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Homeowner/House Thread: It's going to cost how much, now?

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Posts

  • BloodycowBloodycow Registered User regular
    My Amish roofers started about 2 hours earlier then they said they would on Friday! Then got the second story done, most of the 1st story is ready to get the metal sheets thrown on. They also got the pitch built and metal done over the flat spot on our addition.

    They started back up this morning at 730. I figure they will be done by the end of the day.

    A little faster then the guy I hired before.. that took 9 months to do nothing.

    Who I'm still struggling to get my deposit back from. But I recorded our last phone call where he says he will pay me back in full (he was trying to charge me a 25% restocking fee on the materials that 'he bought for the job'). So on Wednesday he either pays me or I go to my lawyer to start the process of putting a lien on his properties.

    " I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.”
    ― John Quincy Adams
  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    I am in escrow. Soon I will no longer be a home owner.

    It's a mixed bag of emotions.

    I'm thinking about becoming a slumlord next. Seems easier than traditional home ownership.

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    Sometimes I sell my stuff on Ebay
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    edited September 2019
    If there's only one bedroom bathroom, it's considered gross negligence.

    Mugsley on
  • OneAngryPossumOneAngryPossum Registered User regular
    We’re closing Friday! I increasingly realize I don’t fully understand closing costs!

    We’re not facing any issues - after seller contributions we’re paying about $300 for closing. But I’m not sure if pre-paying a year’s worth of insurance and property taxes affects my initial mortgage payments. I assume we pay as normal, but does this mean our escrow account will continually be carrying a substantial balance as a cushion for the life of our loan?

  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    Anyone want to go in halves on a haunted house with me?

    https://www.redfin.com/CA/Long-Beach/1612-E-7th-St-90813/home/7612585

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    Sometimes I sell my stuff on Ebay
  • Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    edited September 2019
    We’re closing Friday! I increasingly realize I don’t fully understand closing costs!

    We’re not facing any issues - after seller contributions we’re paying about $300 for closing. But I’m not sure if pre-paying a year’s worth of insurance and property taxes affects my initial mortgage payments. I assume we pay as normal, but does this mean our escrow account will continually be carrying a substantial balance as a cushion for the life of our loan?

    There shouldn’t be a change to your payment amount, not until your first escrow analysis and/or insurance premium adjustment.

    It’s a cushion to start. Taxes are fairly steady but over the length of a loan you could see a fairly large swing, which is why they put in a cushion.

    Depending on the servicer, there may be a process to get some of that back.

    I lucked out here, since while I’m a doofus with fixing bathrooms, my wife got us a mortgage without escrow and remembers to pay the bi-annual tax bill...

    Captain Inertia on
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    We get a report from our escrow bank once per year that details the withdrawals and deposits, and projects into the next year whether payments need to be adjusted based on changes in various tax rates or fees. We generally pay the difference as a lump sum, and - again generally - it's usually in the neighborhood of $150 or less. Lately it's been much less than that.

  • OptyOpty Registered User regular
    Speaking of leaking sinks, one of the plusses of the house we just bought was a nice stainless steel sink set into a cabinet next to the washer and dryer. Now that we've used it some, we've discovered that whoever put it in didn't seal around the edge of the sink, meaning water spilled on the edge leaks through to the cabinet underneath. While investigating that, I also discovered the actual drain pipe (white plastic) has a leak at the seal at the back end of the u bend, meaning every angle of that sink leaks.

    For the first problem, is caulk the solution or is there a special sink sealant I need to pick up? I happen to have bathroom grade caulk handy because someone thought it was a good idea to screw a decorative cover into the sewer cleanout access pipe cover connecting the master bath to the basement sewer, which led to the screw rusting and sewer water leaking through.

    For the second, I could either try to patch the seal on the pipe connection or just replace the pipes outright with newer better ones. I haven't decided yet.

  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    Yes, use bathroom grade caulk or silicone.

