Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

18V is the draw, off of it, it won't crank or has a super slow crank if 1 battery is below 12v - and there is no starting it if a battery is any part of low and it's cold out unless it's been on the block heater. If it cranks slow, you're lucky if it actually starts, it doesn't usually build up enough pressure to function the injectors if it's not cranking like a bat out of h3ll. Ok so I mean the draw during starting, not the starter, as it's running glow plugs which are power hogs at the same time. You're right, and I was foggy and half thinking this morning. Thanks for pointing that out. My point was, battery #2 isn't for show, you actually need 2 batteries in good shape and can't get away with one of them being replaced since it will ruin the one that was still good. Which usually means dropping $200+ on batteries if one is shot, unless you have it under warranty and enjoy returning to Autozone for them to test and replace it about every 6 months. I've been through 6 batteries in 2 years, all of them under warranty with an early death. The injectors run on the oil pressure - no or low oil pressure, no start condition. Blow the guts out of the HPOP and it's completely dead and pouring about a gallon of oil into the valley - I was on the freeway when mine went in rush hour traffic and it kills the entire motor, no power anything. I understand the newer powerstrokes are better in that regard by a lot and have a lot less cold start conditions. I'm still playing "why do I have to keep this on a block heater when it's under 60 out" GPR is good, glow plugs are all functional with correct Ohm reading, my ICP is bad and has oil in it - got a new one, still have to put it on. Maybe by this winter I'll have it so I don't have to plug it in at night.

My husband had a 2007 Tundra and that was a great truck, he used to haul a 28ft camper with it. I like both of our old and new 1500 Dodge's but I will say Dodge needs some help when it comes to electrical wiring. We haven't had a lot of problems with the 2009, a couple of actuators and a small short, but the 84 is riddled with electrical issues, mostly stemming from fusible links, including one that failed and fried some wiring. The 84 was a farm truck and I used to haul horses and hay with it quite a bit. I did kill the transmission in it about 10 years ago, but it was less than $1000 to replace it.

My parents keep the 1969 Ford and the 1993 F250 strictly for hauling stuff - they're farm trucks. Maybe, unless you plan on hauling over long distances where you can't afford a problem every now and then, an older truck to be used only for hauling is a better investment than a new driver/hauler.

babsbag said:

The new ones are $$$$$...$$$$ But I wanted a truck with a higher towing capacity than my '01 Tundra so I started looking for a 2007 or newer with less than 100,000 miles. I would find them and they would be sold before I could get to them; and I was willing to drive 6 hours to get one and still couldn't make it work. I found this one at the local Toyota dealer. With only 36,000 miles it may be the last truck I ever own.

I have owned 7 different Toyotas over the years of various models. My boys and DIL also own Toys. Guess it isn't hard to figure out my preferences. I have also owned Ford, Chevy, VW, Datusn, and Honda but the Toys have been better body and under the hood hands down.

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I haven't had very many vehicles in my lifetime because I keep them until they start costing money. I bought my first Tacoma in 1998 and would still be driving it if it had not wound up with salt water after Hurricane Ivan visited us in Pensacola. I have been driving my second Tacoma since them and it just went past 265k miles. It doesn't have the weight or power though to be a good towing vehicle.

Our first Toy was a 4wd Tercel station wagon. Brought my first son home from the hospital in it and he learned to drive in it. Next was a truck that the kids outgrew so then a 4-runner. We needed a truck though so bought a 1986 1 ton Toy long bed but it couldn't tow the 5th wheel RV so we finally bought the Tundra. I have had it for 15 years but I just wanted the extra 3000 lb towing capacity for the tractor and hay so did the upgrade. Somewhere along the line I sold the 4-Runner when no more kids were at home and bought a VW convertible bug,(big mistake) then I moved to the country and a bumpy dirt road, the bug had to go and I bought a Rav4. I hang onto my vehicles for a long time too unless I hate them.

<deep sigh> So I dealt with idiocy with Navy Federal Credit Union when I bought this place. I had to explain how things work to the loan counselor. I stayed with them then because they don't sell the loans, and service them themselves. I liked that aspect. So now I'm going through the same crap with them again. Everything was exceptional until I changed properties. Since then it's been one issue after another. I just finished Emailing specific information about property taxes since they estimated my taxes were going to be over 4 grand a year and that's simply not the case. Worst case they'll be ~ 2700.00 Using off the wall numbers they're showing me with debt to incomes of anywhere from 46% to 66% I have worst case at ~36%. I actually called Titus county and spoke to their appraisal office to determine the exact tax rate and break down and what that would mean to me once I buy the place. Right now I'll be responsible for the remainder of the present owner's taxes through 2016, which works out to ~$65/month. THAT is the # they should be using. Worst case in 2017, they'll be ~$229/mo, which I'm not happy with, but can't do anything about it till 2017...

I swear they are doing everything in their power to NOT do this loan.

I'm really starting to think "storage unit" and become a vagabond for a few years.

I use NFCU and USAA. I'm not nearly as fond of NFCU banking, but have no issue with the auto loan (probably because I put it on auto pay and forgot about it). What I usually find works the best when dealing with them is saying simply "I work with USAA also, I can just bring this to them and I imagine I won't have this problem anymore" - which usually is instant resolution considering they dont' want to lose all that money to a competing bank. With NFCU, I've always found going down to the bank in person fully prepared has worked better than any of their services over the phone.
Of course, USAA works best when you've been a customer for over 15 years too. I've had some issues with USAA but they are right on it to fix them. They failed to report my auto insurance to Arizona for months, and I only find out that my plates are suspended for no mandatory insurance when I couldn't renew them. I had been driving on suspending plates for 18 months! But, called USAA and told them how they goofed and within 24 hours had an apology and no penalties from AZ for no insurance (the penalties were $800, on $100 registration).

You gotta love them. I went through the same crap with my lender during a refi. I kept thinking that if I am going to do their job and my job I want their paycheck. I kept showing them the requirements and such. Finally found another lender...

Latestarter said:

I'm really starting to think "storage unit" and become a vagabond for a few years.

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Don't give up yet, but then on the other hand I do know someone that is building a dairy...

Latestarter said:

<deep sigh> Everything was exceptional until I changed properties. Since then it's been one issue after another. I just finished Emailing specific information about property taxes since they estimated my taxes were going to be over 4 grand a year and that's simply not the case. Worst case they'll be ~ 2700.00 Using off the wall numbers they're showing me with debt to incomes of anywhere from 46% to 66% I have worst case at ~36%. I actually called Titus county and spoke to their appraisal office to determine the exact tax rate and break down and what that would mean to me once I buy the place. Right now I'll be responsible for the remainder of the present owner's taxes through 2016, which works out to ~$65/month. THAT is the # they should be using. Worst case in 2017, they'll be ~$229/mo, which I'm not happy with, but can't do anything about it till 2017...

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I forget now how much acreage you are purchasing. State of Texas says 10+ acres qualifies for Ag exemption on property taxes but the individual counties can increase that minimum. My county says you need 20 acres minimum. If the property is currently on Ag, you need to file for a continuation of that exemption immediately upon closing on the property. Some hobby farms, regardless of acres, will not qualify--you MUST present a plan to actually produce and derive income from the property within 5 years.
You can of course, also file for homestead exemption. You can claim the entire property as homestead, if you can show you are actually using all of it for your domicile and yard, but the Ag exemption is actually a better deal, so the more real estate you claim for homestead, the less you have available for ag--you can't get both exemptions for 100% of your property. Homestead your house footprint and yard--Ag everything else.
FWIW, my property taxes for ~60 acres is around $2000/yr. House built 2009. 1 ac homestead-the rest on Ag exemption. Yours will likely be different considering it's a different county.
You can contest property tax assessment and appraisal each year--I believe between Jan 30-July 1. (I'd have to look to be sure)

Do you qualify for Texas Veteran Land Board?

Thanks @greybeard Right now it's broken into 2 parcels. 1 acre with house and 17.991 acres AG exempt. AG exempt does not carry over and can't be swapped into my name (I asked). I'll get the present tax structure till the end of this year. After Jan 1st till some time in April I have to go back to the county and submit application for AG exempt for me. The parcels are already set up and assigned numbers, so that part is relatively simple. Of course the new values will be establish based on my purchase price but right now tax on the house is $753/yr and on the land $37/year. If I go 100% residential w/homestead, my tax will be ~$2700/yr. NFCU will not lend on agricultural land/farms. I've explained that come January it will all revert to residential which is what I'm buying it for. And I have no control over the way the present owner has it set up. I'm not buying a farm. I'm buying my next home and it has acreage. I WILL be getting some animals for it but that doesn't necessarily make my purchase a farm, and is not a question on the loan application. It may become one down the road, who knows. Tax assessment will be hard to contest as they will be basing it off my purchase price. I'm just not sure how they'll break it up as far as what percentage of the purchase price is the house and 1 acre and how much is the remainder. Guess they'll look at/comp land/home prices. I'm guessing this home on 1 acre would be in the 80K range. The land would be in the 80-90K range. And I have no idea what the AG tax rate is. I'm not a TX vet, so can't use the land board. Wish I were/could. Maybe I'll check into that again tomorrow and see if anything has changed from years ago.

Thanks @AClark I've already escalated this and am working with a team lead vice a LO right now. He's about as useless as the rest I've had to deal with. I've already blasted him in writing and verbally on the phone, and asked for HIS supervisors contact information. I stated I get the impression that they really don't want this loan. I told them if this is the case, let's get that out front right now so I can go elsewhere. I told him I'm tired of hearing what can't be done and they'd better get on the right track of stating what CAN be done. They aren't even thinking or using their heads. They're not TRYING to make the/a loan work. I mean I had to tell him to see what happens with a larger down payment... I mean the funds will be there. Jeeeeze. So today he asked me if I had a contract on my present place, I said yes and that it's closing in less than a month. Then he asked me to email a copy to him. It's gonna show me clearing over 110K if the appraisal comes in. I'm right now trying for the loan with 45K down. I can put more down if I have to. This isn't brain surgery... though I may need some before this is over... Anyone know a good brain surgeon?

It's 50 degrees right now and there's humidity as we finally got a little rain here right as the sun was going down. I have the fan blowing in the bedroom window and really hope I can de-stress and get some sleep tonight. It feels pretty cool in there

I am a USAA member as well. I have my auto insurance through them. I sent NFCU 2 months bank statements from them as asset docs. Wonder if it will dawn on them that the fact that I'm a USAA member means I can just as easily take this loan to them? As dumb as they've acted to this point, I doubt it... I'm actually kind of surprised at how much this constant stress and battle is taking out of me.

dumb question, but, if you are selling your place for more than you are buying another for, why do you need a loan?