Deciding on the type of car
It's not unusual to find different qualities of salespeople depending on the brand of the car. I had a decent but somewhat humble budget, and I was looking for a new SUV. Humble budget and new don't go very well together.
I could go for a recently used car. I did start out looking for one. There are generally 2 options for a used car: get it from the dealers, or get it direct from the seller (eg. through Craigslist).
The thing about dealer prices is that they tend to be the highest among the various options available. The margin between a used and new car's MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggestion Retail Price) is about a $1000-odd, tops $2000. For say $2000 less you drive a car that's a year's old, and with warranty that runs out a year earlier. Sounds reasonable. Throw in the unknown that is the history and current condition of the car, that's when I decide to avoid the risk.
2015 model cars cross an interesting threshold: all cars are required by law to come included with a reverse camera. I drove a Hyundai Avante (Elantra) for almost 5 years without a reverse camera nor sensor, and I was fine. Since this car will be driven primarily by my wife, plus the fact that it is a bigger car I was motivated to get a reverse camera. Don't get me started on the tragedies of mothers who unknowingly reversed into children.
Conclusion: it's got to be new, it's got to have a reverse camera, and yes I'd like to own a SUV once in my life.
Coming back to the humble budget, Japanese cars like Honda and Subaru are unfortunately out of my reach. American cars are the only bunch that fit my budget (avoiding Korean for now). Among the brands Ford seems to be better rated.
Conclusion: it's got to be the Ford Escape.
The auto landscape
Hollywood and popular literature paints car salesmen as greasy people out to sell you more than what you need. It's kind of true, but in a different sense.
Car salesmen in the States are salespeople who don't really know much about cars. Really. This is witnessed in Ford, Honda, Toyota, and if I remember correctly Subaru dealers. Not all salespeople are that clueless - it's possible but not common to be met with a more experienced one.
Their job is not to help you find the right car, but to assist in finding a car. These are two different things. They can help if you know what you want specifically. If you get technical they'd be lost. If it's not in the computer or printed on a page they can't do much. So what can they do without a computer? Pull u out the car for you to test drive. Help you locate the car in the huge parking lot. In my visits to the dealers I met with more I-just-joined salespeople than any seniors in the job. Turnover sounds high. The guys are selling cars to make a quick buck with little marketable skills. Nothing wrong with that. Just makes the customer's experience a lousy one.
Pricing
Prices in the auto industry is so fluid. There are 2 kinds of salespeople: the one who starts off with the higher price (the MSRP) and throws out tidbits of 'discounts' to get you to commit on the spot. Depending on how gullible you are, once you are hooked onto the latest 'steep discount' offered by the slick salesperson the rest of the discount cards he holds back becomes his extra profit.
Then there's the no-haggle dealers who offers the discounts upfront and leaves it there. If you like the price and the service from the salesperson, you make the decision to buy. There can be more than one no-haggle dealer in the broad radius of the city you live in, but technically they are on different ends of the radius. For example in Seattle there's one in the east, one in the south, and possibly one in the north.
I cannot state enough the importance of doing homework on the cars. It's not clear what exactly to research on until one visits the dealers to discover the variables.
Cars typically come preconfigured by the manufacturer. Few cars are configured exactly the same way. The only way to know the configuration is to read off the big piece of paper on the car, where all the features are listed. Even then it's not possible to recognise the features because eg. a touch screen dashboard is displayed as Model 201A, where 201A represents a set of features that includes a touch screen.
So car configuration affects pricing. It's easy to understand why, but it's not easy to play spot-the-difference.
The other factor that's odd is the duration the car has been on the lot. A new car that sits unsold will get a bigger discount than another which just came in, even if they have the same MSRP and similar specs. Sometimes the only difference is the color. My guess that every day the car sits in the lot, the dealer is paying a loan company interest. So the sooner it's out, the sooner the interest paying stops.
The last factor is the season. Summertime sees more people relocating. People coming into the city may need a new car. So cars and accommodation goes north. Close to December sales is slower. Prices go down. Sounds logical.
One last thing to remember: cars are taxable. In Washington state it's 9.8% - compared to 9.5% on normal sales tax. Tax dollars can add some $3000 extra to the total buy/ loan price. I've been told that should I sell my car in future, I can get back some of those tax dollars. Until then, the bank gets the last laugh as they make more on the interest until the car is sold.
