Day laborers arrive at my local Home Depot

[Engorgeous George 2,271]

The store has been open for 22 years.  It was relatively rural upon open but now the metro area has grown out to surround it.  Apparently the Day Laborers have determined there is enough activity out here to justify them traveling out here to look for work.  Its a sign of changing times.  No more antelope or coyotes in my yard.  No more black bears or mountain lions in the neighborhood.  Fewer stars at night from the light pollution.  Maybe its time to move further out.  My rural lifestyle is now apparently suburban.  I saw a nice place on a quarter section of land.  It has a creek that flows for around 7 months out of the year, a few cottonwoods, some scrub oak.  It has a pool, a detacted 6 car garage with a workshop, and office and a MIL apartment, and a fairly nice2600 sq. ft. main house.  It's another 15 miles out.  Decent well, new septic system, solar, wind, and geothermal with propane backup.  It even has a pool that appears fairly nice but has not been operated in three years so who knows.

[Bill E. 703]

13 minutes ago, Engorgeous George said:

The store has been open for 22 years.  It was relatively rural upon open but now the metro area has grown out to surround it.  Apparently the Day Laborers have determined there is enough activity out here to justify them traveling out here to look for work.  Its a sign of changing times.  No more antelope or coyotes in my yard.  No more black bears or mountain lions in the neighborhood.  Fewer stars at night from the light pollution.  Maybe its time to move further out.  My rural lifestyle is now apparently suburban.  I saw a nice place on a quarter section of land.  It has a creek that flows for around 7 months out of the year, a few cottonwoods, some scrub oak.  It has a pool, a detacted 6 car garage with a workshop, and office and a MIL apartment, and a fairly nice2600 sq. ft. main house.  It's another 15 miles out.  Decent well, new septic system, solar, wind, and geothermal with propane backup.  It even has a pool that appears fairly nice but has not been operated in three years so who knows.

Wow sounds nice.  Plus now that you live in the chitty the house you are selling should be way up in value. 

We live in a small town too and about a year ago they were trying to bring in a large casino if they could get it past the GA house (no go) .  Everyone seems happy they voted it down except the politicians who were all for it.  (They must have been offered a big payday to support it.)  I think it would have brought some restaurants and a large grocery store in but it is probably best. 

[Engorgeous George 2,271]

5 minutes ago, Bill E. said:

Wow sounds nice.  Plus now that you live in the chitty the house you are selling should be going up in value. 

We live in a small town too and about a year ago they were trying to bring in a large casino if they could get it past the GA house (no go) .  Everyone seems happy they voted it down except the politicians who were all for it.  (They must have been offered a big payday to support it.)  I think it would have brought some restaurants and a large grocery store in but it is probably best. 

My wife likes living on a paved road so there will be some convincing to do.  Government assistance would be spotty, at best, and as we get older she thinks more about stuff like ambulance service.

[Bill E. 703]

2 minutes ago, Engorgeous George said:

My wife likes living on a paved road so there will be some convincing to do.  Government assistance would be spotty, at best, and as we get older she thinks more about stuff like ambulance service.

Government assistance ?  I think you can get the welfare anywhere.

[League Champion 1,909]

They hang some mean ass drywall though 

[Engorgeous George 2,271]

9 hours ago, Bill E. said:

Government assistance ?  I think you can get the welfare anywhere.

Fire Rescue and Ambulance service. 

[Engorgeous George 2,271]

2 hours ago, League Champion said:

They hang some mean ass drywall though 

I thought I would see this when ther neighborhoods around me were being built but there was none of this.  Now with no construction occuring for miles around it seems slightly strange.  I suppose there is landscaping and painting always to be done and basement finishes and the like.   

[BrahmaBulls 647]

@The Real timschochet can educate you on how to rip these guys off and get them to work for basically nothing. 

[The Real timschochet 6,588]

2 hours ago, BrahmaBulls said:

@The Real timschochet can educate you on how to rip these guys off and get them to work for basically nothing. 

Actually not. I always pay whatever they ask. It’s always quite reasonable. I never dicker with these good folks. 

[League Champion 1,909]

3 hours ago, Engorgeous George said:

I thought I would see this when ther neighborhoods around me were being built but there was none of this.  Now with no construction occuring for miles around it seems slightly strange.  I suppose there is landscaping and painting always to be done and basement finishes and the like.   

I always get my Drive Up Mexicans from Home Depot whenever I have a project. I recently had them build a retaining wall in my back yard. Turned out pretty good. 

NOTE: They wised up, they are no longer cheap. They now cost me $100 a day per person. You can negotiate it with free lunch though

[WhiteWonder 2,718]

no paved road, a creek, good ole rural lifestyle....   plus that 6 car garage and pool 

[BunnysBastatrds 2,408]

 Someone posted this a few years back…read the comments too…

 

 

[TommyGavin 790]

6 hours ago, League Champion said:

I always get my Drive Up Mexicans from Home Depot whenever I have a project. I recently had them build a retaining wall in my back yard. Turned out pretty good. 

