Santa cruz median home price

Hey all, I'm looking to take on some driving lessons in Leeds and wondering if anyone has any recommendations for school or tutors? I have a fair amount of experience but this is all coming from before covid and before I moved to Leeds, and I've also just finished uni so I'm obviously not extremely liquid, so price is also a factor. I remember paying 48 pounds for every 2 hour lesson back home, but its so expensive in Leeds for everywhere I've looked, hopefully you all might have some good options?

The number of merchants accepting digital currency is increasing all over the world and you even can buy real estate with crypto. Here are the best countries to do it. 🌍
1️⃣ Switzerland 🇨🇭
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2️⃣ United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪
Experience the epitome of luxury living in the UAE, where cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi boast stunning architectural marvels and extravagant residential properties. With a growing acceptance of cryptocurrency, you can now turn your digital assets into a prestigious real estate investment.
3️⃣ United States 🇺🇸
From the bustling streets of New York City to the glamour of Los Angeles and the tranquility of Miami Beach, the United States offers diverse real estate opportunities for crypto enthusiasts. Embrace the American dream and invest in iconic properties using your cryptocurrency.
4️⃣ Portugal 🇵🇹
Portugal combines old-world charm with a progressive attitude towards cryptocurrencies. With its favorable tax policies and attractive property prices, Portugal has become a sought-after destination for those looking to diversify their real estate portfolio using digital currencies.
5️⃣ Australia 🇦🇺
Down under, Australia embraces the innovative spirit of cryptocurrencies. Explore the vibrant cities of Sydney and Melbourne, or indulge in the coastal luxury of the Gold Coast. Australia offers a range of real estate options.
🌐 When it comes to buying real estate with cryptocurrency, these countries are leading the way. Whether you're seeking a modern urban retreat, a seaside getaway, or a serene countryside estate, the world is yours to explore and invest in using your digital assets.
#RealEstate #Crypto #PropertyOwnership #CryptoTransactions

Hey there,
Apparently our insurance company for our home insurance (QBE) is no longer going to be offering coverage in the Wisconsin area.
Was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for what companies to look into and who to avoid.
I'm sure prices are going to be pretty similar as well - so I guess I'm looking for positives with customer service and support.
​
Thanks.

Hey Traeger community,
I am wanting to purchase my first Traeger but I’m not sure which way to go so I knew people here would know best.
Home Depot Canada has the Ironwood 650 with a $200 discount for $1599
My local bbq store says the Ironwood 2023 is far superior as it is better insulated, way easier to clean, better control module and the new hanging system. It’s $2399.00
Is the price difference worth the extra features?
Thanks everyone.

