This is my 1st post in Home Ownership Woes. It's been almost 2 years of no Woes until the other day.

Noticed a pool of water collecting at the bottom of my stairwell. After cleaning it up I determined it was coming from underneath the stairs. There is no access under the stairs so I investigated the best I could.

I noticed water damage on the a small area of wainscoting in the bathroom (which was hidden behind a small cabinet). Turns out that whatever asshat installed the wainscoating put 2 nails through my hot water line in the bathroom. My house was built 2 years ago and the nails have been somewhat plugging the holes since then. It wasn't until recently that the nail finally rusted enough so the water could start squirting and collecting. It looks like the water made it to the bottom of the stairs (15 feet away) through a small area behind the drywall. I won't know for sure until the drywall is torn out.

So far the cost is ~$850 ($500 for insurance deductable and $350 for the plumber). I'm trying to get the builder to pay for whatever the insurance company doesn't pay for. Haven't been able to get ahold them yet.

My 1 year "everything included" warranty expired a year ago. I only have the 10 year structural warranty left

[Edited on February 25, 2012 at 11:03 AM. Reason : yo]

2/25/2012 11:02:29 AM

I'm planning to refinance on my mortgage. Is there anything I can do to prepare for the appraisal?

2/25/2012 11:08:36 AM

^^ Same thing happened to a buddy of mine but it only took his leak a few weeks to happen.

2/25/2012 12:11:58 PM

Quote :

"So far the cost is ~$850 ($500 for insurance deductable and $350 for the plumber)."

you will likely regret calling your insurance company for this.

2/25/2012 12:45:11 PM

depends on what the total bill is to repair the stuff fucked up by the water...but yeah, i would never file a claim just to save $350.



at any rate, after 6 months of living in various hotels with all of my shit stored in (and some of it stolen out of) my truck and trailer (or in the case of my car, motorcycle, and waverunner, just sitting outside in the weather), it looks like I will finally be closing on my new house on Wednesday!

oh yeah, there's a woe: the closing costs on this mortage are fucking $14,068.50 on a $191.9k house. Now, $6332 is the VA funding fee, but that still seems awfully steep. Some of it is little shit like a $300 pest inspection. Another few thousand of it are taxes and legal requirements set by FL. Fortunately, the builder is covering all but $4613 of my VA funding fee, which I just had them roll into my loan (3.75% interest...hey, why not).

2/26/2012 11:32:54 PM

UGH

So apparently when I put down seed/fertilizer last fall/winter, there must have been something in the bag that has now spread this clover like weed all over my friggin yard. It looks worse now than when I started back in 08.

I've tried the weed-b-gone back in december or so with no real results, so I am not positive on what to do at this point.

I'm scheduled to spread some winter fertilizer with crabgrass control within a week or so (whenever I can find time), but I doubt that's going to help much.

Other than trying WBG again and just drowning the yard, are there any other effective weed killers that won't harm the little grass I have left?

I wish as a country we could start a movement to just get rid of the pointless huge grass yards and use them as gardens or something...lawn care is a huge money/time sink that is completely pointless.

2/27/2012 9:05:13 AM

Jesus fuck, how hard does it really need to be to get a mortgage? I have something like a 780-790 credit score and not a cent of debt except for a mortgage on my NC house, which I rent out for a profit. I have, like, a year's salary in cash and stocks (not counting retirement accounts, and not to mention assets like cars/motorcycle/boat).

...yet, here we are, 48 hours from closing, and I get this bigass list of dumbass demands from the mortgage underwriters. All kinds of shit about wanting copies of the court order establishing child support (like I would make up a huge financial obligation like that? I understand having to prove assets, but why are they doubting the liability that I disclosed? ...not to mention that my pay statement clearly says "$1007: SUPPORT GARNISHMENT". They're like "Tell us more about this $1007/month child support order." Then, further down the list, they're like "What is this $1007 support garnishment?"

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS, MOTHERFUCKER?

I think am going to tell them to get fucked on providing a copy of the court order. For one thing, it's stupid. For another, it's my fucking business. For yet another, it's packed up in the middle of my 28' trailer and I can't get to it, and I'm not wasting my time trying to get a copy of it from the clerk of court at the 11th hour.

THEN, on top of all that, they then say "...attached form states you do not have any children under the age of 7 that you incur childcare expenses for, but the application shows you have a 5-year old child. Please provide a detailed letter of explanation...as to how you do not pay any child care expenses for your child under the age of 7." Well, I don't know, plenty of people have kids who don't go to daycare, but regardless, what the fuck do you think all that child support pays for besides my ex's car payment and salon visits?



