Quote :

"Hey CarZin, how are your solar panels working out? Would you recommend them? My power bill was $500 last month and has never been lower than $350. "

Yes and No. last year, it would be a hell yes. But with the state tax credit gone (assuming you live in North Carolina), it would be a difficult sell. I don't understand why your energy bills are so high. What's the deal?

3/4/2016 3:08:15 PM

If your problem is rates and not consumption, then you'd be an excellent candidate for solar. If it is consumption, I think you would be better to look at energy efficiency inside the home.

3/4/2016 3:34:44 PM

Just looked, we pay ~$.13/KWH to Wake Electric in Wake Forest. I think we use a lot of electricity heating water. The water heater is in the attic off the 3rd floor and the kitchen sink is piped as far from it as possible. Well & septic both have electric pumps too.

3/5/2016 7:14:29 PM

Just paid $500 to re-screen the porch that is two years old, but the first guys that did it were cousins of the builder or something and did an awful job. I re-splined a couple of panels once, but they are huge and a pain.

On balance, the same day we got the appraisal for our annual re-fi back and over the two years the nutball appraiser thinks the house is worth $90,000 more than we paid so win some loose some I guess.

3/5/2016 7:52:55 PM

Quote :

"Just looked, we pay ~$.13/KWH to Wake Electric in Wake Forest. I think we use a lot of electricity heating water. The water heater is in the attic off the 3rd floor and the kitchen sink is piped as far from it as possible. Well & septic both have electric pumps too."

you should start by obtaining a better understanding of what is causing your high energy usage - family of 4 with my wife staying at home with the kids and we average under 1200kWh (our spikes are still well under your lowest) in a ~3500sqft house built in 1973 - on top of that i averaged 250kWh per month for my car alone

i'm guessing you make bigger gains by stopping whatever is causing your high usage prior to investing in solar solutions

3/5/2016 10:32:22 PM

^Sounds like it, thanks for the input. Anybody gone through this before? Any referrals in the Raleigh area?

3/6/2016 10:46:45 AM

I'm not in raleigh, but I had really high bills when we first moved into our house, and had a home energy audit done which identified a bunch of areas of energy loss.

Over the last three years, I replaced all of the weatherstripping on windows and doors, replaced two older heat pumps for newer 16SEER units, replaced a gas furnace with a 98%eff model, removed our 65gal water heater from the attic and had a gas tankless installed in a conditioned garage, added solar window film to all south windows, and encapsulated the crawlspace.

Our electricity and gas bills have dropped about ~30% on average. Our peak winter electricity usage went from $575 three years ago to $349 this year with similar average temps in different peak months. Our gas bill was about $150 during the winter 3 years ago, and peaked at $75ish this year.

still to-do: we have a number of wooden double pane windows that are drafty even with new weather stripping and i plan to replace them with triple plane composite windows at some point. our roof doesn't have ridge vents, and when i replace the roof in a couple of years, adding ridge vents should see noticeable benefit in keeping the house cooler in the summer.

3/7/2016 9:46:13 AM

Just curious, how much is a home energy audit?

3/7/2016 2:40:03 PM

I think i paid like $299, and that included some actual work beyond just the audit (some of the weather stripping, some foam sealing in the crawl, and insulation on all of the outlets and switches on exterior walls.

3/7/2016 3:32:27 PM

I just moved into a new house, and my power bill was $320 for a 2800sqft house last month. I am going through a similar process to identify what needs to be addressed. I have already replaced the hot water heater because the bottom element was covered with sediment and the unit was old as hell. I also replaced all insulation around my doors. When I had a fire lit, I went around all the doors and windows to see where leaks were and was pleasantly surprised that there were not many leaks. My attic has a floor in the majority of it, but I am planning on adding insulation in the unfloored section. The insulation in my crawlspace is a joke, and I may replace that as well. I also changed out the thermostats to programmable units.