You know that feeling you get when you first wake up and you don’t remember who you are or if you have a job or if the dream you had was real or if it was just a dream after all?
I love that feeling. If I really needed to, I could have just ‘swapped’ back to my natural body. A swapper only really needs about three hours sleep in what the Earth counts as a twenty-four hour period.
But the problem with that is… swappers don’t naturally experience the same kinds of highs and lows that humans do. We’re not totally without those things of course, but… think of it this way. Humans can go from negative one hundred, to positive one hundred, on a sensory and emotional scale.
A swapper though, we can only go from negative thirty, to positive thirty, for our most extreme emotional states. It’s part of why we have trouble connecting with each other as real friends and comrades, because we just can’t invest that much.
But by becoming ‘human’, I could experience a high of contentment with just existing that was the greatest height possible for my ordinary self.
So I enjoyed my languid awakening, stretching out and yawning, wondering if my dreams were real or not…those really messed with me the first time I had them, by the way, and got myself into a boiling hot shower to start my day.
The sun wasn’t quite up yet, but I was already feeling pretty content. I wore a smile on my face as I soaped up my body and washed away the day before, and basked in the feel of steam rising up around me.
I loved my orangish-reddish hair, the way it felt hanging down against my body when it was wet, the way it blew in the wind when it was dry and outside.
Alright, I’m a pretty hardcore NEET, but damn it, I have a balcony and I can still enjoy that!
I threw on a pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt after I was out and dried off and after slipping on my flat shoes I stepped outside and leaned over the metal rail to let the wind pick up my hair. It wasn’t much of a breeze, really, but it was nice enough, the way it stroked my neck and carried the little strands far enough that I could see them out of the corner of my eye, like they were grasping for something just out of reach…
I guess I haven’t really said why I do this… let alone how I ended up coming here of all places. And I’ll tell that story…some day. It’s a bit too much for me to think about, for right now.
But I can tell you the ‘do this’ part. It’s because I was happy. That’s it, that’s all. Just standing there watching the lights in people’s little apartments across the way come on, listening to the noise of people rising to get to work…
Full disclosure, despite coming here for years, I didn’t know most of my neighbors very well. Just the Toriyama family.
Now though, having worked at the store for all of two days, I was growing curious about everybody else. I laughed a little while I stood there, “And here I was thinking I needed to get Celia Norn out of her shell a little, look who’s talking, eh, Kayobi?”
I shook my head, sometimes my own foibles stare me right in the face and I don’t even see them. I still had some time before the store needed to open back up. But even so, I was ready now and… ‘Why not give it one more quick mop job… besides, restocking will be necessary soon.’ I thought. I had told the delivery people ‘when’ to arrive as to a day, but not a specific time.
So down I went to enjoy a pleasant morning, shift and to wait for whatever came my way.
This time of course, I remembered my key.
I rolled my eyes at myself as I unlocked the metal barrier and lifted it up. “You’ll never let go of that, will you, Kayobi?” I asked myself when I heard the click of the lock and opened the door to settle in to work. “No… no you won’t.” I answered myself, but wore a little self-deprecating smile on my face when I went to get the mop and the bucket and make sure the floor was nice and shiny to start the day.
I may not look it in my daily life as a human, but I’m a perfectionist of the highest order, that’s why I’m such a skilled Painter. I have a vast array of species under my belt to change into, and unlike ‘most’ swappers, I can actually combine them to make fictional creatures.
And that perfectionism translated now into helping out this store. I made a few mistakes, sure, but I remembered and learned from them. I immediately went to the phone after mopping and called the vendors and suppliers to schedule a specific hour for them to show up, instead of just ‘any time’ and then it was back to the register.
It was a quiet day. Like most days.
It came and went, my Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. But it was on the fourth day that I got an unexpected surprise.
Tough guy came in. The one who was picking on Jin. Trailing behind him were his two little buddies.
I didn’t feel any guilt about knocking their heads around a bit, they picked on Jin, after all.
But they did not look good. Their clothes were dirty, and they had a very faint smell about them like they hadn’t washed in a while. Now, not every apartment had its own baths, some people still went to bathing houses, but the fact that they had that faint odor to them meant that they hadn’t done so in at least a few days.
Even if they didn’t have baths or showers in their homes, the bath houses were cheap.
So either they didn’t care, or… ‘They can’t afford it.’