They want a copy of my orders from NC to FL...and then also want a statement of service from my commanding officer to prove that I am, in fact, in the military, and presumably to prove that I didn't counterfeit the military orders and pay statement. Never mind the fact that it would be pretty goddamn easy to write up a fake letter from my CO if I was willing and able to fake the other stuff, and never mind the fact that they have ordered a copy of my tax return transcripts from the last 2 years, which clearly show who my employer is.




....but maybe the dumbest thing of all is that they want a copy of the lease agreement for me renting out my other house, and they want the term to extend at least a year from the closing date of this mortgage. Well, unless you get someone to sign a lease longer than 1 year, or you happen to have them sign the lease ON your closing date, that's just impossible and they can kiss my ass on that one, too.

If these motherless fucks cause this closing to get delayed again due to this last-second halfwitted fuckery, I will shitcan them and have another company write the mortgage, even if I have to live in this goddamn hotel another 6 weeks while I wait.

[Edited on February 27, 2012 at 5:22 PM. Reason : My mortgage in early '09 was about a 100x less painful process]

2/27/2012 5:07:15 PM

I'm glad I got into my house while they were still letting any mouth breather with a pen sign-off on mortgage approvals .

2/27/2012 5:39:39 PM

^^ Although they asked for different things, I had a similar list to yours. And they would pull shit like that too, like re-ask for shit a day or two before the closing...or ask for additional shit. I was like, "you don't think you could have asked for this a month ago???"

My closing got pushed back several times for a grand total of two months.

Sorry to hear you're going through that. Good luck on the rest of it.

2/27/2012 6:43:13 PM

^^^damn, what bank is this?

2/28/2012 1:07:25 AM

ok, got a quote on replacing windows and thought i would run it by TWW to see how it compares to other quotes you might have had experience with..

we are replacing 13 downstairs windows with fairly economical double hung deals. Alside Excalibur http://www.alside.com/index.aspx?page=79 windows.

He quoted us a total of $4600 for the windows, installation, and to fix 4 or 5 rotten sills/trim around a few of the windows

How does that sound to you home improvement gurus?

[Edited on February 28, 2012 at 8:40 AM. Reason : ]

2/28/2012 8:39:51 AM

Mine were less, more like $125 per, but they were all non-operable and they just replaced the glass.

I think that's about right if you're talking about operable windows with sashes and whatnot.

2/28/2012 9:12:30 AM

yeah, the windows they are using are pretty awesome. the man stood on them and jumped to show how strong the glass is. (plus if the glass breaks they will replace it for free...) We are having a kid and the extra security is one of the reasons we want to get it done.

2/28/2012 10:30:12 AM

Anyone have any recommendations on absolute cheapest option to replace my hvac shit? Right now I have a outdoor piece and a handler in the attic that are dying (f'n 26 years old). I'm planning on moving within the next 2 years so I don't want to go dropping more than I need to on something that'll get me by.

2/28/2012 10:48:37 AM

bro, do you ever not look for a shortcut in life?

2/28/2012 10:56:01 AM

^^

2/28/2012 11:01:43 AM

damn Duke, we closed on our house last May and didnt have any sort of shit like that pop up. When I read your post it makes me feel like we had it a little too easy or something

2/28/2012 11:21:43 AM

^^^not really sure what the shortcut is. I'd pay for a much more efficient unit if i were planning on staying in the house for the long term. This first house has turned into a much bigger investment that I anticipated as I've learned a hell of a lot of things to look at in the future. If I can save $2k by getting something with a lower SEER rating (according to the tech that came out yesterday), its still a step up from what I have now. That's $2k more that can go to my wedding fund and future down payment on a house.

[Edited on February 28, 2012 at 11:24 AM. Reason : a]

2/28/2012 11:24:08 AM

Quote :

"I wish as a country we could start a movement to just get rid of the pointless huge grass yards and use them as gardens or something...lawn care is a huge money/time sink that is completely pointless."

There's no reason you can't do this to your yard. It's what we're slowly doing to our yard. It definitely looks better than the weed infested shit lawns most of our neighbors have.

2/28/2012 2:37:43 PM

Not a woe by any means, but we just finished our kitchen, check it out





Next up is the bathrooms and the front hall. We might turn this place into a decent house eventually.

2/28/2012 2:58:14 PM

doubt that stove is gonna be too efficient without a door

2/28/2012 6:18:07 PM

ok, just got another quote for windows... this was a little bit more... 5,050.00

We decided to go with them... we are getting Barrington double hung windows with solar e-somethingorother that blocks out virtually all of the heat from the sun.