In my old house, I had winter power bills of $150 and summer bills of $190 in a 1600 sqft home. I changed out the door insulation strips and checked the windows for leaks, but the biggest difference was putting an additional layer of insulation in the attic. For about $500, I cut $50 off my monthly bill. I also made sure that the attic ventilation fan was running (I had to replace it twice in 10 years, and both were free I called in to the company for a warranty claim and they replaced it no questions asked even without a receipt).

In both houses I closed the vents to the crawlspace, but who knows if that saves anything. It certainly doesn't hurt because the termite inspections have never reported elevated moisture content in the wood.

3/7/2016 4:46:40 PM

Replace ALL of your bulbs with LED's

3/7/2016 9:49:16 PM

I did that as well, when I put in all new light fixtures at the new house, everything has LED bulbs now.

3/8/2016 9:29:23 AM

Accepted an offer on the house this afternoon gonna have to vacate earlier than expected time to figure out where I can live for a month or so that doesn't cost a boatload.

3/8/2016 3:42:16 PM

I have a room you can rent for half a boatload

3/8/2016 5:05:29 PM

It would be easy if it was just me, gotta find a place that will also take the wife, kid, dog, and cat haha

3/9/2016 9:25:34 AM

How do I determine if our current gas, tankless water heater can handle an extra 800 sq/ft (or basically...just an extra bathroom)?

In the last meeting with our contractor we were going over a budget and they mentioned getting a 2nd unit. I went outside to look at our model number and to check online and see if there were any set parameters on what our unit could handle. Didn't find anything concrete. We don't really have any issues with our current set-up. Sometimes if one person is taking a shower downstairs, the pressure on the upstairs shower will go down a little...but not to the point where you can't take a decent shower and the temperature never goes down. I've never tried running a dishwasher, W/D, and both showers at the same time...but I know I've taken a shower with at least the washing machine on and never had any issues (we usually run the dishwasher before we head to bed).

I feel like our current unit should be fine...but I honestly have no knowledge on this subject.

3/9/2016 9:35:49 AM

I'd imagine you'd be fine; I don't think that's normally a code thing either. But a respectable plumber should give you an answer over the phone.

3/9/2016 11:44:22 AM

Went by the new house to burn some time and they had already framed in the third floor. It was nice to finally be able to visualize it rather than just being a big open space.

3/10/2016 8:15:36 AM

So we are looking for a new house and I came across this gem and I have to share it somewhere because it is so incredible.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/315-Oak-Glen-Dr-San-Antonio-TX-78209/26293283_zpid/?view=public

It is like going back in time to my grandparents house, part of me wants to buy it completely furnished as is and smoke cigarettes and drink scotch in a robe while my wife cooks in high heels and an apron.

3/18/2016 10:23:51 AM

i would buy tf out of that house, re-furnish it (still period appropriate, just a little different), change the floors and a few fixtures and be good to go for a bit.

[Edited on March 18, 2016 at 10:56 AM. Reason : ]

3/18/2016 10:44:02 AM

It is way overpriced. I think it is suffering from delusions of long term home owners who think their house is worth more than it is. It would be a fair price in that neighborhood if it was remodeled (especially that kitchen but the floors and other minor things as well).

3/18/2016 11:07:52 AM

Gotcha. I don't know real estate prices in San Antonio or anything about the specific location. I was just basing it on the pictures. Lots of potential. Texas does seem to have a lot of decent MCM ranches though.

The fun in that kind of house to me is actually being in charge of the remodeling. There is a lot of original stuff that is cool in that house. So keeping the spirit of the original while updating it would be fun. But of course the price would need to be depressed enough for the remodeling costs to make sense.

[Edited on March 18, 2016 at 11:12 AM. Reason : ]

3/18/2016 11:10:41 AM

I totally agree, I would love to have it but the price would need to be closer to $275 at the high end. We tried to get an old house similar but more updated but lost out. The market is stupid down here right now, we are about to offer above asking on a house near the one I posted above.