I furrowed my brow. I saw the back of the largest boy’s uniform, it still had a grass stain on it that he probably got when I put him on his butt.
They had sullen faces and walked hunched over, their hands shoved in their pockets, they went around the store and checked out the prices. The smaller of the two looked frankly…anxious, after a very short time.
So much so that I began to suspect they were up to something, they stayed behind their larger companion as much as possible, but I had a memory tickle in the back of my head.
An assignment I went on… there was a dictator who was impoverishing his people to build an armada to invade their neighbors. One on a small moon that was barely iron age. One on a world that had just reached what humans call ‘The Age of Sail’ level technology. Both would have been helpless to a fleet invasion.
I’d ventured to the world that was planning the invasion while negotiations were at play to deter it, and while there I witnessed the horrendous poverty of this more or less reptilian people. While in one of their little shops I witnessed a peculiar form of theft. One would walk in front and act as a ‘blocker’ while another person or pair of persons would subtly reach out and take things. The ‘blocker, would then separate from the others who would move out of view, and he would attempt to buy something to distract the clerk.
Then they would leave with more than they paid for.
It was pretty clever in a simplistic sort of way. As long as the three were willing to share the goods, they might even get a fair bit, and if they weren’t caught, they could repeat it a bunch of times.
The one I’d dubbed ‘Bullyboy’ was approaching the bento boxes I’d put together. I expected him to take the more expensive one… but he didn’t.
He went for the sale item, the leftover boxes from the day before were always half off, and while he approached, I looked at his pockets. They had nothing in them that I could see.
I was ready to call them out. In a way, I was itching to say something. I wouldn’t let them steal from the Toriyamas.
He put the bento box down and reached for his wallet. His head was down, the arrogant, cocky, even cruel look on his face from before was gone. He reminded me more of those little reptilian people I saw stealing.
His stomach rumbled.
The two others did too.
“M’a little short…” He mumbled. His wallet was in bad shape too, it was probably older than he was.
His stomach rumbled again. I narrowed my eyes. “I know what you did to Jin.” He took a step back, and the other two in the rear snapped up straight like somebody brought a lash to their backs.
Bullyboy’s eyes widened, his mouth opened. Of course he had no idea it wasn’t Jin that put him and his buddies down, but even so… I hadn’t forgotten.
“And you two… get up here.” I said, looking over his shoulder. “Put the things you were trying to steal, down on the counter.”
I could see the moment of indecision on all three of their faces. “Don’t think I can’t catch you.” I quipped, “Come on. Do it, and I won’t call the police.”
That spurred the two to action, and they shuffled over to me with their heads down and emptied their pockets. Snacks.
Little cheese and meat things, the small stuff and nut packages. Their stomachs rumbled.
“Can I… look… can I just… I don’t know, work… if you’re friends with Jin, I know you don’t like me but… I’m the one that did that…they just did what I said… let them have the box… I’ll do some work around here…” Bullyboy looked very much like he was about to start crying then and there.
Their stomachs rumbled again. “What are your actual names?” I asked.
You know, I’d been on Earth off and on for years now, but what I felt right then, it was a first for me. At least in a ‘real’ sense. I almost didn’t recognize it, thank goodness my vast experience with anime of all genres taught me what it was.
‘Pity.’ I was actually feeling bad for them. They were obviously hungry.
“Kimura…” Bullyboy answered, “Kimura Asahi. My cousins, Rin and Shugo.” He tilted his head first left, then right as he gave their names.
“Alright… Asahi…” I pursed my lips, I could feel that faint tingle on my skin again, like I was getting involved in something, and I reached into my pocket and pulled out my own wallet. “Don’t ask me why I’m doing this. The gods know you don’t deserve it from me, not after what you did to a friend of mine. But… go get two more of those day old bento boxes.”
Asahi moved like a stunned bunny, going over to the side counter and taking the discount white boxes away from their place. I tallied up the snacks and boxes and then tapped my card to cover the cost.
“Consider this… a favor, since you’re willing to do that for your cousins.” I said as the trio looked in stupified wide eyed disbelief at me. “But, you will come to the apartment two zero six at eight thirty tonight so I can tell you how you can pay me back. Do we have a deal?”
“I… I guess… I guess I can do that… but-” Asahi began to answer, but I shoved his stuff into a bag and handed it to him.
“Hurry off to school, you’ll be late.” I said, and watched them leave. I wasn’t sure how long it had been since their last real meal, but that couldn’t have been a good sign. Plus he was willing to give the box over to them.
Maybe he wasn’t all bad the way I thought?
I shrugged off the thought and put my card away, time would tell, it always did. Then I got back to work.