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Sunday, 2 November 2014
Sat Nov 1: guys' day out
Driving Theory Test
Drove my SG friends to the 911 Bellevue driving center for them to take their test. For the theory, walk-in is generally ok, even on a weekend. It's best to take it in the morning though.
Passing the test
Generally the theory test is almost designed to pass on first go. It consists of 20 multiple-choice questions. The state driving guide can be downloaded for free at the Department of Licensing (DOL) web site. The most important aid to passing the test is the online mock questions, which is randomly generated from a fixed pool.
A friend of mine barely read the driving guide but took the mock tests repeatedly until there are no more new questions to choose from. He passed with 100% correct answers.
Costs
The test costs slightly less than 20 USD. The person can continue to take until he passes at no extra cost.
Driving Practical Test
For the experienced driver, the practical test can be taken with or without a pre-test run. The pre-test run is about 40min, done before the actual test.
It is really not difficult to pass the test. It is advisable to take a morning test to avoid the traffic along the test route. I did not take the pre-test, and barely passed. But that's partly because my junction stops did not count without a slight jerk backwards, and I didn't signal as frequently as is required officially. Experienced drivers tend to make lazy mistakes.
Applying for the licence
There is a DOL office near the 911 test center. It's a small single-storied building. Although appointments are not possible, I have been told not to be overly worried if there's a small crowd. The stations are well manned, and the queue will clear quite efficiently.
I am surprised though at the cost of the application. It costs more to apply for the licence than to take the tests! 20 USD for a 2-minute eye test. Amazing what the government charges.
On the spot a temporary licence will be issued. The actual card will be mailed in about 2 weeks. I applied last Fri, and should expect it next week.
Drove my SG friends to the 911 Bellevue driving center for them to take their test. For the theory, walk-in is generally ok, even on a weekend. It's best to take it in the morning though.
Passing the test
Generally the theory test is almost designed to pass on first go. It consists of 20 multiple-choice questions. The state driving guide can be downloaded for free at the Department of Licensing (DOL) web site. The most important aid to passing the test is the online mock questions, which is randomly generated from a fixed pool.
A friend of mine barely read the driving guide but took the mock tests repeatedly until there are no more new questions to choose from. He passed with 100% correct answers.
Costs
The test costs slightly less than 20 USD. The person can continue to take until he passes at no extra cost.
Driving Practical Test
For the experienced driver, the practical test can be taken with or without a pre-test run. The pre-test run is about 40min, done before the actual test.
It is really not difficult to pass the test. It is advisable to take a morning test to avoid the traffic along the test route. I did not take the pre-test, and barely passed. But that's partly because my junction stops did not count without a slight jerk backwards, and I didn't signal as frequently as is required officially. Experienced drivers tend to make lazy mistakes.
Applying for the licence
There is a DOL office near the 911 test center. It's a small single-storied building. Although appointments are not possible, I have been told not to be overly worried if there's a small crowd. The stations are well manned, and the queue will clear quite efficiently.
I am surprised though at the cost of the application. It costs more to apply for the licence than to take the tests! 20 USD for a 2-minute eye test. Amazing what the government charges.
On the spot a temporary licence will be issued. The actual card will be mailed in about 2 weeks. I applied last Fri, and should expect it next week.
Saturday, 25 October 2014
Sat Oct 25: short day, lazy day
Haircut
I wanted a good cut on the cheap. Yelp recommended one, which I dropped by first thing in the morning. There was a short wait, but the barber was friendly and chatty, and committed to his work. The cut was $21 + tip. A tad higher than I expected (expected $17), but still cheaper than the one Shawn went to.
In the basement
'Hiding' in the basement has its benefits. The acoustics from the radio are better. I can crank the volumes a little higher. Hmm. That's about it.
The temperature last night was about 21 celsius - 5 points lower than my comfort zone. This morning there was a 'freak' sun for about 2 hours, before the gloom and the rain came back.
If this keeps up, I'm going to regret getting those blades.
Just remembered I'm supposed to practice my driving. Oh well, too late for that. Just gotta wing it tomorrow.
