Has anyone noticed?

I don't know if anyone has noticed that I haven't been here for a while, but I have been very busy lately. I just bought a condo here in Naples FL. Thats right, 19 years old and I was able to get a home loan on a $140,000 house. I was planning on moving in about a month ago but construction took longer then expected. Its a 2 Bedroom/ 2 Bath, 1,300 square feet w/patio. It's in a gated community that my dad is the sales manager for, so he got %10 off the price and as a gift, he gave me what would have been his commission, about $7000 toward the down payment. It took sprint about a week to hook up my phone service and hopefully soon I will be getting my high speed cable or DSL (haven't decided yet). I'm not that good at bragging, never have been, but it is very nice living on my own, away from my parents, as much as I love them ;) I guess I am kinda of proud of my self for this, so I thought I would just let you guys know what I've been up to. Anyway, Thanks for reading all of this and have a good day :)

Also, Sony aproved me for $5000 limit so my A/V set is as follows:
https://forums.windrivers.com/<a href="http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/wega/products/kv36xbr450.html" target="_blank">36" Sony wega XBR Digital HD Flat Screen</a> with optional stand
https://forums.windrivers.com/Sony DAV-C900 5 disk DVD changer and DTS 5.1 Digital Surround sound with speakers
Sony Playstation 2

PS2 is hooked up to TV with Component video cable - sound is hooked up with a Monster optical cable to the Dav-C900

The DVD player is hooked with a Monster Component cable to the TV.

It makes the Fast and The Furious and Gone in 60 sec better then ever! :) :D

[quote]Originally posted by FastAndFurious:
<strong>Also, Sony aproved me for $5000 limit so my A/V set is as follows:
http://63.224.30.17/images/KV-36XBR450.jpg<a href="http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/wega/products/kv36xbr450.html" target="_blank">36" Sony wega XBR Digital HD Flat Screen</a> with optional stand
http://63.224.30.17/images/DAV-C900.jpgSony DAV-C900 5 disk DVD changer and DTS 5.1 Digital Surround sound with speakers
Sony Playstation 2

PS2 is hooked up to TV with Component video cable - sound is hooked up with a Monster optical cable to the Dav-C900

The DVD player is hooked with a Monster Component cable to the TV.

It makes the Fast and The Furious and Gone in 60 sec better then ever! :) :D </strong><hr></blockquote>

First off congratulations on your first home.

I sure hope you aren't falling into the credit black hole. I've been there when I was 19. Citibank had a booth set up in the student union at college and was just passing out credit cards. I suddenly had nice computers, dinner out when I didn't have cash, tires for my car, gas when I was flat broke. etc etc etc

Several Years later, when I finally woke up, I had a discover card maxed out and a gold visa maxed out. All in all, I was $13,000 in the hole. Credit counseling helped my restore my credit and drop the balance to the point where I could get an unsecured personal loan to pay off the debt in less than four years with lower payments than I was making to just keep the balance level.

I still use a credit card, but only for online purchases because of the fraud protection, and the balance is paid in full every month. I don't buy anything I can't afford with cash. I'm not going back to that place ever again.

This was not meant to be a lecture. I hope everything works out for you. Best of luck

Im 20. Funnily enough, I was in bucketloads of debt when I was 18 / 19 , and there isnt a way in hell I would do it again.

Congratulations to you, enjoy.

Congrats on the new Home/Stuff. When can I come and pull a Kato? :D :D :D
Nice to hear one of our fellow techies are movin up in the world. Whatever you're doin, you gotta get me in on it. :D :D

I know about the credit deal, My first credit card and I still have it is a secured card with a $500.00 limit, that is my primary card for online and dinner sometimes (not once sense first learning about the condo) and maybe sometimes gas. My only other card is a Sears’s card that I used the first time and haven't used since, and now the Sony card, which can only be used on Sony products. I know I went kinda of crazy with the Sony card but I do have the money to pay most of it off, and It has a one year no payments, so while I am a little bit worried I have decide to focus on clearing that balance out. But that is such a great setup, because I don't have furniture, it is the house center peace :D :D

[quote]Originally posted by Quiet Thunder:
<strong>Congrats on the new Home/Stuff. When can I come and pull a Kato? :D :D :D
</strong><hr></blockquote>

Sorry, I already have my bestfriend filling that job :D :D j/k

Dump all the department store credit cards, the interest rates are way too high - ask your bank for a low rate credit card if you carry a balance, you will save big $$$$

[quote]Originally posted by MacGyver:
<strong>Dump all the department store credit cards, the interest rates are way too high - ask your bank for a low rate credit card if you carry a balance, you will save big $$$$</strong><hr></blockquote>

Well, I only used that Sears card once almost 2 years ago, my secured card is with a bank and has an interest rate of 7.5%. I go the secured card right after I turned 18 and I have thought about mabye dumping it and applying for a non-secured $1000. limit card with the same bank.

