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Spent a good 20 minutes of my Saturday listening to two buddies preach the beauty of zoysia to each other, so it’s safe to say I’m officially in that home owner lifestyle.
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Sep 20, 2021 15:54
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H110Hawk posted:Lead. So much lead. So much fine particulate. Potentially a lot or a little of asbestos.    Hopefully my laziness and extreme desire to NOT breathe that stuff in means I dodged enough of it to not show up later in life 
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Sep 20, 2021 16:01
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I just got my loan commitment letter for a unit in a coop I'm trying to buy and I'm so confused by their insurance requirements. I'm hoping someone in this thread can help me. Here is what the commitment letter says: "Provide homeowners insurance declarations with sufficient coverage reflecting correct mortgagee clause and proof of premium payment" and "HO-6 coverage is required" Going back to my disclosure it states: quote:Homeowner/Fire Insurance: We will not require any borrower, as a condition of receiving or maintaining a loan secured by real property, to provide homeowner/fire insurance coverage against risks to the improvements on that real property in an amount exceeding the lesser of the replacement value of the improvements on the property or the loan amount. If you fail to maintain or provide evidence of the required insurance, the Lender may purchase insurance at your expense to protect the Lender's interest in the property; such insurance may or may not protect your interests. The Lender will bill you for the cost of premiums and fees incurred in purchasing such insurance. Insurance obtained by the Lender may be more expensive than, and may not provide the same coverage as, insurance you could obtain on your own. Any amounts paid by the Lender will become an additional obligation secured under your loan. You may cancel insurance purchased by the Lender, but only after providing it with evidence that you have obtained insurance coverage in the amounts and types required in your agreement with the Lender. The PITIA as calculated by the lender implies that the ceiling for insurance should be $25. I shopped around and there seem to be some policies that cover the entire "reconstruction" cost of the unit, but those are minimum $40/month. There are other plans that cover "home replacement" but are for much smaller amounts (say around $7k) and cost about $20/month. Is that sufficient? How do I know? I wrote the lender and the response was annoyingly vague ("You should consult your disclosure documents for more information.")
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Sep 20, 2021 20:16
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Rosalind posted:I just got my loan commitment letter for a unit in a coop I'm trying to buy and I'm so confused by their insurance requirements. I'm hoping someone in this thread can help me. Here is what the commitment letter says: Ho-6 is what you need, you need to shop that. Call your current renters insurance company and ask them to quote it. Your lender already told you what you need. Their job is done. If you don't have renters insurance, call your car insurance, or get a insurance broker to shop it for you.
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Sep 20, 2021 20:37
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H110Hawk posted:Ho-6 is what you need, you need to shop that. Call your current renters insurance company and ask them to quote it. Your lender already told you what you need. Their job is done. I've never purchased insurance in my life (don't own a car; never got renter's insurance). I guess I'll find a broker then.
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Sep 20, 2021 20:57
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I have to spend a decent chunk to repair/replace gas plumbing under my house. How do normal people pay for stuff like this? I don't have thousands sitting around.
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Sep 20, 2021 20:57
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Rosalind posted:I've never purchased insurance in my life (don't own a car; never got renter's insurance). I guess I'll find a broker then. Gotcha. If this deal falls through for any reason get renters insurance. Hell I would argue that you should get it regardless. You can also try one or two of the big places like state farm or amica or farmers. Their coverage might not be the cheapest but if you're short on time it will definitely get you in the door. Just tell them you're a rookie at this, need help figuring out what you need, but you know from Google that you want "actual replacement value" coverage for your stuff. Do not let yourself get a "acv" or "actual cash value" policy. Do not let the mortgage company place insurance for you, it will be hot garbage. Like, it won't cover your contents (think about your clothes, furniture, etc.) from peril. Or it will have some state minimum that won't actually pay you anything.
