Helena? One night is free. Hehe. I know, not the most exciting post for 2024. Just saying, you can save some dough if you pay attention. That’s all for now. More exciting stories to come. Hurrah!

Swimming Upstream

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about classes and professional development workshops I’ve taken in the past. Back when I was floundering around, searching for my “true calling,” I remember that many of my instructors kept saying, “Once you find what you’re made to do, the common threds will emerge and everything will make sense.” Now as someone who, for the majority of my life, never felt like I was in the right place, this insistence seriously sounded like crazy talk. What common thred? There is no theme that carries throughout my life. Shut the hell up.

But I have to say, in the last year, things are starting to gel in some bizarre way. Am I just more aware now to see and make the connections? I’m not really sure. Interestingly, J has been busy lately collaborating on a start-up and also delving deeper into studying/working the stock market. With the genetic testing startup, he’s had to ramp up a ton, learning about biology and medical research/testing. For as long as I have known him, John’s never really been a school and classroom kind of guy, but he’s certainly always curious and always learning. He would just learn in his own way, which oftentimes involved studying textbooks on his own. Lately, he’s been re-engaging, listening to online lectures ranging from European history to genetics and also taking a local community ed class on Chinese (they’re teaching him reading and writing!). On the investment side of things, he’s really digging into financial data, reading annual reports, and listening in on investment meetings. I’m not really surprised that he is learning so much so quickly, but I personally find the topics rather dry. I mean, reading financial reports? It kinda reminds me of my friend J, who ordered a set of law school textbooks and started going through the courses on his own for fun at home. Haha. I guess the takeaway here is that all of us learn in different ways and in different settings. John was telling me that when he was a kid, he was obsessed with baseball stats and numbers. Like, he was practically the Moneyball kid. He tracked it all, and oddly, his analysis of the stock market is now his adult version of the baseball stats. See? Common thred.

As for me, my latest transaction really highlighted the common threds in my life. I realized that yeah, doing all the tasks and things for my parents actually prepared me for my current work. My dad had always developed his own spreadsheets and tracking systems to monitor his projects and accounts and rental properties. I did something similar myself for my homework assignments and test scores while in school… And then you know, with all the researching of information, calling vendors, reading through contracts, figuring out how things work, communicating to keep all parties on the same page… that made me more thorough and resourceful and effective. John was saying too that our stint in Shanghai did so much for us. Not only did it really boost our language skills, but living in a foreign country made us more observant, less fearful, less judgmental, and generally more attuned to different cultures and customs.

It’s kinda cool to realize the culmination of so many experiences. Still, there are always so many things to work on. I have that chronic fear of getting soft. And in my work, I have a fear of discomfort hindering me. For example, it’s been many months since I last doorknocked. Mostly bc I was sick for two months, but also bc doorknocking just sucks so I haven’t been motivated to do it.

Well yesterday, bc I didn’t have an open house this weekend, I decided to nip that shit in the bud. Yup, doorknocked for 90 minutes. It sucked and only 5-6 people answered the door, BUT afterwards, I was glad that I did it: Awkwardness isn’t going to stop me. I know, these are the incessant mind games I play with myself.

My other method of building resilience? I tackle little projects where I have to negotiate or argue for stuff– you know, talk to people on the phone and try to get my way.

For example, I recently made the switch from T-Mobile to Verizon. At the time, when I was talking to reps to research the different phone plans, one person let me in on a $200 Bring Your Own Phone promo. Long story short, two months later, I still hadn’t received my $200. Now for most people, $200 is NBD and it certainly isn’t worth multiple calls with various reps on the phone. Well, I’m not gonna be afraid of phone time anymore. And also, my job is negotiation. I can’t be shying away from this shit. So yes, it took another hour on the phone with three different reps. But in the end, Verizon gave me my $200. John just shook his head. He cringed just listening to me on the phone. Oh well. Two birds, one stone. I’m practicing my negotiation skills. I’m building my resilience. And I’m earning my $200. Haha.

Btw, this is a relatively new lesson for me, but being nice and staying calm does wonders. In the past, I used to rip on people. If they were incompetent or whatever, there was no mercy. But now I’ve learned that people want to work with people they like. Even if you think they are incompetent or that they fucked up big time, being respectful makes people want to cooperate and help you.

Lastly, speaking of systems… did you know that your credit card likely has a benefit called extended warranty? For most purchases you make on your card, the manufacturer’s warranty is doubled. I used this when my heated mattress topper stopped working after the first year but before the second year. Chase paid for my replacement topper. Now, John’s $120 earbuds suddenly stopped working. Once again, the problem arose after the manufacturer’s one year warranty but before the second year of the extended. I don’t even have that credit card anymore, but the extended coverage still applies, so the rep confirmed. Some products are excluded, but it’s a handy benefit. That’s your tip of the day. Enjoy!