One of the most common problems for many homes is water damage. It can affect the structure and your comfort inside. Besides proper seals and quality roofing materials, new gutters & downspouts provide protection most efficiently by moving water away from other parts of the structure. If the system is compromised due to age, fallen branches, storm damage or wind, gutter and downspout repair or replacement is recommended. Myers Gutter Services takes pride in providing the best quality product at a competitive price.
Myers Gutter Services provides 5-6 inch K Style gutters and 6 inch Fascia gutters. We offer seamless gutters and build them on site, custom fitted to your home or business. This ensures that the look and function continue with their best performance for years to come. We warranty all new gutters and downspouts, and since we’re your local Albany, Oregon gutter service, rest easy knowing we will be around to provide for our guarantees.
​
Gutter Services, Gutter Installation, Gutter Repar and Cleaning, aluminum gutter sales and service, Universal Web

I'm looking to do price comparisons - any way to lookup warehouse pricing? I imagine it's not available to prevent this, but figured I'd check.
Specifically looking to see how much the Greenmade Storage Bin with Lid, 27 Gallon are in the store in CT.

Located in Chicago suburbs (Elgin/Schaumburg area)
Used, Polk Audio 5.1 home theater speaker setup. All speakers are black.
Offers welcome!
5 speakers for $600 total. Paid $730 for it new
1 Marantz NR1711 slim receiver for $600; paid $880 new
What speakers?
4 of Polk Audio Monitor60 Series II Floorstanding Loudspeakers
1 of Polk Audio CS2 Series II Center Channel Speaker
1 of Polk Audio PSW Series PSW10 Subwoofer
All items are in great working condition and come with the grill covers. One of the tweeter bubble things is collapsed but i do not hear any issues with it when testing. See pictures.
Selling due to space limitations and loss of wife approval factor.
Listed price or best offer.
Time stamps and photos:
https://imgur.com/a/3vVbtQE

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-06-07/housing-market-is-beginning-to-tilt-in-favor-of-renters
The US housing story of 2023 is one of two markets moving in different directions. For buyers, dwindling supply and a modest uptick in demand has meant home prices are on the rise again , even with 30-year mortgage rates hovering around 7%. The rental market is trending in the opposite direction, with rising vacancy rates as new apartment buildings hit the market and put downward pressure on rents - at least in metros where there's been a lot of construction in recent years.
This is creating a short-term opportunity for frustrated would-be homebuyers, especially in metro areas that have seen the most construction. In places such as Nashville, Charlotte and Austin, where rent growth is sluggish and lots more supply will be coming on line, these folks can get a great deal on a new apartment now and hope the market for homebuyers is better next year.
Construction Boom
The number of apartment units under development is closing in on 1 million, topping the record set in 1973
Recent trends suggest the divergence between the two markets will continue for several month, peaking in the third quarter. That’s when the inventory of homes for sale is likely to be down on a year-over-year basis and the rental market potentially suffering with a national vacancy rate higher than at the peak of the pandemic and asking rents that may be down on a year-over-year basis.
Dwindling supply and continued labor market strength should support home prices, while a couple of factors should weigh on apartment rents. The first is that vacancy rates continue to rise at a rapid rate, according to online marketplace Apartment List. Vacancy rates typically stabilize before rents do, and the peak in vacancies might not occur until the first half of 2024. Second, the rental market is a seasonal business, with lease signings slowing during the winter months. Any landlord heading into winter with an excess of vacant units will face the prospect of those units staying vacant until spring, not generating any revenue. This may lead landlords to offer incentives this fall to mitigate that possibility.
That means at least some would-be homebuyers have a compelling option to consider. Buying a house is currently very unaffordable on any historical metric, and the lack of inventory only seems to get worse. Whereas in markets where a lot of apartments are being built it's getting increasingly common to see incentives such as one to two months of free rent for new tenants, and my view is incentives will be even greater six months from now. If there were ever a time to consider renting rather than buying, it's now.
One caveat for buyers is that while they might have an easier time waiting a year, there’s not likely to be a glut of newly built supply like in the rental market. Also, employee incomes continue to rise, increasing purchasing power, and millennials continue to age into their prime home-buying years. According to Redfin, the average monthly payment that homebuyers are taking on has risen 15% over the past year to a record, due to some combination of home values holding up and higher interest rates.
So, for people deciding whether they should buy or continue renting for another year, the good news is that the apartment market is generally becoming more favorable and should continue that way for at least a few quarters. We could even see some pandemic-type deals toward the end of this year as landlords decide between eating the costs of rising vacancies and offering sweetheart deals to lure new tenants. The bad news is that while the math on buying is bad at the moment, it's not clear when or even if it will get better. We could easily be in the same situation a year from now as we are now -- still not very much inventory, mortgage rates still around 7% and home prices up another 5%.

I've just finished buying most of the parts for a new computer, and I need advice on the GPU.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PpwgRv
I also have a 2TB 2.5 SSD that I might but in as a data drive for Steam, but currently its on a 500GB SSD. I plan to use the 10TB as storage for files and things that I don't need often, then backup to a share on a NAS, that backs up to the cloud.
I play mostly games like Cites Skyline hopefully CS2 when it comes out, Stellaris, and I wanted to play Dyson Sphere. I also play some of the mobile games on PC via blue stacks or local clients, but they should not matter. I might like to do some streaming, and I plan to work on my CAD/CAM skills. I use this system to remote into several virtual environments in my home lab and at work. My wife will use it for graphic design work, I forget the software name but is basically Adobe PDF editor.
I currently have a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 running on my current computer, none of my current monitors support more than 1080 60hz. Separate discussion on new monitor(s), but I would like an ultrawide I think at some point. Supporting 3 monitors at 27inch, 4k seems like a starting spot. My current system is ancient, i7 950 ASUS P6x58D-E, 16GB RAM, GTX980
I'm in the US, I'd like to plan on $500 or less. From the price I think the 4090 is out of the question at any point! I'm not totally against used if it's on Amazon or somewhere with purchase protection, but I prefer new / open box deals.