I wanted a good cut on the cheap. Yelp recommended one, which I dropped by first thing in the morning. There was a short wait, but the barber was friendly and chatty, and committed to his work. The cut was $21 + tip. A tad higher than I expected (expected $17), but still cheaper than the one Shawn went to.
In the basement
'Hiding' in the basement has its benefits. The acoustics from the radio are better. I can crank the volumes a little higher. Hmm. That's about it.
The temperature last night was about 21 celsius - 5 points lower than my comfort zone. This morning there was a 'freak' sun for about 2 hours, before the gloom and the rain came back.
If this keeps up, I'm going to regret getting those blades.
Just remembered I'm supposed to practice my driving. Oh well, too late for that. Just gotta wing it tomorrow.
Fri 24 Oct: an eventful day
Check Out, Check In
Today is when I checked out of my temporary apartment at Rivet, and checked into another temporary residence. This time it's a downgrade from occupying an apartment to just a room.
This accommodation is gotten via airbnb.com. The cheapest that I found, at little more than $1k a month. The reviews were excellent, especially the bathroom!
This is the first time I'm using airbnb to rent a room, first time spending nights in someone's basement. Though it's among the lowest, the deal is by no means a spartan deal. The room comes with a queen bed with a nice wooden frame. A wooden chest of drawers stands in the corner. The closet is not the largest but it is sufficient for a single living. The basement bedroom is accessed from a basement lounge with a TV. The lounge is the gateway to other parts of the house such as the guest bathroom, garage, and stairs to the living room. Staying in the basement I have more privacy than I expected, and certainly more comfort than other offers which are higher.
Wifi was great. I was able to stream Amazon Prime videos over to the laptop without any playback stuttering. The landlord was friendly, though the cat is still not used to me. Shall try to bridge the gap with some treats in future.
A happy end to the week days
Received positive feedback from my colleague whom I was working/ learning closely with. That came as a huge relief, as job stability is critical to life in the States for the family. Hopefully I can continue to get their support in the coming months. I am lucky to be placed in a good team.
Today is when I checked out of my temporary apartment at Rivet, and checked into another temporary residence. This time it's a downgrade from occupying an apartment to just a room.
This accommodation is gotten via airbnb.com. The cheapest that I found, at little more than $1k a month. The reviews were excellent, especially the bathroom!
This is the first time I'm using airbnb to rent a room, first time spending nights in someone's basement. Though it's among the lowest, the deal is by no means a spartan deal. The room comes with a queen bed with a nice wooden frame. A wooden chest of drawers stands in the corner. The closet is not the largest but it is sufficient for a single living. The basement bedroom is accessed from a basement lounge with a TV. The lounge is the gateway to other parts of the house such as the guest bathroom, garage, and stairs to the living room. Staying in the basement I have more privacy than I expected, and certainly more comfort than other offers which are higher.
Wifi was great. I was able to stream Amazon Prime videos over to the laptop without any playback stuttering. The landlord was friendly, though the cat is still not used to me. Shall try to bridge the gap with some treats in future.
A happy end to the week days
Received positive feedback from my colleague whom I was working/ learning closely with. That came as a huge relief, as job stability is critical to life in the States for the family. Hopefully I can continue to get their support in the coming months. I am lucky to be placed in a good team.
Monday, 20 October 2014
Sun 19 Oct: a lazy day
Exhausted
I woke up many times this morning, but could never bring myself to stay up. It was only about 11am that I finally decided that I had enough rest. This may be related to the many times at work where I'd have difficulties staying awake when seated for too long, usually in the afternoon.
Hopefully this long sleep will keep me awake during the weekdays.
Burke Museum
Decided to be a tourist and visit a museum. It's not very big. There are only 3 sections. As I was there on my own I had the luxury of time to enjoy the exhibits.
It's not easy to be a museum. It's a delicate balance of exhibit space, collection range, and operating costs. The intents are definitely noble. It is however equally important to be sustainable.
The place has a small dinosaur section which may please the teenagers. The cultural section tries to include a few major ones, but with a limited space it ended up being rather superficial.
It had a good start which was to focus on the native Indians though.
I woke up many times this morning, but could never bring myself to stay up. It was only about 11am that I finally decided that I had enough rest. This may be related to the many times at work where I'd have difficulties staying awake when seated for too long, usually in the afternoon.
