Countered Real Estate Offer at Asking Price

And it worked.

Many years ago, I inherited some vacant land in another state.  My dad had purchased it as an investment.  Originally, it was zoned residential and had a house with a resident who was the previous owner.  She became a renter and passed away a few years later.   The house fell into disrepair and was eventually had to be demolished. 

After my parents passed away, I inherited the vacant lot.   It was adjacent to and across the street from already developed commercial properties.  Fortunately, for me the real estate taxes were relatively low since it was zoned residential.  

The property had been appraised for about 8 times the purchase price in 2006.   Of course, 2006/2007 was the peak of the real estate market before the great recession.  It's estimated value when I inherited it was about 2.5 times the purchase price.  Since I had no personal funds invested and the RE taxes were low, I was OK with being patient to wait for the price to rise to 8X again.

After few years, I received an unsolicited offer for the property at 3.5X the purchase price.  I wasn't interested in selling at that price and ignored it for 6 months.  The agent would periodically call and check on my interest.  In the meantime, a second agent contacted me with a low ball offer from about 2.5 times purchase price.   I told him I already had another offer and his was the lowest.

I was hoping that the two buyers would start a bidding war, to my advantage. However, both agents asked me to counter offer first, which was somewhat of a predicament for me since I was an accidental land owner inexperienced in real estate.  

I researched what to do on the Internet.   Basically, the recommendation was to always make a counter offer, even if it is at the asking price.   This made me remember when a neighbor turned down a offer for her house at $5000 below the asking price of $125,000.  She didn't bother to counter.  The seller did revise their offer and my neighbor didn't receive another offer for 6 months.

In my case, I called the agent of the higher bidder and countered at the asking price of 8X the purchase price.  The agent went ballistic becoming very rude and insulting, implying that my price was unrealistic, and said he would have been able to increase 30%, but not over 100%.  I listened but did not respond.

Then,  I disappointedly called the lower bidder agent, expecting a similar response,  and told him the same counter offer.   To my surprise, his answer was, " We accept," and we started working on a sales contract.

Lesson learned, " Always make a counter offer, even if it is the asking price."   Of course, YMMV.

For more on Ideas You Can Use, check back every Tuesday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor real estate advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Time to Lock In Higher Long Term Interest Rates

As I prepare our 2025 Federal Tax return, I decided to compare what we earned in taxable interest in 2021 with 2024 on those tax returns.    Recall, interest rates on savings, bonds and CDs were very low prior to 2021.

I was shocked to learn about the growth in taxable interest rates in that time frame.   If our taxable interest was X in 2021, the taxable interest in 2024 was 16X.   In 2024, interest was 40% of our  adjust gross income (AGI), while in 2021 interest was 3% of our AGI.

Since late 2023, interest rates have been declining.  I used to be able to get around 4-5% for 5+ years CDs.  Now the best I can do is about 4% and many are callable in the first few years.

In the next few weeks, I will be working lock in some interest rates at around 4% for about 10 years using Treasuries and Agency bonds.

For more on Strategies and Plans, check back every Monday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Taking a Bigger Loss in Stocks didn't Reduce Taxes Owed As Much

Selling a bigger loss doesn't always reduce taxes more.  Here is my story.

As part of tax loss harvesting, I sold a stock with long term capital losses on December 22, 2025.   I immediately calculated the estimated tax savings and it was less than I expected.   I tested selling stock for half the short term loss and the tax savings was greater.

I analyzed the situation and realized the reason.  My long term capital gains were taxed at 0%, while short term capital gains were taxed at 12%.   Therefore, reducing long term capital gains had much less of tax benefit than reducing short term capital gains.

I quickly called the brokerage firm and changed the selected cost basis shares to the short term capital loss, before T+1 settlement occurred.

Fortunately, I use Excel to do a real time analysis of may tax situation and caught this "error."   It increased my refund about $100 but doing this analysis, which I was able to do.  