2/28/2012 7:21:39 PM

signed a contract for my house. 120 days and I have a home.

2/28/2012 7:32:05 PM

^ Congrats. Closed on mine ~3.5 weeks ago.

2/28/2012 8:14:32 PM

^^^^Stove should be just fine. The oven is going to struggle tho

Kitchen looks great man, nice job!

2/29/2012 8:43:30 AM

You guys got it all twisted. Its not an oven... its obviously a heater.

2/29/2012 9:08:55 AM

Smath74

What was the name of the contractor you used? Are you in Raleigh? I need to replace mine as well and I don't even know where to start as far as who to call.

2/29/2012 12:14:45 PM

Quote :

"^^^damn, what bank is this?"

DHI Mortgage, in house arm of D.R. Horton Homes.


...so I was scheduled for the final walk-through of my house this morning at 1000, then scheduled to close 4 hours later. While doing the walk-through, making sure paint blemishes and stuff were fixed, the builder says something like "Yeah I heard you're not closing until Friday now." I'm like "Well, that doesn't surprise me, but that's the first I've heard that." Turns out, as a side note, that I'm the 3rd final walk he's done that morning, and the SECOND of the three where the closing got fucked up just a few hours beforehand.

I call the loan officer...no answer; left a message. About an hour later, I get an email from the loan processor with YET ANOTHER list of updated demands from underwriting. THREE FUCKING HOURS before our scheduled closing!

-Insurance: My agent had already FAXed the policy information to DHI; I told them that if they don't have that worked out, it's a problem on their end.

-The statement of military service that they asked for on Monday and that I delivered to them yesterday wasn't sufficient--turns out that they need it to include a statement that I will continue to serve on active duty for at least one more year. Funny, because just a day or two ago, they told me that wasn't needed, because I specifically asked for clarification on that. 3 hours before closing was a fine time to move the goalposts again on that one, I suppose...particularly on a day that I took off from work in order to close, and therefore was unable to get an updated letter.

-They finally relented about the lease on my New Bern house expiring in less than a year from my closing date down here, after I pointed out to them how and why that requirement was practically fucking impossible; instead, they now came back (again, 3 hours before closing) asking for proof that I had obtained a security deposit from the tenants. Now, I suspect that information is included in the lease agreement that I've already given them, but if not, (a) who the fuck rents a place out without a security deposit, and (b) would I seriously not be qualified if I had $1250 less in the bank? Fuck no, of course I'd still be qualified, so why should this make any difference? Really? The security deposit on my other house is going to make or break this mortgage approval?

Interestingly, they finally relented on pretty much everything regarding the child support after I basically said that I don't have a copy of the court order readily accessible, wouldn't give it to them anyway because my custody arrangements aren't their business, and asked why they thought I would possibly be in the business of lying about a $1007/month liability? I understand having to prove income, but damn, asking to me to prove that just makes no sense.



At any rate, they rescheduled for the closing for Friday, which I finally found out about 2 hours before our scheduled closing today after making multiple phone calls to have them call me back. I told them that if we don't close this loan on Friday, to just forget the whole deal, and I will live in a hotel for another 6 weeks while I get a different lender to make the loan.

2/29/2012 11:16:48 PM

Quote :

"Smath74 What was the name of the contractor you used? Are you in Raleigh? I need to replace mine as well and I don't even know where to start as far as who to call."

PM sent.

3/1/2012 7:59:47 AM

I just got a notice of a tax value increase on my new house based on remodeling the last owner did. The new number is pretty accurate but it's $10k more than what I paid for the house and of course I don't like higher taxes. Anything I can do?

3/3/2012 3:09:55 PM

^At least in Mecklenburg county you can appeal the tax value, we just bought a place for $115k less than tax value so we're definitely appealing. I don't know who they get to appraise this stuff but they can be way off, probably worth filling out some paperwork to fix if it'll save you $ over time.

3/3/2012 4:46:08 PM

Quote :

"depends on what the total bill is to repair the stuff fucked up by the water...but yeah, i would never file a claim just to save $350. "

The $350 I quoted was the price of the plumber and the $500 was the insurance deductable. This is just the money I had to pay out of pocket.


The total cost should be ~$5000 but I haven't got the quote yet. They have to replace some wood flooring and drywall.

3/3/2012 4:50:01 PM

I still don't see how it's possible to appeal.