Located in Chicago suburbs (Elgin/Schaumburg area)
Used, Polk Audio 5.1 home theater speaker setup. All speakers are black.
Offers welcome!
5 speakers for $600 total. Paid $730 for it new
1 Marantz NR1711 slim receiver for $600; paid $880 new
What speakers?
4 of Polk Audio Monitor60 Series II Floorstanding Loudspeakers
1 of Polk Audio CS2 Series II Center Channel Speaker
1 of Polk Audio PSW Series PSW10 Subwoofer
All items are in great working condition and come with the grill covers. One of the tweeter bubble things is collapsed but i do not hear any issues with it when testing. See pictures.
Selling due to space limitations and loss of wife approval factor.
Listed price or best offer.
Time stamps and photos:
https://imgur.com/a/3vVbtQE

Up for sale are unpunched mystery fleets, the last of them from my previous post weeks ago. I have the following remaining, and I've lowered their prices one last time to get these to good homes! What ships you get are a mystery, but every fleet is worth its rum ration! Plenty of goodies, and each fleet comes with a magical item and islands. Everything ships USPS Ground, I'm happy to ship international. Venmo or Paypal.
British Empire: $35 per fleet
Two Fleets. Each fleet contains at least 1 rare ship, 2 uncommon ships, 6 common ships, 1 rare crew, 2 uncommon crew, 11 common crew.
French Empire: $35 per fleet.
One Fleet. Each fleet contains at least 1 rare ship, 5 uncommon ships, 5 common ships, 1 rare crew, 6 common crew.
Pirates: $35 per fleet.
One Fleet. Each Fleet contains at least 1 rare ship, 5 uncommon ships, 8 common ships, 1 rare crew, 1 uncommon crew, 10 common crew.
Spain: $35 per fleet
One Fleet. Each fleet contains at least 1 rare ship, 2 uncommon ships, 7 common ships, 1 rare crew, 11 common crew.
USA: $35 per fleet
Two Fleets. Each fleet contains at least 1 rare ship, 1 uncommon ship, 7 common ships, 1 rare crew, 1 uncommon crew, 7 common crew.
I also have one assembled fleet remaining. No damage, no dust, they were built and put into a display cabinet:
-French Fleet: $35
16 ships including two rare, one sea monster, one fort.

I am selling my beloved and well-kept MB writers edition 3-instrument set. It has been tucked away and doesn't get any time under the sun in my home. I hope it finds an equally loving place.
The asking price is $3000 plus shipping and insurance.
Verification and other photos may be accessed at the following link: https://imgur.com/a/1autZVy
All three items (fountain pen, ballpoint pen, and mechanical pencil) are in [B] condition.
Some details about the package:
Montblanc 3 Piece Set.
Beautiful Virginia Woolf Limited Edition.
With Original Case.
18k tip fountain pen + Ball Point Pen + Mechanical Pencil with original case.
Limited Production: 4,000 sets.
Item Description
You are looking at an authentic Montblanc Virginia Woolf, writers edition three pen set including a fountain pen, a ballpoint pen and a mechanical pencil. This pen set is the number 01256 in the series inscribed on each of the pens in the set.
The Writers Edition pen set is dedicated to Virginia Woolf and represents the literary heritage of the writer it is named after. The finely engraved guilloche work recalls Virginia Woolf’s most outstanding work, and her eventful life, 75 years after the publication of the novel “The Waves,” In the form of waves, the guilloche work covers the body of precious jet-black resin, underlining the lightly curved silhouette.
The pens have a faceted ruby set on the pen clips. The fountain pen nib is handmade 18-carat gold with two elm trees engraved on it.
This limited edition writers set was launched in 2006.
Limitation:
4.000 Sets, including a fountain pen, ballpoint pen and a mechanical pencil
16.000 Fountain Pens
18.000 Ballpoint Pens
The 3-piece set comes with only the box shown in the pictures, and the pens and the mechanical pencil are in mint condition.
I want to ask that only prospective buyers are encouraged to message me if they have any questions. To only follow the rules as recommended in our Pen_Swap community. All sales are through Paypal G&S.
Note on shipping:
I will ship within two days from receipt of payment. The package will be shipped from Canada via Canada Post.
CANADA: Expedited Parcel Post takes 2-5 business days.
USA: Expedited Parcel Post; delivery from Canada takes a minimum of 4-8 business days. Faster service is available at an additional cost.
OVERSEAS: We only ship overseas using express mail service (Canada Post Xpresspost), a fully trackable service.
Note that insurance will be charged extra and international buyers are responsible for local duties or taxes, if any, which are not part of the shipping charges.

