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wiltznucs
| Favorite team: | South Florida  |
| Location: | Apollo Beach, FL |
| Biography: | |
| Interests: | |
| Occupation: | |
| Number of Posts: | 9288 |
| Registered on: | 9/23/2005 |
| Online Status: | Not Online |
Recent Posts
Message
re: Buying gold and silver
Posted by wiltznucs on 1/15/26 at 9:04 am to burger bearcat
Be careful with silver right now. One of the largest refiners sent out notification yesterday that they are buying at $20 below spot and in minimum quantities of $10,000.
This will certainly impact your ability to sell physical silver. Your local coin shop or bullion dealer will have to adjust what they pay as they ultimately will be selling to the large refiner if they can’t find a buyer who’s willing to pay the spot price.
ASE’s seem to perform better and command more of a premium right now as opposed to bulk or generic rounds.
Even the US Mint sent out notification that they are going to be using adaptive pricing and have put on hold several upcoming releases.
I’ve been dabbling with metals for over a decade and I cannot recall seeing events like what I just mentioned ever during that time.
The recent price escalation has created a lot of volatility. I suspect the large buyers are trying to insulate themselves from this by building in some extra margin should the bubble pop. But; they are continuing to buy which signals that they do see the potential for the price to continue to rise.
This feels an awful lot like the gold run up between 2008 and 2012. Those people who were late to the party ended up waiting for a decade for the price to return to what they paid initially. Adjusting for the devaluation of the dollar to inflation; they weren’t made whole until just last year.
As others have mentioned; with metals if you can’t hold it then you don’t own it.
This will certainly impact your ability to sell physical silver. Your local coin shop or bullion dealer will have to adjust what they pay as they ultimately will be selling to the large refiner if they can’t find a buyer who’s willing to pay the spot price.
ASE’s seem to perform better and command more of a premium right now as opposed to bulk or generic rounds.
Even the US Mint sent out notification that they are going to be using adaptive pricing and have put on hold several upcoming releases.
I’ve been dabbling with metals for over a decade and I cannot recall seeing events like what I just mentioned ever during that time.
The recent price escalation has created a lot of volatility. I suspect the large buyers are trying to insulate themselves from this by building in some extra margin should the bubble pop. But; they are continuing to buy which signals that they do see the potential for the price to continue to rise.
This feels an awful lot like the gold run up between 2008 and 2012. Those people who were late to the party ended up waiting for a decade for the price to return to what they paid initially. Adjusting for the devaluation of the dollar to inflation; they weren’t made whole until just last year.
As others have mentioned; with metals if you can’t hold it then you don’t own it.
0
re: Louisiana Tropical Fruit Gardening - Experiences and Updates
Posted by wiltznucs on 1/14/26 at 3:30 pm to LanierSpots
I’m hoping it’s not too bad. I’ve got some recent fruit set on my mango trees that I fear will be lost.
re: Build my European trip
Posted by wiltznucs on 1/13/26 at 6:13 pm to SouthlakeTiger
quote:
My wife and I are wanting to go to Europe. We are looking at around 10 days, but interested to find out what would be the perfect destinations
I’ve done Europe a few times now. My favorite 10 day trip to Europe was Prague, Vienna and Budapest. Transit by train between each city is a breeze. Air is an option too. Breathtaking architecture and culture.
Quick day trips to Halstatt, Cesky Krumlov and Salzburg will keep it interesting.
If wanting to go a bit more off the beaten path. Consider the Baltics. Helsinki, Tallinn, Vilnius and Riga is a fun trip. Start in Finland and work your way South. Tallinn is a short ferry ride from Helsinki. Buses will get you from Tallinn to Vilnius and then on to Riga.
Not exactly an iconic experience in gastronomy; but, consider hitting up the original Ben’s Chili Bowl location.
It’s a DC establishment dating back to the 60’s. A hole in the wall admittedly; but, it has a lot of history with the civil rights movement and some famous historical figures including some former Presidents have ate there. It picked up a James Beard Award for being considered an American Classic eatery many years ago.
They have a few locations now including the airport; but, if you want a take in some history hit the original spot.
It’s a DC establishment dating back to the 60’s. A hole in the wall admittedly; but, it has a lot of history with the civil rights movement and some famous historical figures including some former Presidents have ate there. It picked up a James Beard Award for being considered an American Classic eatery many years ago.
They have a few locations now including the airport; but, if you want a take in some history hit the original spot.
quote:
Not required per the label.
Ordered; shite is not inexpensive!
quote:
Payaya - they taste like shite when I'm sober so I'm letting that one die, will replace with a mango tree soon.