I have never been able to get a credit card in my life. I hate all of you. :D :D :D

[quote]Originally posted by Wayward Clam:
<strong>I have never been able to get a credit card in my life. I hate all of you. :D :D :D </strong><hr></blockquote>
You want some of my applications, I swear, they have cut down a forest to be able to send me one every single day.

[quote]Originally posted by cleetus:
<strong>
You want some of my applications, I swear, they have cut down a forest to be able to send me one every single day.</strong><hr></blockquote>

They probably wouldn't do me any good. I try every single one of those "We approve ANYBODY" ripoff deals with the goal of slowly building up a credit rating, but they all turn out to be US citizens only. :(

[quote]Originally posted by Wayward Clam:
<strong>

They probably wouldn't do me any good. I try every single one of those "We approve ANYBODY" ripoff deals with the goal of slowly building up a credit rating, but they all turn out to be US citizens only. :( </strong><hr></blockquote>

Where are you from dude?

I usually try and stick to using my debit card...it won't let me spend money that I don't have!

[quote]Originally posted by EvilCabbage:
<strong>

Where are you from dude?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Clammy's a Canuck (Canadian)

[quote]Originally posted by korpse:
<strong>I usually try and stick to using my debit card...it won't let me spend money that I don't have!</strong><hr></blockquote>

Watch out for the extra charges against your debit cards. A lot of stores are now banging debit card users with an extra fee, but it's hidden in the charges. Watch out... :(

[quote]Originally posted by EvilCabbage:
<strong>

Where are you from dude?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Canada, eh? :D

Note on debit card fees: the trend here is to have the debit card itself free, but there are a very limited area of places that you can use it for free. Instead, the malls and restaurants and places have "compatible" ATMs run by another company that charges you $1.50 per transaction if you don't have an account with them... which, of course, nobody does.

Ah they're all a bunch of con artists. :rolleyes:

[quote]Originally posted by Spaceman Spiff:
<strong>

Watch out for the extra charges against your debit cards. A lot of stores are now banging debit card users with an extra fee, but it's hidden in the charges. Watch out... :( </strong><hr></blockquote>

At the place we work we will not accept debit cards, just because we get charged a extra fee for debit cards.

when ask at the store on how I am going to pay I just say cash, and then when they ring up the total I acted suprised and say "well I going to have to put it on my debit card." and if they want to charge me more they must not want my bussiness that bad. And I document all my purchases with the debit card very well and I keep all of the reciepts until It shows up on the bank records.

I am also 19, but I don't have a condo :(

I like living with my parents, i live close to a university, which I attend, i get a free room, i pay my cable connection, car insurance, cell phone and school bill (which is paid in full at the beginning of each quarter) I do have a credit card which they upped my limit to 800.00 which I don't care if they did or not, but as a youngin i have made every payment on my card up to this point, I have a steady job at UPS, full benefits, have money to blow on things i want to blow it on,

(like my computer I just built not to long ago, which is middle of the road also, PIII 933mhz, 768 meg ram, NVIDIA GeForce2 MX/MX 400 card on a Sony HMD-A200 17" monitor display, 60 gig drive and Win XP Home)

and my parents have taught me the meaning of hard work, you don't get anything in life for free. This past summer I worked from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday, except sundays. I know several people, relatives, whom have gave into the credit cards, expensive loans, and other things and wound up bankrupt. Just a word to the wise, don't spend money you don't have and don't buy things you really don't absolutely need, because in the long run it won't pay off.

I hope I didn't come off as a bragger, not that anything I have is all that great, but my life is pretty good at this point. Oh BTW my gal only lives 5 minutes from my house, which is even better. I also just bought a new car (to me 97) which is paid off completely. All i want to do now is just get married someday and have some ankle biters and a nice house somewhere.

Well now that I have shared my life with ya'll I will talk to you later, bye.

You sound like my friends, when I was your age. They were all out buying new cars while I was still driving the little toyota truck I still drive today. 301'056 miles. and no payments for 5 years. They all have been to credit counselers but, not me. I put it all in savings. Where is your job security at age 19. What if you lose your job tomorrow will your parents pay your bills. Don't think it won't happen cause it can. I have two older friends that have worked for the same company, for decades, and were laid off in december. Now they are selling their cars to make ends meet. Just be careful. Credit is a easy way to be duped.