For more on Strategies and Plans Ideas, check back every Monday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor tax advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Low Cost Mutual Funds at Discount Brokerages

In my quest to simplify my investments, I discovered that discount brokerages carry no transaction fee/no load mutual funds, with some at very low expense ratios, even 0% in a few cases.   This was somewhat new news to me.

As I convert to owning mainly index funds, versus individual stocks, I was mainly considering ETFs.   In my mind, mutual funds generally had higher fees  and usually traded after the market closed at NAV.   However, I have changed my mind.  

Having funds trade after market close offers a couple benefits.  First, I can sell funds for a gains and buy back at the same price.   This allows me to take use a hack to take longer term capital gains periodically to manage my taxable income.  I sell the position for the gain and buy back immediately at the same price to raise the cost basis.  Second, I don't have to deal with volatility during the hours the market is open.

First, I checked Schwab, which is one of my self-directed brokerages.   Schwab has several index Mutual Funds that have expense ratios of 0.02-0.06%, including an S&P index and International index Funds.  Then I checked Fidelity.  Fidelity has a wide range of index Mutual Funds with low expense ratios of 0.02-0.06% and even a few at 0%.  Finally, I checked Merrill Edge.   Merrill Edge also had a wide range of Index Mutual funds, but most (all but 19) have expense ratios above 0.50%.   In all cases, there were no transaction fees (NTF).  In the case of Merrill Edge, load fees are waived.

Since we have accounts at all three brokerages, I will be looking to use the NTF Index Mutual Funds with low expense ratios at all three.   At first, I was going focus only on U.S. stocks.  However, with the expanded options available, I will also consider and International index Mutual Fund.

Disclosure:  I was not compensated by Schwab, Fidelity, nor Merrill Edge for writing this post.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every  Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor investing advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Refinishing Our Wood Floors

After we bought our house, we replaced all the carpeting on the first and second floors with oak hardwood.  It's been over twenty years.  The oil based polyurethane has turned more orange and has been worn down in high traffic areas like the kitchen.   

It was a lot of effort on our part since we needed to move all the furnishings out of the rooms being refinished.  We managed to do the refinishing in sections, since there were "hard" dividers.  The kitchen was done first.   A year later, we did the dining room and living room.   We did the great room, master bedroom, and steps to the second floor six months later to complete the first floor.  For the kitchen, dining room and living room, we moved the furnishings ourselves to the great room.   For the great room and master bedroom, we hired a moving company to place the furnishings in the dining room, living room and master bathroom.

The refinishing makes us feel like we are in a new house.   In addition, we have purchased a new flat screen TV,  electronics console, and are getting a new couch.   We've move the current leather couch to the basement for use as a recreation area.

This continues our work in progress to make this house our forever home.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor renovation advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Bought a CD Because of Bank Name

It also had the highest interest rate.  I just bought a CD from IncredibleBank.   It was a 3 month CD paying paying 3.6%.  My other choice was Bank of America at 3.55%.  Both were brokered CDs offered through Schwab.  Both are FDIC insured.

What a name:  IncredibleBank.   LOL.

It was an easy decision.  Also, I know have not purchased a CD from that bank before and didn't need to check if I was exceeding the FDIC insurance limit.

Disclosure:  I was not compensated by IncredibleBank, Bank of America nor Schwab for this post.

For more on Reflections and Musings, check back every Saturday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Understand One's Social Security Benefits

When to take Social Security benefits has become a major topic on the Internet as more people are become eligible.   The major is question is when to take it: Early before full retirement age (FRA); At FRA 66 and 10 months born 1959 or 67 born 1960 or later; or Delayed after FRA but no no later than 70.

This question is already a complex one with factors such as estimated life expectancy, health, other sources of retirement income, and current financial situation that affect.

