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moana posted:It's called the internet and it is much better than any one book. Buy him something useful instead, trust me. Here are the greatest things you can get him if he doesn't already have: You're probably right on all this. He's been in an apartment forever so he definitely doesn't have any tools. I'll scrounge up some basic stuff for him. Thanks!
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Dec 17, 2012 19:00
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poemdexter posted:You're probably right on all this. He's been in an apartment forever so he definitely doesn't have any tools. I'll scrounge up some basic stuff for him. Thanks! moana's on the right track. Tools are expensive. Bare minimum required for a new homeowner with literally 0 tools: Toolbox or a toolbag Measuring tape Hammer Saw 2x Levels (one little one, one 4 foot one) Caulk gun + white silicone caulk Package of various-sized zip ties Screwdriver set (Phillips and flathead) Metal paint scraper Box cutter + pack of spare razor blades Box of finishing nails (for hanging pictures and the like) Box of drywall anchors and screws If you're feeling nice, buy him a cheap but decent cordless drill and a 10-20 drill bit set to go with it. I have the second-cheapest cordless drill that Home Depot offers and it's held up to all but drilling-big-screws-into-studs, and even then you can lock the drill and force the drat screw in. It's seriously useful.
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Dec 17, 2012 19:24
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I know they are an As Seen on TV product, but Monkey Hooks are the greatest picture hanging invention since the nail if you have dry wall. Also a stud finder, small flashlight, wire strippers/crimpers, and multimeter are good things to have. Also a garden hose.
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Dec 17, 2012 19:31
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And a big canvass
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Dec 17, 2012 19:32
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Other lame things I never thought I would care about until I owned a house: -A good ladder -A good rake (I don't know why but I happily raked all loving day when I got this. I hate raking) -Pushbroom
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Dec 17, 2012 19:38
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Excluding what I spent to refinish the floors, within two months of closing on my house I spent at least $1000 at Home Depot. So yeah, a hefty gift card or a pile of tools or whatever will go over really well. But a lot of stuff is situational. E.g., does he have a back and front yard, and if so, are there trees? Are his fences in good shape or do they need work? What is his roof made of? Are the electrics old, or new? Etc. So for example since I've had to do electrical work, I bought a device that you put near a wire and it tells you if it's live, and another one you stick in a socket and it tells you if it's the correct polarity and if it's grounded. I had to do some plumbing and piping work, so a plumber's wrench, a pipe cutter, a handheld torch, lead-free silver solder, plumber's putty, etc. Garden work. A spade, a wagon, gardening gloves, a little pad you put under your knees while you're kneeling (for the wife - I'm a heroic man who doesn't need such comforts!), a pruning saw, a pruning hook, pruning shears, a trowel, bags of soil, plant food, stakes, live ladybugs, and a lot of live plants. Interior painting. Rollers, pans, disposable tarps, lots and lots and lots of painter's masking tape (the blue stuff), edge brushes, an orbital sander, a belt sander, sandpaper, more sandpaper, wall putty, new light switch plates, a new pair of shoes, argh. My wife's parents got us a thick "how to fix everything" homeowner's book and I've used it once (to look at nice big pictures of electrical wiring stuff). SA forums have been far more useful, as is the Internet in general. The book is actually pretty good, it's just not as convenient or as thorough as the 'net.
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Dec 17, 2012 19:54
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I'd vote drill. A bit less practical and more expensive, but more gifty, is a barbecue. Because that's what backyards are for. 
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Dec 17, 2012 20:40
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Xtend and Climb telescoping ladders are awesome if limited storage space for a ladder is a problem. If that doesn't apply I'd also Nth a nice cordless drill
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Dec 17, 2012 21:10
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SlapActionJackson posted:Sales update: We've been listed on the MLS 4 days, and we've received 4 offers. I knew we were aggressive on pricing, but I didn't expect a frenzy like that. After a round of soliciting the interested parties to improve their offers, we ended up taking an offer above list price - it was actually the 2nd best offer in terms of raw money, but it offered a quicker close, no finance contingency, and a much bigger earnest money payment.
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Dec 17, 2012 22:06
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My dad bought me some sawhorses when we first moved in, and I'm glad he did because I never would have bought them for myself. They're great for everything from painting small pieces like molding and crap like that, to sawing similar items, and you can throw together a temporary workbench with a half-sheet of plywood. Something to consider for someone who already has some powertools, and sawhorses are generally pretty cheap. One thing I'm missing now that I'll eventually break down and buy are some c-clamps and maybe a decent bench clamp. Even a "pricey" bench clamp is usually under $100.
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Dec 18, 2012 03:16
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I have gotten the most use out if a sawzall also known as a reciprocating saw. While somewhat pricey, it is great for any kind of demo construction and I have gotten a ton of use out if it from cutting PVC to ripping out a wet bar and installing storage space beneath the stairs. I also think sawhorses are an excellent gift and one I would love.
