Random house hunting questions

[Sky]

Comps can be pretty 

My place comps soo low. It's on the rolls as a 1br/1ba, though it's really a 2br where one was opened up to the kitchen as a den. One weekend with a couple 2x4s and drywall and I can make a nice profit, but I like it open and it keeps the price down on the tax roll. My garage is called a 1-car, but it's only because it's got a large 1-car door...it's larger than most 2-car garages, I keep my tools and toys in there and still have room for all my winter cordwood...and can park my FJ in it. But the kicker is I live on a dead-end street with a primary school at the dead end and a middle school a block to the south; double lot backed on by woods that's mostly school property and a watershed, so unlikely to lose the trees. There's nothing even close to it until you start looking at twice the price, and really those are pretty big compromises until you start looking at triple.

Took me five years to find it, and it's far from perfect, but at the price it's amazing. That's why I don't want to sell it on if I move.

Anyway. Comps for it are all ghetto shacks :) I laughed when the agent starts pulling out stuff in ghetto hoods that he's tossing because they're listed 50% over mine...

[Furiously]

Have you looked at the price of drywall lately Sky?

[Lantyssa]

I agree completely and I'll mention that you don't want to deal with water or moisture issues at all.  Buy a dry house.

I bought my house knowingly breaking one of my rules: it isn't on a hill. I've always lived on hills.
Six grand later, I do have a nice dry basement. Totally worth the money, but I'd rather not have been the one to pay for it.

I must say I wasn't planning on moving next to a river and a quarter of a mile from the Gulf.  Life is sometimes funny that way.

[Khaldun]

Sigh, tomorrow I have to go up on the high part of the roof to check the upper gutter--during really heavy rain today we suddenly had a bit of water dripping from the bathroom ceiling where the gutter was damaged and replaced during a huge snowstorm a few years ago. I suspect it got clogged, in fact I hope that's it and not something trickier.

I do occasionally wish we hadn't bought a house, though I like ours well enough. The property taxes alone are brutal because of the good school district.

[Lantyssa]

Right. I understand that. And I understand that for buyers, cars on blocks is a personal valuation. I simply do not understand the idea that that effects the value of your land and home for a home improvement loan. We are talking about unsavory neighbor, not entire areas hit by depression.

The house behind mine is a rental.  They didn't take good care of it.  It was infested with rats.

As a health issue, it devalued all the adjacent properties because those rats were going to spread.

[WayAbvPar]

Our house painter discovered a large-ish section of dry rot below our bathroom window (floor is going on the bathroom as well due to unrelated water damage). I suspect that the dipshit who owned the place before us did some half-assed repairs and/or improvements and fucked the seals up. We are basically going to have to cover it up and wait until we can afford to fix it, since I am pretty sure it won't be cheap. Sigh.

[Salamok]

Our house painter discovered a large-ish section of dry rot below our bathroom window (floor is going on the bathroom as well due to unrelated water damage). I suspect that the dipshit who owned the place before us did some half-assed repairs and/or improvements and fucked the seals up. We are basically going to have to cover it up and wait until we can afford to fix it, since I am pretty sure it won't be cheap. Sigh.

When I had this scenario I took the DIY route and was 2.5 years with no master bathroom.  I'm surprised I am still married, looks great now though.

[Yegolev]

See, if I had a house on the shore of a river I'd be basically resigned to dealing with flood damage at some point.  Also Gulf coast, same thing for storms.  Ultimately that would be OK since I know the risk.  However, if there was seeping water on normal days or due to rain, that's another matter.

[Sky]

Have you looked at the price of drywall lately Sky?

Roughly $10/sheet, about like I remember it, why? We're talking three sheets (ahoy) here, it's already pretty closed off with everything to code for a legal bedroom. It's money in the pocket.

[Mrbloodworth]

House inspection is today. Now is when it gets real.

[Sky]

Ah, house inspectors. 

[Mrbloodworth]

We will not be taking this house. The issues that appeared at inspection, and my research about how much this would cost, and how well it would be "solved" are more than I want in my life right now.

[01101010]

We will not be taking this house. The issues that appeared at inspection, and my research about how much this would cost, and how well it would be "solved" are more than I want in my life right now.

Stop that! Details man! Was it built on a burial ground?

