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We sold our home in the suburbs for a luxury downtown apartment, thinking we'd save money. It was an expensive mistake.

Yahoo

an hour ago

Yahoo

We sold our home in the suburbs for a luxury downtown apartment, thinking we'd save money. It was an expensive mistake.

We were tired of the suburbs and thought living in downtown Tulsa would be a grand new adventure. So, we sold our home, signed a lease for a luxury apartment, and thought it was all going smoothly. The problems started as soon as our belongings were unpacked. When my husband and I signed our new lease, we were pumped for a fresh start. We were in our mid-20s and ready for a new adventure, but who knew we'd be stepping into one of the most expensive mistakes of our lives? It all started last April when we felt the itch for change. We wanted to remain in the same city because it was close to family, but our current routines felt draining. We'd also just faced a lengthy insurance claim and repair costs from severe storm damage. We thought: What if we could sell our starter home to pay off our student loans, have more disposable income, and save for a couple of years for our family dream home, all while renting a trendy place near downtown? At the time, it seemed like a no-brainer. A new luxury apartment complex seemed to check all the boxes. It was near the hustle and bustle of downtown Tulsa. While not a large city, Tulsa is up and coming and has a lot of noteworthy food, art, and music options, including a top-rated food hall in all of America, called Mother Road Market, right across the street from the complex. We'd also be located on the iconic Route 66, where every business boasts a show-stopping neon sign. Of course, there was an underlying nervous feeling, but we chalked that up to the possibility of taking a big leap. When we visited, some of the amenities were unfinished, but we were told that they were on track to be completed by our moving timeline. To us, the building felt luxurious; there were many community spaces to make new connections with people our age, and the process of selling our home was already going smoothly. We thought it was all working out as planned. So, a month later, once we closed on our house, we moved in. The problems started as soon as our belongings were unpacked. We immediately had many maintenance issues in our apartment — from the electrical, to the WiFi, to the stove, to the showers. Hardly any of the community amenities had opened up as promised. It seemed like nothing worked properly for a "luxury" complex. Just a week after moving in, we were tucked in for the evening when blaring fire alarms shook us from the comfort of our bed. We peeked into the hallway and made eye contact with our neighbors across the hall, all of us wondering if it was a real fire. Alongside our neighbors, pets in tow, alarms blasting in our ears, we made the trek to the apartment's courtyard to escape the incessant noise. We waited there for over an hour until the alarms stopped — at least for that night. Unfortunately, those alarms berated us at all hours of the day and night at least once every couple of weeks for the entirety of our residency. As we wound down after a fun night with friends, we heard water dripping in the hallway. Residents thought the leak upstairs was from the rain that day, but it was a fully burst water pipe that flooded all units below it, including ours. We broke our lease soon after, luckily without penalty. The whole ordeal of moving out of the luxury apartment (ironically right back to the area we started), buying new furniture to replace the damaged pieces from the flood, and then paying for the security deposit plus first month's rent in our new place cost us thousands that we weren't expecting to pay. Saying we were frustrated after taking out a renters insurance claim to replace our belongings just nine months after concluding a six-month-long homeowners insurance claim would be an understatement. We lived at the "luxury" apartment for only eight weeks, but due to displacement, we paid over $5,000 for hotel stays, meals, and furniture replacement that we had to wait for insurance to reimburse. We've been living comfortably in our new place for almost a year. Now that everything's settled, we joke that the suburbs called us home. If you're considering a crazy move, I can say from experience that the grass isn't always greener. Do your research, and make sure you have good insurance. Read the original article on Business Insider

A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane. The FAA still allows infants on laps

CNN

an hour ago

CNN

A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane. The FAA still allows infants on laps