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Dec 19, 2012 20:43
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Yeah, if you need to do any remodeling where demo is involved a sawzall and a good crowbar are your two best friends. A sledgehammer is nice too.
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Dec 20, 2012 17:53
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On the other hand, in three years I've yet to need either. They're both somewhat situational re: homeownership utility. I'd say if the guy has no tools at all, start with a cordless drill, a set of screwdrivers, a medium-weight claw hammer, a stepladder, and some safety glasses/goggles (always wear eye protection folks!).
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Dec 21, 2012 00:03
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rockcity posted:Yeah, if you need to do any remodeling where demo is involved a sawzall and a good crowbar are your two best friends. A sledgehammer is nice too. I somehow managed to demo most of the upstairs with only a 16 oz hammer and a hacksaw and will be demoing the basement the same way. A sawzall would have done it a fuckload faster, but in my mind it's kind of a demo-only tool, and I'd rather put the $30-$50 for a lovely reciprocating towards a better drill/driver combo. I never thought I'd say this, but I think I might like my lovely Ryobi 12V lithium drill better than the Milwaulkee 18V lithium that I've been using at work. For a homeowner, 99 times out of 100 they're better off with something like the dual 12V setup that Makita is selling than one of the beefier combos. They're like $75 on sale and they are awesome.
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Dec 21, 2012 04:29
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Appraisal came through, inspections and everything are done. I should have a new house by Xmas. Got myself some new furniture and a new giant-rear end fridge. Now I just need a new mattress. Does anyone have any recommendations? Everyone swears by the Tempurpedics, but I don't know if I can justify spending 4+k on a drat mattress. BedInABox has decent online reviews, but has anyone here used one? Do they last?
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Dec 21, 2012 04:31
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FunOne posted:Appraisal came through, inspections and everything are done. I should have a new house by Xmas. Got myself some new furniture and a new giant-rear end fridge. Now I just need a new mattress. Does anyone have any recommendations? Everyone swears by the Tempurpedics, but I don't know if I can justify spending 4+k on a drat mattress. BedInABox has decent online reviews, but has anyone here used one? Do they last? I got a 14" foam queen off Amazon for $600. Felt like I was lugging a black hole compressed into a 4' box up to the bedroom, but feels like sleeping on clouds once it was unboxed and had 2 days to decompress and fluff up.
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Dec 21, 2012 05:41
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daggerdragon posted:I got a 14" foam queen off Amazon for $600. Felt like I was lugging a black hole compressed into a 4' box up to the bedroom, but feels like sleeping on clouds once it was unboxed and had 2 days to decompress and fluff up. How long have you had it and does it still work well?
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Dec 21, 2012 06:15
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We have one of the memory foam mattresses from Costco and love it. We've had it for about a year and a half with no troubles. That thing has saved my shoulders.
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Dec 21, 2012 07:38
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FunOne posted:Appraisal came through, inspections and everything are done. I should have a new house by Xmas. Got myself some new furniture and a new giant-rear end fridge. Now I just need a new mattress. Does anyone have any recommendations? Everyone swears by the Tempurpedics, but I don't know if I can justify spending 4+k on a drat mattress. BedInABox has decent online reviews, but has anyone here used one? Do they last? I also recommend a memory foam mattress + memory foam "foundation" from Amazon. The whole shebang for about $500, and it's extremely comfortable and quiet as hell. Creaky springs used to wake me up. No more!
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Dec 21, 2012 12:57
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FunOne posted:Appraisal came through, inspections and everything are done. I should have a new house by Xmas. Got myself some new furniture and a new giant-rear end fridge. Now I just need a new mattress. Does anyone have any recommendations? Everyone swears by the Tempurpedics, but I don't know if I can justify spending 4+k on a drat mattress. BedInABox has decent online reviews, but has anyone here used one? Do they last? Get the contour select or whatever the low end Tempur is, I think all the upgraded ones are gimmicky tbh. We had one for 10 years and it gets softer and not as dramatically memory-foamy after a few years, but still awesome. Just upgraded to a king and after looking at all the expensive ones just decided on the entry model. It's pretty great. Be prepared for your bedroom to smell like a chemical plant for 1-3 months. The question about lasting is probably more about when you pass the threshold of it not feeling like you want anymore. It's not like the old one was busted down or falling apart, we just wanted a bigger bed. Also be aware their warranty is prorated heavily I believe, so if that is a big factor, compare it closely with other bed warranties. I think the king was a lot less than your figure above.
