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You can ask but generally some HOAs are pretty awful in regards to AC. They’ll ban window units and have noise bans on portable units that exhaust out the window. It depends on how obnoxious the HOA is and the level of enforcement. After this heat dome, they should have common sense to change the rules and allow ACs for better resale. I’ll never live in a condo or townhome for many reasons but lack of central AC is a big one. Who enjoys sleeping inside when it’s 90 degrees and outside it’s 60.
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Jul 10, 2021 23:52
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spf3million posted:Can we talk about knob and tube for the millionth time? As dumb as this market is, thankfully HOAs seem to very few and far between in the areas we are interested in. I can't imagine depending on other people to help maintain the roof over my head.
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Jul 11, 2021 00:52
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Glumwheels posted:You can ask but generally some HOAs are pretty awful in regards to AC. They’ll ban window units and have noise bans on portable units that exhaust out the window. It depends on how obnoxious the HOA is and the level of enforcement. Like 90% of condos in the greater Seattle area seem to use baseboard or wall heating, so central AC is a no go by default. Probably nothing that some minisplits couldn't solve...if the HOA allows them. And I have no real idea how to ascertain what a given HOA might allow in this regard. I don't even know why my otherwise run of the mill apartment in Bellevue has AC. The vast majority of apartments in Bellevue don't. Hell, 90% of the units in this very complex don't have AC. But some reason mine does. I actually didn't even discover the AC until a year after moving in, because I just assumed that there was no way that something like AC could possibly exist in a unit like this.
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Jul 11, 2021 04:13
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Buying a 100 year old house with knob and tube in a coastal city; with significant flooding issues!
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Jul 11, 2021 17:18
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... like, because you lost a bet?
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Jul 11, 2021 22:34
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So how bad is knob and tube really; should I be gutting to the studs to get ride of them?
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Jul 12, 2021 01:48
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Alright it's happening, we're actually buying a condo in the Bay Area. Accordingly, I assume that the real estate market here will now have its first proper crash in ages.
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Jul 12, 2021 02:13
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freeasinbeer posted:So how bad is knob and tube really; should I be gutting to the studs to get ride of them? It can be properly maintained if you want. May be more expensive then replacing
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Jul 12, 2021 02:42
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freeasinbeer posted:Buying a 100 year old house with knob and tube in a coastal city; with significant flooding issues! Have you considered slamming your genitals in a fire door as a less painful alternative?
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Jul 12, 2021 03:27
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freeasinbeer posted:Buying a 100 year old house with knob and tube in a coastal city; with significant flooding issues! I don't know poo poo about gently caress but this sounds like it would be borderline impossible to insure
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Jul 12, 2021 03:40
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Vox Nihili posted:Alright it's happening, we're actually buying a condo in the Bay Area. Insha'Allah
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Jul 12, 2021 04:04
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Our place is a two family home (over/under) that was split into two condos. HOA is $225/mo and covers common electric, water/sewer, master insurance. Since there's only two units each unit is a board member. Luckily the other owner and I get along well and have more or less the same priorities.
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Jul 12, 2021 04:38
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Kefit posted:Like 90% of condos in the greater Seattle area seem to use baseboard or wall heating, so central AC is a no go by default. Probably nothing that some minisplits couldn't solve...if the HOA allows them. And I have no real idea how to ascertain what a given HOA might allow in this regard. You have to read the CCRs and your agent can and should provide those before you put an offer on a place. Then you’ll have to just search for anything related to A/C or ask whoever manages the association. The problem is CCRs are written horribly and are difficult to follow often they need to be read by a lawyer to verify anything. Then there’s also federal and state laws that supersede bullshit CCRs like satellite dishes. The FCC states you are allowed to install one if you own the roof, walls, and land underneath the townhome (this excluded condos). I lived in a new construction apartment in Bellevue before buying my first place that was awful during the summer. I had to buy a portable AC to sleep because it would contain heat all through the night and never cool off even with all the windows open and fans. During the winter I barely had to run my heat, though.