It was horrifying enough for anyone when a door plug popped off an Alaska Airlines flight at more than 16,000 feet last year, causing an explosive decompression. But one mother's nightmare was particularly acute, as she thought she lost her baby out of the gaping hole in the side of the plane. It's an unimaginable horror, and one that safety regulators could have prevented by requiring that parents secure infants on board planes in a car seat, as they must be when riding in a car. But despite years of calls for just such a rule, none exists. Testimony this week at the National Transportation Safety Board hearing into the incident, and transcripts of interviews with flight attendants conducted by NTSB investigators that were released this week, tell of the panic aboard the flight. Passengers' clothing was ripped off, and their phones were blown out of their hands and sent hurtling into the night by the by the rush of air that accompanied the rapid decompression. The flight attendants weren't sure whether they had lost any of the passengers until the plane had landed. Initially, they weren't even sure if the pilots were conscious or in need of medical attention themselves due to problems communicating between the cabin and cockpit. But among the flight attendants' most serious concerns were the three infants on the flight who were being held on their parents' laps, not in a car seat. And one of those parents, a mother, told flight attendants during the incident that she had lost her son and believed he had been blown outside the plane. 'I was holding her, I said, 'What's going on, what's happening?' and she just says, 'I was holding my son and I think my son blew out the window,'' one of the flight attendants told NTSB investigators, according to a transcript of the interview. 'And that's when I lift up my head and saw the hole and I just started like shaking.' 'I didn't know at that point that that mom was freaking out because she thought her son went out the window,' another flight attendant told investigators. Fortunately, the child had not gone out the hole, although the transcripts from the NTSB did not detail where the child was during the incident or give the name of the mother involved. The plane was able to land within minutes without any serious physical injuries to the 177 people on aboard, including the three infants. Among the NTSB's recommendations following the conclusion of its investigation this week was to once again suggest that the Federal Aviation Administration require passengers ages two and younger have their own seats to protect them. The NTSB does not have the power to make such a requirement. It has been asking the FAA, which is the federal regulator that sets such regulations, for such a rule for decades. Even if parts don't often fall off planes mid-flight, infants on planes are at risk of being thrown from their parents' arms by far more common turbulence, which can occur without warning. One NTSB investigator testified Tuesday about incidents in which infants were injured during severe turbulence, in one instance landing a few rows behind the child's mother in an empty row. 'I've long believed that parents of lap children do not fully realize the serious risk to which they're exposing their young children,' NTSB board member Thomas Chapman said at the hearing. 'The experts agree that the safest place for an infant is secured in their own seat. If there's turbulence or worse, you may not be able to protect your baby in your arms.' Chapman said the NTSB has been pushing for a rule requiring infants be secured in a seat but that 'we just have not been able to persuade FAA that this is an area where they should take action.' An advisory to airlines posted on the FAA's website advises that the agency 'does not require but, because of the safety benefits thereof, does encourage the use of approved child/infant seats aboard aircraft.' When CNN asked about the lack of a rule, the FAA said in a statement: 'The FAA takes NTSB recommendations seriously and will carefully consider those issued yesterday.' The statement added: 'The safest place for a child under age two is an approved child-restraint system or device, not an adult's lap. This can go a long way in keeping children safe during a flight.' But there may be a more intricate calculus involved for the FAA. An agency spokesperson told CNN it is concerned that requiring parents to buy an extra seat for plane travel will lead more of them to drive to their destinations. And the agency believes that would create a greater risk to the children and parents, since flying is a much safer method of transportation than driving. Airlines also likely worry about lost revenue from more parents opting to drive instead. Airlines for America, the industry trade group, did not directly address whether or not there should be a rule requiring infants to have their own seat in a statement. 'The safety of all passengers and crew members is always the top priority of U.S. airlines, which is why we follow federal laws and strictly comply with the guidance and rules established by our safety regulator, the FAA,' the group said. But one expert accused the FAA of putting airline profits over safety. 'The NTSB has one job, and that's to improve safety. They're not concerned about the financial impact,' said Anthony Brickhouse, a crash investigator and US-based aerospace safety consultant. 'The FAA looks at safety, but they also look at the financial impact. Safety and money have been in conflict since the beginning of time. And if you want to know the reasons for anything they do, follow the money.' Brickhouse said if the lap babies had been in or near row 26, where the door plug blew off, they likely would have be lost. 'Why is it that you're required to be buckled in a car, but mommy and daddy can hold you on a flight?' he said. 'You would think this close call could move the needle. It's frustrating to think we need to get tragedy to get change.'

CNN

an hour ago

CNN

A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane. The FAA still allows infants on laps