Angel at Home, Devil with the Doctor

Well, it seems I may have issued a premature verdict on the Yeti. Sweet, gentle, and lovely at home and with my other Rover doggies. Then we went to the vet this past week. He was fine walking into the hospital, getting on the scale, etc. Then, we got into the room, the tech said hello briefly, and then as soon as the thermometer went into the butt, he got super startled and aggressive and panty. In total, we were there for an hour with people coming in and out. Eventually, we had to muzzle him and then they didn’t have the right fit… it was a disaster and a half. I mean, in all my years volunteering at shelters and being around dogs, I’ve never seen this level of aggression. Ok maybe a few times. But the Yeti is a strong mother-fucker. So we left and basically, nothing beyond listening to the heart was done. He let me swab his ears which have been smelly, so now we know he has a yeast infection in there.

We went home and I was frankly, emotionally destroyed. I mean, aggression is a tricky issue to handle. It’s not so much the specific scenario, but the unpredictability of it. Now maybe I should have noticed the signs: he was cowering, trying to get away to the corner of the room. He was fearful… so he was telling us he was scared. I dunno. It’s the tough love part inside me, where I’m not going to be inconvenienced with a dog who can’t handle being touched, you know? It sounds like a foolish, overly image conscious stance but I dunno. I just feel like the deal with a pet is this: I love you and give you a good life but you have to trust me enough to know I won’t hurt you. Granted, he’s only been with us for two weeks so maybe that trust bond was tested too soon. I don’t really know, but I guess part of the confusion surrounds him being previously owned. It’s not like I don’t know his history, right? He seemed totally well-loved and was acquired as a puppy, so where is this coming from?

The doc sent us home with ear flushes and drops, which have to be administered twice a day. So now I’m the bad guy at home and he runs off to hide under the bed. It’s neither funny nor cute, bc well, I take doggie meds very seriously and I’m not about to play this ridiculous game of chasing him down to do what’s good for him.

John says he doesn’t trust us now and we shouldn’t push him. I’m not going to coddle and baby the dog!! He has to get the treatment. Already, at three days, his ears are way better so after day 10, we can stop. See? This is why I could never be a human parent. I’m already like, “fuck you, you’re getting the shot/treatment. I don’t want to hear any crying about it.” I doubt this method works with any modern-day parent. And I don’t really know: it could make things with Bentley worse. With Remy and Martin, they were reluctant but eventually, they would just acquiesce and tolerate it. With Bentley, he’s much more stubborn and obviously, he’s bigger and stronger. The vet was visibly afraid when Bentley was acting up.

I think the other reason I got so down about this is because it’s just another case of you just never know. I mean, all those stories in the news about family dogs attacking their kids… I used to think those people were just oblivious or inexperienced or whatever. But I see now and actually, I’ve seen it elsewhere if I take a hard look. My vet friend– she had pit bulls growing up. Super sweet. Lived with cats. But there were multiple incidents where they tore into other dogs. There is that disconnect between what you yourself experience with them (they were so cuddly and friendly every time I saw them) and then what can happen in a split second. I had a neighbor once who said he and his girlfriend merged households and doggies. I’m not sure how long they were living together and then one day he came home and her boxer had killed his dog. So again, shit happens and you can never be totally sure. And that’s a new reminder/reality that I just have to keep in mind. I will not leave him alone unattended with my Rover clients. Carla the whippet goes into my office and then Bentley stays out.

But mainly, I’m just frustrated about the ear meds. I did all this reading on vet aggression after the incident. So many stories of dogs that are the gentlest, sweetest souls EXCEPT at the vet. One guy has it so strangers can touch the ears and paws and everything. No issues at all. Then, at the vet, a totally different beast.

On a separate note, you know my deal with buying meds/treatments through the vet. Again, I get it: they have a 24-hour brick and mortar facility. I’m willing to be some premium for their extra costs. And after that whole Bentley freak out ordeal, I just got whatever meds: flea/tick control, heartworm, ear flush, ear drops. I just wanted to get out of there pronto.

A few days later, I was just curious and checked online. For the same exact meds, vet was $120. Online was $85. Another one: vet was $120. Online was $100. Ear drops: $55 vs. $34. Come on, people. That is egregious. And I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, bc I saw this with Martin and his lactated ringers. The thing is, nowadays I have no hesitation having awkward conversations. I called up the pharmacist. Do you price match the online pet pharmacies? I know you have a facility and I’m ok to pay some premium, but like $100+ difference is a lot. She gave me some crap that bc the invoice was already charged, they can’t do a price adjustment but they can match prices in the future. So then I said, I haven’t opened the tablets. Can I return them then. Yes. So basically, I went in, returned, then re-bought. The lesson here? You HAVE to make the ask. Can you imagine how much people could save if they asked for the price match?