[Mrbloodworth]

No, essentially, the house is in a bowl. Crawlspace has standing water, would require work down there, and a regrade of most of the property, but the house would still be the low point. The air ducks are sitting in the water as are some lines and plumbing. The entire yard, front and back flow to the house. None of the electrical is grounded, not even at the panel. There are sections of the brick pulling away from the house. I was just pricing how much this stuff would cost, and the landscape guy was really not enthused with the prospects of solving the water issue on the property. He even told me he would be Leary at taking the job.

Unless they came off the price about 30 grand, its just not affordable. And even then, it may still be an issue.  We would need pumps and basically a reverse irrigation system that tied in to the city drains to solve all this.

As this is my first house, we came to the conclusion, this is just to much. Also, mold.... yada yada yada. I'm rather sad, we loved the house itself, it was the right size, in the right area, and would have had great neighbors. Its just more than we want in or lives, and it felt like this would be forever an issue we would be addressing.

I keep second guessing my request to release the contract, but I know logically, this is the right call. Emotionally, I'm sad. I am however thankful for the above average amount of rain we have been receiving, if this was a dry summer, I may never have known.

Literally the entire front and back yard has standing water. Someone tell me i made the right call.

[01101010]

No, essentially, the house is in a bowl. Crawlspace has standing water, would require work down there, and a regrade of most of the property. The air ducks are sitting in the water as are some lines and plumbing. The entire yard, front and back flow to the house. None of the electrical is grounded, not even at the panel. There are sections of the brick pulling away from the house. I was just pricing how much this stuff would cost, and the landscape guy was really not enthused with the prospects of solving the water issue on the property. He even told me he would be Leary at taking the job.

Unless they came off the price about 30 grand, its just not affordable. And even then, it may still be an issue.  We would need pumps and basically a reverse irrigation system that tied in to the city drains to solve all this.

As this is my first house, we came to the conclusion, this is just to much. Also, mold.... yada yada yada. I'm rather sad, we loved the house itself, it was the right size, in the right area, and would have had great neighbors. Its just more than we want in or lives, and it felt like this would be forever an issue we would be addressing.

I keep second guessing my request to release the contract, but I know logically, this is the right call. Emotionally, I'm sad. I am however thankful for the above average amount of rain we have been receiving, if this was a dry summer, I may never have known.

Literately the entire front and back yard has standing water.

I feel ya. The x and I when we first moved to Pittsburgh found a great house up near Wexford. Had everything she was looking for in the rural settings and the house was a Chalet type. However, it was on a well system for water (though city water could be installed fairly easily) and septic system. House passed inspection with flying colors, but the septic system failed miserably. Needs a complete overall and the people would not take off the $12k for the new system (needed a new leech field, tank, pipe system, etc). Walking away from that place hurt... but the cost overall would have buried us before we even started.

[Lianka]

I keep second guessing my request to release the contract, but I know logically, this is the right call. Emotionally, I'm sad. I am however thankful for the above average amount of rain we have been receiving, if this was a dry summer, I may never have known.

Literally the entire front and back yard has standing water. Someone tell me i made the right call.

You did, and then some.  I was just visiting some friends in the midst of fixing a drainage issue.  It involved a lot of jackhammering, to make a drainage moat in their basement.  Even if you could afford it, do you really want to have to listen to jackhammering for days on end?

Plus, sounds like it's bad feng shui! 

[Sky]

The air ducks are sitting in the water

I'm going to have to cry fowl on this one.

[Sky]

Depending on the amount of water, it may or may not have been a big deal. I just did my basement last year, jackhammering wasn't 'for days' it was a few hours (don't ask my cat, though). All told it was about six grand and well worth it. But I only get seasonal wall seepage and opening things up actually remedied the problem, the sump pit has been almost bone dry all year. If it's very wet and you don't remedy exterior issues (good gutters, grading, etc), then putting in a redundant pump setup would be better.

Depending on where you are you might not be allowed to tie into the city's storm sewer (and definitely not the septic). You'd probably have to set up a leach field in the yard, which would be $$.

So with all that and whatever excavating (excavators = $$$, I should've stuck with construction when I was 18 working with a couple guys running an excavator) and remediation (a $$$ scare tactic field)...

You made the right call. Also, peace of mind is priceless.

Standing water is not worth dealing with. My neighbors are planning to dump a lot of fill in their yard, but I am planning on them grading it improperly and not sending it into the woods (not without its own issues, likely killing 70' trees 50' from their house). It's a shitty and cheap solution to a tougher problem, but that's how they do. So like I said, I'm planning my next couple moves in that scenario, setting up some kind of wall and drainage along that line.

Neighbors. One reason I would rather have several lots on either side.