 After nearly two years with this company I’m DONE. To be honest this was a decent first job, my coworkers have been the highlight of my time at Chipotle. I stated when I was 16 and now I’m turning 18 and turned in my two weeks a bit ago. I’m just quitting because I need to focus on school and spend my last summer break with family. Now it’s my last day and I guess now I can give my two cents on this job. And make my first post on this subreddit after following it for years. And this is a long one so strap in! 

To the Chipotle employees who try their best and help crew out y’all are amazing. I’ve had plenty of times where I needed to do things that are the managers job and it helps when I have other people helping out too. Chipotle employees are also some of the funniest people to work with, especially when most are high off their ass. The people I’ve met have been the highlight of this job.
To the custies, the 15% of you guys who are respectful of the crew and our time, good on you. To the other 75%, you guys need to learn some manners. When you are talking on your phone as we are trying to take your order it’s just gross, we are trying to help you and get you fast service. Put down your goddamn phone for two seconds. And those who leave your tables with stacks of napkins, empty Tabasco bottles, and food everywhere, just why? Is that how you eat at home? Like pigs? Yes we clean up after you, I understand if your child drops some rice on the ground. But to leave the public seating in such a mess is just really disgusting for others and employees. Please, please, remember kindergarteners even learn how to throw their trash away. Adults I know you can too. And especially those who sit outside on the patio and litter. It’s really not difficult to clean up after yourself.

Ok now after that rant I appreciate the custies who are so stupid it makes me laugh. Especially the one guy who came in and got mad that his online order was late. Then when I told him I’m working on it he proceeds to tell me, “You know I have stock in Chipotle right?” Bro I do hope that stock is doing good for you 👍🏽 The scar I have on my foot from hot oil being spilled on it will always remind me of my first job. Hope Chipotle sticks around so I can visit every once in a while to pay for overpriced food, and ya I agree with the customers on that one. The prices are too high, but not as high as my coworkers where. 

I am selling a house I bought as a first time home buyer. It's a single family home, and a classic starter house.
I am posting to share my perspective on the process, and I hope it helps some of you get your keys for your starter house.
Background: we bought our other house before putting this one on the market. We have a number we NEED to hit with this home sale, but the market is still hot in our area so we were fairly sure we could get there. We put a LOT into getting the house ready for the showings/open house.
We had 45 realtor showings outside in of the open house. 105 people came to the open house. This is the competition you are up against.
We got 23 offers, and all but one were above asking price. We immediately eliminated: anyone with a contingency, FHA loans, anyone who didn't waive inspection, and anyone with a down payment below 5 percent. After that, we took out the "lower" offers.
As we narrowed it down from the other offers, we started to consider the following things MORE than the final price: closing date, deposit amount, and waivers granted.
My overall point is that seller's value certainty. Even more than a strong offer price wise, your offer needs to let the seller know that you are committed, and that you are going to bring this contract to close as easily as possible.
Writing a letter to communicate that may help.
I know this market sucks for buyers now (we just went through it from that side) but your advantage is NOT having a contingency. So be flexible on dates, but be willing to close quick, and get the most certain mortgage broker you can. I know you can save some interest with an FHA, but the difficulty nof the process is going to count against you.

Any recommendations on stores/companies/products in the US that are similar to Ikea but better quality? (Price isn't an issue)
I work from home and I'd like an organized home office space. I purchased a Galant filing cabinet, an Alex drawer unit, and the Kallax shelf with the various inserts. And in theory, this would be PERFECT for my needs.
I also enjoy putting together Ikea furniture, and have done so more times than I an count, but these pieces were TERRIBLE quality and poor build. After spending an entire day just trying to assemble the Galant filing cabinet, I tried to take the top drawer out because it STILL wasn't flush after the millionth time and completely tore off the side of the unit. The Kallax unit relied solely on the wood inserts to hold it together and one by one they all broke in half when they wouldn't fit into the holes of the shelves.
I'm pretty fed up as this was such a waste of $, time and effort. It seems Ikea's quality has gone down significantly while prices have risen, and I just want to return all of this shit, and start over, but I'd rather try another place. Any ideas?
Thank you in advance!
ETA: I'm in the US.