Of course, I took the opportunity to make the return visit a teaching moment for Bentley. We took him to the vet hospital again. He was totally fine: no anxiety in the front lobby, got on the weight scale, hung out. So the issue really is being in the room and feeling trapped then being approached by probing strangers. At least now we’ve narrowed the issue down some. Anyway, it’s a work in progress…

Like today. He’s already run under the bed a few times and I haven’t been able to do the ear flush or drops. I’m going to try again now. Wish me luck!

Negotiator

I’ve learned that real estate is one of the only professions where agents are CONSTANTLY being asked to dock their pay. Part of it is that people don’t see or understand the value that Realtors offer. Perhaps they think we just sit around twiddling our thumbs. So a large part of this job is educating people on what it is we do and to argue our value. To me, aside from knowing the market, knowing the contracts and process, knowing the resources out there, having relationships with lenders/other agents/vendors, realtors are also negotiators for their clients.

When I took that negotiation class recently, I realized that Chinese people are really good negotiators, bc as the instructor pointed out: China and Taiwan are negotiating countries where money is scarce and labor/time is abundant, so people will spend time to save pennies. The other big aha from that class: negotiating is different from just getting a discount. With negotiating, you get a discount, but the other party gets something out of it too.

My friends know me as a bargain hunter. I find discounts and coupons and what have you. I oftentimes get things for cheaper, but I realized that my technique is super basic: I just make the ask, and yeah, it has served me well. But only a few times have I truly negotiated.

One of my first times was when I negotiated the salary for a nonprofit job. It was way low, but I knew that the person in the position was leaving very soon. So I asked for higher pay, and I offered to start immediately so as to have training overlap. I also asked for higher salary bc I wasn’t going to need their health benefits so that would save them expenses and administration time. So see, it wasn’t simply asking for a discount just bc.

My dad is the ultimate negotiator. He began handling money from a very young age, helping his farmer parents sell bananas and produce. My father always did the math side of the business: making change, calculating costs/expenses, tallying up all the day’s transactions, etc. so his mental math skills were super sharp. But also, he developed a very keen business acumen, bc my grandparents pooled community money to buy farmland and then thought of ways to generate wealth through leasing plots to other farmers, etc. It’s crazy to think of the skills you learn from your childhood.

When I was growing up, my father negotiated everything. At times, it felt so tedious and uncomfortable, bc American culture just doesn’t negotiate. I remember one time in college, I asked for a price match on a $125 bike rack and the owner got so pissed. He just shooed me away and all I did was ask if he would consider matching the shop down the road ($100). Maybe it was my fault, bc I didn’t point out what was in it for him. I know now, after having door knocked and canvassed, people react in all different ways. You just move on. 

Before we had our family home custom built in the 80s, my father had researched land lots. He found a place with two adjacent lots owned by a single owner, and then he asked if his friend wanted to purchase the lot next door. Since dad was bringing the purchase of two lots at once, he negotiated a discount. Later, he negotiated discounts from all the vendors and contractors: he not only brought them a second customer without any marketing/effort but by having our lots adjacent, the crews could save on travel/staging/equipment rental costs, etc. And this discount amplified many times over, from the architect to the asphalt paving to the lawn mowing crew… See, would you have thought of that? It’s an interesting extension of that idea from his youth where neighbors pooled resources for purchases and then tried to leverage their buying power.

Many years later, my father wanted to renovate the basement to create more bedrooms should his family ever move to the States. He negotiated a discount by offering to be flexible on the project timing. So typically, carpenters/electricians/contractors are less busy in the winter months. My father asked for a discount in exchange for having them work during a lighter season. And this example comes to mind, bc my teacher specifically told a story about how he negotiated cheaper gas at his local station. First, he asked questions about whether the owner had daily gas quotas in order to get better wholesale rates from the suppliers. Yes. Which days were his slow days where he had trouble reaching the goals. Wednesdays, but he was often short like x gallons– an amount far more than a single customer. So what happened? My teacher negotiated a discount by getting all his realtor friends in on it: they would pump their gas on Wednesdays from that station and get a discount. Pretty crazy, right?

I think I’m pretty good at making the ask, but I want to work on negotiating by highlighting what’s in it for them. Of course, I’ve started practicing already.  We have one final step for our bathroom reno where the plumbers have to come back and put in the trim (fixtures). By habit, I made the ask: would you consider a discount given the amount of recent project work we’ve done? Then I realized I hadn’t pointed out what they get out of it. So while he was still considering, I offered to be flexible with their schedule… they can squeeze us in whenever they have an opening and we are also located nearby in MV. He gave me a discount! Not huge but still 15%! 