However, there is one factor that is rarely discussed that may have even more impact, auxiliary benefits for minor dependents, which only a few people qualify for.  If one is taking Social Security payments, one's minor dependents under 18, or until 19 if they are in high school, can receive auxiliary benefits up to 50% of the PIA (primary insurance amount) limited by the maximum family benefit cap.  The auxiliary benefit amount can be significant.  For example, if the PIA is $3200, the auxiliary benefit can be has high as $1600.   In addition, the spouse can receive auxiliary benefits caring for a minor child under 16.

Most people are not aware of possible auxiliary benefits when retiring, but they are definitely as factor when one is considering what age to take start taking Social Security.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every  Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor retirement advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Great Delta First Class Customer Service

Retiree comment:  "Fly first class or your heirs will."

I decided to take that above comment to heart for our last vacation, booking our inaugural first class flight.   We flew first class for the first time during our Christmas vacation. I did it on points since there was only a small upcharge from comfort class.  The flight and service was great.  Boarded and exited first.  We had ample room for seating and luggage.  We also had meal service instead of snack service.

I had one small complaint.   

We were served a hoagie sandwich meal.   There was a vegetarian choice and a non vegetarian choice.    My spouse chose the non vegetarian option which was fine.  I chose the vegetarian option, which had frozen filling but the bread was fine.  Even after waiting 15 minutes, the sandwich internals were still frozen.  I didn't complain the the fight attendant since it was only a 2 hour flight and there would be nothing they could do.

After we returned home, I decided to tell Delta customer service about the meal issue.  Delta customer service responded within 1 day.   They apologized and compensated us with 5000 points to our Delta Frequent Flyer account.  I appreciate the attention Delta gave to my feedback.

Disclosure:  I was not compensated by Delta for writing this post.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every  Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor travel advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Time Compression with Age

When I was a child, the days and years felt long.  I had all the time in the world to do what I needed to do. Even in college and early working years, I felt I had time to get everything done I wanted to get done.

Then I had children, and time seemed to pass faster.  It just seems like yesterday they were in diapers, toddlers and in preschool.  I had all the time in the world for them to grow up.   Now they are in college and junior high school.    I sometimes wonder where all the time went.

We were also extremely stretched for time getting them to activities up through high school.  We seemed busy all the time with the kids schedules.  Barely enough time to do our important items.

Nowadays, time seems to fly by each day before I get half or less of my to do list done for the day. Things that use to take me a couple hours to do when I was younger now take me a day.  As my FIL once told me, I'm not getting slower, time is getting faster.

IMHO, the peak time to maximize time for doing things in 40s to early 50s.   After that is a significant decline.  Of course, YMMV.

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial  nor time management advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Lifestyle Expectation Expansion

It's truly amazing how much lifestyle expectations have changed.

I had low lifestyle expectations where moving out from my parent's house after graduation with a degree in engineer and starting my first job with a Fortune 25 company.   I did not expect to have a lifestyle equal to my parents until my 30s.

My first car after graduating from college was a 1967 Buick Skylark that was a 13 year hand me down.  Basic transportation, automatic transmission, radio and no A/C.  I drove it for 2 years before buying a new car.  Even then, the new car was minimal with manual transmission, radio and with A/C.

My first apartment was a 1 bedroom with A/C.   The kitchen was basis with a stove, oven, refrigeration, and Formica counter top.    No microwave, dishwasher  nor garbage disposal.  Communal washer and dryer..  My parents gave me a 20 year old furniture, my bed and a 10 year old TV.   My dining table was a card table.  The only amenity was an outdoor pool that I never used.

My main entertainment was playing on a local club rugby team.

Fast forward 45 years.  College graduates have much higher lifestyle expectations.  They live in student housing that had more features and amenities than my first apartment.   They have much nicer cars that my first car.    After graduations, they choose apartments with full kitchens that have stone countertops, fully loaded new cars, and houses with more amenities than their parents' current house.

Entertainment is endless ranging from social media and gaming to  local activities and major vacations. 

What's next?

We now envision having self driving cars for transportation and robots to do our household labor. Truly amazing. Some even forecast the elimination of employment for pay, which I believe is highly unlikely.  

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC