Mansionmania Tournament: Round 3, Heat 1 (and a map of contenders)

[Rain Man]

I generally leave heats open for a couple of days, so if by some miracle there's a change in voting in Heats 15 or 16 of Round 2, this may change. But I doubt that'll happen since the votes aren't very close.

As we roll into Round 3, our 16 remaining competitors are diverse. We have:

2 in New England
2 in mid-Atlantic states
3 in the South
1 in whatever region Oklahoma counts as
3 in the mountains (lumping Nevada with CO and WY)
3 in California
2 islands (HI and the USVI)

Mansionmania continues with our Sweet 16 3rd-round contestants. You will choose among each pair of houses with the following assumptions:

• The purchase price for you is $0.
• All maintenance, utilities, property taxes, HOA fees, and cleaning is included.
• You must live in the home for the rest of your life.
• You can't travel more than 100 miles from home (via google maps drive time) other than 1 two-week vacation each year.
• You get $250,000 per year as a living allowance
• You get an additional living allowance at the cheaper home, which will be valued at 1% of any cost difference annually. I will note this amount in the poll.
• You get the furnishings. If unfurnished, you get an allowance that will give you mid-grade furniture in every room.
• You get any vehicles in the garage. But only the garage - nothing parked outside.

I encourage you to click on the maps in the listings to see the general location and neighborhood.

Also, I will only enter contestants if they have a sufficient number of photos to judge, as determined by me.

Your entries in this heat are:

Alabama:

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...1_M78699-72545

California:

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...3_M95237-01396

California:

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

For a regular 9-5er that would be a concern, but that wouldn't be an issue for any of us. With the stipend we're all bumped up to top 1% of earners in the country and with no rent/mortgage, electricity, gas, water, maintenance, or landscaping to pay, I'd imagine money would never be an issue unless we develop an extreme love of hookers and blow.

Sure, but when you head to one of those events that is a draw of living near LA, NYC, or any other large metro area, the traffic is a huge PITA getting in and out. Especially when an accident happens. Same thing goes for heading to the beach.

I used to totally avoid leaving the neighborhood on the weekends when we lived in the DFW area when a NASCAR event was on. Same for Cowboys games.

[Dartgod]

I really want to hate the Alabama house because I don't want to live in Ala-****ing-bama for the rest of my life. But the house is really cool and that stipend!

I can't do it though. California, here I come.

[burt]

Cali...wild fires, earth quakes and traffic.

Alabama...11 million + a year.... I'll be a Bama Boy!

[Buehler445]

So I've voted against both these houses. I think it's bearing out that I'm weird .

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

So I have a distant family member that has a house down in the woods right on the Tennessee River. I cannot state strongly enough how unbelievably cool it is living on a river. It's like living on a lake but way way WAY cooler.

I'd vote for the Alabama house here...but it's just not near anything. If I could get to Nashville I may well vote for Alabama here because that's an awesome place.

But man, owning a compound on thousands of acres within 100 miles of LA and Long Beach is going to require a perfect opponent and 'Bama's proximity to nothing of note. Huntsville and Athens just ain't gonna get it done.

That's good to know. I gotta say I went into this thinking that I wanted no part of living in Alabama. I mean, I can't stand the humidity in KC.

The difference between most of you all and me is I currently live in nowhere, and I'm fine with it. I want no part of LA life. I think I can stay out of that noise with this house, but the appeal of LA isn't really there for me.

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Yeah, I'm leasing a couple thousand acres of that to make up that stipend gap.

The farm I've referenced 'round here is about 1,000 acres and it's easily as much space as I truly need for most anything I'll be doing. So with 3,500 odd acres, I can spare 2,000 of 'em.

And yeah, the monthly nut on 2,000 acres within 100 miles of LA is gonna be MORE than enough to make up that stipend I'm missing out on in Alabama.

Yeah, I don't know what you're getting for leasing out 2000 acres. I know nothing about that orchard life. There might be real life money there, IDK, but you're not getting much out of those oat fields. There isn't much production there.

