Author Topic: FranLab is getting evicted  (Read 251136 times)

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Online tooki

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #150 on: October 15, 2018, 12:05:56 am »
Let this be a lesson for her. If you do not have your own place you have to be mobile.
Reminds me of an old Mad TV skit where Oprah is explaining how she deals with post-9/11 economic uncertainty: “Three words: Buy. A. Mountain!”

https://youtu.be/pzsErLOip-Y


Let this be a lesson for her. If you do not have your own place you have to be mobile.

Has it occurred to you that this might come across as condescending?
It is a bit condescending. And yet, if you’re used to what it’s like renting in Europe, it may come as a shock that it’s also totally true. In most places in USA you can be kicked out with little to no notice. The US’s history as a place where homeownership is expected (outside of a few major cities), means that renting has always had a clear “second rate citizen” status. It’s something you do because you’re young and haven’t figured things out yet, goes the story. That it’s untrue, and that we need to create more equitable relations between landlords and tenants, gets forgotten in the “homeownership is the goal” chatter.
 
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Offline EEVblog

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #151 on: October 15, 2018, 09:03:33 am »
Let this be a lesson for her. If you do not have your own place you have to be mobile.
Has it occurred to you that this might come across as condescending?

Engineers tend to lack tact.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #152 on: October 15, 2018, 09:07:56 am »
Quote
I'd get rid of everything I have to keep my wife, kids, and myself together and safe.
Quote
That depends on whether you'd need the gear to make money or whether it is 'just hobby stuff'.
That's two different perspectives on "gear" business or hobby. How much gear do you really need and Fran has collected one hell of a lot gear.

Fran has lots of interests, that tends to accumulate more stuff as a result.
Her Twitter username is ContourCorsets, she's had a sewing business for a long time as well.
 

Offline @rt

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #153 on: October 15, 2018, 09:14:25 am »
The life of a renter. Not an exclusive club.
I’m not even sure why this is a thread. There’s a period I moved more often than Fran mentioned.
I just sold up a large and rare collection of retro computing in anticipation of it.
It’s heartbreaking, but I don’t expect the details to interest anyone else.

 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #154 on: October 15, 2018, 09:38:27 am »
The life of a renter. Not an exclusive club.
I’m not even sure why this is a thread.

Because Fran has 80k+ subscribers and a huge fan base. This will impact her audience immensely, not to mention herself.

I'm looking at a big move right now. I currently own the lab and rent the 2nd office. This was always a stop-gap because the 50sqm lab was too small and buying a larger space wasn't really an option. My required 100sqm would cost >$800k. And it's next to impossible to get credit for commercial property.
So the options are:
1) Stay with what I've got.
2) Consolidate the lab and office into one bigger rented space, and then rent out my lab space.

I have found I space I like, the rent is reasonable, but they are being aggressive on terms. I'm not sure what to do.

Why bring it up? Because it impacts my audience too, I'd have to move the entire lab and set it up practically from scratch again.
 

Offline NivagSwerdna

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #155 on: October 15, 2018, 10:07:54 am »
Because Fran has 80k+ subscribers and a huge fan base. This will impact her audience immensely, not to mention herself.
Viewership is typically far less than 10k views per video. Looks like some significant downsizing is required with funds being raised by selling some of that stuff.  The move itself looks like a major endeavor.
Over the past few months I have been looking at my own stuff, in the context of making a will, and thinking how awful it would be to sort this out after I am gone.  I'm planning on selling or throwing my hoard but it is hard work parting with things that might have a use in the future  ;)
 

Offline Alex Eisenhut

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Offline @rt

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #157 on: October 15, 2018, 10:12:12 am »
That might be true, but it’s not the crux of the OP, nor what it occurs to me the video is about.
I relate to it sure, but sympathy, not from me.

In your case, I’d guess the move would be quite the undertaking, but in Fran’s case... I’m quite sure my stuff is much heavier, at least as much drama, and at least as often.

I’m glad I don’t work on vehicles.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #158 on: October 15, 2018, 10:31:04 am »
Because Fran has 80k+ subscribers and a huge fan base. This will impact her audience immensely, not to mention herself.
Viewership is typically far less than 10k views per video.

What does that imply?, that's it's not worth discussing here?
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #159 on: October 15, 2018, 10:32:47 am »
Looks like some significant downsizing is required with funds being raised by selling some of that stuff.