Hopefully this long sleep will keep me awake during the weekdays.
Burke Museum
It's not easy to be a museum. It's a delicate balance of exhibit space, collection range, and operating costs. The intents are definitely noble. It is however equally important to be sustainable.
It had a good start which was to focus on the native Indians though.
Sat Oct 18: A little work, a little fun
Navigation on the road
I started the day by driving south to Fry's which is near Renton. Up to now I relied heavily on Google Maps to provide directions to the destination. Maps does a fantastic job at it. In an unfamiliar land, it's a must-have to get around. The problem is that the phone sits on my thigh while I drive. Occasionally I do sneak peeks at the screen to have a feel of the route ahead. But that's not very safe driving. Sharp turns also tend threaten to cause the phone to fall of my thigh. I need an improved solution.
I have 2 options: get a phone holder for the car and use the phone as the primary navigation, or get a GPS. Since I was already familiar with Maps' directions (which is surprisingly excellent in the US), I was going for a simple phone holder - the one that attaches to the windscreen. Doesn't cost too much: less than $20. Thing is, there's no sample so I need to know my phone's dimensions exactly.
I chanced upon a refurbished Magellen GPS on sale for $50. Good deal! Comes with lifetime map database access, and Bluetooth support too! I've recently purchased some items which were refurbished, and they came in great working order. Saved a bit along the way, and it gave me confidence in the risk.
So I bought the GPS instead.
Be it Magellan or Maps, both gave amazing details in directions, especially on highways. They know exactly how many lanes stay on the highway, which lane to use for exit (it's not always the leftmost or the right most). Using the Magellan helps to prolong my phone batt life while on the road. For slightly less than the price of the GPS I could have bought a long USB cable and the holder. Prob save a little as well.
Bed Research
After Fry's I dropped by the nearby bed stores. Be it the higher end or the basic range, I received good sales services. There are some things to look out for when buying a bed:
1. There's King, and there's California King. This link details the differences in the dimensions. Long short cut short: king is wider but shorter. California King is narrower but longer. In other words, get California King if you are a tall person.
Either way the price is the same.
2. When buying the frame, remember that the headboard is an optional item. It may not be included in the price you see. Always clarify with the salesperson.
3. Box frame may not come with the metal support below - the one with the wheels. Most times it does not.
4. Mattress warranty is subject to conditions. For example if the mattress is stained beyond the size of a dime it's void. Always get the mattress protector. It will cost slightly more than a $100 depending on the size and brand you choose. But get it anyway.
5. Ask about the mattress return policy. Every shop have different policies. Some charge for collection and exchange, some charge for admin. Then there are those who don't charge at all but has a slightly shorter exchange period.
6. A friend of mine had to set up the bed frame by himself. Check with the salesperson if the frame will come assembled. If not, clarify what tools are needed but not included.
America is a sneaky country. They like to overwhelm you with information and you'd spend so much time digesting that you may not ask the right questions. A rule of thumb is to never buy from the first shop you step into. Act blur. Be dependent on a real or fictitious person who's not in the shop so you have an excuse not to commit.
Go for this a few more times and you'd get the hang of it.
I started the day by driving south to Fry's which is near Renton. Up to now I relied heavily on Google Maps to provide directions to the destination. Maps does a fantastic job at it. In an unfamiliar land, it's a must-have to get around. The problem is that the phone sits on my thigh while I drive. Occasionally I do sneak peeks at the screen to have a feel of the route ahead. But that's not very safe driving. Sharp turns also tend threaten to cause the phone to fall of my thigh. I need an improved solution.
I have 2 options: get a phone holder for the car and use the phone as the primary navigation, or get a GPS. Since I was already familiar with Maps' directions (which is surprisingly excellent in the US), I was going for a simple phone holder - the one that attaches to the windscreen. Doesn't cost too much: less than $20. Thing is, there's no sample so I need to know my phone's dimensions exactly.
I chanced upon a refurbished Magellen GPS on sale for $50. Good deal! Comes with lifetime map database access, and Bluetooth support too! I've recently purchased some items which were refurbished, and they came in great working order. Saved a bit along the way, and it gave me confidence in the risk.
So I bought the GPS instead.