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Sep 20, 2021 21:10
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Jaxyon posted:I have to spend a decent chunk to repair/replace gas plumbing under my house. Most home owners have thousands sitting around Most contracting outfits these days also offer financing for their services. I've been offered it for pest control, roofing, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and foundation work. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 21:14 on Sep 20, 2021 |
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Sep 20, 2021 21:11
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Jaxyon posted:How do normal people pay for stuff like this? I don't have thousands sitting around. Part of home ownership is having an emergency fund, with ideally more than a few thousand in it, to pay for things like this. Houses break, a lot, and part of the cost of ownership is having savings enough to make needed repairs as they happen. Generally you should assume that you will spend 1% of your home's value just in maintenance every year. Some years will be higher, some lower, but there's always something looming that will need to be done at the most inconvenient time. If you're not already saving for the next unknown surprise, you're going to get yourself in real deep trouble. I get that life gets in the way, but if you can't afford thousands for a home repair then you should seriously reconsider home ownership. Lots of places offer financing for services these days. HELOC is less desirable, but a possibility. Dipping in to retirement accounts is an option, but even less desirable. Credit cards are a last resort. But honestly cash should be your first option, and you should have some readily available for situations like this. Please revisit your budget and maybe hit up the BFC newbies thread if you need help planning for home repairs, or else you'll be in same exact situation within 5 years, I guarantee it. DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Sep 20, 2021 |
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Sep 20, 2021 21:33
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Your state might have low cost financing available for home repairs - I got $30k to replace some knob & tube that I was not expecting to have to do a couple of months after we purchased...
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Sep 20, 2021 21:44
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Rosalind posted:I've never purchased insurance in my life (don't own a car; never got renter's insurance). I guess I'll find a broker then. The amount they put on your loan estimate for insurance cost is what they think it might cost, not any kind of limit. You need the greater of replacement cost or your loan amount in coverage. You should also get liability and contents coverage.
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Sep 21, 2021 01:23
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And to put a finer point on it - you're likely spending $500-1000/year on coverage. I don't know how condo vs detached sfh differs in cost, in theory condo should be cheaper but I have no idea.
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Sep 21, 2021 01:32
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therobit posted:You need the greater of replacement cost or your loan amount in coverage. Isn't it the lesser of the two, or at least as far as your lender is concerned?
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Sep 21, 2021 02:25
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gwrtheyrn posted:Isn't it the lesser of the two, or at least as far as your lender is concerned? Yes, but if I were buying in a condo or a co-op, I would want to be able to walk away if there was a total loss. If he only has replacement cost and his loan is more than that, he’s tied up while it’s being rebuilt and then has to sell it if he wants out. Assuming the loss isn’t something that lowers the value of even the brand new limits. Also the standard HO6 policy is going to put it how it was when constructed, usually not covering upgrades you have done.
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Sep 21, 2021 02:49
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Welp, met with a notary and signed a stack of papers about 2" high (literally) and just got notified that our down payment wire went through OK, so as of Wednesday afternoon I'll officially have a home in this SA thread. I really hope my cats like it--that's my main concern right now :-)
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Sep 21, 2021 03:03
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therobit posted:Yes, but if I were buying in a condo or a co-op, I would want to be able to walk away if there was a total loss. If he only has replacement cost and his loan is more than that, he’s tied up while it’s being rebuilt and then has to sell it if he wants out. Assuming the loss isn’t something that lowers the value of even the brand new limits. Also the standard HO6 policy is going to put it how it was when constructed, usually not covering upgrades you have done. Your insurance isn't going to pay out for more than it costs to rebuild it regardless of how much coverage you buy. It helps for things like upgrades you've done, but not paying off your mortgage.
