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utilitus

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utilitus last won the day on June 28 2018

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  1. Just to note that it seems possible to easily pay Jocotepec municipal predial online with a US (e.g. BofA VISA) credit card running on USD. See: jocotepec.gob.mx . The online forms involved expect local phone and address information, while I only have an undeveloped lot, but US details could be shoehorned into these data fields - the system claimed transactive success. The system then stated that a copy of the receipt will be sent by registered mail shortly - it would be a bit surprising if it turns up here in California. I will check back online in a few days to verify that the transaction actually took per the Joco system, in addition to talking with the credit card division to assure that the forex payment makes sense. In Joco anyway, it is permitted to skip at least one year of predial tax and pay 'double' every two years, and possibly more, if one prefers to pay in person, as I have for years when I get down to SJC. This new on line facility seems to obviate that pilgrimage, though I aways enjoyed the friendly staff.
  2. For US citizens and maybe others, a little known (but for me over 20 years a very dependable) solution to forex dynamics and interest rate differentials is the US entity EverBank. It offers foreign currency cash accounts that are FDIC (i.e., US government) insured up to USD250k, and if you treat your holdings of such three-month CDs as long term, forex fees are minimal. Over the last few years the USDMXN has depreciated about 20% while such CD accounts have paid around 10%/yr. This trend is likely to continue, if at a more modest rate, inho. See: https://www.everbank.com/diversified-investing/foreign-currencies It's a different beast entirely, but a Forex account allows one to buy and sell currency pairs with generally tiny expenses, 24 hrs/day, except for weekends.
  3. When I purchased a view lot in SJC maybe five years ago, I too was anxious about paying my (absurdly small) property tax bill, given that I visit lakeside about every two years. Then I learned that one can delay payment for a year (at least), paying two years at once (in the Jocotepec municipality office, anyway). Municipal staff couldn't be nicer or more efficient when I do eventually show up. Don't know anything about auto fees.
  4. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/mexicos-minimum-wage-to-rise-20-in-2024-president-says
  5. It may be 90 days under some coverages and scenarios, but per https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/basics/coverage, "What's included in foreign travel emergency care? When you travel outside the U.S., most plans cover emergency health care, with a lifetime limit of $50,000. Plans may: Cover foreign travel emergency care if it begins during the first 60 days of your trip, and if Medicare doesn't otherwise cover the care. Pay 80% of the billed charges for certain medically necessary emergency care outside the U.S. after you meet a $250 deductible for the year. If you have plans E, H, I, and J that are no longer sold, they still cover foreign travel emergency care."
  6. First, Sr. Mostlylost has long struck me as by far the most generally informative contributor to this site, providing perspective deep into all manner of situations. Second, although I was peripherally involved with the then tiny Bay Area Etherium community prior to the projects' public launch (because I was curious how such programmed contracts would handle 'knowledge representation' of real world physical facts), I don't know anything about BTC, other than owing some and being one of the few people to have actually used it for an international grey-market transaction (which made it past US customs just fine.) Point is, ML's mention of certain unfamiliar specs above got me interested, and google did the rest. I am currently negotiating a lease of about 25 acres/10 hectare of our ranch east of Napa to a developer of 'solar farms' who would build a 5MW facility. If one such BTC rig burns 3MW, how many sunny hours would be required? This facility is estimated to currently cost over USD5M to build...
  7. Seems like the price for such a rig has collapsed to about USD3k. See: https://www.asicminervalue.com/miners/bitmain/antminer-s19-xp-140th Can Bitcoin miners be used for anything else? As someone wrote: "Most bitcoin miners use specialized ASICs chips, such as the Antminer S19 Pro, that are designed for SHA-256 hashing (Secure Hash Algorithm). They are excellent at mining bitcoin but lousy for doing anything else. They can't be repurposed."Jul 24, 2023
  8. Remi, it's a continuing financial story, suggesting that TP service might suffer into the future, as credit gets tighter worldwide. Maybe such service problems are starting already, but service in built-out areas should continue at some level. See: https://www.bloomberglinea.com/english/totalplays-bonds-plunge-as-investors-evaluate-capital-spending-plan/
  9. "Total Play Bonds Sink Further Into Distressed as Cash Burn Grows" - JPMorgan cuts recommendation on bonds to underweight - Mexican internet and cable provider is increasing spending See: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-08-02/total-play-bonds-sink-further-into-distressed-as-cash-burn-grows#xj4y7vzkg
  10. Was curious about the experience of the climate Lakeside as the rainy season approaches and settles in. According to one weather site, tonight for instance at it might reach the mid-60s F, at 71% humidity, a point at which one could probably feel it. Does any stickyness get stickier as the season progresses, and how long does this pattern persist? Especially invite comments by Californians like myself. I'll just mention that if anyone wants a humidity-fueled psychedelic experience, try Bali. I sweat so much my clothes never got dirty. Thanks
  11. "To easily identify a coral snake, remember this rhyme about the sequence of its' color bands: Red touches yellow, kills a fellow. Red touches black, venom lack."
  12. Last December I extracted Euros from BNP Paribas ATMs with my Schwab Bank card at branches in France and Italy in English. While I can't recall any specific details of the transactions and don't have their printouts handy, the net result was that the well-practiced 'decline' appropriate to Lakeside seems to have authorized an unfavorable rate. As always, Schwab picked up the ATM charges, but next time I travel I will go online to research the optimal protocol for local cash extraction (from machines rather than myself). Come to think of it, the wad of Euros I brought home has appreciated 9% in the meantime, more than compensating for such ATM skullduggery...
  13. Yes, of course. But knowing what to expect is an aspect of 'financial' engineering... And there can be surprising rules and exceptions. Off the subject, but I hope that Mexico revives a wholesome version of the Maquilladora program to produce solar gear as the Chinese wear out their welcome in the US, because Mexico of all the oil producing nations is reportedly running out the fastest.
  14. Thanks for the sensible suggestion, which would provide information at any stage of such a project (though I would not bet the ranch on a casual bureaucratic inquiry in any country.) This home-design project has been in the planning stage for years (when I was last at Lakeside a year ago I visited the U. Guad. engineering dept.) and it will be 'deeply' engineered in advance rather than cobbled together over time.
  15. I wonder...would a raked, 35 sq mt solar panel installation suspended 2-3 mt over a walkable roof qualify as taxable 'roofing'?
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