3/18/2016 11:20:17 AM

I'm in Dallas these day btw. So I don't know the San Antonio market but I do understand house prices have risen pretty dramatically in Texas. Hopefully you're happy with the one you end up with though. Renting instead of owning here which is a change from the past 6 years.

3/18/2016 1:19:52 PM

Got a 15k quote to clear trees on the lake property we are under contract on... time for me to learn how to cut down some shit

3/23/2016 11:09:52 AM

famous last words

3/23/2016 8:38:39 PM

^^ you're going to need some a lot of help.

[Edited on March 23, 2016 at 10:10 PM. Reason : like a pickup truck bed full of manual labor ]

3/23/2016 10:09:47 PM

Have dooky water seeping in my yard. It cost 8-10k to hook on city sewer. PWNT.

3/23/2016 10:29:54 PM

I have time. I am not going to be cutting down many of the big trees. really 8 inches and smaller. My goal is to declutter the yard and focus the arborist on the real work. I think the smaller work is overinflating the estimates.

3/24/2016 2:37:33 PM

Quote :

"Have dooky water seeping in my yard. It cost 8-10k to hook on city sewer. PWNT."

Why not just repair your septic? what is the cause?

3/24/2016 4:30:27 PM

Today is DD day on my house and they still haven't sent over the appraisal. Pretty shitty to wait until the last day but as long as its fine we are good but if there are any surprises its gonna be a big problem.

3/28/2016 8:52:59 AM

Where's the cheapest place to get rocks like this around Raleigh (assuming not big box stores...)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-0-5-cu-ft-Pond-Pebbles-54249V/100550970

Color etc doesn't matter...just need to level up the place where my trash cans go

3/28/2016 10:44:03 AM

Quote :

"Today is DD day on my house and they still haven't sent over the appraisal. Pretty shitty to wait until the last day but as long as its fine we are good but if there are any surprises its gonna be a big problem."

Are you the buyer? I agree with you that it is probably fine but your agent should try to get it extended if possible. (that is a long shot but it does not hurt to ask)

The whole appraisal process is a complete clusterfuck. Since the recession they have added multiple layers of bureaucracy to avoid fraud, but in most cases it is just slowing everything down. The appraisal has to be ordered through an impartial "appraisal management company" who may or may not be on top of things and has no interest in keeping the transaction moving.

3/28/2016 10:49:59 AM

I am the seller in this case luckily it came through this morning and was ok but giving me stress that wasnt needed over the long weekend wasnt exactly nice of them.

3/28/2016 11:42:51 AM

^^^ answered my own q about the stones. By the bag, from Home Depot, it would come to $285 for a cubic yard. Mulch Masters sells stones for $35-$45/yard

3/28/2016 11:51:46 AM

^or, go to the quarry and pay <$15/yard

[Edited on March 28, 2016 at 3:10 PM. Reason : .]

3/28/2016 3:10:14 PM

Just let it be known that I hate HOA's.

Well, mainly the management company that my HOA has contracted with.

Villages of Tryon..via Talis management.

3/31/2016 7:52:27 PM

we have Talis as well....care to elaborate?

3/31/2016 7:56:15 PM

It's a townhome community.

Most of the townhomes here are 2 bedroom and are allocated 2 parking spots. My place is 3 bedroom, thus three people live here, 3 cars...thats fine no biggie.

If both spots are taken we will park in visitor spots since they are rarely used anyways or we used to park down the street at the end of the drive.

Somehow, I'm not sure if it is the neighbors or someone at Talis has said that parking in a visitor spot isn't allowed and will result in being towed. I've gotten 3 notices about it. Who the hell cares?

Thats not all...because there are 3 people here they also sent a letter saying they need the lease agreement of those residents or their car/plate information. I refuse to give that information since it's my home, they can mind their own damn business about who stays here...so they've sent a letter asking for that...

Then they claim it's in the community rules where they have to have that info...
their website has no link to the rules anywhere on it, the one link that MAY have had some info has been down since 2014.

We also have a website where work orders are places, documents, schedules, Board of Directors minutes etc etc.