I’m thinking that I will go back to Comcast and negotiate my rates again. I already do that pretty regularly, arguing that I’m a longtime customer, but I might try the angle of asking how much they pay to market to new users. I’m an existing and I’m happy with their service and in my real estate work, there may be opportunities where I can share my positive experiences with Comcast… haha. We’ll see what happens. 

We’re also contemplating a new roof, and I was thinking to employ the same strategy dad used: see if any neighbors are considering and then we can get a group discount and time it so the contractor can consolidate his mobilization/supply costs.

Incidentally, I am visiting my parents this weekend, so I’m sure dad will put me to work on vendor calls.

Doubts and Deals

Gosh, I can’t believe Thanksgiving has already come and gone. And I know, I’ve been slacking big time on blogging. What can I say: every damn day is packed and the hours just slip away! So for Turkey Day, we were invited to S’s place. She was hosting Friendsgiving. Since she’s pescatarian, J and I did a little pre-emptive turkey. I told J to just forget about it this year, but he knows how much I love my turkey (and cooking it in the NuWave), so he went out and got a 16-pounder. All I did was stuff it with veggies and sprinkle on top with olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Time >> 1:40 >> Start. Flip. Repeat. And OMFG, that bird came out to perfection. I’m telling you! Then, I watched YouTube and carved that sucker up. Easy, breezy, and fucking delicious.

As things turned out, S’s neighbors made prime rib AND turkey, so we were pretty set the very next day. I’ve fallen off the damn gym wagon (again) and my waistline is quickly expanding. Fuck man, too many issues on too many fronts. But those are all troubles for another day, right? On Thanksgiving, we feasted. S also bought a Trump pinata… Unfortunately, we had to get home to Marty and didn’t stay for the Trump beatdown. Meanwhile, S was taking work calls like every 30 minutes, working in retail and with Black Friday being one of the biggest shopping times of the year. That lady: so dedicated. I was surprised to learn that she’s starting to ease up on the vegetarianism… mostly bc her doctor says she’s not getting enough nutrition. She even had a slice of turkey. I’m all for the animal cruelty angle, after all, I was veggie myself for six years but man, when you start getting health/sickness issues and esp given how much she has to travel for work, something’s gotta give. You can always source local/organic and reduce the portion… Overall, it was a lovely Thanksgiving gathering. As usual though, I was freezing my ass off bc well, SF. SF is a city where, even indoors, people bundle up in coats. I always forget.

Marty has been slowly getting better, although the last few nights, either I took the diaper off too soon or it came off… and he shit in the house. Sometimes too after he awakes from a nap, he’ll shit getting up to stretch his legs. I know, he doesn’t have the muscle/organ control he used to. Still, I swear I am THE worst person for special needs. I get so damn frustrated and impatient. Sigh, sigh, sigh.

In other news, I’ve still been going full throttle with work. I just want all my software and systems all set up, you know? And then I’ve been reading things and I swear, every damn night, I get this bout of anxiety. J says it always strikes at the 10 o’clock hour, where I’m suddenly overcome with doubt. Can I do this? How am I going to make the ask? How am I going to get business? When I read the scripts, they feel so. damn. forward. Like pushy. I know I have to make the ask, but… and so the cycle kicks off again. Will I ever achieve professional success? Will I ever be good at anything? Blah, blah, blah.

Thankfully, J helped clarify some things for me. Initially, I was a bit confused, bc my coach was really pushing the ask. But the office CEO/managing broker was telling me to network and plant seeds and NOT be obnoxious. I was having trouble reconciling the two, and then J explained it like this: with vendors and service providers (say, lenders or insurance agents), be aggressive and make the ask. With people you know, your inner circle, your personal network, you can be more subtle, like tell people you’re in real estate and WHAT THAT MEANS (like you can help with buying, selling, RENTING, even handle out-of-your-area referrals), but you don’t have to be so forward. Ah, ok. That makes more sense. I felt better.

So I’ve started going through my network, you know, cutting out people who probably don’t remember me and then categorizing the remaining people based on how we are connected. And then I’ve started crafting messages today based on that relationship: it takes time bc I’m not really using the scripts provided by my coach… Slowly and surely, I have to believe the work will come.

Meanwhile, I’m building my self awareness, reading about business strategies, doing technical trainings, and then filling my calendar with all sorts of networking opps. Tomorrow is the Board Game Night… same one as last week but J is joining. Frankly, I want to play the new game I learned again and then I want to try the networking angle.. this group is kinda like a test bed for me. No harm done if it doesn’t work out, but it’s good practice AND I also realized that a lot of these gamers are software people so actually, that’s within my realm of potential clients.

