i may be a bit premature but.....

[mawshj]

Originally Posted by scook

Before you decide against your own house - compare the cost of condo dues with paying a kid to mow and paint. Looking at a condo, look into the financial reserves, condition of the property (roof, siding, etc.), history of big repair assessments, management - talk to some owners about their experience with the running of the place. Condos can be great but they can also be full of unpleasant financial surprises and it can be a pain to get things fixed if the management is incompetent or the maintenance guy is a slob. You don't want to spend your golden years tearing out what little gray hair you may have left.

finding a "kid" to mow or do any work was an option years ago, but is no longer an option , in todays world. contract mowers are now paid similar to doctors

[scook]

You got me there Mawshj,

The last kid I used, actually an intelligent (book smart) young guy, managed to knock a chunk off the corner of a concrete step and break the crankshaft in my mower in one stroke. However, I have found that there are quite a few guys in our immigrant population who actually know how to work and aren’t afraid to do it - I’d think Florida should have enough of those really good guys to keep Charlie’s lawn mowed.

I’ll grant you that our native born suburban (and probably urban) kids tend to be a pretty useless bunch when it comes to doing anything involving physical skill or breaking a sweat.

[charlie_the_tuna]

oh please.... American kids are all pussies. I have two boys, 18 and 21. big boys. strong and healthy. guess who mows the lawn, shovels snow, moves furniture, etc...... back in the day we did all that sh!t. grabbed a shovel and hit up the neighborhood. only ones you see doing that now are the black kids. might get rid of mine and adopt a couple of them.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by charlie_the_tuna

oh please.... American kids are all pussies. I have two boys, 18 and 21. big boys. strong and healthy. guess who mows the lawn, shovels snow, moves furniture, etc...... back in the day we did all that sh!t. grabbed a shovel and hit up the neighborhood. only ones you see doing that now are the black kids. might get rid of mine and adopt a couple of them.

I call BS on that one. My grandkids are All-American kids who can saddle and ride a horse, rope and brand, cut and stack firewood, shovel snow and pick up dog poop. They all have friends who do the same and more. They compete in sports and excel in school.

Don't paint with such a broad brush, there's lots of great young people around and they deserve a lot more credit than they get.
XXL

[charlie_the_tuna]

yeah, here in downstate new York, we don't do a lot of riding, roping or branding. this here is one of the most populated places you ever did see. BIG. BIG difference between my home and yours. sports wise, both my boys are exceptional at basketball, maybe scholarship material...... but here in the big city, having never had to saddle a horse, our kids are a bit softer.