never had a garage with a 4500 ft structure, or garage was “converted”?
Why would a builder construct such a monstrosity without a garage? Or was it built before there were automobiles?
/me stops derailing the thread
Yes thinking back, I do remember. Trees fell on car & insurance situation. That story was hilarious.
So did we find out what part of the country you live?
But your car probably is always dirty, like our truck that stays outside in the heat & cold. 
But he keeps his vehicle in the Sierras next to his “farm”. And no, it doesn’t resemble Pattyb53’s farm. It is well camouflaged, though. 
I can understand your viewpoint since 4500 sqft urban houses are frequently built on 4550 sqft lots. Put it on a couple of acres, though, and it blends right in. 
Never had. The whole property is sloped, with a retaining wall around the flat space carved out for the house. Technically speaking a structure could be erected over one of the parking spaces, but it’d be tacky and take away from the natural aesthetics and (as I said) require some additional terraforming.
Given the 5 bedrooms, it was clearly built before it was common for every family member to have their own car. But the previous owner (who built the house) had the pull to get the driveway paved when the city paved the street.
I wonder if it was one or two cases. 
Around my neighborhood you’re more likely to have a 3000 sqft house on a 4500 sqft lot with a 3 car garage. Then the garage will be full of ‘stuff’ and 2 cars parked in the driveway.
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Sounds like a special place. Pictured, location in the woodsy area with town a few miles away. Some landowner carved out roadways in several levels years ago. Homes spaced out & picturesque.
So is it woods of NE CA, CO, NY, NC etc.?
Well I have 2300 sq ft for one person so… not really picking on the size alone.
I meant a relative size with that much sq ft and no garage at all. Makes no sense to me. Extreme cost cutting. Like people who buy larger houses than they need and then don’t use the hvac in a reasonable manner just “to keep the utility bills low” rather than buying an appropriate size (all other costs lower) and keeping it at ideal temperature and humidity all the time, which seems like the main point of a shelter…
I could see buying a SFR with no garage myself only if I didn’t own or plan to own a vehicle.
I wasn’t referring to adding a shanty town garage “structure”, but a garage that was planned and built as part of the building. Or added on, but similar to the main structure.
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Patty secretly works for Joe Biden, John Clapper and John Brennan (not Walter) and is making a map of places for their “peaceful protesters” to visit. 
Yes, I am just kidding. Even I’m not that paranoid. You never know about fluoride, though. (yes another reference over/under many millennials. It was solely for @shinobi’s humor. He’s been kinda’ quiet.
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Got it. Your initial post went right over my head … and I wasn’t even ducking.
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PDQ on the trigger there (jeez, something else for someone to look up … I’m starting to feel old 
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Clapper & Brennan…these guys should be in jail! What’s the holdup, they’re still showing up on CNN??
So Bender shows up with Pepperidge Farm photo? So cruel… 
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I don’t think the equation is as straightforward as this.
If your car ends up getting totaled shortly after you buy it, you will absolutely come out ahead on something like collision coverage. For a car like mine, a low-sitting convertible with a bunch of sensors in the windshield and a garnish that must be replaced, I always come out ahead on comprehensive glass coverage. That premium is under $100/yr and my windshield costs $1k to replace.
Underinsured/uninsured is critical. If someone that is up to their eyeballs in debt, without insurance hits your car, you’re out the money to fix it AND get nada for injuries. How do I know this? Someone in the midst of bankruptcy rear-ended me at a stoplight - they were at fault. The insurance company was unable to recover any funds from that person after the bankruptcy court discharged the debt.
Part of what insurance buys you is peace of mind. Sure, I can afford to plunk down $30k on a new car if my car gets totaled, but I get something out of the fact that I have an insurance policy that backs me up if I do find myself in that situation.
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Some will come out ahead, but most won’t, otherwise the insurance company would go under. Just think of their overhead; sales agents, advertising, buildings, and profit for the owners.
Definitely, but the loss ratios (paid out in claims vs premiums) aren’t that small. Premiums scale with known risks (previous auto accidents / claims).
A couple years old, but for example, Amica’s auto loss ratio in 2018 was 72% and it was 75% the year before.
Picking the more efficient options (usually 500 or $1k deductible on auto, and nonzero deductible on homes), as well as other basic negotiations on claims and only making reasonable claims can easily shift someone to be over 100% expected loss ratio. There are circumstances where things are relatively overpriced or underpriced – the insurance company cares more about the average.
Most people don’t bother or are otherwise incapable of negotiating effectively on losses. It’s usually pretty easy to negotiate 10-20% or more on an auto total loss, only requiring slightly better than average intelligence. (>+20% on the hit and run total loss I had last year. >50% increase on the total losses I have helped relatives with before - - other insurance cos with less reasonable starting offers).
Even without total losses, there are people who will take a low offer (without having repairs done) versus having the vehicle repaired properly, which usually requires a supplemental payment as damage can’t fully be assessed before its taken apart and repaired have been performed.
My total auto premiums (including liability) the 10 years I have been insured have been less than even just the claims that have been paid back to me between the one the very first year that counted as at- fault and the UI claim last year.
The efficient users (appropriate deductibles, coverage types based on the specific asset, smart claims, negotiation for payments) are effectively subsidized by premiums of the vast majority who use insurance less efficiently.
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Well yesterday I took my Lexus in for it’s 45k mile service. Nearly drop unconscious with the bill.
First you all know I live in the country. Service dealer called me before he started work to explain that rodents (rats) had chewed through many wires & more work needed to done. I asked about insurance to cover changes. When I checked my deductible ($3000) decided to go ahead a pay outright.
Oh the greatness of living in the country.
Wow this insurance discussion is an eye-opener on price differences between states.
For 2 drivers, 2 cars worth about $25k combined with $500 deductible and $500k combined limit liability, with roadside assistance, rental reimbursement, $5k medical, we were paying $706/yr last year so I had no idea we had cheap insurance here in Ohio. Adding a teen driver was bad though. It bumped us to $1200/yr but not much we can do about that since all the quotes we got were bad.
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Damn. What the heck were those rodents after chewing on wires… That’d drive me nuts.