Be it Magellan or Maps, both gave amazing details in directions, especially on highways. They know exactly how many lanes stay on the highway, which lane to use for exit (it's not always the leftmost or the right most). Using the Magellan helps to prolong my phone batt life while on the road. For slightly less than the price of the GPS I could have bought a long USB cable and the holder. Prob save a little as well.
Bed Research
After Fry's I dropped by the nearby bed stores. Be it the higher end or the basic range, I received good sales services. There are some things to look out for when buying a bed:
1. There's King, and there's California King. This link details the differences in the dimensions. Long short cut short: king is wider but shorter. California King is narrower but longer. In other words, get California King if you are a tall person.
Either way the price is the same.
2. When buying the frame, remember that the headboard is an optional item. It may not be included in the price you see. Always clarify with the salesperson.
3. Box frame may not come with the metal support below - the one with the wheels. Most times it does not.
4. Mattress warranty is subject to conditions. For example if the mattress is stained beyond the size of a dime it's void. Always get the mattress protector. It will cost slightly more than a $100 depending on the size and brand you choose. But get it anyway.
5. Ask about the mattress return policy. Every shop have different policies. Some charge for collection and exchange, some charge for admin. Then there are those who don't charge at all but has a slightly shorter exchange period.
6. A friend of mine had to set up the bed frame by himself. Check with the salesperson if the frame will come assembled. If not, clarify what tools are needed but not included.
America is a sneaky country. They like to overwhelm you with information and you'd spend so much time digesting that you may not ask the right questions. A rule of thumb is to never buy from the first shop you step into. Act blur. Be dependent on a real or fictitious person who's not in the shop so you have an excuse not to commit.
Go for this a few more times and you'd get the hang of it.
Friday, 17 October 2014
Fri Oct 17: Finding accomodation
Craigslist
My temporary accommodation is drawing to an end next week. I need to find new temporary accommodation. Cheapest option is through Craigslist. And if you are to search through the site, you would find some pretty good deals.
Thing is, good deals are snapped up pretty fast - too many people moving into the city. That's fine on its own. With a situation like this comes the dubious folks.
Sometimes you'd get a post (there's usually more than one) where the person leaves a contact number behind. If you SMS the number, you'd get a reply to register on a web site. The web site redirects you to a site called roomster.com. Smells fishy?
The other red herring is that all the SMSes give the same, exact message. Complete with the same grammar mistake. A reply back to the number will get the same push to the web site.
Craigslist isn't all that bad. I have contacted people who are genuinely offering their place for rent. You'd know because these people write proper emails.
So how does one tell the difference? Rule of thumb: skip the ones who leave a number. Send email. Wait for a reply. Remember that it's crowded in Seattle. Lots of people looking for a room here. If you're not shortlisted you won't get a reply. It's not that the people are not friendly. There's just too many to reply to. Remember my last post? Get the hint. Move on.
airbnb
This site is the answer to Craigslist. Renters are verified. People review the renter. I hear that if there's a dispute they may even intercede. I just booked my stay next month. Let's see how that goes.
My temporary accommodation is drawing to an end next week. I need to find new temporary accommodation. Cheapest option is through Craigslist. And if you are to search through the site, you would find some pretty good deals.
Thing is, good deals are snapped up pretty fast - too many people moving into the city. That's fine on its own. With a situation like this comes the dubious folks.
Sometimes you'd get a post (there's usually more than one) where the person leaves a contact number behind. If you SMS the number, you'd get a reply to register on a web site. The web site redirects you to a site called roomster.com. Smells fishy?
The other red herring is that all the SMSes give the same, exact message. Complete with the same grammar mistake. A reply back to the number will get the same push to the web site.
Craigslist isn't all that bad. I have contacted people who are genuinely offering their place for rent. You'd know because these people write proper emails.
So how does one tell the difference? Rule of thumb: skip the ones who leave a number. Send email. Wait for a reply. Remember that it's crowded in Seattle. Lots of people looking for a room here. If you're not shortlisted you won't get a reply. It's not that the people are not friendly. There's just too many to reply to. Remember my last post? Get the hint. Move on.
airbnb
This site is the answer to Craigslist. Renters are verified. People review the renter. I hear that if there's a dispute they may even intercede. I just booked my stay next month. Let's see how that goes.
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