    For the drain, I would replace it whole cloth, from the sink to the wall. It's all PVC or LDPE. For that stuff, I prefer to just replace the full assemblies so I'm not endlessly chasing leaks after I plug the first.

    In the short short (short) term, you can use more silicone/caulk if it's a crack. It's also possible the pipe is just cross threaded or otherwise the gasket isn't making a full seal and it could be a relatively easy fix. If it's cross threaded, though, you may not be able to recover the connection without replacing.

  • KruiteKruite Registered User regular
    Doodmann wrote: »
    Anyone want to go in halves on a haunted house with me?

    https://www.redfin.com/CA/Long-Beach/1612-E-7th-St-90813/home/7612585

    5 bedrooms; if you can get a group of people together that are comfortable living together that is easily affordable.

  • DaimarDaimar A Million Feet Tall of Awesome Registered User regular
    Opty wrote: »
    Speaking of leaking sinks, one of the plusses of the house we just bought was a nice stainless steel sink set into a cabinet next to the washer and dryer. Now that we've used it some, we've discovered that whoever put it in didn't seal around the edge of the sink, meaning water spilled on the edge leaks through to the cabinet underneath. While investigating that, I also discovered the actual drain pipe (white plastic) has a leak at the seal at the back end of the u bend, meaning every angle of that sink leaks.

    For the first problem, is caulk the solution or is there a special sink sealant I need to pick up? I happen to have bathroom grade caulk handy because someone thought it was a good idea to screw a decorative cover into the sewer cleanout access pipe cover connecting the master bath to the basement sewer, which led to the screw rusting and sewer water leaking through.

    For the second, I could either try to patch the seal on the pipe connection or just replace the pipes outright with newer better ones. I haven't decided yet.

    You got this.

    1196530021_ra5MA-2100x20000.jpg

    steam_sig.png
  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    We finally got our new garage door installed on Friday and it's amazing how quiet it is. Before it was so loud and heavy that you could hear it down the court if you opened it and now you can sneak into the house without hearing it open.

    I may have already scared my children this way.

  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    Nice. Is it it just a new chain drive or you go from a chain to belt?

  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    MichaelLC wrote: »
    Nice. Is it it just a new chain drive or you go from a chain to belt?

    Still a chain, but they redid the rails (previous owners thought they were home builders and did it themselves... and it was bad) and the new door weighs at least half the old one. It's wonderful. Plus it's way more insulated so it feels good in it.

  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    Ah, got it. You did say 'door'.

    I was hoping you switched to a belt so I'd have a good excuse to replace my perfectly fine (but noisy) chain system.

  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    Kruite wrote: »
    Doodmann wrote: »
    Anyone want to go in halves on a haunted house with me?

    https://www.redfin.com/CA/Long-Beach/1612-E-7th-St-90813/home/7612585

    5 bedrooms; if you can get a group of people together that are comfortable living together that is easily affordable.

    Apparently there is fire damage and a potential title issue.

    So that's gonna be a pass, unless they want to sell it to me for like...400k

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    Sometimes I sell my stuff on Ebay
  • KruiteKruite Registered User regular
    how are they selling the property if there's a title issue

  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    Kruite wrote: »
    how are they selling the property if there's a title issue

    Well I'm not sure exactly, my realtor just said:

    "close of escrow subject to sellers ability to deliver clear title "

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    Sometimes I sell my stuff on Ebay
  • KruiteKruite Registered User regular
    Doodmann wrote: »
    Kruite wrote: »
    how are they selling the property if there's a title issue

    Well I'm not sure exactly, my realtor just said:

    "close of escrow subject to sellers ability to deliver clear title "

    have the offer contingent on delivery of said clear title

  • SummaryJudgmentSummaryJudgment Grab the hottest iron you can find, stride in the Tower’s front door Registered User regular
    MichaelLC wrote: »
    Ah, got it. You did say 'door'.

