Todd#43

I dunno about it being a tank. I saw it at the bike show, and I liked it. Somewhat of a cross between what the 'busa was and the newer GSXR's. The ergo's seemed pretty nice too, and I don't think it felt overly heavy. Sure, it weighs more than the 600's, but compared to my 2001 GSX-R1000, or the ZX-14 it didn't feel too bad. Somebody buy my 600 so I can get one of them!!

I read and re-read that little paragraph, and I'm not EVEN gonna go there. I hear ya on not giving it away....glad to see you're finally steppin up to a big boy bike True dat....as long as its straight, there's no need to worry about it. We've run salvage bikes for years with no problems at all. What people forget is a sportbike can typically be totalled out just for body damage. Hope you sell it soon!

Whats with the condom on the shock? Seriously, I'm surprised no one has grabbed this thing yet....

By the way, I re-ran your "calculation". Explain to me how you're only paying $94,515.79 for a house with a sell price of $100,000.00. If you stay there for 30 years, your cost to purchase will be $345,564.30Estimated Cost of Buying I think you missed a step....

I never said you weren't saving money when compared to paying . I said it wasn't an in investment, and paying rent isnt wasting money. No, in the long term it doesn't "pay out". You may have paid less in mortgaging a house for thirty years than someone will pay in rent over that extended period but it wont put any money in your pocket. By the way, if you live in the same house till you croak, never refinance (or take an "equity" loan") you still haven't made any money - you cant take it with you, you know? I don't think you've proven it, and on average people don't stay in one place long enough to get to that point. Even if you manage to pay off your mortgage you'll still have plenty of costs involved in owning an OLD house that needs lots of repairs and updates. I have plenty of "pride" in the house that I rent. Its a very nice 4 bedroom 2 full bath, 2 half bath house in a desireable suburb west of Cleveland. I have a two car garage, and a view of Lake Erie from the deck on the second floor. My point is you don't have to own the place you live to have pride in it. I know for a fact that I'll not be living here much longer, as we're planning on moving closer to my kids this spring. If I had purchased this house when we moved in two years ago, I'd be stuck trying to sell a home in a housing market that isnt doing very well right now. Not a good thing. Own your house, rent a house...do what you want. Just don't try to make it something it isn't.

Look, I never ONCE said buying a home was a waste of money. I said it wasn't an INVESTMENT. How many times do I have to say the same thing over and over again. This is the last time I'm going to say it: You still haven't shown me how owning a home can MAKE you money. I did the calculator too, except I dont plan on being in the same place with the same mortgage for 30 years. I used my current monthly rent, and assumed a 15 year mortgage on a home price comperable to the one I rent. Mine came out like this: $27,016.20Estimated Cost of Renting $52,118.30Estimated Cost of Buying I just saved over $25,000.00 renting instead of buying - and only in two short years. I think I'll throw that money in some high yield mutual fund that will pay me some money. You know, I'll "invest" it. Have one of your "experts" explain the concept of "investing" to you.

They must be worse than those shitty Kawasaki's that break the stock fairing stay when you bounce 'em off the front wheel too many times....

Someone had to certify it - its got a ton of miles on it, ya know? I dunno where I got this one - I find shit like this all the time. Way too much time on my hands, I guess.

There are a bunch of reasons why that question wasn't answered: They don't know what an investment is. They've been conditioned for years to believe it IS an investment. They believe that because the house is "worth" more than the paid for it, they're making money. Anything that gives you a tax deduction MUST be good. They don't understand the concept of profit.If I really had the time, I could probably come up with one hundred more. I've said it before - if you want to buy a house, cool...go for it. Just don't call it an investment. Renting works for me. I know I'll never get any of the money back that I've spent in rent, and I'm ok with that. You're never going to get back the $200.00 you spent last week on groceries, but that doesnt keep you from eating, does it? Someone man up and show me a real world example of how buying a house is an investment - PLEASE!

Be a man... Get a pair of lopping shears and cut it off. If your toe is really small, tin snips or even a pair of slightly dull side cutters should do the job. Quit being a whining Sally - its a toe for chrissakes.

How about another pic..

Finally....someone who understands

That's because right now it has no value to speak of. Once its worth something (people want it, or need it) it wont be free.

Dude, wtf are you doing with a mount for an R6? Can't you just send it back to Scott's?