Howdy!
I moved down here a few weeks ago, and I am so far loving the place! Everyone has been super welcoming, there is always stuff to do, and I get to explore somewhere I haven't been my whole life.
I was wondering if there are any spots that are open 24/7 to get work done. I have a tendency to become unproductive when I sit at home (thanks ADHD). If so, what are some prices? My tour guide, Google, wasn't too helpful.
Thanks!

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$165.00 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 35.14 CFM CPU Cooler	$38.63 @ Amazon
Thermal Compound	ARCTIC MX-4 2019 Edition 4 g Thermal Paste	$5.23 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$179.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory	$44.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$59.99 @ B&H
Storage	Western Digital Red 1 TB 3.5" 5400 RPM Internal Hard Drive	$54.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	Asus DUAL GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB Video Card	$584.99 @ Newegg
Case	Zalman S2 ATX Mid Tower Case	$54.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 PE 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$126.16 @ Amazon
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit	-
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1314.96
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-06-07 10:37 EDT-0400

I’ll preface this by saying my peak as an enthusiast was 2004-2014. My original home park was Six Flags Great America, but I’ve since moved up and down the East Coast, and have finally settled in Cincinnati. My only previous visits to Kings Island were 2007 (Firehawk Opening Weekend) and in 2011. So definitely a few new experiences here.
We arrived a smidge after opening and were prepared to buy Fast Lane, but ultimately decided to wait it out and see if we needed it. Thank god we did. Was really surprised at how light the crowd was for the first Sunday in June.
I’m also not reviewing each individual time a ride was ridden. So this is in the order we rode each ride for the first time.
Mystic Timbers (x3) -Wait times: >10min, 20min, 15min I don’t think I ever watched a POV of this after it was built and I’m really glad I didn’t. What a surprise this was, especially after reading how much it was advertised as a “family coaster.” Clearly that was just based on the height requirement. This thing packs a mean punch and might just be my favorite coaster in the park. I know the ride is already six years old, but I was surprised at how grown in everything was, or perhaps how much foliage they managed to not have to remove during construction. My whole group got a kick out of the shed bit too. Can’t say enough good things and they had a great crew on it as well. Rode in the back twice and front once. Not a bad seat on this in my opinion.
Diamondback (x2) -Wait times: >10min, 15min It’s aged well, and is probably still my favorite of the hypers* I’ve been on (sorry, I’m not counting Orion as a hyper) – even over Mako. The back row is still an absolute joy on these trains, and I’m thankful for the amount of airtime moments you get before the trim, which the pop of air coming out of the MCBR completely makes up for. Fun during the day. Fun at night. One of my favorites. Rode this in the back twice.
Beast (x1) -Wait times: >5min I looked through a couple of KI trip reports before starting this one, and was surprised to see mixed reviews on Beast. ~Back in my day,~ it was pretty highly regarded around the community. I still love this thing for what it is. It’s not Voyage. It’s not an RMC. It’s pure chaos designed in 1979. Trims or no trims, it’s a completely unique experience during the day, but even more so at night. I’ll love this thing forever. Rode this in the middle once.
Orion (x2) -Wait times: >10min, 20min Oh boy. I followed the construction of this and the initial reviews on this subreddit, so I had no idea what to expect going in. Maybe a weird take here, but I think Firehawk fit into the area so much better. In a perfect world, Firehawk remains and Area 72 keeps expanding out. Orion is an awkward fit. It feels like the entire ride + queue + plaza is like a premade coaster in RCT. I read one review on here that said, “a terrain coster that doesn’t follow the terrain.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. However, once the ride begins, none of that matters. It’s an intimidating lift, an intimidating drop, and just a heck of a lot of fun. The hangtime on the first drop is worth any wait. The wave turn is… familiar (more on this later). The entire turnaround was so much more intense than I thought it would be. The speed hill is to die for. In my opinion, the first half makes up for anything else this ride lacks. After the trimmed hill, the ride is what it is. I do like that it feels like it keeps most of its speed going into the final brakes. And despite the elements, doesn’t feel too dull. That last pop of air into the dip before the brakes was a nice cherry on top. Rode back on both rides.