    I was hoping you switched to a belt so I'd have a good excuse to replace my perfectly fine (but noisy) chain system.

    I've got a belt, it rocks :biggrin:

    But a motor is a motor. It's quiet, but I mean...probably not that much more than a well-done chain.

    Some days Blue wonders why anyone ever bothered making numbers so small; other days she supposes even infinity needs to start somewhere.
  • KruiteKruite Registered User regular
    OO, this also means to really low ball the offer

  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    Kruite wrote: »
    Doodmann wrote: »
    Kruite wrote: »
    how are they selling the property if there's a title issue

    Well I'm not sure exactly, my realtor just said:

    "close of escrow subject to sellers ability to deliver clear title "

    have the offer contingent on delivery of said clear title

    Yeah I still might drive over this weekend and take a look at it. But like I said, I would definitely want to put an offer in significantly under asking, which the current owners are probably delusional about.

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    Sometimes I sell my stuff on Ebay
  • matt has a problemmatt has a problem Points to 'off' Points to 'on'Registered User regular
    Home Depot whispered sweet nothings today, "Your fence sucks and our prefab panels are on sale" it said. "No interest for 18 months when you spend over $999" it said.

    Fuck.

    x8jJs8d.jpg

    Also it is a WHOLE LOT EASIER watching the guy load them on the truck with a forklift than it is dragging each one off by myself at home.

    No comments on the patio, that's a work in progress.

    nibXTE7.png
  • BlazeFireBlazeFire Registered User regular
    Team, our front yard has a big dip in it from where a tree was removed over a decade ago by the previous owners.

    I want to fill this in. My plan is to cut/lift/peel-back the grass and fill with top soil so that the snow does a bunch of work over the winter compacting it for me.

    How much soil do I need? I can determine the volume that I want to fill, but how do I estimate the change in density as the soil compacts? Should I get twice as much?

  • Al_watAl_wat Registered User regular
    you could fill it in multiple stages over several months.

    Let it settle, add more.

  • BlazeFireBlazeFire Registered User regular
    Al_wat wrote: »
    you could fill it in multiple stages over several months.

    Let it settle, add more.

    That's a good point, I was expecting to redo the process in the spring after the snow melts anyways. Maybe I'll go with 1.5x for now and re-evaluate in the spring.

  • FairchildFairchild Rabbit used short words that were easy to understand, like "Hello Pooh, how about Lunch ?" Registered User regular
    Home Depot whispered sweet nothings today, "Your fence sucks and our prefab panels are on sale" it said. "No interest for 18 months when you spend over $999" it said.

    Fuck.

    x8jJs8d.jpg

    Also it is a WHOLE LOT EASIER watching the guy load them on the truck with a forklift than it is dragging each one off by myself at home.

    No comments on the patio, that's a work in progress.

    You look like one of those build sites from FORTNITE.

  • chromdomchromdom Who? Where?Registered User regular
    BlazeFire wrote: »
    Al_wat wrote: »
    you could fill it in multiple stages over several months.

    Let it settle, add more.

    That's a good point, I was expecting to redo the process in the spring after the snow melts anyways. Maybe I'll go with 1.5x for now and re-evaluate in the spring.

    Or plant a tree?

  • BlazeFireBlazeFire Registered User regular
    chromdom wrote: »
    BlazeFire wrote: »
    Al_wat wrote: »
    you could fill it in multiple stages over several months.

    Let it settle, add more.

    That's a good point, I was expecting to redo the process in the spring after the snow melts anyways. Maybe I'll go with 1.5x for now and re-evaluate in the spring.

    Or plant a tree?

    Nah, I don't want a tree there.

  • Banzai5150Banzai5150 Registered User regular
    BlazeFire wrote: »
    chromdom wrote: »
    BlazeFire wrote: »
    Al_wat wrote: »
    you could fill it in multiple stages over several months.

    Let it settle, add more.