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Dec 21, 2012 14:14
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The memory foam is terrible for making sweet love. Not firm enough and no added bounce back. Who cares about sleep. Anyway my appraiser fired herself because she did the appraisal in 2010 when I refied then. I think the rule is to prevent you hiring them a second time to get a higher amount, but I have be refinancing every time the rate drops half a point. She didn't even do my last one. I hope the fed can keep rates low for one more week!
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Dec 21, 2012 14:53
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Thought I would ask for some advice here. I have a family member who will be retiring next year. She owns a condo which is paid off, but the HOA dues are insane at $300 per month and will probably continue to rise. The value of the property is not very high (I'm thinking in the neighborhood of 50-60K). She hates the condo and I do think she wants to leave, but with a fixed income after retirement, there will be nothing left over for a mortgage payment for a new place. Is there anything that can be done here? Are there any options, however unusual, that could help her get into a better place to live? Thanks for your ideas.
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Dec 21, 2012 16:22
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FunOne posted:How long have you had it and does it still work well? About a year now and yes, it's still perfect. It was a little firm in the beginning but once we started sleeping on it and rotating it, it's just fine now. We rotate it every other time we do the bedsheets (about once a month) and I think that's the key to preventing it from compressing over time. You don't need Qaz Kwaz's suggestion of a memory foam topper and a foundation - just buy the thickest memory foam mattress you can find (mine was 14", thickest with best reviews on Amazon) and it'll do just fine. You don't even need a boxspring!
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Dec 21, 2012 17:09
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Can I get some advice from people familiar with buying property in Canada? My basic goal is to be financially prepared to throw a 20% downpayment at a house/condo/apartment/whatever in 2-3 years. I quantify the downpayment as $50,000. But what would my true financial end game be here? Downpayment - $50,000 Emergency Fund to Cover my rear end - ~$20,000 Furniture, Pots and Pans, Towels, Kitchen Table, etc. - $no idea Lawyer Work - $hundreds(?) Moving Expenses + Buying Pizza for Buddies - $a couple hundred Are there administration fees for finalizing a morgage? Do I have to pay the bank on top of paying the bank the principle + interest? Do I have to hire an independant inspector out of pocket? What do they cost? How much should I be planning on spending per month on repairs (let's say a two bedroom, one bath apartment)?
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Dec 21, 2012 18:53
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Been reading this thread for a while. Finally closing next week after a 1.5+ year search. 15year fixed, 20% down, 2.9% apy, almost no closing costs. This is my second time buying a place. I made lots of mistakes with the first purchase, this is the one I'll be in forever. Buying below our means and doing everything myself (no agent) was actually a lot less stressful. Don't trust agents.
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Dec 21, 2012 21:21
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reflex posted:Can I get some advice from people familiar with buying property in Canada? My basic goal is to be financially prepared to throw a 20% downpayment at a house/condo/apartment/whatever in 2-3 years. I quantify the downpayment as $50,000. But what would my true financial end game be here? Then if you decide to remodel or change anything in the house, how much cash over the cost of the remodel should you have for incidentals/problems?
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Dec 22, 2012 02:25
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My Rhythmic Crotch posted:Thought I would ask for some advice here. Can she rent the condo for more than she's paying in HOA fees and property taxes?
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Dec 22, 2012 02:29
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agentq posted:On this note does anyone have a rule of thumb for cash on hand when buying a house? I understand 20% down, but what about cash on hand for repairs and emergency fixes? A lot is going to depend on what, if anything, the inspection turns up. Additionally, what the remaining life of the major mechanicals and replaceable items (which the inspection should also tell you). Other than that, I have heard 1-3% of the home's value annually to devote to maintenance, depending on the age of the house and other factors. You may want to figure out what a roof, well pump, septic system, heating system, etc might cost, as these tend to be the biggest normal expenses that will come up. I say normal because there are a shitload of abnormal expenses that have come up in this thread alone. These are the things you are paying your inspector to find, generally.
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Dec 22, 2012 03:19
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Don't forget the things you'll be paying for that aren't *needed* but should be done anyway. We haven't even closed yet and I'm talking with electricians about stuff I want done, and want done ASAP. Not a bad design, nothing wrong, but I absolutely do not like the way it is done now.
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Dec 22, 2012 03:48
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agentq posted:On this note does anyone have a rule of thumb for cash on hand when buying a house? I understand 20% down, but what about cash on hand for repairs and emergency fixes? A lot depends on the condition of the house, its size, its age, the cost of labor in your area, and whether you'll be doing most work yourself or hiring someone else. Also how much land you are getting with the house and whether you want it landscaped. A brand new house with a warranty on a small lot in an inexpensive area would be far cheaper the first few years than a 1900s Victorian on a big lot in an expensive area with a lot of work that needs to be done.
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Dec 22, 2012 04:19
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Elephanthead posted:Anyway my appraiser fired herself because she did the appraisal in 2010 when I refied then. I think the rule is to prevent you hiring them a second time to get a higher amount, but I have be refinancing every time the rate drops half a point. She didn't even do my last one. I hope the fed can keep rates low for one more week! Odd - unless the bank has an overlay there is no rule against this, USPAP guidelines only require that they disclose prior services rendered (appraisal or otherwise) on the subject property in the 3 year period prior to accepting the report. There is a contingency where they have to decline any jobs within 3 years, but it looks like that applies only if you had specifically instructed them during the original report that you consider even acknowledging they had performed a prior appraisal to be confidential information.
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Dec 22, 2012 05:18
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Locked today. 30 year fixed, 3.25%, no points. 1% would have gotten us to 3.125%, 1.5% could have brought that to 3% even. I did the numbers several ways and it just wouldn't save us much money, even if we stay in the house the full term (which we plan to). I'd rather keep that $7k in reserves.
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Dec 26, 2012 23:07
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Final walk through and closing tomorrow afternoon. Then Saturday thousands of dollars of furniture show up. I'm ready for it all to be over and we still have landscaping and a bunch of other poo poo to do. 
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Dec 28, 2012 05:15
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Please keep track of how long closing takes. I'm budgeting 2 full days of leave but would rather not if I don't have to. We sign on Monday, get the keys on Tuesday and the following Monday is a holiday. I'm expecting to take off at least the afternoon of signing and probably all of the first day we own it, after that we're hoping to move in the evenings and get a UHaul over the weekend to actually start sleeping in the house Saturday-ish. That will give us another week to get our apartment cleaned up before turning over the keys so some unlucky Section 8 recipient can take over our peeling lead paint walls and bad plumbing.
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Dec 28, 2012 07:22
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So my fiance and I both moved to Maui for work about 6 months ago, and we want to start the process of looking for our first house. Neither of us have ever owned a house, so I'm aware that we qualify for programs like FHA. Most of Maui also qualifies for USDA rural loans, although I think that our combined income would exceed the USDA income restrictions for this island (although individually we would each be under the income restriction, so it might be worth asking whether just one of us could carry the loan). I'm hoping to find a mortgage broker who can explain all of our options to us and get us the best setup. Is it generally better to go with a big bank like Wells Fargo, a credit union of some sort, or a private mortgage company? There's a private mortgage office down the road from my rental, is it worth walking in or should I call or what? QuarkJets fucked around with this message at 12:36 on Dec 28, 2012 |
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Dec 28, 2012 12:33
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Call and make an appointment, explain exactly what you're thinking and that you want to discuss options. Our first meeting with a loan originator was basically being walked through all the stuff we needed to have (and him being amazed that we had it all there, printed out). After than he ran our credit (this was optional, since we didn't have a realtor yet) and we ran theoretical numbers on the fuckoff huge mansion he should have never said we could afford. Have you been in related jobs over six months? It seems like that's an awfully short timeframe to start looking for a place, they probably won't like your employment history if you just started new career paths. Plus, have you really had the time to figure out where on the island you want to stay forever?
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Dec 28, 2012 17:24
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Anybody have any experience with mortgages over the GSE limits? Say I want to buy a 700k home, and the limit is 417k. Assume 20% down Can you get a cheap 417k mortgage and a more expensive 143k HELOC on top of that? Or would I need a 560k jumbo?
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Dec 28, 2012 19:21
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Hey Quarkjets, just curious what part of the island you're looking at. Building houses is surprisingly cheap to do on Maui once you've bought land, and if I ever moved there that's what I would do. Depending on your price range, I also hear they're doing some development near Olowahu that's supposed to be affordable (~250k).
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Dec 28, 2012 19:40
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gvibes posted:Anybody have any experience with mortgages over the GSE limits? Say I want to buy a 700k home, and the limit is 417k. Assume 20% down Can you get a cheap 417k mortgage and a more expensive 143k HELOC on top of that? Or would I need a 560k jumbo? Check to see whether you are in a high cost of living area, in which case you may be able to get some options that are not the full premium of a jumbo mortgage. It's by county here. Be aware that not all lenders care about it, many we checked with just stuck with $417k and any higher amount was a jumbo. Ask around with lenders, we eventually found one that worked to the higher limit without calling it a jumbo. I'm not positive about the hybrid option you asked about, sorry.
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Dec 28, 2012 19:41
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Advent Horizon posted:Locked today. 30 year fixed, 3.25%, no points. Congratulations. I called for an update on our credit underwrite and apparently the underwriter is 6 weeks behind. I'm thinking of going for a national company to get it done faster and on my credit only since my wife has some problems. My first choice is USAA and they won't finance manufactured homes and I don't have enough ability to get a loan by myself for anything much better than that or a tiny condo.
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Dec 28, 2012 20:35
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