I don't think that needs to be the case, and I've outlined a plan to help with that.
 

Online coppercone2

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #160 on: October 15, 2018, 11:27:24 am »
are australians culturally less likely to sell property then english/americans?

i noticed in USA i heard stuff like 'sell it' quite a bit. It was always a fucked up last measure in my head. It's much less stressful to borrow money then to sell property.
« Last Edit: October 15, 2018, 11:30:08 am by coppercone2 »
 

Offline MK14

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #161 on: October 15, 2018, 11:54:45 am »
are australians culturally less likely to sell property then english/americans?

My guess, is that it is probably because of big tax bills, on buying and selling properties, such as stamp duty.

That can make it very uneconomic, to regularly buy and sell (move) property. Because a significant chunk of the money (in percentage terms), goes straight to the government. So, if you borrowed most of the money, anyway. The loss is especially hard hitting.

Hypothetical countries example:
Loan $250,000 to buy property.
24 months later, sell for $250,000
You now owe the government $25,000 (or some percentage)
You still owe the loan people $250,000
So you have to somehow magic up $25,000 plus all the loan interest rates and other bills.
 

Offline sokoloff

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #162 on: October 15, 2018, 12:12:41 pm »
are australians culturally less likely to sell property then english/americans?

i noticed in USA i heard stuff like 'sell it' quite a bit. It was always a fucked up last measure in my head. It's much less stressful to borrow money then to sell property.
If you have a short-term, temporary cash crunch and otherwise strong prospects for mid and long-term income, borrowing is better than selling useful assets.
If you have a long-term, structural deficiency on your income statement, borrowing money is only going to delay and worsen the inevitable day of reckoning and selling assets might be a better course of action.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #163 on: October 15, 2018, 01:10:11 pm »
are australians culturally less likely to sell property then english/americans?
My guess, is that it is probably because of big tax bills, on buying and selling properties, such as stamp duty.

If it's not your home then you get hit with capital gains tax.
 

Offline MK14

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #164 on: October 15, 2018, 01:11:35 pm »
are australians culturally less likely to sell property then english/americans?
My guess, is that it is probably because of big tax bills, on buying and selling properties, such as stamp duty.

If it's not your home then you get hit with capital gains tax.

Same in the UK (capital gains tax), but I know little about Australia, so that is interesting to know, thanks!

Despite being the other side, of a big planet. It is amazing (at least to me), how much similarity there is between the UK and Australia. Driving on the left, language, etc etc.
« Last Edit: October 15, 2018, 01:13:14 pm by MK14 »
 

Online ebastler

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #165 on: October 15, 2018, 01:16:02 pm »
Despite being the other side, of a big planet. It is amazing (at least to me), how much similarity there is between the UK and Australia. Driving on the left, language, etc etc.

Strange... I wonder how that came about...  ::) ;)
 
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Offline MK14

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #166 on: October 15, 2018, 01:39:15 pm »
Strange... I wonder how that came about...  ::) ;)

If you take America, as a similar, example.
There are quite a few, noticeable differences.
Such as driving on the right, some words in English are different, some noticeable cultural differences etc.

Ignoring obvious language differences.
I somewhat consider Germany, more similar (especially culturally) to the UK, than America.
Despite the history, of how the UK/Britain's involvement with the creation of America/Australia etc.
« Last Edit: October 15, 2018, 01:43:03 pm by MK14 »
 

Offline glarsson

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #167 on: October 15, 2018, 01:45:00 pm »
If you take America, as a similar, example.
There are quite a few, noticeable differences.
Such as driving on the right, some words in English are different, some noticeable cultural differences etc.
Some English subjects didn't want to stay in England and sailed to the new America, changing some bits just to make a statement.
Some English subjects wanted to stay but was forced to sail to Australia.
 
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Offline MK14

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #168 on: October 15, 2018, 01:46:04 pm »
Back on topic.

Because Fran is just one person, there seems to be a huge amount of stuff and not much time to deal with the situation.
I think that things are not going to go, too well.

But maybe Fran's apparent intention, to put a huge number of things, into more storage, may ease up the situation enough, to give her time to settle things better in the longer term.
 

Online tooki

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #169 on: October 15, 2018, 02:00:22 pm »
Strange... I wonder how that came about...  ::) ;)

If you take America, as a similar, example.
There are quite a few, noticeable differences.
Such as driving on the right, some words in English are different, some noticeable cultural differences etc.

