Houseboats: Trying to save money, not waste it!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Houseboats: Trying to save money, not waste it!

Giraffe: Dec 12, 2005; Soiled Meat

So, just to recap:

1. You're definitely not going to save any money.

2. Your girlfriend hates the idea.

3. Staying warm in the winter is going to be difficult and possibly dangerous. Even if you don't die, you're not going to be comfortable.

Why are you doing this again? You claim "adventure and fun" in your OP but good luck pretending to be Captain Jack Sparrow when you're freezing your balls off in the middle of February in your tarp-covered hobo boat. You'll have a lot more fun if you get some roommates and rent a house. You can even have a pirate themed house party!

# ¿ Oct 24, 2015 16:53

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 11:05

Giraffe: Dec 12, 2005; Soiled Meat

BaseballPCHiker posted:

1. I will save some money. Probably not much, but ideally around $2-300 a month if everything goes right and depending on financing.
2. Correct
3. Difficult yes, no more dangerous than RV heating. Comfort might be an issue, death is not likely at all.

Being unlikely to die is a somewhat low bar when looking for a housing situation. You could outfit a Dumpster with a space heater and most likely stay alive all winter. You'll smell like garbage and your girlfriend won't ever sleep over, but at least you'll still be alive. And maybe, if everything goes perfectly, save a few hundred dollars!

It's obvious you're set on doing this, so please at least commit to keeping this thread updated throughout the winter. I'm low on schadenfreude sources now that Knyteguy and Blue Story's threads are closed, and can enjoy your pointless misery guilt-free now that I've made my token plea for reason.

# ¿ Oct 24, 2015 18:56

Giraffe: Dec 12, 2005; Soiled Meat

BaseballPCHiker posted:

I couldn't get insurance. AT ALL.

Cheer up. I'll sure you'll find some other way to waste money while living like a hobo. Maybe you could rent one of those bouncy castles and live in that all winter?

# ¿ Nov 18, 2015 06:59

Giraffe: Dec 12, 2005; Soiled Meat

NancyPants posted:

The uncle is just a casual, man.

He probably doesn't even realize he could just Saran Wrap up his boat and sit in it all winter, cozy as can be. Hopefully OP can set him straight.

# ¿ Jan 2, 2016 08:59

Giraffe: Dec 12, 2005; Soiled Meat

BaseballPCHiker posted:

The insurance will cover the boat which would satisfy the marinas requirement. You are right in that it would not cover my individual possessions. Thats what renters insurance is for. I've given up on Wells Fargo to give me a loan and am going to start looking at companies that deal exclusively in boat sales, I think I'll have better luck with them.

Believe it or not, you're not the first person to think of lying to an insurance company about how you're actually using the thing you're insuring. They're not going to pay your claim in the event something happens. So you're basically just paying premiums to pretend you have insurance (which you don't, in the actual meaning of the word) in order to satisfy the marina requirement. Since you're already lying, why not save yourself the cost of premiums and just Photoshop up a Comprehensive Boat Insurance Policy to show them? It's no less fraudulent and quite a bit cheaper.

# ¿ Jan 15, 2016 02:05

Giraffe: Dec 12, 2005; Soiled Meat

BaseballPCHiker posted:

If I'm expected to read every long winded legal agreement they send out they should have to read everything too.

It sounds like they did. How's that working out?

# ¿ Jan 26, 2016 05:08

Giraffe: Dec 12, 2005; Soiled Meat

Mojo Threepwood posted:

Also can we get a poll added for naming the boat? Nominating Skunky Stinkerbean.

I vote for the S. S. Schaedenfreude.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2016 18:37

Giraffe: Dec 12, 2005; Soiled Meat

BaseballPCHiker posted:

Unfortunately the guy is desperate for money and wasnt willing to work out a payment plan even with 1/4 down.

And none of this raises any red flags to you? Even if you could somehow buy a house boat without a bank loan, how are you expecting anyone to buy it from you once you realize you don't like living on a drafty, stinky water RV? Are you really this desperate to sink all your money into something you can't sell?

# ¿ Feb 2, 2016 00:09

Giraffe: Dec 12, 2005; Soiled Meat

BaseballPCHiker posted:

Status is this:
No houseboat in site, now desperately looking for short term apartment that takes dogs since I burned bridges at my current place. Work is getting lovely too so I'm looking for a new job on top of everything else.

Yes, but at least you stood up for the basic principle of fairness!

BaseballPCHiker posted:

They didnt have it singed or anything like that. It was just a form letter with my apartment number filled in and date to respond by. So I just took it and changed the amount, not fraudulent at all. If I'm expected to read every long winded legal agreement they send out they should have to read everything too.

You should probably do the same thing at work, too!

# ¿ Mar 24, 2016 16:40

Giraffe: Dec 12, 2005; Soiled Meat

BaseballPCHiker posted:

Just looking at my savings and boat prices has got me pissed off again. This has got to be a slam dunk loan and yet no bank will even consider it! I could put close to 50% down at this point.

And at no point does the fact that, even with a 50% down payment, a bank doesn't consider a houseboat to be sufficiently valuable collateral to justify the risk set off any alarm bells for you? You're still confident this is a sound investment?

# ¿ Apr 2, 2016 07:06

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 11:05

Giraffe: Dec 12, 2005; Soiled Meat

BaseballPCHiker posted:

I've been looking into it some more and apparently some places treat a boat loan like an RV or ATV loan. Which means yes slightly higher APR but usually for a way longer term that I could pay off super early, and less annoying paperwork since it wouldnt be like a home loan. I just list it as a recreational vehicle and then sleep soundly atop a boat home of savings.

Or better yet buy two and rent one out. It'll pay for itself!

# ¿ Apr 5, 2016 06:14

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Houseboats: Trying to save money, not waste it!