    That's a good point, I was expecting to redo the process in the spring after the snow melts anyways. Maybe I'll go with 1.5x for now and re-evaluate in the spring.

    Or plant a tree?

    Nah, I don't want a tree there.

    Make sure you don’t effect the drainage so that it heads back to your house.

    50433.png?1708759015
  • matt has a problemmatt has a problem Points to 'off' Points to 'on'Registered User regular
    When we redid our deck a lot of years ago there wasn't enough junk to justify a dumpster rental so I put it all behind the garage. When We tore out the crappy shelves in the basement, I did the same. Today I got to deal with it all...

    A0EEwDL.jpg

    zyYDkFN.jpg

    nibXTE7.png
  • PantsBPantsB Fake Thomas Jefferson Registered User regular
    Bagster worked pretty well for our last not enough for a dumpster project

    11793-1.png
    day9gosu.png
    QEDMF xbl: PantsB G+
  • JragghenJragghen Registered User regular
    I love our town sometimes.

    I get three bulk pickup a year.

    Just schedule, put it on the curb, and it's all picked up.

  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    When we redid our deck a lot of years ago there wasn't enough junk to justify a dumpster rental so I put it all behind the garage. When We tore out the crappy shelves in the basement, I did the same. Today I got to deal with it all...

    Looks like you don't have a problem anymore.

    (did I mention I'm behind on my dad joke quota?)

  • Senna1Senna1 Registered User regular
    Scraping old, leaking toilet ring wax off the bathroom drain pipe flange might just be my new least favorite home-ownership experience yet!

    I do so love plumbing...

    On the bright side, I now have free and complete access to paint the wall behind the toilet so as to not leave a ghetto square of the previous color back there. Because why tackle one job at a time when you can have 3?

  • OneAngryPossumOneAngryPossum Registered User regular
    Final walk-through of our house today, and closing tomorrow! Still feels very surreal to me, but I’m excited to begin my transition into a dad-type figure who thinks he can repair things much better than he actually can.

    Any tips on what to watch out for while doing the walk-through this afternoon?

  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    The fucking buyers, who agreed to a 22 day escrow are part of the agreement, are now like "just kidding, we need the full 45 day escrow"

    It's not fraud, but it's unethical on the part of the buyers agent, and I wish we could somehow withhold their commission or something.

    I want to push back but there is an offer on a different house contingent on selling this one so they kind of have us over a barrel.

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    Sometimes I sell my stuff on Ebay
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    Doodmann wrote: »
    The fucking buyers, who agreed to a 22 day escrow are part of the agreement, are now like "just kidding, we need the full 45 day escrow"

    It's not fraud, but it's unethical on the part of the buyers agent, and I wish we could somehow withhold their commission or something.

    I want to push back but there is an offer on a different house contingent on selling this one so they kind of have us over a barrel.

    they may not have had any choice in the matter

    their bank might have been the one that told them to go pound sand

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • OneAngryPossumOneAngryPossum Registered User regular
    edited September 2019
    Walk-through complete, everything looks good/as expected.

    But! They left behind a fair amount of useful things: extension ladder, spare boards, spare indoor/outdoor carpet panels, spare siding, lengthy water hose, garage shelves and a locker, big desk in the basement, gas canister, a ping pong table(?), and a bottle of champagne in the fridge.

    I have to remember that last one. Even if it’s fairly cheap stuff, it’s a classy move. Between the ladder and materials they also probably saved us a couple hundred bucks we’d otherwise be spending right away.

    I’m sure I’ll feel differently when things start breaking, but I’m very excited for this weekend. We’re planning to grab some take-out and basically camp out for the night since the furniture won’t be there yet.

    OneAngryPossum on
  • AbsoluteZeroAbsoluteZero The new film by Quentin Koopantino Registered User regular
    Nice when they leave useful stuff and not a bunch of garbage.

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This discussion has been closed.