Ignoring obvious language differences.
I somewhat consider Germany, more similar (especially culturally) to the UK, than America.
Despite the history, of how the UK/Britain's involvement with the creation of America/Australia etc.
It's almost as though the radically different histories of USA and Australia could have had an impact on the end result!

As for USA vs Germany… (FYI, I'm an American who's lived in Europe for about 17 years.) Well, for one thing, "German" is the #1 self-identified background in USA, even above English, Irish, Italian, etc. And let me tell you, northern Germany is clearly where many American traditions came from. But ultimately, USA is a melting pot of countless influences.


As for differences in English by country: USA tends to have retained the historical (original) forms of many words which then changed in British English (and from there went on to be exported to the younger colonies). For example, the widely known difference in "can/can't" (where American English pronounces the vowels the same, while British English pronounces them differently) is not the result of American laziness (as is usually claimed), but because that was the original form, the form used when the American colonies were established.

Add to this new words added to both vocabularies, changes that happened on one side or the other, and the influx in USA of other native English speakers (namely, Irish and Scottish, and the occasional Welsh), and it's no surprise the accents are different. But at the same time, it's important IMHO not to dwell on the 0.1% that's different, and instead to remember the 99.9% that's the same. :)
 

Offline In Vacuo Veritas

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #170 on: October 15, 2018, 02:55:19 pm »
What I don't understand with English from England is how in some accents the letter "t" disappears completely. "Saturday" become "Sa - urday".
 

Offline IanMacdonald

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #171 on: October 15, 2018, 04:32:34 pm »
Well, in the UK we have a kind of financial bubble in which houses fetch crazy prices, far more than they are worth. In fact it isn't so much the house that's worth that amount, but the land. You can pay almost as much for a plot with planning permission as land with a completed house. Whilst a plot which can't get permission to build is worth little. At the same time, interest rates on savings are next to nil. The lack of returns on other ways to invest money pushes investors to buy-up land or housing as an investment, and that exacerbates the housing price problem.

Renting is also ridiculously expensive. Although, you do have a fair amount of security here as a tenant. You can't easily be kicked out unless you fail to pay the rent, and if the landlord tries to increase it unreasonably, you can go to a tribunal.

I've often thought of moving to other European countries where I could have a far better house and workshop, and some cash to spare, for the price of this place. That, and the taxes would be lower.  Of course the incomes are lower too, that's the only thing.
 

Offline MK14

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #172 on: October 15, 2018, 05:32:17 pm »
{I've intentionally NOT replied to the secondary "English/UK" discussion, I accidentally seemed to have started. In an attempt to NOT derail the thread. Which could be important, for Fran. Sorry, if it affects you}

If Fran is truly, fed up with moving and all the hassle of dealing with huge amounts of equipment. Being moved from place to place and re-installed/sorted-out in the "new" premises.

Then, significant reduction in the amount of stuff she has, is probably required.
Just putting it all into extra storage, is only really a very short term fix.

I feel sorry for her. Because the more I think about it. The more of a problem, I can see with her current situation.

It is annoying that they are (in real terms), NOT giving Fran plenty of notice/time to sort things out.
They should be compensating her, for the shortened lease/contract time, as well.

I guess life can be hard, at times.

 

Offline langwadt

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #173 on: October 15, 2018, 07:26:48 pm »
are australians culturally less likely to sell property then english/americans?
My guess, is that it is probably because of big tax bills, on buying and selling properties, such as stamp duty.

If it's not your home then you get hit with capital gains tax.

surely that would depend on there being a gain
 

Offline james_s

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Re: FranLab is getting evicted
« Reply #174 on: October 15, 2018, 08:17:51 pm »
Having helped clean out a few storage units, I strongly suspect that a majority of what gets stored in those places never moves until it gets discarded or given away when the unit is cleared out. Almost always in the cases I've seen, the storage bill far outweighs the value if the items.

IMHO the only time a storage unit makes sense is when there is a short term need with a finite timespan and a well thought out plan for dealing with it. We used one once to deal with an influx of stuff from a deceased relative so their house could be sold but we decided ahead of time it would be for no more than 3 months and then set right to work going through things deciding what to keep, what to sell and what to give away. I've known multiple people though who clean their house by piling stuff in a storage unit with no long term plan. Then pretty soon there's so much stuff in the storage unit that they don't know what's there and can't easily access most of it.
 
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