I’m of a similar opinion. But man; the fruit sells like crazy here in Florida to the Latino population. They must see something that I don’t.
Recently planted some Improved Solo Sunrise F1 Papaya seeds aka “Strawberry Papaya” as they supposedly have eliminated the vomit flavor profile and are actually quite sweet. They’ve done okay inside and with a grow light. An inch or two tall now. Got a 75% germination rate from seed which is excellent.
Will be several months before I can identity which are male vs female or hermaphrodites.
Some questions about whether these Hawaiian varieties will be able to withstand the occasional near freezing temperatures here. I doubt I’ll commit any space in the ground to them yet; instead I’ll see what I can do from a pot before trying the fruit and making a decision to keep or toss it.
From what I’m reading even the most hawkish estimates suggest that at most we’ll see mortgage rates drop 1/2 a percent when all $200 Billion in Freddie’s and Fannie’s coffers are deployed. They are starting with only $3B so any major change is likely to be somewhat gradual.
The impact of institutional investors buying MBS is less clear.
Anything helps; but, conventional wisdom says a full percent change is needed to promote refinancing as the new closing costs often outweigh the actual monthly savings.
I’m not sure a half percent change is going to really push new buyers into housing market as much as they think.
Will be interesting to see how it plays out.
The impact of institutional investors buying MBS is less clear.
Anything helps; but, conventional wisdom says a full percent change is needed to promote refinancing as the new closing costs often outweigh the actual monthly savings.
I’m not sure a half percent change is going to really push new buyers into housing market as much as they think.
Will be interesting to see how it plays out.
quote:
microthiol disperss sulfur
Will have to check this out. Does it require the use of sticker?
quote:
On the spraying, I was under the impression that copper has very little effect on powdery mildew. Copper for anthracnose and sulfur for mildew. Do you find that copper controls the mildew too?
I’ve found copper to be pretty effective for powdery mildew, anthracnose and black spot. I prefer it over sulfur simply for ease of use. Wettable sulfur works great: but, it’s a pain in the arse as it constantly clogs my little handheld pump sprayer. I’ll likely invest in a backpack sprayer with an agitator sometime in the future to use for sulfur.
Have had a lot of morning fog as of late; noticed some powder mildew on the panicles. So hit them with copper fungicide this morning.
A couple of pics from Tampa Bay.
Simmonds and Brogdon avocados getting ready to pop.
Late Namwah bananas still holding on…
With a bit of luck we’ll have pineapples this year.
Some pics of the mango trees.
Pickering
CAC
Lemon Zest
Angie
Cecilove
A couple of pics from Tampa Bay.
Simmonds and Brogdon avocados getting ready to pop.
Late Namwah bananas still holding on…
With a bit of luck we’ll have pineapples this year.
Some pics of the mango trees.
Pickering
CAC
Lemon Zest
Angie
Cecilove
quote:
Wiltz, did your cecilove ever wake up and start pushing? Mine is flowering like crazy.
It’s got a cluster of panicles like a Christmas tree topper. Yours actually looks far better than mine. I’m super frustrated with it. It’s been in the ground now for 2+ years (planted as a 3 gallon tree) and has perhaps grown an inch. It’s still probably 15” tall and has not even thrown off a branch yet. Just a short vertical trunk of a tree. It’s too short to hold fruit or for me to even clip the top to promote branching. I’m debating yanking it in the Spring and replacing it with a larger example or something else entirely.
I got good fruit set on Nam Doc Mai already. CAC looks very promising. Lemon Zest finally woke up this year. It’s funny; several trees are only blooming on one side. My Pickering, Angie and Mahachanok only have panicles on the side that gets first light.
Saw panicles in recent days on Dwarf Hawaiian. Usually it goes first. No panicles yet on P-22, Kathy, Kesar, Dusari, Bolt, Orange Sherbet or Sweet Tart.
We’re in a pretty profound drought here. 25’ was one of the driest years on record for us. Now we’re in what’s historically the dry part of the year. The trees with irrigation are doing much better than those which aren’t.
I’m hoping we get some rain and perhaps a second bloom once we do.
re: HSA Blue Cross through Obamacare
Posted by wiltznucs on 1/8/26 at 11:49 am to coonasstiger
Health Equity is a pretty big player in the HSA market.
I’m using this same plan myself.
Basically; the way they operate is once you enroll you set a balance that you’d like to have available for healthcare needs. You’ll be issued a debit card to use those funds for copays, meds, etc.
Once you reach that balance through payroll contributions you can then invest the remainder.