It was horrifying enough for anyone when a door plug popped off an Alaska Airlines flight at more than 16,000 feet last year, causing an explosive decompression. But one mother's nightmare was particularly acute, as she thought she lost her baby out of the gaping hole in the side of the plane. It's an unimaginable horror, and one that safety regulators could have prevented by requiring that parents secure infants on board planes in a car seat, as they must be when riding in a car. But despite years of calls for just such a rule, none exists. Testimony this week at the National Transportation Safety Board hearing into the incident, and transcripts of interviews with flight attendants conducted by NTSB investigators that were released this week, tell of the panic aboard the flight. Passengers' clothing was ripped off, and their phones were blown out of their hands and sent hurtling into the night by the by the rush of air that accompanied the rapid decompression. The flight attendants weren't sure whether they had lost any of the passengers until the plane had landed. Initially, they weren't even sure if the pilots were conscious or in need of medical attention themselves due to problems communicating between the cabin and cockpit. But among the flight attendants' most serious concerns were the three infants on the flight who were being held on their parents' laps, not in a car seat. And one of those parents, a mother, told flight attendants during the incident that she had lost her son and believed he had been blown outside the plane. 'I was holding her, I said, 'What's going on, what's happening?' and she just says, 'I was holding my son and I think my son blew out the window,'' one of the flight attendants told NTSB investigators, according to a transcript of the interview. 'And that's when I lift up my head and saw the hole and I just started like shaking.' 'I didn't know at that point that that mom was freaking out because she thought her son went out the window,' another flight attendant told investigators. Fortunately, the child had not gone out the hole, although the transcripts from the NTSB did not detail where the child was during the incident or give the name of the mother involved. The plane was able to land within minutes without any serious physical injuries to the 177 people on aboard, including the three infants. Among the NTSB's recommendations following the conclusion of its investigation this week was to once again suggest that the Federal Aviation Administration require passengers ages two and younger have their own seats to protect them. The NTSB does not have the power to make such a requirement. It has been asking the FAA, which is the federal regulator that sets such regulations, for such a rule for decades. Even if parts don't often fall off planes mid-flight, infants on planes are at risk of being thrown from their parents' arms by far more common turbulence, which can occur without warning. One NTSB investigator testified Tuesday about incidents in which infants were injured during severe turbulence, in one instance landing a few rows behind the child's mother in an empty row. 'I've long believed that parents of lap children do not fully realize the serious risk to which they're exposing their young children,' NTSB board member Thomas Chapman said at the hearing. 'The experts agree that the safest place for an infant is secured in their own seat. If there's turbulence or worse, you may not be able to protect your baby in your arms.' Chapman said the NTSB has been pushing for a rule requiring infants be secured in a seat but that 'we just have not been able to persuade FAA that this is an area where they should take action.' An advisory to airlines posted on the FAA's website advises that the agency 'does not require but, because of the safety benefits thereof, does encourage the use of approved child/infant seats aboard aircraft.' When CNN asked about the lack of a rule, the FAA said in a statement: 'The FAA takes NTSB recommendations seriously and will carefully consider those issued yesterday.' The statement added: 'The safest place for a child under age two is an approved child-restraint system or device, not an adult's lap. This can go a long way in keeping children safe during a flight.' But there may be a more intricate calculus involved for the FAA. An agency spokesperson told CNN it is concerned that requiring parents to buy an extra seat for plane travel will lead more of them to drive to their destinations. And the agency believes that would create a greater risk to the children and parents, since flying is a much safer method of transportation than driving. Airlines also likely worry about lost revenue from more parents opting to drive instead. Airlines for America, the industry trade group, did not directly address whether or not there should be a rule requiring infants to have their own seat in a statement. 'The safety of all passengers and crew members is always the top priority of U.S. airlines, which is why we follow federal laws and strictly comply with the guidance and rules established by our safety regulator, the FAA,' the group said. But one expert accused the FAA of putting airline profits over safety. 'The NTSB has one job, and that's to improve safety. They're not concerned about the financial impact,' said Anthony Brickhouse, a crash investigator and US-based aerospace safety consultant. 'The FAA looks at safety, but they also look at the financial impact. Safety and money have been in conflict since the beginning of time. And if you want to know the reasons for anything they do, follow the money.' Brickhouse said if the lap babies had been in or near row 26, where the door plug blew off, they likely would have be lost. 'Why is it that you're required to be buckled in a car, but mommy and daddy can hold you on a flight?' he said. 'You would think this close call could move the needle. It's frustrating to think we need to get tragedy to get change.'

Ditch the thirsty grass: 'Garden In A Box' helps Coloradans save water, beautify yards

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We sold our home in the suburbs for a luxury downtown apartment, thinking we'd save money. It was an expensive mistake.

A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane. The FAA still allows infants on laps

A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane. The FAA still allows infants on laps

Ditch the thirsty grass: 'Garden In A Box' helps Coloradans save water, beautify yards

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Try Our AI Features

Comments

Related Articles

We sold our home in the suburbs for a luxury downtown apartment, thinking we'd save money. It was an expensive mistake.

A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane. The FAA still allows infants on laps

A mother thought her baby was blown out of a plane. The FAA still allows infants on laps

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