I was thinking the other night about “finding my tribe,” as the broker described it. Obviously, just like in the wider world, not everyone is going to jive with my personality or my style. I need to just go through lots of people, quickly cess out whether or not there’s potential (kinda like dating, I imagine), and then just focus on the shortlist. So I started analyzing my group of friends. Are there patterns or similarities among them? At first, I was thinking they are unconventional– like they do things their own way. But that was actually way off. A lot of my friends don’t really have the defiance issues I have with workplaces, leaders, and with society… So I was thinking and thinking and discussing with Bubs, and of course, world class EQ dude came up with the pattern: I get along well with people who like to research things. And it’s so true!!! I went through a lot of my friends and indeed, they like to research shit, be it recipes, restaurants, travel places, ballot propositions, tax/investment laws or secrets, products, politics, deals, historical events and legal cases, etc. So maybe that sheds light on the type of clients I might mesh well with? I dunno, really. Anyway, it’s one data point I suppose. And kinda interesting to me.

I’ve also been actively trying to hone my negotiation skills. Obviously, people want a realtor who can advocate for them in every possible way. In recent weeks, our Comcast cable and internet service has been extremely unreliable and shoddy. All over my neighborhood list, people were griping about it. People said they called and got $10-20 discounts. Last night, our cable went out again so I decided to call AGAIN. The matter still isn’t fixed— the tech is coming on site tomorrow BUT I did manage to get a $40 discount plus free Showtime for three months. Originally, the dude offered me $10 plus Showtime. Um, this is the second time I’m calling about shit service. The first time, the account billing person never even called me back. If my monthly bill is $140 and I’ve had at last a week of wonky service, $10 hardly covers the disruption. Homeboy tried to say the outage was only two days. I was like, is your company keeping records on its performance and tracking when service is actually out? Bc all over my neighborhood list, people say the outage is MORE than just a few days– like on the order of a week. That’s the thing I’ve learned. You gotta push back, bc people will try to get away with as much as they can.

Meanwhile, on the eBay front, I’ve been scoring some deals. Hee, hee. The secret is to filter for items where sellers have multiple quantity AND they post a list price OBO. I find that if I buy more than one and they have multiple in stock, sellers are generally more interested in clearing inventory than in getting optimal price per item.

Ok well, enough with my ramblings today. Obviously, my brain is filled with shit that’s all over the place. I’m going to try and hit the gym now. If anything, I gotta warm up in the sauna and take a shower. 😉 Ha!

It’s Gou Time!

Since returning from overseas, I have been on the go. Big. time. John insists that this Powerpill mode was all precipitated by my father’s assertion that he works waaaay harder than I do. I’ll admit, statements like that– albeit true– do rile me up, so yes, that partially lit a fire under my ass. But aside from my father’s remarks, I’ve also been getting super antsy, you know? It’s time to get going full force. After all, I like to hustle!

Since Wednesday, I’ve been in full-on real estate networking/research mode. Then, I’ve also been trying to catch up with friends and you know, get back into the swing of home improvement, activity planning, and dealios. Real estate-wise, a decision on where I’m going to work is coming soon (after I do a tad bit more research and squeeze in some negotiating, of course).

As for my personal life, I am still floating on Cloud 9 with my Southwest Companion Pass. Shit man, I had already scored our Seattle tickets for dirt cheap, but then I called yesterday to inquire if I could refund John’s ticket (for travel credit) and instead use the Companion Pass option. Yesiree! I also learned that his travel credits can be applied towards taxes (~$11.20/flight) on the comp ticket! I know, you don’t really give a shit about the nitty gritty: long story short, we now have three trips on the books where he’s using the deal (over $500 worth!) . I’m going to get addicted to this BOGO travel arrangement big time!

What else. J and I have been talking about upgrading to a tankless water heater, so we can recover some space from the hallway and expand the master bath just a tad. We’re getting estimates from 2-3 plumbers to see what that entails. The timing is just about right too: this week, we noticed leaking/moisture on the top of our existing 40-gallon water heater (dated 1998!!). Yup, at this point we are really playing with fire. And given the last plumbing debacle, we’re kinda pushing our luck. Anyway, the project might have to break down into phases due to the urgency of getting in a new heater… we’ll see.

I’ve also been feeling rather grossed out by our dirty carpets, so I gathered numerous quotes last week for carpet cleaning. I’m planning to schedule a thorough deep cleaning on Tuesday/Wednesday, bc I need to see start seeing some sparkle around here!

Oh, and I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m participating in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), which is basically an event/movement where bloggers post daily for this month. I’ve done it before. Blogging every day is a good habit for me since it’s essentially my therapy, which you witnessed in full view last month… Stay tuned for more.

