Movers coming tomorrow

Think Different · Post by **Think Different** » February 22nd, 2011, 3:24 pm

Movers are coming tomorrow to pack up our things and then the next day they shove it all into the container. Then it's time to give the rest of our furniture and "big" items to an auction house and the smaller stuff to charity. My wife, son, and the pets will be leaving for Italy at the end of March and I will stick around a while longer to continue trying to sell the house. That's a whole other matter: the housing market here is terrible and I may have to sell this house at a fire-sale price, in order to get it off my back. I just don't want to lose too much money in the process.

And no, I'm not willing to do the rental thing. I've heard it many times, and we don't want to deal with that headache from overseas. I'd rather just cut my losses (whatever they may be) and get the heck outta here. Time to get on with my life, already.....

odbo · Post by **odbo** » February 22nd, 2011, 3:35 pm

one film i recommend you watch about Berlusconi's Italy is "Videocracy".
it's a look into the overly sexualized media of italy (ala greece, bulgaria, portugal, etc). might protect your and your children's sanity a little

Adama · Post by **Adama** » February 22nd, 2011, 3:57 pm

You won't have any headaches if you use a property manager to do the work locally for you.

Think Different · Post by **Think Different** » February 22nd, 2011, 5:34 pm

LinuxOnly wrote:one film i recommend you watch about Berlusconi's Italy is "Videocracy".
it's a look into the overly sexualized media of italy (ala greece, bulgaria, portugal, etc). might protect your and your children's sanity a little

Thanks for the tip! My wife is from there originally and is more or less immune to the chauvinism and sexism, but I'm not. It's also a very provincially-minded country with circus clowns for politicians. It's going to be an adjustment for me, for sure.

Think Different · Post by **Think Different** » February 22nd, 2011, 5:36 pm

Adama wrote:You won't have any headaches if you use a property manager to do the work locally for you.

I've heard that, and we'll see. If it gets to the point, where we're just going to have to take a huge loss in a sale, maybe we will do it. We are good friends with the realtor here anyhow, and she would help us stay on top of things. Part of me is concerned that the housing market is going to take another huge drop in 2011 or 2012 and all home values will go down and stay down. In that vein, we're almost of the mind to just get whatever cash we can out of the house and use it to start over, overseas. We'll have to buy a car, for example...

gsjackson · Post by **gsjackson** » February 22nd, 2011, 9:52 pm

Adama wrote:You won't have any headaches if you use a property manager to do the work locally for you.

That really, really depends on the property manager, believe me. There are plenty of incompetent ones out there who will turn everything into a hassle.

Good luck red dog. I'm envious.

aozora13 · Post by **aozora13** » February 22nd, 2011, 10:21 pm

Good Luck Red Dog. Glad you decided to go to Italy finally. I know you tried but there were issues with your house and employment. I am actually heading for a western country Australia around April. I know that it is basically like a America-Lite but it is more peaceful and possibly I can use the base of the country to go after possibly Asian women and bring them over when I am able to get a perm Visa possibly in a couple of years. I have to see. I just see America is on its way down and I am taking precautions before falling.

Think Different · Post by **Think Different** » February 25th, 2011, 7:28 am

LinuxOnly wrote:one film i recommend you watch about Berlusconi's Italy is "Videocracy".
it's a look into the overly sexualized media of italy (ala greece, bulgaria, portugal, etc). might protect your and your children's sanity a little

We watched the movie on Netflix. It made us both wanna puke. We both can't stand Berlusconi, and trash he piles on the Italian culture. He and his generation of idiots have debased and cheapened the Italian culture to the point where everyone is on the take or angling to get their "big break". We knew this was common, but thought it was more isolated to certain segments of society and classes of people. Didn't realize it was so bad. I hope I can keep my sanity there, because I am more of a quiet, contemplative type, who prefers small towns or villages, and to hike in the wilderness with my dog. I'd probably fit in better in Norway.

Jackal · Post by **Jackal** » February 25th, 2011, 11:58 am

RedDog wrote: We watched the movie on Netflix. It made us both wanna puke. We both can't stand Berlusconi, and trash he piles on the Italian culture. He and his generation of idiots have debased and cheapened the Italian culture to the point where everyone is on the take or angling to get their "big break". We knew this was common, but thought it was more isolated to certain segments of society and classes of people. Didn't realize it was so bad. I hope I can keep my sanity there, because I am more of a quiet, contemplative type, who prefers small towns or villages, and to hike in the wilderness with my dog. I'd probably fit in better in Norway.

Bah, I wouldn't focus on such negative stuff while you're in the middle of a big move. No place is perfect and you can find some shit anywhere if you look hard enough. Hungarian politics are shitty too, but I just ignore it for the most part and enjoy myself.

Think about the fact that you will at least be part of the EU and will be able to travel between all the Schengen Agreement countries freely.

Listen to some Pavarotti and chill out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfLkUMcw0VU

It's a funny coincidence that the Hungarian flag is like the Italian flag rotated 90 degrees.

The flag of Italy:

The flag of Hungary:

Happy travels!

Think Different · Post by **Think Different** » February 26th, 2011, 1:16 pm

Jackal wrote:
RedDog wrote:

It's a funny coincidence that the Hungarian flag is like the Italian flag rotated 90 degrees.

The flag of Italy:

The flag of Hungary:

Happy travels!

Hey cool! I never thought about that! You're right...we're both just stressed out with everything going on. Probably shouldn't have watched it. Schengen Agreement is great, for sure. I definitely plan on doing some sightseeing soon after arriving there.

djfourmoney · Post by **djfourmoney** » February 27th, 2011, 12:10 pm

I agree about getting out from under debt, its much easier to manage debt you don't have to look after 10,000 miles away... Loosing money vs loosing your shirt, I'll take loosing a few dollars.

I wouldn't worry about the current political climate, hell look at our own...

Good Luck on your move and I'm not jealous, no reason to be. Yes I'm some sort of looser typing this from my room in my parents home at 40 years old, unemployed and my tax return check is shrinking by the day.

But guess what?

No debt, No nagging wife, No impossible children

Cut off local women (saves money), screw when you need too (need a few more dollars for that, on hiatus)

Perfect low impact, low key life style so I can get my life back in order so I can actually AFFORD to have children and a wife.

I may or may not leave America, we shall see.