[Hammond]

Literally the entire front and back yard has standing water. Someone tell me i made the right call.

You absolutely made the right call. Fixing drainage issues is not for the faint of heart and the costs have the tendency to balloon out of control. If there was standing water in the yard and the crawl space walking away was the best option. You will find another house that will work for you :).

[Lianka]

Depending on the amount of water, it may or may not have been a big deal. I just did my basement last year, jackhammering wasn't 'for days' it was a few hours (don't ask my cat, though). All told it was about six grand and well worth it. But I only get seasonal wall seepage and opening things up actually remedied the problem, the sump pit has been almost bone dry all year. If it's very wet and you don't remedy exterior issues (good gutters, grading, etc), then putting in a redundant pump setup would be better.

This was some kind of uber cement that required a 90lb air hammer in the end...  Last of the well built homes in the area, if not for the unplanned pool in the basement!  

[Furiously]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlDQvgM4pKM just do it the easy way...

[proudft]

You will find another house that will work for you :).

Yep, there is always another house.  This is good... or bad if you are indecisive. 

[Selby]

Literally the entire front and back yard has standing water. Someone tell me i made the right call.

You did.  I just moved out of a house I lived in for 4 years due to mold and mildew caused by standing water in the crawl spaces running in from failed gutters and poor grading\drainage (which the landlord insisted was something I was responsible for).  My landlord insisted nothing was wrong and she sent her guy down to look at it and the verdict was "no water is down there" despite my seeing it there the weeks before.  It would mold and mildew up starting from the floors and run up the walls all the way to the windows and ceiling if I didn't bleach the shit out of it every few weeks.

Grading problems, living in a bowl, standing water INSIDE the house ANYWHERE, and terrible electrical work are reasons enough to walk away.  You did the right thing.

[Merusk]

Not only did you make the right call, based on what you listed I'm of the opinion the house should be demolished.  It'd cost more to save it than to rebuild properly from scratch.

[Samwise]

I got as far as "standing water in the crawlspace" before reaching the same conclusion.  That just does not sound like a good thing unless you live in Venice.

[Sky]

Speaking of house hunting, the old lady just sent me a message with a link to a house that basically ticks every box on our list. The only downsides are no central AC (which I don't have now), the garage is detached (but two stall + workshop), and it's off the city sewer (though it is on city water, and I grew up in the country dealing with septic tanks). Bigger than this place (950 vs 1350), pool to swim laps, big yard (acre), double the # of beds and baths, fireplace (I'd have to install a wood stove but we're planning on a new one in the next couple years anyway). About 5 more minutes out...but I believe it's on the trunk fiber verizon rolled through (past the library, they dropped it in for us). Cedar shake craftsman, 1940 (I won't buy post-1960 if I can help it).

I think they've listed high, only been on the market 13 days at $148,500. Sold in 2002 for $89k. I'd pin real value right around 110-120, my top would be 130k with 10k back for costs and pocket change.

Really crappy timing, but it's sooo tempting. Because I doubt I'll be able to build onto this house cheaply enough to make room (and sonic separation) to allow her to move in...

[Baldrake]

Cedar shake craftsman, 1940...

[Chimpy]

Make sure you factor in your homeowner's insurance costs if it has a pool, Sky.

[01101010]

That and pools are not cheap to maintain either. YMMV though.

[Numtini]

I think they've listed high, only been on the market 13 days at $148,500. Sold in 2002 for $89k. I'd pin real value right around 110-120, my top would be 130k with 10k back for costs and pocket change.

I can't even contemplate a world where you could buy a house for $148k.

[Merusk]

Welcome to life in rural America.  My 2,200 sq ft house is up for $175k and people think that's too expensive.

[Sky]

I can't even contemplate a world where you could buy a house for $148k.

Want to trade paychecks, too?

[Bunk]

I can't even contemplate a world where you could buy a house condo for $148k.

Running from that deal was the right move MrB. Even if you could correct all the grading issues, just think what several years of having an in house pond has done to the structure of the house. Then there's the mold...

[Mrbloodworth]

Yeah, agent just called, her guy quoted them 10k just for the crawlspace work. Sans grading.

[Merusk]

Now get a cost to remove and replace the failing brick veneer.  Then to properly ground and re-wire the electric so a short doesn't burn your house down.  Then to replace the rusty ducts that have been sitting in water - under a crawl space.

And you'd STILL be in a bowl because I'm willing to bet you don't have enough property to regrade the entire place.

I wasn't kidding when I said cheaper to raze and rebuild.