You're on the right track, Nick. What I'm saying is that the money you spend for your house ends up being wayyyy more than you sell it for. But you're correct in saying that for the most part its money on paper... You're right, there is a tax savings, but all it allows you to do is get back some of the money that should have been yours in the first place. Keep in mind that you're not getting ALL of your mortgage interest back. The mortgage interest paid is a deduction from your gross income, not a straight deduction from your tax liability. Additionally, as your mortgage progresses through its term the amount of interest you pay in later years is decreased, as is your deduction. Agreed - a "savings account" that doesnt pay you any interest is pointless.

Its called a free market economy. If the people down the street will pay a dime more for their gas, so be it. You could go to two different Chevy Dealers and get two different prices on the same vehicle. Should that be against the law too?

An investment returns income - that's why it is called an investment. If it doesn't pay you more than your total cost in, its a bad investment.If it does pay you more than you paid, then its a good investment. Keep in mind that what you paid is way more than the initial selling price of the house. I'm sure I'll never be done paying rent, because I'll always need a place to live. I may buy another house in the future, but it wont be an investment. It would be a lifestyle choice. I would have to guess that a lot people in this day and age will never be done paying mortgage payments. With today's mobile society and people constantly refinancing the payments just go on forever. If you can mortgage a house, make all your payments and actually clear a profit on it, more power to you. Thats a job well done. I believe most people DONT make money on a mortgaged house.

At least they're taking over SOMETHING.....

According to the website you referenced, and the article quoted Oil companies (on average) made about 9 cents per dollar of sales, which is a 9% net profit. This is in line with what most other US Industries make. I'm sure that there are industries that net less, and Pharmaceutical companies make wayyyy more on average - somewhere in the neighborhood of 20%. I'll agree that its not a good thing that the government makes BIG money on taxes, but why is it a bad thing that the oil companies make money? Isnt that what they're supposed to do? They returned a dividend of about $2.00 per share, thats really not a ton of money for the shareholders. How is the average Joe getting screwed?

Dude, I never once said buying a home is a waste of money. All I said was it isnt an INVESTMENT, and I've shown you logical reasons why I believe it isn't. Sure, you have something at the end of the mortgage, and it has value, but you have to be VERY lucky to realize any profit. If you don't realize any profit, its not an investment. Look at it this way - is your checking account an investment? You put money in it every month, and all you get out of it is what you put in it. According to your argument it MUST be an investment. Most people would say that it isnt. Renting isnt a waste of money either. I receive something of value for my money. If I didn't pay rent, I'd live on the streets - that wouldn't be smart, would it? If you can show me how buying a home is an "investment" (you have to realize a cash profit) I'm all ears. Otherwise, I'm going to quit wasting my time with this thread.

Does the barrell of oil magically turn into gasoline on the way over here from the gulf? No, it doesnt. There's cost to refine it, transport it, market it, etc. Currently, there's a federal tax of $0.184 and ohio tax of $0.469 on every gallon. I would bet that the state and federal governments make more per gallon than the oil companies.

Woah.... Before we start crucifying the oil companies, lets remember that no one is MAKING you buy their product. The article says revenue (gross sales) was up 29%, but gross profits were only up 14%. That means they're making LESS per gallon than they were a year ago. Honestly earning a $2.00 per share dividend on a stock that sells for over $80 isn't THAT great Believe it or not, the Federal Government and the State of Ohio make more on every gallon sold here than the oil companies or the retailers do. Oil companies make a pretty small margin per gallon, but they sell a LOT of gallons. While we're at it, what's wrong with a company making a profit? Isn't that what they're supposed to do?

Ehhh....nevermind. IF you think you're making money on your house, thats cool.

That would be great, but that house is going to cost you MORE than $75,000.00 One more time....A $75,000 mortgage at 5.5% for 15 years will cost you $110,000.00 (180 payments @ about $612.00 each) Put $10,000.00 in improvements in it, and you've now spent $120,000.00 (not $85,000.00) You sell it for $100,000.00 and you LOSE $20,000.00 Do you get it yet?

Equity is money on paper...its not cash in your pocket. All it does is allow you to incur more debt. The "equity" you have in your house only compares the amount that owe on the mortgage against the "value" of the house. It doesnt account for what you've paid over the term in taxes, improvements, repairs, maintenance, etc. If you'd actually read my post, your cost of ownership can easily exceed the value of your "equity". That makes owning a home a zero-sum game - much like renting, only your costs are higher. Thats why most people think buying a home is a good investment - they dont look at ALL the costs involved.