0% down doesn’t apply to most people and if does, a pretty ugly PMI comes with it (upfront PMI + monthly PMI) ☹️

This is a clear and concise answer.

Merrimack public water - continually tested and filtration systems in place. All town wells have been upgraded to meet EPA standards (including the recent more updated EPA thresholds).

Private wells - some homeowners have gotten wells tested and added filtration systems. Case by case basis only. Without test results, assume the water is unsafe for consumption.

Yes, contrary to the other comments, the public water supply in Merrimack is safe to drink. Like you, I also called the water quality director and they kindly gave me a run down of all the upgrades that have been done (the final upgrade went live in October 2022 IIRC).

The new systems are also under the updated EPA thresholds, so Merrimack happens to be ahead of the curve in that regard.

Whether people ‘believe’ it’s safe is a separate question. I encourage anyone to call in or personally visit the town water facilities to receive education on the subject.

You could be under there for hours. Don’t bother IMO, just take a sharp drill bit and break off the plastic wing nuts + epoxy with a drill. Break it in 2 sections then just take the whole sink out.

It’s not worth the time and hassle going under a sink with limited room to move tools around.

Excelsior 👑

The ‘escaping’ is from nihilism, finding zero meaning in anything, then having a bitter, unrewarding life where decades go by and you have absolutely no sense of life purpose and nothing to show for it.

You’re not behind as you think. You have a great career, friends and family. Some people have none of those. Quit fixating on other people, lose the mentality of should have done this, should have done that. That time is already gone, it doesn’t make sense to dwell on it when you still have a ton of life to live.

Your ego is the one concerned about the past and the future. Ego dissolves in the present.

Get serious about dating. Get fucking angry that you allowed yourself to be lonely, use it as fuel to pursue a serious relationship. Get back in the game. Study the hell out of online dating. Spend 20 hours making a decent dating profile, not some nonchalant bullshit all over the apps these days. Get serious about it and maximize your chances of attracting the right person.

Good luck out there, I believe in you.

Do you qualify for benefits through the VA? If yes, I absolutely recommend giving Manchester VAMC a try. They have an entire mental health department and people there that specifically work with PTSD. Wait time is currently 1 month (this is considered a short wait, many VAs have a 6-12 month wait list).

I also know the mental health dept has a really good staff with dedicated people. Therapy won’t do much after a single appointment, but they are there to help in the long haul. They do in person, phone and video appointments, whatever your preference is and whichever works best for your schedule.

Since you mentioned seeing a doctor, they’re also there to help with doctor referrals.

If you have any questions feel free to send me a DM. My wife works there and is an awesome therapist. 🙂

P.S. Hats off to you for looking for help and thank you for your service.

Padmapper was a pretty helpful search aggregator when we were looking for a rental. The best advice I can give is to jump on listings fast and be professional as heck. You're more likely to land a place in a competitive market if you set yourself apart (and not just in terms of income and qualifications). Being professional and a decent person goes a long way.

I'm not sure how typical this is for the area. I know in Boston it's common that the tenant pays the entire 1-month's rent to the realtor as a fee. There's nothing wrong with using realtors but definitely have a clear understanding about what you do and don't pay for before signing any agreements.

tbh when people say NH property taxes are really high, I'm not sure I buy that because coming from CT I have yet to see property taxes in comparable towns in NH that have property tax bills higher than CT.

OP feel free to DM me if you want to grab a beer sometime or do a double date or something. My wife and I moved to the area recently and share the same mentality about NH that you’re talking about.

We’re in Merrimack and my wife works in Manchester.

Have a great weekend

I get what you mean on the second paragraph especially. It is a thousand times easier dealing with anything here. I don’t know how to define that exactly but some examples:

I went to a local tire shop the other day to have a tire plugged. Nashua Wholesale Tire…super grungy atmosphere with really nice guys running the shop. I went in on a Friday afternoon with no appointment. 20 minutes later I was out of there and was charged $10. It was just simple and straightforward. That same job in CT where we moved from is $25 minimum and very few shops would actually take that work.

We moved our business here almost immediately when moving. Called the Secretary of State. Answered on the first ring and had a solution to my question within minutes. Called a NHES rep for a payroll question, same result. In CT you could never speak with anyone live and you’d just run in circles over and over again. NH is a better place to do business and that doesn’t even factor in the taxes.

Call the local office about car registration, we know exactly what to do and are saving big $ registering in NH between fees and insurance.

Life is simpler in almost every regard and we really prefer it that way.

Lived in CT my whole life and won’t be going back

Yup, that’s the Westwood Park location. They have basketball leagues there as well. All 3 YMCA gyms are great.

I don’t want to derail the OP’s discussion, but for the dating thing, get serious about making a profile that will attract women who want to be in a relationship if that’s what you’re after. Research online dating profiles, write down all the hypothetical things you’re looking for in a partner, and build a kickass profile. The people you’re looking to date will see the authenticity and see that confidence that you know what you want in life (not everything in life, but enough to get on the same page and take the ride with you).

Go after it like your life depends on it, and do it now.

Even if you spent 50 hours working at this and it yielded a partner for life, it would be one of the best ROI usages of time that one could possibly allocate in a lifespan. Does that make any sense?

Free from the feeling of ‘my life isn’t going well’, that you’re not a productive member of society, that you’re not the best version of yourself, etc.

Knowing that if you died tomorrow you tried your best and left it all on the fucking field and have a legacy to be proud of.

Good for you, there’s no time like the present!

Do it now. Start the business. Don’t quit your job, do both. Your loved ones can’t point and say you’re failing. That way all they can do id watch and admire the time and hard work you’re putting in.

It took me 2 years and 9 months of working a day job and building a business before quitting my job. If I could do it, you absolutely can 💪👍

When I looked into that place back in July they said they had a 1+ year waiting list. I’m not even joking!