 

On a Roll

What can I say, this has been one helluva week! After passing my exam, I was on cloud 9 for like 24 hrs. Then, the very next day, I boarded a quickie flight to Burbank for that “client meeting.” I even got all decked out in a blazer and fancy flats for the fun of it. You know me and my crazy mind games. Yup, it was my last ditch attempt to score the elusive and highly coveted Southwest Companion Pass. With the promo ending on October 31, I was running out of time, so I just had to crank it out. The flight was an easy 45 min down; then, I exited the gate area and re-entered security and boarded my flight back. I know, J and I were shaking our heads (he stayed home) and laughing at ourselves, but shit man, this just had to be done. And in the end, we’re talking a time commitment of 9am-1pm plus $112 for the homestretch.

This morning, I was jarred from my slumber with the official email. Yesiree: I am now an official Companion Pass holder, and I am so fucking psyched!!! I mean, I was literally sitting on the commode this morning thinking about what an amazing deal this is/was. Seriously people, keep your eyes peeled for a repeat. If you think about it, the pass was going to be nearly impossible for me based on the original terms (110k points from credit card purchases and/or flights OR 50 round trip flights in a calendar year). I got the same exact pass for 5 round trips totalling less than $1000!!! I know, I keep going on and on… I’m just saying: some deals really are worth the extra time and hustle. And another new thing I discovered? Southwest starts direct flights from SJC-BWI next month. So good or bad, at least flying home will be even easier. Yay. Not. My parents say they’re getting the house on the market by Feb/Mar, so I imagine a few more trips will be in order. We’ll see.

Speaking of real estate, everything is on track for the Walkersville house. I can hardly believe it. After several months and many uncomfortable conversations, the deal is nearly done. Thank goodness. And along the way, I’ve certainly learned a ton about dealing with clients (like myself) and about being a responsive and attentive realtor. I have so much to learn with this goddamn people-based business. I’m both excited and apprehensive.

Then, as part of registering for the license exam, I got on some kind of recruitment list, so several brokers/companies in the area sent me letters, inviting me to meet and check them out. I mean, there’s nothing really personalized about the letter: they just contact people who registered for the test. It actually reminds me a lot of the college application process: you register for the SATs and then colleges all over the country start mailing you their prospectuses and shit. But heck, I’m thrilled to be pursued (it happens so rarely), and of course, I have emailed all those brokers letting them know that I passed this week and let’s meet next month. Yup, I am on it.

Btw, the KW realtor I befriended through LinkAges has turned out to be so kind and generous in sharing his knowledge. Bc of him, I’ve attended a few trainings to help me hit the ground running. In fact, I’m attending another one this afternoon… I told you I eat that training/coaching shit up.

So yeah, my trip to Asia is right around the corner, but I’m just trying to keep the momentum going. Gotta hit the iron while it’s hot, like my father loves to say. I’m feeling pretty good, like most things are finally going on an upward trajectory.

The Fine Print

So update on a few things:

Walkersville house: Apparently, my agent and I had a misunderstanding about the cost of radon mitigation. I thought he estimated the costs as $400 for a passive system and $900 for an active system. Turns out though, what he meant was $400 to upgrade to an active system if there’s a passive system already installed… but there isn’t. So that’s fine. Radon is a legit environmental health concern, so we upped the buyer credit some more. The buyers accepted, and we’re onto the next step. Whew!

Companion Pass: Seeing as I was still short a flight, I booked that same day roundtrip to Burbank for $112. But the next day, I figured I would CYA once more and call Southwest to confirm that after this Burbank trip, I’m gonna get the pass for sure, right??? Well, I spent about 30 min on the phone with an agent and her manager: they both insisted that indeed Reno was the last flight I needed. Back and forth. They are unable to provide paperwork or email confirming this. To be honest, the problem seems to be inconsistent fine print posted to various places. Regardless, from what I read in the super detailed fine print, “bookings made before the promo period are ineligible.” So even though these people told me what I wanted to hear, I think they are wrong and I’m not taking any chances.

Rover: Very late on Thursday night (11:35p to be exact), I received a Rover request for the very next day. Given the last minute nature, I assumed this was urgent and dire. I accepted boarding for a 2.5-y/o American Eskimo. I looked through her profile and pretty much no care/vet instructions. The owner was super grateful and when I expressed concerns about age difference with Marty, she didn’t really reply. At worst, I figured I could just keep them separate. So the owner came by after work on Friday and she was in a hurry, so much so that she didn’t want to see the yard or the park. She also didn’t bring the dog’s food or bed. Just a leash/harness, a bone (“I’ll leave this and she hasn’t chewed up anything in a long time”), and a bag of treats. Um, ok. All is fine, Lemon (named after the citrus) is a sweet young pup. At bedtime, we go to sleep and she stays out in the living room. Ok, whatever. Sometimes dogs prefer to wait near the door. Then, in the middle of the night, I wake up to go to the kitchen and I see chewed up rubber nubbies all over the carpet (the door stop). Throughout the night, she comes in the bedroom and I wake up to let Lemon and Marty outside. It’s a restless night. By morning, John gets up and let’s them both out. Then, he goes out to get coffee. I try to sleep in. I hear some crying and then when I go into the living room, Lemon is on the sofa, sitting on top of my Lululemon jacket. As I get closer, I see that she has chewed off the bottom half of the zipper. I think she ingested some of the zipper teeth even. Ugh! WTF?!?! I email her owner saying I think she ingested but I think she’ll poop it out and be fine. Can take to vet if you want. No reply pretty much all day. Later, I notice too that Lemon has chewed through her harness. So now I’m kinda pissed. I mean, she IS young, and this is one of the reasons why I specify dogs over 10 y/o. But I dunno: without any additional instructions/warnings from her owner, I thought Lemon would be easy. It’s fine: not the end of the world. My local dry cleaner says $40 for a new zipper, and fortunately, the owner agreed to pay. But shit, this also gives me a new appreciation for owners who bring their own crates and all that other equipment for when their dogs are left unattended. I mean, in this case, I was home, but after discovering her penchant for chewing, the crate would have allowed me to leave the house at least. Next time, I need to still insist on a thorough screening process… no cutting corners.

What else. I have been studying my real estate for a few hours every day. I did great on Exam 1 – definitions. Awful on exam 2 – prelim. I find the questions so confusingly worded, to be honest. So today was discouraging, but I just have to keep plugging. We’re off to Tahoe and back this week. Hope Marty does ok with the new sitter and her little mutt Cricket.

How About Law School?

I called my dad this evening to catch up. The last time we’d spoke, he was having a personal pity party while also arguing with my mother, so needless to say, I was feeling pretty frustrated with both of them. About a week and a half have passed since, and thankfully, he is sounding better. I gave an update on the Walkersville townhouse (we’re trying to schedule closing for after I return from Taiwan…). He’s been watching some new Taiwanese programming online and then tending to the yard, running errands, tracking his stocks, etc.

My grandparents in Taiwan seem to be on the upswing again. Even though the original plan for my upcoming trip was to consider moving my maternal grandparents to a formal elder facility in Taipei, it now seems that that transition plan will be unlikely. My dad’s sisters insist the current situation with all three oldies living in one place is manageable, esp with the help of two live-in caretakers, so the status quo might just end up being the easiest thing. Plus, I got wind that my brother is not returning phone calls (what’s new) and to be honest, if he were the only relative leaving nearest my grandparents’ senior facility should they relocate to the campus in Taipei, that would be a fucking disaster, bc ultimately, Jgo is unreliable as fuck. Just sayin’.

Other news: dad is most likely going to just use his usual realtor for selling his primary residence. As it turns out, I probably had a mismatch with the Walkersville agent anyway, so just as well: dad will simply continue working with a known quantity who also happens to speak Chinese. Remember when we said his house was going to go on the market next year? Well I was thinking like April or May 2017. Nope, his agent is advising that they clear out the insides and list in February/March. Uh, good luck with that accelerated timeline. Clearly, she has no idea what she’s dealing with.

Meanwhile, after my bud N headed out to LA on Thursday, I met with a local practicing broker on Friday (part of my plan to start networking now…). We had a good meeting: I followed up with a thank you and a “yes, I’d love to attend some of your office’s upcoming trainings,” to which she invited me… During our meeting, I floated the internship/job shadow/assistant idea, but she said realty offices hire assistants for like 2-3 year chunks, so my best next move while awaiting my license is really to attend office trainings and meet the other colleagues. Ok, cool with me.

But damn, I am getting antsy as fuck about not bringing in some more dough. Yes, I have another Rover assignment coming up, but with our traveling, my schedule isn’t super conducive. Naturally, I started creeping around on the Craigslist job boards, and I was getting sucked into some personal assistant/travel planning gigs. J thinks they are a total waste of time and energy (I should be ramping up for real estate…), but I like planning and organizing, and I’m good at it… I guess we’ll go to Portland and then I’ll come back and re-assess. I just feel like I need some more side hustle. That was always my thing in college: I just did better when I had a busy schedule with a lot of side jobs.

But back to my call tonight with dad. Mom is undergoing a bunch of tests: biopsies and a CAT scan. A few weeks ago, doctors found a speck on her lung and ulcers in her esophagus. My dad doesn’t think it’s anything to worry about bc back in their day, the TB inoculations often caused scarring on the organs, but just to be sure, they are doing tests. The doctor is slated to review the results in mid October.

