Seriously...how much do you know...

Aw..lol. Spirit ..even I have...but knowing it helps the spirit longer may be? :)

@TiarasOceanView .. Most welcome..hugs..love..

@vandana7 Yes if we know it Vanny. I will come help you in house fixing..I know a bit as I have always had to do fixing stuffs lol

LOL...kinda..whatever the person says, I believe. Sometimes, I wish I could be like dad, understand the underlying stuff. I wouldn't even know if the person is taking me for a ride.....that is why I gotta learn from now. :)

@DaddyEvil .. It comes with jugad...which means something that can be combined - permutation and combination..to serve the purpose. Temporary solutions...kind. Usually referring to finances, but some people are really good at it. Take for example your cupboard that opens down or a window that does not close. Normal person would look at hinges, try to replace it. Jugaru or jugadu would fold newspapers and stick it with tape in such a way that when it is pressed it remains in place. Silly solutions, temporary solutions, and more often than not, ugly solutions...but guess what...they work..lol

Using a word in Hindi that has no translation into English is not nice, Dearheart! (How can I sneak around and see what you all are saying when I can't find any translation for words you use?) The BEST I can find online is this: "Jugaru (Jugaru) meaning in English (??????? ?? ??????) is (Jugaru ka matlab english me hai)."* I believe the word "Jugaru" must be the name of a person that has become standardized into the Hindi language instead of having a meaning in it's own right. (That is the usual problem I have in translating things written in a language other than English.) *Excerpt taken from a Hindi to English dictionary found here:

@vandana7 Do you despise what this last sentence says....?

@hora_fugit .. No...but others start telling me ..sell the house, look your father is working so hard...I am at my wits end in such a situation...the house fetches me what 38000 bucks per month..its an old house..At that rate the returns are extremely decent. 18 percent and above per annum. Even if I spend 1.56 L per annum on it (which I am not spending), I get 12 percent per annum and 30 percent 4.56L is exempt from tax mind you. No bank gives 12 percent regular return. In mutual funds also, the returns are lower. Apart from this, there is capital gains which is at the rate of 15 or 18 percent compounded. I would have to be a fool to sell that when all dad does is go and collect rents..and including repair ..our total trips to the house are 24 each year. I would like to give annual contracts to workers, which he opposes. Others feel him going and collecting rents is straining him. He is not strained at all. Only one person gives rent in cash so he has to go there. At times, when tenants vacate, the work increases slightly..he has to go and show the house, and get some repairs or painting done.

But if I try to take charge, dad says I am waiting for him to die...this is catch 22 situation..if I try to help him he thinks I am trying to make him dispensable, if I don't he goes around telling the whole world how much he is doing for me.

Oh this is something I have to agree with...my process goes like this...first I go there, check the problem...then we call the guy...there is a good worker, and an average (read bad) worker. Good worker is rarely available, and he really fleeces. So generally, we try to use average worker...well dad uses him not me. We call the worker, we analyze the problem. The bad worker does a bad job. Following day tenant again calls. This time, we tell the bad worker to go and do it once more. The bad worker charges for that as well. Effectively, he gets almost as much as the good worker, but not always. lol. Dad likes him...that is the problem. lol

Wow...you sure can manage. :) I will be taken for a ride ..lol

Oh, do not worry @vandana7 many repairmen take advantage of my lack of knowledge in their field as well, I feel it is dishonest but they think it is ok to make someone pay more for things they did not have to do.

@rebelann I actually call that being dishonest, Ann! I HAVE had that same experience, ONCE! Then I made sure everyone around me knew not to hire that guy, for anything! When he found out I had been telling everyone about my experience with him he suddenly became VERY honest! I have no problem with someone making their living from whatever their talent opens to them. But, they don't need to make a year's worth of living off ME! There is a going rate for everything. Some people charge a few dollars more and some a few dollars less than the going rate. When someone charges me double the going rate I will find that out and then I will spread the word about that person!

I actually agree with that. Having basic knowledge goes a long way because we can analyze whether the solution being suggested by the concerned professional is going to work or not. Quite often the concerned professional is unaware too of what is the problem.

Yes, I do the same thing, Umar! Watching how a professional will handle a problem gives you insight into how you can handle the same problem the next time. My pc just told me I have never spoken to you before, @Mrgana1. Please accept a belated "Welcome to myLot!" from me. I do hope you are enjoying this site and making pennies while you are making new friends here. If you find yourself in need of assistance here, please call on me. I will do my best to help you!

I think it is always best to call professionals, provided, the professional is honest and does his job well. lol

When we talk about equality, we need to learn some I suppose..lol.

@vandana7 yes ..I agree.

Aw...sorry...that you are alone. Problems ..I face more frequently when tenants change.

Lucky you...I need to improve my knowledge. The other day JolietJake went to help his tenant, and I realized how little I know of anything. The worker says this is the reason it is not working..this part is gone, ok..how much will it cost, this much ok...go get the part...spare funds, then wait till he affixes...then check whether everything is working, and return home. That is how I am.

Oh I know somethings like repairing water cooler if it leaks, and changing the washer. Even changing the plug (the variety we have here), I can manage. But ask me to check earthing ..nah..

What about sewer and plumbing part?

Exactly, but it should be something that does not make my father feel dispensable..

Now you know what I dread and why I dread that moment...though there are more reasons to dread that moment...

@Neiltarquin .. Exactly...but there is another angle to it. If I start learning he becomes a bit sad. He feels now I don't need him. It is the need to feel "needed" that keeps them alive.

@vandana7 Your mind is protesting but at the same time you know he is right...

Oh wow...you know a lot of things more than me...lot...lol. You should teach me some..usually, we don't have much repairs...my average repair bill for all the homes is about 1250-2000 dollars per year. That includes labor and material. Not a big deal in India at all.

@vandana7 When you are here and something happens that needs fixed and I am able to fix it, I will definitely show you how. If you think of something while you are here that you would like to learn how to fix, simply tell me. If I know how to do it, I will show you how. (Usually, I can describe how to fix something well enough that someone with little or no experience will be able to do that, too.)

You mean to say inside the apartment plumbing, electrical or sewer works also you don't have to call anybody but building maintenance guy? Shocked. Out here building maintenance is about maintenance of common areas only.

@vandana7 That's right. If we have any problem we call maintainance and they take care of it. We aren't responsible for anything but paying our rent.

Funny ..we women have issues with learning those things..but I can do somethings..

@vsai2008 .. So am I. Luckily there is a shop called United Engineering out here. I know where it is located. So I can go to them, tell them the problem, and they will let me have the number of the person who would be good enough to tackle something like that. And after that, I would observe the person and learn some. lol

@vandana7 I am still at a learning stage I guess LOL