Apparently everything in/on the house is past its expected life and should be replaced. Roof, gutters, oven, water heater, wood trim, even the electrical panel.

I don't have the cash to do the roof, which kills me since once we sell the house I would have the cash, but I probably need the roof fixed in order to sell the house and pop goes the weasle.

One point I would make to the agent and to the prospective buyers is "past expected life" ≠ "not working and in need of replacement." It just means that a new homeowner would have to keep an eye on them or replace them at his or her budget allows.

Also, I would hazard to guess that if when I bought this house and someone said "These items are past their expected life, but are in good repair, and not in immediate danger" I would have taken that into consideration.

Also find out what criteria the appraisers used on the roof. Are they talking dry rot, or just another re-shingle job?

Hivemind question:

So, now that it looks like DH and I are going to get a big enough inheritance to solve our debt problems and leave us with room to spare, in addition to all the practical considerations of AB's college fund, a down payment on a house, etc., I want to start saving for my dream 2015 summer European vacation. In an ideal world, I'd like to go for 6 weeks or so, maybe 3 weeks family vacation, at which point DH would take the kid(s) home and I'd spend 3 weeks on my own doing hardcore research (because DH doesn't share my enthusiasm for spending more than a month away from home).

Thing is, I have no idea how to budget for such a thing. Currently we're planning to each take a small chunk of the inheritance as "stupid money" to get some of the things we've longed for but haven't been able to afford because of the debt, and I'm planning to set about half of mine aside as a nest egg for the trip and then add a certain amount each month to the fund. But I need a target number. Should I just figure out what such a trip would cost in current dollars and shoot for that? Given how weak the dollar is right now, I hope that's a conservative estimate!

Should I just figure out what such a trip would cost in current dollars and shoot for that?

It sounds like you really should work with a financial specialist to figure how to divvy up this inheritence.

Congratulations, btw!

Susan, if you are coming into a large chunk of money, I strongly suggest you talk to a certified financial planner about how best to make the money accomplish your overall goals in life. And while you're in the meeting, just ask about the Europe trip.

Signed, is possibly getting very boring on the subject of financial planners.

Anyway, Hi all. I've been mostly dark for a while.

I had asked to have Wednesday the 23 off so that Andi and I could celebrate the 3rd anniversary of our first date (and, coincidentally, the 5th anniversary of the day we met online).

I got it off, true, but then my boss decided he could not spare me and instead of PTO, scheduled me on my normal day off. Because of this I have been working on the helpdesk the last 8 days straight.

Add to that the fact that on my previous day off I stepped on a thorn and in the middle of my 8 days I was limping so bad, I went to the clinic last Saturday and got it taken out and my foot X-rayed.

Then I still had to grimace my way to work that day and the rest of the days.

Two days later the cold from hell started. It's still not gone. I'm in day five and it's in the sniffle-cough, on and off hard to swallow part.

OTOH? Almost walking normally. Slight ache in foot, but it's getting better daily.

Hugs and well wishes for all those ill, infirm and needing the usual doses of ~ma.

holy cow I just learned a lot of new stuff.

We're planning to talk to a financial planner. We just already have a spreadsheet with the amount of shares we expect that DH is updating daily with the current stock price, and I was just playing with my "stupid money."

Really, I'm just hankering to plan out my dream itinerary and make it sound productive by planning a budget for it.

Susan, check your bank's Web site and see if it has something like this: [link] and/or go in and talk with a banker. That's a good place to start, at least.

As for where to save, if you're going to be adding money over time, check out the online savings accounts at places like ING or HSBC or Emigrant Direct -- they have the best APYs going for a standard savings account. t edit And/or money markets accounts, depending on how much you'll be socking away at the beginning.

A CD might have a better rate, but you'd have to put the whole amount in all at once, and it sounds to me like you don't have that just yet, that your goal is to build the amount. Although you could take your initial chunk of money and put it in a short-term CD, and then open an online savings for the rest of your incremental savings.

Just my (ha ha) 2 cents.

t edit again And, in reading your most recent post, it sounds like you don't need this kind of advice. Sorry! (I know nothing about how best to budget for a European vacation 7 years in the future when the US dollar is currently in the shitter.)

Thanks for the tips, Teppy! (ETA I do need this kind of advice! I've been broke so long it's a whole new mentality to think of actually saving money over and above bills toward a medium-term goal instead of putting every extra $ I can find toward the credit card debt.)

I think I might do the dream itinerary thing, just so when I meet with the financial planner/banker, I can say, "This is what it would cost to do this today. I want to do it in 7 years."

Susan, what Steph said. If you have a little more appetite for risk, I've done well over the years in a short-term corporate bond mutual fund. I'd say there are too many variables to set a hard and fast budget amount now.

Other ideas to toss out -- you might want to look at travel-based rewards programs, if you aren't a member of any already. In seven years, you should be able to amass quite a few benefits.

And let us know when you start looking at specifics. I for one would be more than happy to toss out ideas on wheres to go, whats to do, hints to save $.