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Jul 12, 2021 04:57
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The latest house we want to offer has a SolarCity system, 4 years into a 20 year lease, no option to buy. Monthly lease currently at $300/mo escalating about 3%/yr. 19.825 kw of installed capacity, ridiculously oversized. Wtf would I do with almost 20 kw. The local utility does net metering but only pays 3¢/kwh at the end of the year. I guess I could mine bitcoin while running the AC at 60F year round. What a stupid system. Sadly someone else will be dumb enough not to appropriately discount their offer to account for this extra burden. I suppose it might make sense for someone driving an EV.
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Jul 12, 2021 05:40
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20 kW is probably just too much capacity, but if you're at higher latitude, powering a big house with all electric appliances and heat, and have a plug in vehicle? Yeah, that may be a reasonable amount
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Jul 12, 2021 06:43
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Toaster Beef posted:I don't know poo poo about gently caress but this sounds like it would be borderline impossible to insure Yeah, I would be reading your insurance policy very carefully if the knob and tube wasn't swapped out.
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Jul 12, 2021 07:59
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Spouse and I overpaid for a house in the hot Raleigh market. We have very specific tastes and came in over market because it was the only house we put an offer on after 6 months of looking. We were expecting to bring some cash to close the expected appraisal gap, but were OK with that. The appraisal came in at exactly our offer to the penny. On the one hand, I'm happy that it makes my life a lot easier to not bring a ton of cash to close. On the other hand, why did I pay $525 for an appraisal if they're just going to check to make sure it was an arm's length transaction and then fudge all the numbers on their worksheet to make it add up to the offer?
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Jul 12, 2021 12:39
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The Slack Lagoon posted:Our place is a two family home (over/under) that was split into two condos. HOA is $225/mo and covers common electric, water/sewer, master insurance. Since there's only two units each unit is a board member. Luckily the other owner and I get along well and have more or less the same priorities. Tiny HOAs, especially over/under units, seem like a total nightmare for long term ownership. Maybe you can buy out your neighbor if they ever want to move and then combine the units or rent it out?
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Jul 12, 2021 13:37
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Dik Hz posted:Spouse and I overpaid for a house in the hot Raleigh market. We have very specific tastes and came in over market because it was the only house we put an offer on after 6 months of looking. We were expecting to bring some cash to close the expected appraisal gap, but were OK with that. That's pretty much what always happens if earlier posts about my appraisal are to be believed?
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Jul 12, 2021 13:37
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biracial bear for uncut posted:That's pretty much what always happens if earlier posts about my appraisal are to be believed?
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Jul 12, 2021 14:00
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biracial bear for uncut posted:That's pretty much what always happens if earlier posts about my appraisal are to be believed? Most of the time, yes. Part of the reason for the appraisal process is so an uninterested 3rd party can verify with their own eyes that the house 1) exists, 2) is what the listing says it is, and 3) isn't in poo poo condition. The other part of course is to make sure that the sale price is vaguely reasonable for the area. That portion should be checking comps in the area and making sure the price isn't too far out of line and then rubber stamping it. However, occasionally it will appraise low, especially right now with prices all over the map, and that starts a poo poo-fest between the buyer and seller because it impacts financing and whatnot. DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 14:03 on Jul 12, 2021 |
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Jul 12, 2021 14:00
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DaveSauce posted:Most of the time, yes.
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Jul 12, 2021 14:21
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QuarkJets posted:20 kW is probably just too much capacity, but if you're at higher latitude, powering a big house with all electric appliances and heat, and have a plug in vehicle? Yeah, that may be a reasonable amount Bay Area, gas heat and water. The seller shared his last three utility bills in the disclosure and he's negative $300-$400 per month. Which would be great if you got a check from the utility for the difference. But the negative balance can only be used to offset future use and is paid out at 3¢/kwh of excess at the end of the year true-up.
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Jul 12, 2021 14:36
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laxbro posted:Tiny HOAs, especially over/under units, seem like a total nightmare for long term ownership. Maybe you can buy out your neighbor if they ever want to move and then combine the units or rent it out? Not saying they're good or not, but this type of HOA is extremely common in my area (Boston). I've been having a good experience, but another goon in the same area is having a hard time with the other owners in their HOA. It definitely depends on how well the interests of both units are aligned.
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Jul 12, 2021 14:44
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spf3million posted:Bay Area, gas heat and water. The seller shared his last three utility bills in the disclosure and he's negative $300-$400 per month. Which would be great if you got a check from the utility for the difference. But the negative balance can only be used to offset future use and is paid out at 3¢/kwh of excess at the end of the year true-up. That person got scammed by solar city plain and simple. The idea of a 3% escalator on a leased system is insane. That sized system is also nuts for the house size. Of course they won't let you buy it out.
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Jul 12, 2021 15:16
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H110Hawk posted:That person got scammed by solar city plain and simple. The idea of a 3% escalator on a leased system is insane. That sized system is also nuts for the house size. Of course they won't let you buy it out. That was my take. We have no choice but to reduce our offer since we have to budget in the monthly lease. Yeah the "free" electric would offset it a little but it's still hundreds more per month than if they just got rid of it. The other option is to have the seller take the system with him. There's a clause in the lease for that should the seller choose to use it.
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Jul 12, 2021 15:35
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We hit our first snag with the sale of our house. The earnest money was supposed to be released to us almost immediately, within 2 days. The buyers were supposed to send the money by wire transfer or cashiers check. Somehow the escrow company and their dumbass agent let them submit a personal check which has a mandatory 10 day hold before it can be released to us. Odd how when we bought our house, they specifically told us cashiers check or wire transfer only. How hard is it to just do your job and stick to a contract?
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Jul 12, 2021 17:32
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Glumwheels posted:How hard is it to just do your job and stick to a contract? [every single person involved in the homebuying process, in unison] It's really hard actually
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Jul 12, 2021 17:34
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The Slack Lagoon posted:Not saying they're good or not, but this type of HOA is extremely common in my area (Boston). I've been having a good experience, but another goon in the same area is having a hard time with the other owners in their HOA. It definitely depends on how well the interests of both units are aligned. Yeah. I'm in a 3-person hoa and we made sure to talk to the other unit owners before buying. We had overlap with one difficult person that was selling and I am super grateful that was short-lived.
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Jul 12, 2021 17:49
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Glumwheels posted:You have to read the CCRs and your agent can and should provide those before you put an offer on a place. Then you’ll have to just search for anything related to A/C or ask whoever manages the association. The problem is CCRs are written horribly and are difficult to follow often they need to be read by a lawyer to verify anything. Then there’s also federal and state laws that supersede bullshit CCRs like satellite dishes. The FCC states you are allowed to install one if you own the roof, walls, and land underneath the townhome (this excluded condos). Back around ~2013 my friend lived in a new construction apartment in a large six story building, and it was utterly miserable. He had to buy a large portable AC unit and run it 24/7 for most of the year to keep the place livable. No idea how much that cost him in energy bills. My dad purchased a high end (~$1.5M) condo in an older building of similar size. No AC. Thought he'd be fine. Then he got AC installed within a few weeks of the start of his first summer there. People love to talk about how there's no need for AC if you live in the Seattle area, but in my experience this is bullshit unless you sleep in the bottom floor of a split level single family house or a similarly cooling advantaged situation. Thankfully that describes my living situation while growing up here, at least. Kefit fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Jul 12, 2021 |
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Jul 12, 2021 17:53
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Kefit posted:Back around ~2013 my friend lived in a new construction apartment in a large six story building, and it was utterly miserable. He had to buy a large portable AC unit and run it 24/7 for most of the year to keep the place livable. No idea how much that cost him in energy bills. It also depends a lot on where you live. If you're right on a lake, or a bay, or a river etc. you can get away a lot easier. I have friends in the Puget Sound area who got off pretty easily during the heat dome because of their specific situation with regards to nearby bodies of water and their cooling effect. They also basically live in the woods, which helps a lot too. No AC, and they were fine. Meanwhile if you're a few dozen miles inland and are surrounded by concrete? 
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Jul 12, 2021 18:43
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Glumwheels posted:We hit our first snag with the sale of our house. The earnest money was supposed to be released to us almost immediately, within 2 days. The buyers were supposed to send the money by wire transfer or cashiers check. Somehow the escrow company and their dumbass agent let them submit a personal check which has a mandatory 10 day hold before it can be released to us. I've sold exactly one house so maybe I'm odd here but... my title/escrow company held the earnest money the entire time and it was just another line item on the final closing documents. If the sale isn't completely final, seems like there would still be reason for them to hold that money in case there's a valid out for the buyer? Used the same title company on buying the new place and they gladly accepted ACH instead of a wire for the earnest money, so  maybe it's just how some of them do and not all of them.
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Jul 12, 2021 19:56
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IOwnCalculus posted:I've sold exactly one house so maybe I'm odd here but... my title/escrow company held the earnest money the entire time and it was just another line item on the final closing documents. If the sale isn't completely final, seems like there would still be reason for them to hold that money in case there's a valid out for the buyer? One of the offers we got when we sold our townhouse had a term where the earnest money would become ours after the completion of the inspection period rather than at close.
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Jul 12, 2021 20:30
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In WA because the market is ridiculous, buyers typically provide 5-6% in earnest money immediately once under contract. Within 2 days after the contract is signed.
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Jul 12, 2021 21:50
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^that still seems pretty odd even in a hot market. unless there is no contingencies, cash offer, etc. IOwnCalculus posted:I've sold exactly one house so maybe I'm odd here but... my title/escrow company held the earnest money the entire time and it was just another line item on the final closing documents. If the sale isn't completely final, seems like there would still be reason for them to hold that money in case there's a valid out for the buyer? Agree that it is a bit odd this early. It can be immediate, after inspection, after title, after HOA doc review, after financial, etc. If the OP was supposed to get it immediately that is pretty sweet for him. He has no cares now if they back out. I have always used a check for earnest as well. Also doesn't really matter when the EM "goes to the buyer" as it is part of your down payment either way as long as you close. Once you go past the EM date and it is released no getting it back if you bail though obviously. spwrozek fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Jul 12, 2021 |
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Jul 12, 2021 21:51
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spwrozek posted:Agree that it is a bit odd this early. It can be immediate, after inspection, after title, after HOA doc review, after financial, etc. If the OP was supposed to get it immediately that is pretty sweet for him. He has no cares now if they back out. It's typically held in escrow until closing here. That seems to be the sanest way to do things, but exceptions happen on longer closes, etc.
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Jul 12, 2021 21:56
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Motronic posted:It's typically held in escrow until closing here. That seems to be the sanest way to do things, but exceptions happen on longer closes, etc. Definitely makes the most sense. It is how it has always worked for me as well.
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Jul 12, 2021 22:00
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Sorry for the stupid question, but hey, everyone here is so deeply stupid, couldn't hurt. My mortgage statement, three months in, has an escrow balance. I thought all of the escrow monies went to the seller, realtors, etc., but there is a low-four-figure balance still chilling there. What's that for? Is it some remainder of closing costs I didn't pay, or money being held by the lender in case I default, or...?
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Jul 12, 2021 23:39
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Maggie Fletcher posted:Sorry for the stupid question, but hey, everyone here is so deeply stupid, couldn't hurt. My mortgage statement, three months in, has an escrow balance. I thought all of the escrow monies went to the seller, realtors, etc., but there is a low-four-figure balance still chilling there. What's that for? Is it some remainder of closing costs I didn't pay, or money being held by the lender in case I default, or...? Isn't it mostly taxes being held for tax time? Usually depending on the date you close you contribute some amount to your escrow at closing and the seller contributes a bit too, if I remember right. For taxes.
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Jul 12, 2021 23:46
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That's the escrow account for your mortgage - pays things like property taxes, homeowner's insurance, etc. The mortgages I've had with PMI also treat it as an every-month transaction into and out of escrow.
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Jul 12, 2021 23:47
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