FocusCanada Forums

darkpuppet,Nov 14 2005, 04:22 PM Wrote:FI'd focus, or FI'd g35... which would be faster really?


[right][snapback]155833[/snapback][/right]

Now were talking! :D

I would disagree with the statement

Quote:One thing for sure any used mustang after a year drops like $12,000 - $15,000 in price with what ever milage they have on them.

I paid just under 15K for my 02 Mustang 2 years ago, and they are still going for around the same today. The new model has boosted the value of the older ones.

get rid of the focus, but first swap your brakes out with mine ... i'd take a G35 over a focus/mustang anyday ... but don't forget about insurance rates aswell when looking at a car ... but for you it probably wouldn't change to much

A car over a house??? a.k.a. equity.

That was a slam dunk for me. Stev...buy the house. Give your head a shake....

Plus. Hot chicks live in the burbs. :P

Quote:Of course, while I'm considering getting the impractical, just fun to drive around in car, a part of me also wonders how good a handler the car truly is. With practice, suspension, and some R-compounds, would p-51 still embarrass me on track?

They really are that good. Every one I've been on track with has impressed me. At Shannonville, there was one there, stock except for the tires. It didn't have R comps, or crazy street tires... I forget what they were. They were real street tires anyway. Just a tick slower than me on R's. Now, the guy was a very good driver, perfectly controlled power oversteer on every corner exit.

(NOT the same as a drift!!!)

Of course, my car is going to have a lot more suspension work this winter, should pick up a couple more seconds per lap.

Also, it would take you years to get up to my level. Not to be concieted... but I've been at this for years.

Anyway, what should you do? I dunno. The new Mustangs speak to me too. I'd like to have one, but realistically I prefer more "practical" cars. I'm a hot hatch guy myself. The Stang is so limited in the winter.

And houses are overrated. It depends on how much you're paying for rent. If you're paying $1000 all-in for living expenses, and are happy in an apartment, bank the rest and chances are you'll come out ahead.

You'll spend an extra $1000 monthly on a house, most of it interest, the rest in utilities and upkeep. That's $12,000/yr.

Maybe I'm just bitter because my house in Windsor is worth almost exactly what I paid for it. Don't forget, that housing bubble in TO could burst.

buy lottery tickets, than win and buy a house and a car

Owning a house isn't all it's cracked up to be. It will not make you any money no matter how much it goes up in value. Your house value goes up, you sell, wow I made a bagillion dollars, now you need to buy another house to live in guess what it's gonna cost you 2 bagillion dollars because everyones house value went up. You don't need to buy a place right now. That'll take care of any disposable income you might have.

Take the s/c off the Focus. Take off the suspension. Put the stock stuff back on, give the car back. Sell the good parts, shop around for a good used mustang EXACTLY like you are looking for. You don't NEED a car everyday, rent one when you do need one.

DON'T LEASE ANOTHER CAR!!!!!!!!!

Buy the house man, a house is equity and equity is queen (Next to having actual liquid cash, that's king)

If the Focus isn't giving you trouble I'd say stick with it and if it is (or you're just *really* desperate to get out from under it) the Mustang is an option provided you can afford the insurance and you can deal with the evil evil winter handling of the Fairmount based chassis. Me? I think I'd rather walk than deal with that overly twitchy mofo (and walking in the winter for me is like playing Russian Roulette with a loaded Uzi)

NefCanuck

LOFT

sell the focus.........ride your bike for a year and bam you have a G35

NefCanuck,Nov 15 2005, 03:25 AM Wrote:If the Focus isn't giving you trouble I'd say stick with it and if it is (or you're just *really* desperate to get out from under it) the Mustang is an option provided you can afford the insurance and you can deal with the evil evil winter handling of the Fairmount based chassis.  Me?  I think I'd rather walk than deal with that overly twitchy mofo (and walking in the winter for me is like playing Russian Roulette with a loaded Uzi)

NefCanuck
[right][snapback]155942[/snapback][/right]

WTF? You know he's talking about a new Mustang right? And the new Mustang is NOT based on the Fairmont.

bluetoy,Nov 14 2005, 11:06 PM Wrote:Owning a house isn't all it's cracked up to be. It will not make you any money no matter how much it goes up in value. Your house value goes up, you sell, wow I made a bagillion dollars, now you need to buy another house to live in guess what it's gonna cost you 2 bagillion dollars because everyones house value went up. You don't need to buy a place right now. That'll take care of any disposable income you might have.

Take the s/c off the Focus. Take off the suspension. Put the stock stuff back on, give the car back. Sell the good parts, shop around for a good used mustang EXACTLY like you are looking for. You don't NEED a car everyday, rent one when you do need one.

DON'T LEASE ANOTHER CAR!!!!!!!!!
[right][snapback]155935[/snapback][/right]

Well, the thing I'm getting at is that I could buy out the focus, keep it, and start on the 5 year plan to buy a house... or I could return the focus and go for a new mustang that I'd be paying over 5 years, tying up the money I'd use to get a house.

it's just the downpayment I need.

I don't really have a problem with keeping the focus... having the opportunity to fix the things that bug me is appealing.. (but so are those new stangs!)...

Leasing the car wasn't a bad decision on my part really... the rate was lower than any loan you could get and so long as I buy out the car at the end.

The only thing I'm really torn between is do I go for the immediate gratification and go for a new car, or do a sensible thing and get a house, have a driveway to work on the car in a few year's time?

darkpuppet,Nov 15 2005, 03:19 PM Wrote:

bluetoy,Nov 14 2005, 11:06 PM Wrote:Owning a house isn't all it's cracked up to be. It will not make you any money no matter how much it goes up in value. Your house value goes up, you sell, wow I made a bagillion dollars, now you need to buy another house to live in guess what it's gonna cost you 2 bagillion dollars because everyones house value went up. You don't need to buy a place right now. That'll take care of any disposable income you might have.

Take the s/c off the Focus. Take off the suspension. Put the stock stuff back on, give the car back. Sell the good parts, shop around for a good used mustang EXACTLY like you are looking for. You don't NEED a car everyday, rent one when you do need one.

DON'T LEASE ANOTHER CAR!!!!!!!!!
[right][snapback]155935[/snapback][/right]

Well, the thing I'm getting at is that I could buy out the focus, keep it, and start on the 5 year plan to buy a house... or I could return the focus and go for a new mustang that I'd be paying over 5 years, tying up the money I'd use to get a house.

it's just the downpayment I need.

I don't really have a problem with keeping the focus... having the opportunity to fix the things that bug me is appealing.. (but so are those new stangs!)...

Leasing the car wasn't a bad decision on my part really... the rate was lower than any loan you could get and so long as I buy out the car at the end.

The only thing I'm really torn between is do I go for the immediate gratification and go for a new car, or do a sensible thing and get a house, have a driveway to work on the car in a few year's time?
[right][snapback]156014[/snapback][/right]

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Don't buy a house unless you want a house. Period.

I NEEDED to have a back yard, and a garage, and a basement. Because of all my hobbies (R/C stuff, Car stuff, kid on the way... etc.)

You already said you would feel out of place in the burbs, or lonely or whatever. Sounds like maybe you are happier in an appartment.

Well yeah. In retrospect, I should have said "get something that you'll get equity in", not "get a house".

Equity, as mentioned elsewhere, is second only to cash. Equity lets you do many wonderful things (like upgrades) that would previously take silly amounts of cash (uber Focus upgrades, 2nd Focus for the new special lady that likes tha new digs).

BUY THE HOUSE! Buy things that appreciate, lease things that depreciate (esp. if you can deduct the lease as a business owner). Be happy with the Focus, build it right and drive it cuz even with the Mustang you'll always be longing for a faster, sexier more expensive ride. It's a dangerous spiral! When I was looking at cars last year I looked at an Audi A4 1.9T going for over 20K; I figure the Focus at 12K plus mods will kick the Audi, plus insurance was way cheaper. Plus I dig the look on people's faces when they say "you drive a Focus?"! :wacko:

P-51,Nov 15 2005, 01: Wrote:I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Don't buy a house unless you want a house.  Period.