Mom and Dad had also recently stopped their daily walking routine, bc the weather back home was so blistering hot and muggy, but dad said they started walking again this week. Then, for whatever reason, I dropped my bomb: I told dad about my real estate plans. I wasn’t really nervous about it or anything. I just didn’t want to tell him earlier bc I didn’t want him harassing me about studying for the class and whatever.  Not surprisingly, he thought it was a good idea, and after I told them I’d already completed the three required classes and am awaiting the test date, he sounded even more thrilled.

Of course, that didn’t stop him from making the inevitable comment: “Did you look at other jobs?” Um, yeah I’d already looked at all the digital comm jobs and decided I didn’t want to continue in that line of work doing jobs in nonprofit. He then clarified what he was really asking, “Have you thought about law school?” And there it was AGAIN. Jesus fucking Christ. He has been mentioning law school since I was in engineering graduate school in 1998. Every damn time: No, I’m not interested in more schooling. Oh, it’s only two years. No, it’s THREE years. Plus, every lawyer I know HATES the job. EVERY damn one says it is their most expensive mistake.

It’s fine. I’m not angry or anything, but it’s just another example of where my parents sometimes just push their agenda without listening to what I’m telling them. I get it: he works with lawyers and the work doesn’t seem that hard and they make boatloads of money. But still, it’s not like I’m my friend J who like takes law classes for fun or reads about Supreme Court judgements for fun… Anyway, Dad did insert the whole, “You do what’s right for you” disclaimer at the end. And regardless, I think he is pleased that in the very least, real estate will be practical should J and I consider personal real estate investments in the future… Always pragmatic, right?

What else. Oh, I had a very pleasant discovery the other day. You know how I’ve been doing the whole Upromise thing? Well, I used it back in May for our VRBO Best Friends booking, and the way I read the cashback deal, I would just get $10 for the booking. Well, as it turns out, I got like 10% of my booking (~310) on top of the $10!! Woo hoo!! So far, I’ve earned over $1200 in just under two years with Upromise. Not too shabby!

Finally, an update on Marty care: After reaching out to like 8 sitters for mid October availability, I met with a sitter this morning who’s game for living on the Houseboat while we’re in Taiwan. She also appeared utterly unfazed by Martin’s fragile condition. So we’re going to try her out in early October for our two-day trip to Tahoe (my final Southwest flight before getting my prized Companion Pass!) and then see how that goes. He’s been doing pretty well but those back legs, man… Today, I saw glimpses of Remy’s decline. But we’re just going to plug along for as long as he’ll plug along. I hope he’ll be ok when we’re in Portland for a few days.

Upcoming Travels

I’m pretty damn stoked that the Southwest Companion Pass is finally within reach. Normally, this elite status is attainable only if you clock 50 round trip flights in one year OR obtain 110,000 points, which is kinda a shit ton of dough, you know what I mean?

With the credit card bonus, I scored 50k points free back in March. But then separately, Southwest ran some insane promo for California this summer, requiring only five round trip flights from July to October. So now I don’t even need the 110k points: I just need the round trips, and with all the crazy sales they’ve been having, Precious will be mine!!  Muhahaha!

So it should come as no surprise that I’m a dork, and I tallied up the cost of the five flights. Some of them were flown solo and a few were with Bubbey but his flights are irrelevant in terms of the promo. Even after all that, the total came under $1500! Obviously, for each trip, there’s lodging and car rental and whatever, so the gross outlay is higher but still, if you just calculate based on the flights, this is a pretty low barrier of entry for a free companion ticket for any Southwest destination through December 31, 2017, right? I’m super psyched.

And speaking of travel deals, my bud N is celebrating her 40th in Big Sky, MT this January. Yup, she is not afraid of heavy duty snow in the mountains in the dead of winter. Anyway, she’s renting out a posh lodge and a bunch of her friends are gathering from all over the country. Bc Bozeman is a smaller airport, there aren’t really direct flights (except from Seattle) and airfare ranges from $300-$600. I was tracking and just waiting for a good price point. But then, N sent me her itinerary, which is uber cray from the East Coast (Wilmington to Charlotte to Nashville to Seattle to Bozeman), and a light went off in my head. Wait, what??? Alaska Air and American Air are partner airlines? It’s pretty fricking tricky bc when you go on the AA site to book an award flight, the default search is just for AA and American Eagle, so then no flights are available. But, if you open the search to partners, all kinds of routes emerge, including several on Alaska. I’m pretty thrilled bc I hardly ever fly AA or Alaska so I’ve had the points just sitting in my account, and now I just eeked out a freebie flight. Woot, woot! Maybe I should work in the travel industry. Hee, hee.