I’m not sure if there’s numerous options. They (Health Equity) have relationships with Schwab through my wife’s employer who we funnel the excess funds to.
I’m using this same plan myself.
Basically; the way they operate is once you enroll you set a balance that you’d like to have available for healthcare needs. You’ll be issued a debit card to use those funds for copays, meds, etc.
Once you reach that balance through payroll contributions you can then invest the remainder.
I’m not sure if there’s numerous options. They (Health Equity) have relationships with Schwab through my wife’s employer who we funnel the excess funds to.
If being honest; here’s what I’d do given your propensity to move around a lot.
I’d open a brokerage account with someone like Fidelity and roll your previous employer’s 401K/IRA contributions there.
You’ll continue to contribute to your current employer’s 401K to take advantage of their match and tax savings. Meaning your money will be in two places.
With Fidelity you’ll have a much broader number of options to choose from and typically some with much lower fees. Plus this will give you a platform moving forward should you switch employers again. If you leave them; roll that money to Fidelity as well. Then start contributing to your new employer plan.
For the Fidelity account; if you are young and want good diversification and are willing to take what the market gives you then low cost ETF choices like VOO, VTI or VT are great options for long term wealth building.
I don’t see anything wrong with your choices at your current employer. You’ve spread the money across a broad range with large, small and international exposure. I do worry that you are likely paying more in fees than you have to on your previous savings.
Most employer 401K plans are set up in such a way as to enroll you in choices to maximize the amount of your money they can collect over time by taking a percentage each and every time you contribute or in annual fees. The effect of fees over time can be pretty profound. It’s an often overlooked part of investing that the brokers don’t like to talk about.
I’d open a brokerage account with someone like Fidelity and roll your previous employer’s 401K/IRA contributions there.
You’ll continue to contribute to your current employer’s 401K to take advantage of their match and tax savings. Meaning your money will be in two places.
With Fidelity you’ll have a much broader number of options to choose from and typically some with much lower fees. Plus this will give you a platform moving forward should you switch employers again. If you leave them; roll that money to Fidelity as well. Then start contributing to your new employer plan.
For the Fidelity account; if you are young and want good diversification and are willing to take what the market gives you then low cost ETF choices like VOO, VTI or VT are great options for long term wealth building.
I don’t see anything wrong with your choices at your current employer. You’ve spread the money across a broad range with large, small and international exposure. I do worry that you are likely paying more in fees than you have to on your previous savings.
Most employer 401K plans are set up in such a way as to enroll you in choices to maximize the amount of your money they can collect over time by taking a percentage each and every time you contribute or in annual fees. The effect of fees over time can be pretty profound. It’s an often overlooked part of investing that the brokers don’t like to talk about.
Give us a list of what your 401K options are and we can make the most intelligent decision.
re: How are people investing in real estate right now?
Posted by wiltznucs on 1/6/26 at 7:50 pm to SaintsTiger
quote:
REITS
I got out of mine last year. Gave three years to MORT and VNQ. Lost money or broke even. Might jump back in later. MORT is a Mortgage based REIT. I figured with increasing rates it would offer some potential upside. A paltry 2.2% return and fees of 0.4% last year.
I’m a Vanguard guy; so did VNQ as well. Much better fees as you’d expect with Vanguard; but, still returned only 3% last year.
I know there’s other more specialized REITS out there that probably outperformed these.
I’d of done better simply letting the money sit in a Money Market account or buying 10 year Treasuries.
Once the housing and RE market gets rolling again I’ll consider them again. In the meantime; hard pass. I’ll let MO (Altria) keep pumping me 8% for dividend plays.
re: How are people investing in real estate right now?
Posted by wiltznucs on 1/6/26 at 3:21 pm to Paul Allen
quote:
And will be until exorbitantly high property taxes, flood and homeowners insurance get more affordable.
Not to mention skyrocketing utility rates. The Tampa Bay Area got three hikes last year and has approved another rate hike in the coming months. We now pay the highest rates in the country once adjusted for average household earnings.
I know a lot of people who want to leave; but, are sort of trapped. The job market here is rough. Even if they do find a job elsewhere; they know they’ll probably take a haircut if they sell their home right now. Plus they’ll likely be tied to a higher interest rate when looking for their next place. A whole lot of people who arrived in the past five years or so to live their Florida dream have come to the realization that it’s actually a nightmare.
In my part of the world (greater Tampa Bay Area); the residential property market is in the tank. Houses aren’t selling and average 6 months or more on the market and usually with significant price cuts before selling.
Commercial isn’t any better. Residential rents are going down slightly as more apartments/condos and housing options have become available.