You have some revenue in selling the equipment there. I can't see much of the hay stuff, but just the ass end of that deere tractor, it's old enough, it's probably worth 30K. If those swathers (and presumably associated bailers) are high houred there isn't as much there as you'd think.

The thing you have to worry about with a lease program is your water. I'm guessing you have to behave there. If it's groundwater, I'd need to lock that down before I'd lease any of that out. House is pretty worthless if you can only get 3 GPM for the whole house.

This is a pretty tough decision, even though I voted against both these houses.

So back to it, I think I have to go to Alabama. Again, whore for money, as per usual. But with that stipend, I can spend real money on mitigating the, you know, Alabama.

[Buehler445]

Holy shit. I'm the deciding vote here ATM.

I'm surprised its 20/20 before my vote. I figured the Cali house would run away with this.

[oldman]

I just can't see myself living in Alabama no matter how much extra money was involved. Nothing says you have to go to LA if you choose the CA place, it's that you can. Where would you go within a 100 miles in ****ing Alabama?? Even if you had that extra cash and could buy some of those cool cars pictured in the CA house, where would you drive them for fun? I'll bet the area around that AL place is chock full of slack-jawed LEOs itching to pull out their radar guns and relieve you of some of that cash.

[burt]

Originally Posted by oldman

I just can't see myself living in Alabama no matter how much extra money was involved. Nothing says you have to go to LA if you choose the CA place, it's that you can. Where would you go within a 100 miles in ****ing Alabama?? Even if you had that extra cash and could buy some of those cool cars pictured in the CA house, where would you drive them for fun? I'll bet the area around that AL place is chock full of slack-jawed LEOs itching to pull out their radar guns and relieve you of some of that cash.

I'm beginning to think you woke up on the wrong side of the floor this morning...

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by oldman

I just can't see myself living in Alabama no matter how much extra money was involved. Nothing says you have to go to LA if you choose the CA place, it's that you can. Where would you go within a 100 miles in ****ing Alabama?? Even if you had that extra cash and could buy some of those cool cars pictured in the CA house, where would you drive them for fun? I'll bet the area around that AL place is chock full of slack-jawed LEOs itching to pull out their radar guns and relieve you of some of that cash.

Not sure if your reply is aimed at me, but if it is, here goes. If not, disregard.

It isn't that I have to have LA, its that it's close enough that I don't want to get any of that on me.

And the thing you don't understand is its 4.5 HOURS from Wichita or Colorado Springs and Denver. Garden City is 45 minutes and sub 50K people. So not living by a sprawling metropolis or tons of traffic is certainly not a detractor, and probably a benefit.

And where I currently live already has the slack jawed LEOs.

The difference is, while I'm perfectly happy where I am, what I don't have is a ****ing million per. I can get it spent. Believe me.

[Graystoke]

Hard to say no to the California home.
Mountains and LA close by.
Yep, taking California

[burt]

Originally Posted by Graystoke

Hard to say no to the California home.
Mountains and LA close by.
Yep, taking California

YOU'LL FALL INTO THE OCEAN, when the "big one" hits!!!!

[Otter]

Originally Posted by burt

I'm beginning to think you woke up on the wrong side of the floor this morning...

When I was living in PA we went to spring break in FLA and had to drive through GA. Not much of an exaggeration.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

My splurge would unquestionably be one of those hot sinks where someone washes my hair and gives me a scalp massage every morning.

That's just the best...

That would be divine.

And I could probably swing a deal in which I could get a full-time back tickler as well. I can reliably get a girlfriend to do it for about 3-4 months before they realize I'm not going anywhere and they don't have to put in the effort anymore. Damn shame.

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Heck, the more we talk through it, the minimum $250,000 stipend might not be enough.

Hah. Yeah, there's no doubt about that.

[Bowser]

Wow, neck and neck.

I'm not a fan of Alabaman summers or that humidity, but I really want it to move on to the next round, but I get it if it doesn't. The point about living on all that land in Cali with just the 25oK stipend is a great point, too.

[MagicHef]

What would happen if I just did nothing with the CA land? Obviously it would slowly return to its natural state, but would I get in trouble with any local or state regulations on farmland or something similar?

[TLO]

What a close vote