That website also has not been updated since 2014. I asked them to fix it and they said they weren't going to argue with me about the website...uhhh...thats your JOB.

Finally, a month ago i put in a work order that the mulch in my yard has turned to dirt and is being washed away because they have failed to clean the gutters...i have yet, a month later, to hear anything or even see a landscaper show up to address it.

At the next Board of Directors meeting I'm putting in a motion to find another company.

They're horrible and obviously don't do anything.

3/31/2016 8:23:41 PM

I'd ignore anything they send via mail until they sent it certified.

3/31/2016 8:49:29 PM

My plan is to update the paint, floors, etc in it and either a.) purchase a fixer upper and move into it while keeping the townhouse and renting it or b.) sell it and buy a house without HOA.

3/31/2016 11:16:46 PM

I got the final closing disclosures today for my closing on Tuesday and there's a bunch of mistakes on them. My realtor said that it's pretty common to have errors, but this is starting to get ridiculous. If it hadn't been for my awful experiences over the last year with a shitty property management company, I'd almost rather rent the rest of my life than to deal with the whole process of buying.

4/1/2016 10:10:09 AM

My HOA fired Talis at the beginning of the year because they were so terrible. Good luck, sir.

4/1/2016 2:07:52 PM

Talis is the HOA where I live as well (I rent though). Not sure if it's actually Talis that I don't like or the local HOA nazi that lives across the street from me. Probably both

4/1/2016 3:38:16 PM

I hate a damn stink bug. The fuckers have been getting into my house at the rate of a couple per day for the last 2 weeks. And you can't kill them, or you'll release the stink, so it's a matter of persuading them onto a piece of paper or into a cup to be removed back to the outside world.

Hopefully once the weather gets warm and stay there, they'll no longer have the need to invade my home.

Quote :

"Today is DD day on my house and they still haven't sent over the appraisal. Pretty shitty to wait until the last day but as long as its fine we are good but if there are any surprises its gonna be a big problem."

Our appraisal process was the very definition of "big problem". First appraisal came in right in line with asking price, then a few days later the bank said it wasn't valid (comps not actually comparable) and threw it out and ordered another one. Which it took the damn company almost 3 weeks to send out another appraiser, who appraised it for $34k less than the first one, sending our negotiations back to square one. The closing ended up being almost a month later than originally scheduled--what a mess.

4/2/2016 1:47:42 AM

^ Spray the stink bugs with 90% isopropyl alcohol, it'll kill em dead and they won't stink.

4/2/2016 11:17:57 AM

I'll have to give that a try. Thanks for the tip.

4/2/2016 5:50:23 PM

Quote :

"Our appraisal process was the very definition of "big problem". First appraisal came in right in line with asking price, then a few days later the bank said it wasn't valid (comps not actually comparable) and threw it out and ordered another one. Which it took the damn company almost 3 weeks to send out another appraiser, who appraised it for $34k less than the first one, sending our negotiations back to square one. The closing ended up being almost a month later than originally scheduled--what a mess."

Man that sucks I sure hope that doesn't happen with mine! I am about 2.5 weeks out at this point and would be super pissed because all the fixes I am making are based on the amount they agreed to pay. If it came in any lower I would start going to sold as is territory. If they changed it up after I fixed the stuff I would be pissed.

4/4/2016 8:26:53 AM

Does anyone have a recommendation for someone in the Raleigh area to network an existing home? I don't need them to set up a network - just run the cables throughout. I have fiber running to my house but there isn't anything running to the various rooms and my wifi isn't doing the trick.

4/4/2016 2:55:30 PM

Quote :

"I hate a damn stink bug. The fuckers have been getting into my house at the rate of a couple per day for the last 2 weeks. And you can't kill them, or you'll release the stink, so it's a matter of persuading them onto a piece of paper or into a cup to be removed back to the outside world. "

ahhh welcome to Richmond!

Never really saw many stinkbugs in NC, but after moving up here, they're a goddamn biblical plague once a year.

4/4/2016 6:29:33 PM