"BY LAW THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION AND REVIEW MAY CONSIDER ONLY THE VALUE OF PROPERTY AS OF JANUARY 1 OF COUNTY'S MOST RECENT GENERAL REAPPRAISAL (JANUARY 1, 2008), EXISTING OR POTENTIAL TAX LOAD IS NOT APPEALABLE."

http://www.durhamcountync.gov/departments/txad/Tax_Valuation_Appeal.html

3/3/2012 4:52:52 PM

Well on a whim I signed up for Home Depot to come and do an estimate on cabinet refinishing since they're running a free special on coming out to do the measurements. I'm fully expecting them to tell us our cabinets are complete and utter shit beyond any hope of refinishing.

3/3/2012 5:29:56 PM

finally installed a brand new steamwasher/dryer set to replace the shitty stacked/combo washer/dryer unit the developer installed after I bought. Asshole wouldn't just give me what he would have spent to let me upgrade. So I put up with it until now and finally got it. Sort of a pain in the ass because I had to switch outlets, and then after I thought I had measured appropriately and had room to install them in the closet with my air handler, i slid them in and they are about 1/2" too deep because I forgot to account for the dryer duct. So I am going to have to move the doors forward a bit to allow for the extra depth. not a huge deal but kind of a pain in the ass. This is even after buying one of those space saving periscope looking ducts to come up the back of the dryer and connect with some flexible ducting up to the exhaust in the ceiling.

3/3/2012 5:31:34 PM

Finally closed on and moved into my house!

...and then the truck broke down for the washer/dryer/tv delivery I had scheduled today. Gotta work all day tomorrow, too. I just wouldn't know what to do if anything worked out easily on the first try the way it should.

3/4/2012 12:36:46 AM

We've been trying to buy a short sale since last September. The same house, the bank has just been that slow to deal with it.

3/6/2012 12:08:01 PM

Par for the course with short sales.

3/6/2012 12:12:08 PM

^ Yeah we ended up giving up on a bank-owned property because the bank was being a slow piece of shit about the process.

3/6/2012 12:12:16 PM

We would be happy to give up, but the things we've seen that we were happy with the price had an offer on them in the first day before we got a chance to look at them.

3/6/2012 12:16:55 PM

I totally understand that. I think if there hadn't been other houses that we liked in the same price range as that bank-owned one, we would have continued perusing it. But the issue was while the house was a good deal compared to the houses immediately surrounding it, it was a pretty average price for the zip code it was in and the price per sqft wasn't that much better than housing surrounding it. I think it ended up taking them two years to offload that house on someone

3/6/2012 12:21:52 PM

The banks have no reason to expedite the process if the previous owner had pmi.

3/6/2012 12:32:48 PM

Definitely not worth dealing with a short sale unless you are getting a great deal on it. Our problem is we want a house that was built well and structurally sound with a 2 car garage (or room for one) in a nice neighborhood, but beat up and cheap. Most of the fixer-uppers are in iffy neighborhoods, or not priced to reflect the amount of work needed.

3/6/2012 12:35:29 PM

^I know of a foreclosure in a pretty good neighborhood that is certainly a fixer-upper. Probably needs $40-$50k worth of work. In good shape, it's easily a $180-$190k house and it's listed at $130k.

The house seems to be structurally fine, but it will need to be gutted and have siding repaired/replaced, in addition to lots of yard work. The layout was ok/typical.

3/6/2012 3:57:23 PM

Just locked in a refinance mortgage today at 2.875% for 15 years. Now, hopefully the appraisal turns out good.

3/7/2012 12:14:42 AM

^^ This one by any chance? No master bedroom kills it for us.

http://www.trulia.com/property/3077805177-101-Indigo-Dr-Cary-NC-27513

It has to be in the RTP, Morrisville, south Durham area since the boy works in north Durham. Driving over from the other side of Raleigh would be too much.

3/7/2012 8:37:27 AM

God, what a shitty floor plan.

3/7/2012 10:38:22 AM

^nah, this one: http://www.trulia.com/property/3041817544-8316-Candlelight-Oaks-Ln-Raleigh-NC-27603

though it is apparently pending now.

and it's south of garner.

I figured that one would go quickly; it was priced very low compared to surrounding houses and had lots of potential for someone wanting to put the work in.

3/7/2012 10:46:53 AM

^ Good deal, just not worth the time and gas to drive to work from there.

If I am lucky I will have plenty of woes to post about soon when we get this house and have to fix it up. Starting with the missing water pipes before we can move in.

3/7/2012 11:30:38 AM

I need to have someone install about 20ft of brick rowlock. Does anyone know of a mason that would do this as a side job? I'm almost worried that its so small of a job that no one wants to bother with it.

3/7/2012 2:54:21 PM