[Edited on October 25, 2012 at 1:34 PM. Reason : 1]

10/25/2012 1:34:13 PM

^trying to post those pictures?

10/25/2012 2:03:14 PM

Appraisals aren't cheap ($400 or so for ours), so if it's a maybe and you don't have much PMI left I can see not bothering.

I should post some pictures of the work we've done so far. Tiling the kitchen should be finished this weekend. If it's not I'm going postal.

10/25/2012 2:37:26 PM

^ yeah exactly. I think when we finish the kitchen in the late spring that we might get appraised around an 80% LTV but with a $400 appraisal and no guarantee that we would get the appraisal needed I think I'll wait. Our PMI is something like $78/month and we'll probably have 6-12 months at that point left until we get to the auto 78% TLV (depending on whether we up our extra payments next year or not). Theoretically if the appraisal came out like we wanted we would save a few hundred bucks but if the appraisal doesn't come out where we want, the appraisal money would just be wasted.

10/25/2012 2:48:03 PM

anyone have any experience moving a fence? I'm purchasing a new house & moving. I currently have a back yard with chain length fence around it (approx 3/4 an acre). My new place doesn't have a backyard fence so I'm either going to install a new one or pull up mine & bring it with me.

Does anyone have any experience digging up a chain length fence...I know it's going to be a lot of work but it would save me a lot of $ too. thoughts?

11/20/2012 1:07:43 PM

I heard that it's not worth it; unless you do not value your time whatsoever.

[Edited on November 20, 2012 at 3:19 PM. Reason : .]

11/20/2012 3:19:42 PM

^^that sounds awful

11/20/2012 3:44:36 PM

If they poured concrete to set the post I wouldn't make the effort.


Also. Might want to verify with the realtor/buyer. There's probably an expectation that the fence stays.

[Edited on November 20, 2012 at 5:01 PM. Reason : .]

11/20/2012 5:00:35 PM

taking a fence with you seems a little crazy to me haha. I don't know, I guess it depends on the situation.

Also, have you sold the house with the fence? Unless stated upfront, a fence would be expected to stay put by people who bought the house. Also, having a fenced in yard is also a potential selling point if you haven't sold the house yet.

I just can't imagine that it makes too much sense to take it with you.

Also, any reason in particular you want chain link?

11/20/2012 5:14:58 PM

Do you all use the outdoor faucet covers in the winter around here (RAL)? I usually do, but I'm starting to think they're unnecessary around here.

11/29/2012 9:12:34 AM

Nope, and we didn't use them when we lived in Rockingham county (northwest of here); however, my dad does use them now that he's on the coast windchill is a bitch.

[Edited on November 29, 2012 at 9:23 AM. Reason : .]

11/29/2012 9:22:54 AM

The pipes for my two faucets go into the crawlspace (with vents closed)...so I don't see how they would ever freeze. Maybe if it was like 10 degrees out. Anyone ever heard of pipes freezing/busting? What were the conditions?

11/29/2012 9:24:30 AM

I don't use one.

11/29/2012 10:19:37 AM

I don't think the worry is pipe freezing, but the faucet itself busting. Outdoor spigots have a pressure relief system, and freezing water can burst the pressure relief valve. Disconnecting your hoses from the outdoor spigots will help with this issue, but some people like to take it a step further and get the covers.

I've replaced 2 spigots at my house over the past 9 years.

11/29/2012 10:33:56 AM

From freezing? Where do you live?

11/29/2012 11:20:19 AM

^^^^ I recommend you go open your foundation vents.

11/29/2012 11:25:34 AM

keep them closed. Don't open them ever. Foundation vents are useless. The only thing you should do is make sure you have enough combustion air coming in if you have a gas-fired unit for heat which may require leaving one or two open.

[Edited on November 29, 2012 at 11:27 AM. Reason : ]

11/29/2012 11:26:10 AM

Quote :

"I recommend you go open your foundation vents."

Why? I initially closed them because the combination of humid air from the outside plus poorly insulated AC ducts [now fixed] was creating a shit load of moisture in my crawlspace...and I've never seen/heard of a reason to open them. I've been told closed vents increase the change of radon exposure, but my crawlspace has a vapor barrier so I don't worry too much about it.

11/29/2012 12:36:31 PM

Probably one of those myths like closing vents inside to help not waste hot/cold air.

11/29/2012 12:38:00 PM

vents were originally invented (probably by someone who didn't know what they were doing) to attempt to keep the crawl space dry by letting air flow through them. But, it does not work, even in the slightest. In fact it typically hurts. However, residential building codes are very slow to change.

Governing technical bodies like ASHRAE have put out tons of white papers and articles explaining how they don't work and have also suggested alternatives.

[Edited on November 29, 2012 at 12:52 PM. Reason : ]

11/29/2012 12:51:49 PM

should i seal my vents in my crawlspace when i install my vapor barrier?

11/29/2012 1:42:15 PM

Pretty excited, I am installing a recirculating hot water pump in our house tonight. It takes a good 4 minutes to get hot water to our shower.



The pump installs at the hot water heater and the valve goes at the nearest sink to the shower.