I NEEDED to have a back yard, and a garage, and a basement.  Because of all my hobbies (R/C stuff, Car stuff, kid on the way... etc.)

You already said you would feel out of place in the burbs, or lonely or whatever.  Sounds like maybe you are happier in an appartment.
[right][snapback]156048[/snapback][/right]

Yeah, I hear ya... but staying in the city isn't really getting me anywhere anyways... it's high time I start seriously looking at buying some property.

Instead of running my nitrous R/C truck on the balcony, storing my bike in my living room (with the snowboard), working on my car in a parking garage 13 stories below where I live, mooching off of everyone else's barbeque, patio, etc.. and paying 1,500/mo for that privelege? Sure I have easy access to some decent mountainbiking, and everything the city has to offer, but it may be high time to re-adjust my priorities from beer and wings to my other more, productive hobbies.

while I'm not particularily ready for a house now, the five year plan would probably love it.

Good call man.

I used to LOVE the city. Growing up there was the best thing ever. Never a dull moment. It's when you hit the working world and realize that day-to-day in Toronto isn't all it's cracked up to be... time to go, either suburbia or elsewhere is calling.

4 years. That's all I lasted after graduation.

It's a pain coming down for meets and family stuff all the time, but I still wouldn't have it any other way. :)

If I stayed working in the city here was my plan.. At the time I owned a 2 year old Thunderbird SC. I worked downtown at Jarvis and Bloor for the gov't. I was going to sell the car and buy a condo downtown. I think that may work well for you too. Sell the Focus and be car free. You don't really drive the damn thing and this would free up prob. 7-800 monthly with insurance and car payments. The down payment on the house comes from selling the car. Just guessing. Buy a damn condo and rent a mustang when you really need a car. That way you get to drive the crap out of someone else's car and no worries.

Just a thought.

NOS2Go4Me,Nov 15 2005, 01:39 PM Wrote:Well yeah. In retrospect, I should have said "get something that you'll get equity in", not "get a house".

Equity, as mentioned elsewhere, is second only to cash. Equity lets you do many wonderful things (like upgrades) that would previously take silly amounts of cash (uber Focus upgrades, 2nd Focus for the new special lady that likes tha new digs).
[right][snapback]156050[/snapback][/right]

Equity is not cash. It allows you to borrow obscene amounts of money. YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY IT BACK!!!

meford4u,Nov 15 2005, 07:30 PM Wrote:If I stayed working in the city here was my plan..  At the time I owned a 2 year old Thunderbird SC.  I worked downtown at Jarvis and Bloor for the gov't.  I was going to sell the car and buy a condo downtown.  I think that may work well for you too.  Sell the Focus and be car free.  You don't really drive the damn thing and this would free up prob.  7-800 monthly with insurance and car payments.  The down payment on the house comes from selling the car.  Just guessing.  Buy a damn condo and rent a mustang when you really need a car.  That way you get to drive the crap out of someone else's car and no worries.

Just a thought.
[right][snapback]156140[/snapback][/right]

I don't want to live in a condo... buying a place and paying monthly service fees makes little sense to me. And I'll probably keep the car, because renting a car twice a week to get to volleyball/snowboarding wouldn't really work well in the long run...

There's a few reasons to keep the car...

The thing is to buy a house without making too many compromises.

Don't dis the condo. I live in a townhouse condo that is 2100 sq feet. It's more than adequite in size and the fact that I get my lawn mowed, windows cleaned,outside painting, roof shingled etc. is something that free's up my time so i can do the things I want.

Like play golf

Anthony, this is a hint.



And my fees are 180 a month. Not a huge sacrifice for what they do and cover insurance wise.