Single family home prices remain stubbornly high. Even those which are bank owned or in distress. I keep saying the prices have to undergo a significant correction; and I still believe that they will; but it hasn’t happened.
I have a friend who’s made a nice living off buying homes and renting them out. He picked them all up pre-pandemic and is handy enough to do most repairs and maintenance himself. The last I chatted with him he says there’s no way he’d be getting into buying rentals right now. He’s religious about using the 1% rule and says the Midwest/Rust Belt is about the only place where those opportunities still exist.
Commercial isn’t any better. Residential rents are going down slightly as more apartments/condos and housing options have become available.
Single family home prices remain stubbornly high. Even those which are bank owned or in distress. I keep saying the prices have to undergo a significant correction; and I still believe that they will; but it hasn’t happened.
I have a friend who’s made a nice living off buying homes and renting them out. He picked them all up pre-pandemic and is handy enough to do most repairs and maintenance himself. The last I chatted with him he says there’s no way he’d be getting into buying rentals right now. He’s religious about using the 1% rule and says the Midwest/Rust Belt is about the only place where those opportunities still exist.
You’re Pickering is further along than mine. LOL..
re: Piroshky Piroshky Bakery in BR for 1 day
Posted by wiltznucs on 1/5/26 at 5:03 pm to SixthAndBarone
It’s definitely a PNW thing. I’ve ordered from them a few times when they visit in Tampa. They arrive frozen and in a styrofoam cooler or insulated bag; with each pastry in a paper wrapper with reheating instructions. Worth trying out if only once. Sort of pricey for what they are. They have some fun flavors though.
I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life. My entire extended family is obese. So I got it honestly; was never really role modeled what a healthy diet looks like.
Never anything like what you’ve described here; but, I was definitely guilty of getting into the vicious cycle of overeating at an early age. Got made fun of for my weight, ate to feel better and self soothing which only exacerbated the problem. Rinse and repeat.
I don’t care what people say; losing weight is far more difficult for some than others. Their body is programmed to consume and retain calories. It’s in their genetic code.
Two years ago I got up to 250+. Size 38 pants and squeezing into an XXL shirt. Trending towards diabetes and dealing with high blood pressure.
My Doctor convinced me to try the off label generic tirzepatide aka Mounjaro. Two years later; I’m sitting at 170’ish pounds. A 32 Slim pant and in that weird space between a medium and large shirt. The weekly injection along with walking 6-7 miles per day was key. The injection absolutely destroys your appetite. If you do overeat you’ll likely feel quite nauseous. Forcing you to learn what a normal food portion looks like.
I feel better and am obviously happier. Blood sugar and blood pressure back to normal. Now microdosing the peptides as I reached my target weight.
Bottom line; it can be done. But your fella has to want to do it for himself.
Never anything like what you’ve described here; but, I was definitely guilty of getting into the vicious cycle of overeating at an early age. Got made fun of for my weight, ate to feel better and self soothing which only exacerbated the problem. Rinse and repeat.
I don’t care what people say; losing weight is far more difficult for some than others. Their body is programmed to consume and retain calories. It’s in their genetic code.
Two years ago I got up to 250+. Size 38 pants and squeezing into an XXL shirt. Trending towards diabetes and dealing with high blood pressure.
My Doctor convinced me to try the off label generic tirzepatide aka Mounjaro. Two years later; I’m sitting at 170’ish pounds. A 32 Slim pant and in that weird space between a medium and large shirt. The weekly injection along with walking 6-7 miles per day was key. The injection absolutely destroys your appetite. If you do overeat you’ll likely feel quite nauseous. Forcing you to learn what a normal food portion looks like.
I feel better and am obviously happier. Blood sugar and blood pressure back to normal. Now microdosing the peptides as I reached my target weight.
Bottom line; it can be done. But your fella has to want to do it for himself.
re: Vacuum Sealed Food Packs..
Posted by wiltznucs on 1/4/26 at 3:49 pm to ToldYouSo1
Picked up the JVR Vac100 almost two years ago. It’s been a great addition and we use the hell out of it. Has saved us a ton of money and makes meal prep a breeze. Relatively compact and easy to use. Far superior to the FoodSaver type devices.
Only consideration you have to make is that chamber vacuums regardless of manufacturer do require some ongoing maintenance. The food grade pump oil needs to be changed out about every 6 months for optimal performance. Fairly simple process; takes all of 15 minutes to do.
Only consideration you have to make is that chamber vacuums regardless of manufacturer do require some ongoing maintenance. The food grade pump oil needs to be changed out about every 6 months for optimal performance. Fairly simple process; takes all of 15 minutes to do.
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