KnowYard Community

Show up to HOA board meetings. Seriously. Most boards are 3-5 retired people with nothing better to do. You show up with 5 neighbors who are also sick of it and you can vote them out.

There's a burger joint near me that's been cash only for 30 years. No website. No social media. Packed every day at lunch. That's the ultimate endorsement.

Protested 5 years in a row. Won every time. Average reduction of about $20K in appraised value. The informal hearing is where it happens — bring your comps printed out and be polite.

The "but you get summers off" crowd has clearly never met a teacher. My wife spends summer doing curriculum planning, professional development, and setting up her classroom. It's unpaid work.

Read your CC&Rs cover to cover. Half the violations HOAs send out are either not actually in the rules or they're enforcing selectively. If your neighbor's trash can is visible too, document it and bring it up.

Drive through the area at night before you sign anything. If you feel uneasy at 10pm on a Tuesday, trust that instinct.

the best seminar experience ive had in DFW was at Lovato BJJ. the combination of Rafael Lovato Jr plus a visiting world-class instructor created a learning environment that was on another level. if Lovato announces a seminar, go

My wife is a teacher and her take-home after insurance, retirement, and union dues is about $3,200/month. Our mortgage alone is $2,100. Do the math.

Anyone know what's going in on the pad sites at Lakeview and Dalrock? I've seen permits but no signage yet. A good restaurant there would do well — that intersection has great visibility.

Skip the job boards for the first week. Reach out directly to everyone you know. LinkedIn connections, former coworkers, friends of friends. 70% of jobs are filled through networking and that's not a cliché.

Look for areas near good school districts. Even if you don't have kids, school district quality correlates with neighborhood safety and maintenance. It's a useful proxy.

Trades. HVAC, plumbing, electrical. Most will hire you with zero experience and train you. Starting pay is $18-22/hr but within 2-3 years you're at $30+. Texas needs tradespeople badly.

Brisket gatekeepers are the worst. My dad has been smoking brisket for 30 years and some guy who watched one YouTube video tried to tell him he's doing it wrong.

Year 8 teacher here. I love teaching. I cannot afford teaching. I tutor, do test prep on weekends, and drive for a rideshare in the summer. It shouldn't be like this.

Electrician for 12 years. Made $95K last year. Zero student debt. Bought a house at 24. I work hard but I'm not broke. Most of my college friends can't say both of those things.

the 70% light sparring philosophy is correct and im glad more gyms are adopting it. i trained at a gym that went hard every session and had 3 concussions in 2 years. switched to a gym that emphasizes technical sparring and my skill development actually accelerated because i wasnt scared of getting KOd every practice

You can do both. Get your trade license AND take classes part-time. My buddy is a licensed plumber making $75K while finishing his business degree at night. He wants to run his own shop.

If the job posting has been up for 6+ months, either the role doesn't exist (ghost listing to collect resumes) or nobody wants it because the work environment is toxic.

The real answer is that it depends on what trade and what degree. A CS degree from a good school pays more than plumbing. But a plumbing license pays more than a generic business degree with $40K in loans.

My commute used to be 1.5 hours round trip. That's 7.5 hours a week, 30 hours a month, sitting in traffic producing nothing. Remote work gave me a whole day back every month.

The biggest red flag: when they rush you to accept without giving you time to think. "We need an answer by tomorrow" is pressure, not urgency. Good opportunities can wait 48 hours.

Emergency fund before you buy. At least $10K set aside for repairs. The AC, water heater, or roof WILL need attention in the first 2 years. Guaranteed.

I negotiated mine down $150 by showing them comparable units on Zillow that were cheaper. They'd rather keep a paying tenant than turn the unit. It's worth trying.

The freedom is worth every extra dollar though. I can paint walls, have a dog, play music at midnight. After 6 years of apartment living the privacy alone is priceless.

Electrician for 12 years. Made $95K last year. Zero student debt. Bought a house at 24. I work hard but I'm not broke. Most of my college friends can't say both of those things.