NOTE: They wised up, they are no longer cheap. They now cost me $100 a day per person. You can negotiate it with free lunch though

Damn. There is a large Honduran population a few towns over and they would hang out in front of OTB right down my block and I used to use them  and I was paying $100 a day plus lunch  20 years ago. My town ran them out after a  couple years. 

[League Champion 1,909]

16 minutes ago, TommyGavin said:

Damn. There is a large Honduran population a few towns over and they would hang out in front of OTB right down my block and I used to use them  and I was paying $100 a day plus lunch  20 years ago. My town ran them out after a  couple years. 

10 years ago it was $50 and a six pack of Cerveza 

[TommyGavin 790]

3 hours ago, League Champion said:

10 years ago it was $50 and a six pack of Cerveza 

Not by me. And yes beer was involved. 

[The Real timschochet 6,588]

I wonder if anyone gets how disturbing this is. I could mention here that I’ve changed my mind several times about minimum wage. Or I could discuss how in my business I look after my family and partners and tenants and that therefore I have a responsibility to be as frugal as possible, and the fact that I earn a lot doing so and am able to take vacations is not something I would ever be ashamed of. 
 

But none of that matters. What matters is the length of time and effort this guy spends attempting to dissect everything I’ve written over several years. It’s kind of scary because there is something wrong with him. And the strangest part is that he doesn’t understand me at all. All of his suppositions are completely wrong. 

[MDC 7,274]

 

[Engorgeous George 2,271]

On 11/16/2023 at 3:48 AM, League Champion said:

They hang some mean ass drywall though 

I thought I would see this when the neighborhoods around me were being built but there was none of this.  Now with no construction occuring for miles around it seems slightly strange.  I suppose there is landscaping and painting always to be done and basement finishes and the like.   

They were back again.  Looks like this may be a permanent development.  When I use to work downtown there was a corner where this was prevalent.  There was an age range there of 20 to 70, all men.  Now it is a group of seven, all 20 years old or younger, including one female.  My wife would have me hire help  for some jobs, like last year when I painted the house or now when she wants the fence rehabbed and painted.  She says I have earned a break.  I was raised to do my own work whenever possible but someday I may start hiring stuff out.  If and when I do i would probably want some relationship with the handiman.  I would probably want the same guy so we understand each other, but maybe that is unimportant, maybe day laborers would be a convenience.

Oh, the reason for multiple trips to Home Depot, apparently wer need new chandeliers before thanksgiving, though the current ones seem just fine to me.  So i purchased and installedone new light Home Depot had and one my wife got from god knows where.  Then she decided she wanted each on a new dinmmer switch as she thought the old ones looked tacky.  Apparently a bathroom also needs painting before freeloading family members can come over and tgake a dump in there next Thursday so i will be going bsack today or tomorrow.

[Bill E. 703]

On 11/16/2023 at 8:23 AM, Engorgeous George said:

Fire Rescue and Ambulance service. 

Oh services.  Thought you meant something like that.  

[Engorgeous George 2,271]

Update

 

I was outbid for the property I was considering.  My wife agreed to me placing in a bid when a pipe cracked in our current home.

 

The Day laborers only congregated there for three days.  I have not seen them since then,

[Engorgeous George 2,271]

My wife will really wish we moved whenthe builder grade windows on our current home start giving way. They are 24 years old and will not make it beyond two more yeaqrs, and might not make it beyond two more hours.  We are going to need to repipe our home and buy new windows.  I'm guessing a $50,000 hit next spring.

[League Champion 1,909]

21 minutes ago, Engorgeous George said:

My wife will really wish we moved whenthe builder grade windows on our current home start giving way. They are 24 years old and will not make it beyond two more yeaqrs, and might not make it beyond two more hours.  We are going to need to repipe our home and buy new windows.  I'm guessing a $50,000 hit next spring.

Naaa, the Pedros will install them for a couple hundred each. 

[Engorgeous George 2,271]

10 minutes ago, League Champion said:

Naaa, the Pedros will install them for a couple hundred each. 

House built in 2000 so lots of windows as was the paradigm then.  Many large and two arch windows.  I'm guessing $25,000 to replace 24 windows.  Could be less.  i once spoke to an Andersen Replacement guy and It struck me this would be costly.  As for re-piping a little investigation has mer convinced I can maybe do this under #13,000 so maybe #8 to 35 for both jobs.  My initial estimate was drenched it seems in pessimism.

[Engorgeous George 2,271]

I'm wondering if I stand out at the Home Depot if I can get jobs for cash.  I'm pretty handy.  I've seen enough porn to know the handyman scores.

[League Champion 1,909]

11 minutes ago, Engorgeous George said:

House built in 2000 so lots of windows as was the paradigm then.  Many large and two arch windows.  I'm guessing $25,000 to replace 24 windows.  Could be less.  i once spoke to an Andersen Replacement guy and It struck me this would be costly.  As for re-piping a little investigation has mer convinced I can maybe do this under #13,000 so maybe #8 to 35 for both jobs.  My initial estimate was drenched it seems in pessimism.

It's something you'll have to do regardless if selling the home anytime soon. 

Get the house tight then upgrade the HVAC system. Milk that equity