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Sep 21, 2021 03:04
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Cyrano4747 posted:Does anyone have advice on shopping for ovens? Avoid stainless steel if you can - I know, it's tough, but it's a fingerprint magnet. GE makes 'em in slate gray, and these things simply do NOT do fingerprints. They just don't. Only on the handles - which are stainless steel, no way around that. Other brands have a few slate lines as well. Our brand new GE stove required two warranty service visits for noncritical issues in its first year of life: one burner was kicking out WAY too much gas, which was ironic because it was the super crazy power burner. The factory initially sent out the wrong type, the service tech had to call them and set them right. The other issue was that the touch screen control was activating on its own if you opened the door while the oven was at temperature. This was replaced by the tech. GE also sent us another touch screen, so if anyone wants it, up for grabs. Other than those, the stove has been wonderful. Gets and stays very hot. We have a double-oven model - one regular oven chamber, another with convection. We did this to replace a toaster oven. It's no toaster oven, but it does toaster oven stuff very well and it's worth thinking about if you want to not have a toaster oven taking up space. Never tried getting it up past 500ish but I'll try later if I remember to do so. Do not buy Samsung. They die hard and fast, and their in-warranty service is awful. My in-laws had a Samsung stove which just stopped responding to stove commands after I think 4 years. They've had an LG for the last 6, it's been good so far. My friend's Samsung had issues with multiple LP conversion kits, and after the second one they installed under warranty failed, they just opted to not replace it until he fought tooth and nail. Took some effort to get a refund. Changing topics a bit: non-escrower question. Do you normally just put your money into a savings account, or do you invest it to see if you're able to do something with the money? I'm leaning towards savings account, don't want to suddenly not have what I owe. MJP fucked around with this message at 14:37 on Sep 21, 2021 |
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Sep 21, 2021 14:16
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Things that are for payments like insurance or property tax should just go into either a CoD or savings account. If you have more than that, then look at the Long Term Investment thread.
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Sep 21, 2021 19:03
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I bought this to replace the existing kerf weatherstipping in my front door: https://www.homedepot.com/p/M-D-Building-Products-Platinum-1-in-x-81-in-Brown-Door-Weatherstrip-Replacement-43347/311533184 Turns out it's too thick and my door no longer closes when it's installed. (I also was dumb and only ordered one piece instead of the three I'd need for the whole door, but that worked out in my favor) I managed to put the old stripping back in while I figure out what to get instead. I didn't figure out what the measurement is to say how thick it is when compressed. Do I need to go to the store and just look at a few and figure one looks about right?
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Sep 23, 2021 17:13
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I didnt have escrow at my old house and I always just put my property tax/ insurance into saving and paid the property tax straight cash twice a year since my country charged extra for anything else other than that or escrow deposits. Some banks could do a straight transfer for free but mine couldn't for whatever reason in my county.
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Sep 23, 2021 18:09
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~fin~ I know I've posted "finished" pictures, but we got the furniture in a few days ago and fuckin nailed it. I feel like it's proportional to the space, and the gray matches the ceiling fan better than I expected, so happy days indeed. Still need to get some string lights set up for over the deck, but that'll probably be a next year thing since I'll need to install a post at that far corner by the grill. Thinking of doing a concrete-in-planter thing, since there's a ton of utility lines that go through that area. Mostly depreciated telecom, though, so I dunno. Might play around with the arrangement, too. The couch is in the optimal place as far as sitting goes, but it closes the space off a bit... not nearly as bad as it looks, though. Have a 48" acacia table/chair set I gotta get back out on the deck, but about the only place it could go will block the "walkway" from the screen door to the steps. And I might rotate the grill to go along the far rail by the steps... we'll use it for a bit and see. But feels really goddamn good to not just have it finished, but also usable. Bonus fuzz-butt appreciating the rail at just the right height:  edit: Also, local fauna seem to approve as well:  wabbit season DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 01:48 on Sep 25, 2021 |
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Sep 25, 2021 01:25
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DaveSauce posted:~fin~ 10/10 would still drink beer on that porch but now only when featuring the dog which I imagine will require head scritches. Really nice job.
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Sep 25, 2021 03:14
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We're moving from a 1100 square foot house into a 3600 finished square foot house. We have a small furniture budget and the house is going to look really empty for a while until we fill it. Any advice on how to do this cheaply? The first thing we want to buy and have that is nice, is a couch. Not too nice, but not complete garbage either. We're willing to spend maybe up to 2.5k on a couch. The rest though, we want to get cheaply if possible. Like a breakfast table, a lot more chairs, maybe a single bed.