For me, looking at Orion’s layout in a vacuum, it’s better than Millennium Force’s layout in a vacuum. But when you add in the Intamin trains and the location of Millennium Force, it’s the better ride. I would much rather wait an hour for Orion than for Millennium Force. I know they’re not the same manufacturer, but that’s the only other giga I have ridden to compare it to.
And going back to what the wave turn (and Orion in general) reminds me of, being a Six Flags Great America nut before this, it feels like Raging Bull and Goliath had a baby – Raging Bull’s layout in a Goliath-sized package. Both rollercoasters I love dearly, despite how not “Top 10” both of those rides are.
Racer (x1) -Wait time: >15min Which side got work done for its anniversary? Red? Blue? Both? Neither? I only got on blue side but really wasn’t able to enjoy the second half. A timeless classic of course, but just a little uncomfortable Rode this in the third row of the first car. Any other suggestions?
Banshee (x2) -Wait times: >15min, 30min (small downtime) Is this ride controversial too? Regardless, it’s my second favorite invert behind the original Batman: The Ride. Fun forces, fun pacing, fun inversions. Just everything I like in an invert. The drop straight into the dive loop is unique and earned big points in my book. Everything after is just relentless. I love that this doesn’t have a MCBR and just keeps going. Visually stunning ride and I hope it someday has the same foliage around it that the next coaster has. Rode this front and back.
Bat (x2) -Wait times: >5min, walk on I love this ride. Always going to be upset I never got to ride Big Bad Wolf, so I only know this as my favorite Arrow Suspended Coaster. Such a blast no matter where you ride and just such a unique experience. This would be a great ride without the trees, but adding in those and the terrain just make it that much better. Rode this in front and back.
Invertigo (x1) -Wait time: walk on My favorite roller coaster will always be Deja Vu, and this will never match up to it. However, I’ll always appreciate this experience for what it is, especially knowing that I’ll probably never make a trip to Idaho for Aftershock. Not terribly rough and just good fun. Rode this in the very back.
Drop Tower (x1) -Wait time: 25min Ten years ago, I was fearless. Now, drop towers spark a little bit more fear into me. It’s the fun kind of fear at least. Seeing the shadow of the tower below us and realizing how far we still had to go didn’t make it any easier, but ultimately a blast coming down per usual.
Adventure Express (x1) -Wait time: 5min. This thing hurts in a very fun way. So much charm. I love these mine trains. But I will reiterate, it hurt. The theming makes it all worth it though. Any recommendation on seats for this, or is it just one I have to learn to ride? Rode this in the second row.
Odds and Ends Diamondback, Orion, and Mystic Timbers at night were a ton of fun, with Mystic Timbers being our darkest night ride of the bunch. I honestly expected a lot more of the waterpark crowd to fill in the park, but it just never happened.
We stopped for lunch at a Chicken Place near Invertigo and couldn’t believe A. How tasty it was and B. How reasonable the portions were for what we paid. It’s the little things sometimes. In general I was surprised how well priced most stuff is. Maybe it’s just the Gold Pass discount clouding my vision?
Speaking of Gold Pass, the ability to have this thing on my phone in a cashless park is incredible. Maybe passes in mobile wallets aren’t all that exciting anymore (I haven’t been a pass holder anywhere since 2013), but as someone who can also lock and unlock their car with their phone, it’s a godsend to only have to bring my phone in and nothing else.
Final Thoughts I thought I was coming back to a Kings Island that would feel more like Cedar Point than it did after the first few years of ownership. Boy was I wrong. For the short time I’ve been in Cincinnati, this really does feel like a park that belongs to Cincinnati. In my circles, people talk about it like people in Pittsburgh talk about Kennywood. It’s got big chain coasters with local charm. It reminds me a lot of my former home park in Six Flags Great America in the sense that you won’t get the biggest and best as others in the chain, but what you’re getting is still pretty damn good. I’m glad we ended up grabbing Gold Passes. Really looking forward to making some quick trips to the park to round out our nights in the summer, with some longer day trips like these mixed in.
Thanks for reading, and looking forward to any discussion this sparks!