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Sep 25, 2021 18:05
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redreader posted:We're moving from a 1100 square foot house into a 3600 finished square foot house. We have a small furniture budget and the house is going to look really empty for a while until we fill it. Any advice on how to do this cheaply? The first thing we want to buy and have that is nice, is a couch. Not too nice, but not complete garbage either. We're willing to spend maybe up to 2.5k on a couch. The rest though, we want to get cheaply if possible. Like a breakfast table, a lot more chairs, maybe a single bed. Serious chat: leave it empty unless there is something functional missing. It's OK for it to be sparse or empty until you figure out exactly what you want and filling it with cheap furniture for the sake of furniture won't help you out. Replace your couch because you need a new couch, not because the house is bigger. This takes the pressure off. I've been to plenty of friends houses where 50% of their square footage was literally empty. Over the years they have slowly filled it out with nice furniture. Honestly no one noticed and the kids loved it. They had what amounted to an indoor park.
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Sep 25, 2021 18:28
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H110Hawk posted:Serious chat: leave it empty unless there is something functional missing. It's OK for it to be sparse or empty until you figure out exactly what you want and filling it with cheap furniture for the sake of furniture won't help you out. This is the right advice. I was joking with my wife yesterday that we've been talking about adding a pair of chairs to a room for two years. Having that space empty doesn't bother me much, and I seriously regret the cheap couch we bought right after moving in. Homeownership often coincidences with the time of life without as many milestones, 2-5 years buying good quality well thought out furniture is nothing. It'll be done before you know it.
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Sep 25, 2021 18:38
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DaveSauce posted:wabbit season Goddamn, fantastic. Enjoy and thanks for posting!
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Sep 25, 2021 19:06
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We've been able to snag a ton of our furniture for free from Nextdoor and Buy Nothing (a Facebook group). Some of it's been pretty quality and it's enabled us to spend more of our household budget on upgrades. I think the only big thing we've bought since we moved in was a new bed frame and mattress.
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Sep 25, 2021 19:37
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NomNomNom posted:We've been able to snag a ton of our furniture for free from Nextdoor and Buy Nothing (a Facebook group). Some of it's been pretty quality and it's enabled us to spend more of our household budget on upgrades. I think the only big thing we've bought since we moved in was a new bed frame and mattress. Living in a big city with a bug problem, bedbugs have terrified me of going this route for most items. I have sadly been introduced to the problem once in my life and am willing to begrudgingly pay a huge premium to lessen the chance of ever having to deal with it again.
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Sep 25, 2021 20:09
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Inner Light posted:Living in a big city with a bug problem, bedbugs have terrified me of going this route for most items. I have sadly been introduced to the problem once in my life and am willing to begrudgingly pay a huge premium to lessen the chance of ever having to deal with it again. I also did and it changed me. The feeling that something was eating a piece of me every night gave me the willies.
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Sep 25, 2021 20:14
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Inner Light posted:Living in a big city with a bug problem, bedbugs have terrified me of going this route for most items. I have sadly been introduced to the problem once in my life and am willing to begrudgingly pay a huge premium to lessen the chance of ever having to deal with it again. I'm in this post and don't like it  But yeah bedbugs are the worst and I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy cause that would mean more bedbugs in the world. Estate sales I've been pretty comfortable with purchasing a few items from. Got a nice end table and a full Ethan Allen dining room table set 
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Sep 25, 2021 20:29
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And if you only get wood there is a much lower likelihood of bedbugs. Plus you can clean out wood much better.
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Sep 25, 2021 21:07
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redreader posted:We're moving from a 1100 square foot house into a 3600 finished square foot house. We have a small furniture budget and the house is going to look really empty for a while until we fill it. Any advice on how to do this cheaply? The first thing we want to buy and have that is nice, is a couch. Not too nice, but not complete garbage either. We're willing to spend maybe up to 2.5k on a couch. The rest though, we want to get cheaply if possible. Like a breakfast table, a lot more chairs, maybe a single bed. Echoing H110Hawk here. When we bought our first house years ago, it was an upgrade from an 1100sqft apartment to the 2800sqft house so we had a very similar problem. We left the formal living and dining areas empty (as we are very much not formal living/dining people) and rolled that way for the first couple of years as we talked about what to do and what our finances would allow. We wound up getting a pool table which was an excellent use of the space and made our place a must-attend party and gathering space. Don't put a rush on it, go cheap, or force yourself to get something until you're well and truly sure what you want there. Beef Of Ages fucked around with this message at 22:11 on Sep 25, 2021 |
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Sep 25, 2021 22:03
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Just got a quote to repair, tear out, reline, and bring our chimney up to code: $12000. Looks like another year watching the yule log on TV!
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Sep 25, 2021 22:07
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Insurrectum posted:Just got a quote to repair, tear out, reline, and bring our chimney up to code: $12000. Have you shopped around? What’s wrong with it?
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Sep 25, 2021 22:20
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Welp, took 5 hours (with a break for lunch), but got the bathroom exhaust fan replaced, along with all the duct. Also I did have to install a junction box for electrical, since the old wire wouldn't reach, but I expected that and had the parts ready. Half crouching around the attic isn't terribly fun. It's not quite tall enough for me to not worry about cracking my head. At least I started mid morning so it wasn't boiling up there. Did get pretty warm after lunch though. Only iffy part was the exterior vent damper flap was disconnected... Still vertical, but not connected to the hinges (edit: to be sure, it wasn't completely blocking the exhaust, only partially). I could see it, but couldn't reach it from the inside, so going to have to get someone to come by and do something because it's on the 2nd story roof. devicenull posted:Put a rigid 90 on there, and then just replace with insulated duct (and strap it up as necessary). Good thing I listened and put in new duct. As I was cleaning up, I was coiling up the old duct, and I ran in to a chunky spot. Turns out there was a LOT of leaves/debris in the old duct. Pretty sure there was no airflow going through... So in addition to fixing the damper flap, going to need to get some critter screen on there. DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Sep 25, 2021 |
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Sep 25, 2021 22:22
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If I've got a spot on our kitchen (hardwood) floors that gets really cold whenever the AC is turned on, that means I have a leak in the duct below it, right? It lines up with where the duct is in the basement, if I've eyeballed the spot vs where the bump out in the basement ceiling is. An HVAC guy should be able to scope it and verify, right?
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Sep 25, 2021 22:33
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therobit posted:Have you shopped around? What’s wrong with it? Yeah can’t you line it and use an insert rather then fix some ancient disaster? Unless it has an oven thing that would rock.
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Sep 25, 2021 22:42
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MrLogan posted:If I've got a spot on our kitchen (hardwood) floors that gets really cold whenever the AC is turned on, that means I have a leak in the duct below it, right? It lines up with where the duct is in the basement, if I've eyeballed the spot vs where the bump out in the basement ceiling is. I don't know if there's any magic solution even if they can verify it, other than taking up the floor. I'd love to be wrong, I stabbed one of my ducts with a drywall knife the other day while attempting to cut an access hole.
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Sep 25, 2021 23:24
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therobit posted:Have you shopped around? What’s wrong with it? I am going to shop around now that I've gotten the quote--it seems like they've thrown everything that might be done in the estimate. The chimney just has the normal issues with chimneys built 50+ years ago: offset clay tiles in the flue, some gaps/cracks in the tiles, height above roof doesn't match current code, some deteriorating mortar at the top of the chimney. They also want to tear out the old tiles, repoint the firebox and chimney top, parge the smoke chamber, and reline the water heater/furnace flue. Insurrectum fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Sep 25, 2021 |
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Sep 25, 2021 23:26
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It sounds pretty high. I would just leave the tiles in place, line the chimney, flash the top, and line the other chimney.
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Sep 26, 2021 00:27
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