Smath, there are many different opinions but I am going with keeping mine open and I have plastic barriers covering my whole crawlspace.

[Edited on November 29, 2012 at 4:13 PM. Reason : Smath]

[Edited on November 29, 2012 at 4:14 PM. Reason : Smath]

11/29/2012 4:12:09 PM

^^ You'd probably want to talk to someone who deals with crawlspaces. I have an opinion but don't really want to steer you too strongly on whether to seal them or not. I will say that if I were building a new house I would seal the vents, insulate the crawl space, put in the normal vapor barrier, and put in a dehumidifier in the crawl space. It's not always worth all that money to do that in an existing home for the slightly better performance and less moisture.

I will say that I recommend just keeping your vents closed all the way if you don't have a gas-fired AHU in the crawl space. If you do have a gas-fired AHU in the crawl space (and it doesn't have a dedicated combustion air intake routed to an outside wall or something) leave two open or something so that it can draw fresh combustion air in.

11/29/2012 4:35:11 PM

Hi, nice to meet you, I deal with crawl spaces. If you aren't an expert on the subject, follow the current building code. Vents open plus plastic vapor barrier on the ground and you won't have any issues provided your property has adequate site drainage. Alternatively, seal the crawl space and follow the rest of those current building code requirements including supplying conditioned air into the crawl space.

I have never been in a crawl space with mold or moisture issues that was in complete compliance with the code. Problems are most common when things are done halfway like an improperly sealed crawl space or a lack of adequate ventilation. I was at a high end house a few months ago that had two obstructed vents for a divided portion of the crawl space, even with a passable vapor barrier installed the relative humidity was over 90%. The foundation layout didn't allow for adequate cross ventilation, after adding enough vents to meet the current code requirements it's now a non issue.

Sealed crawl spaces are great, but if you just slap all the vents closed on your current house you can be in for a world of hurt.

11/30/2012 11:21:07 AM

two weeks till closing, and i'll rejoin the world of home ownership woes.

this time there'll be more woes. previous two homes were new construction, so woes were non-existent.

this one was built in '92. woes will be plentiful. lots of updating needs to happen.

first thing I need to replace is the water heater. the one installed is original. I've done some research and I've concluded that a tankless is not really worth it. Any reco's for a gas water heater or are they pretty much all the same, factoring in size. it'll be going in an attic.

secondly, the exhaust fan in the master bathroom is weak as shit. I need to replace this to divert the methane from my anus out of the bathroom. the master closet is right next to the shitter, and i don't need my clothes smelling like my ass. ok, this is more for my wife than for me. but still. Anyone replaced a bathroom exhaust fan and have a reco?

11/30/2012 12:05:00 PM

Quote :

"Sealed crawl spaces are great, but if you just slap all the vents closed on your current house you can be in for a world of hurt."

I disagree and lots of research shows otherwise. But since you deal with crawl spaces directly and I do not, I'd like to see the backup you have for that statement because maybe you do know something that I don't know.

I don't deal with crawl spaces but I do industrial and commercial HVAC and Utilities. I don't do residential, but in my continuing education for me PE license I have attended two ASHRAE seminars on residential crawl space venting in the past 5 years. Both of the speakers were technical experts on the subject (on the code board for this very issue) who have been involved in research and provided lots of studies where keeping your vents open did not help control crawl space moisture (in fact it often increased the humidity in the crawl spaces studied). None of their examples were complex (although they did show some CFD to prove that vents underneath a house do not promote hardly any cross ventilation) and it makes sense because it is simple psychrometrics: If your vents are open, your crawl space can only be as dry as the air outside anyway (in fact it won't be that dry). It may get cross ventilation, but that humid, summer air (especially the small amount that flows through the crawl space) does not have the capacity to absorb hardly any of the moisture that might exist in the crawl space. In fact, before and after a rain, your crawl space will be MORE humid if your vents are open than if they were closed (unless you have poor foundation draining which is much more likely the issue)


My dad always kept our vents closed and they have never had any problems in 20 years (and just got their crawl space checked for several things since they are looking to sell) and I keep our house vents closed and we never have any problems (I always have the termite inspector check the crawl space humidity when he is down there once a year).


Also, ASHRAE has already recommended to the ICC that the code change because foundation vents do nothing. ICC has basically acknowledged that they agree but there are issues from a cost perspective from changing the code. A few local codes across the country have already changed their code to eliminate foundation vents.


[Edited on November 30, 2012 at 12:56 PM. Reason : ]

11/30/2012 12:50:20 PM

i hope to be joining this thread soon.

offer accepted last friday and looking to close 1/18. dropping off the money for the appraisal on Thursday.

12/4/2012 12:15:29 PM

^ Congrats!

I have an anti-woe for this thread. My first rent check (less management fees ) will be in the mail soon. Looks like the house will pay for about 90% of itself each year, which is a damn sight better than what I thought it was going to be. Now I just hope the person I rented it to isn't a hoarder and that they like the property enough to stick around for a few years.

12/4/2012 7:21:33 PM

68 hours till closing on our first house. Financing and contractors have been a nightmare, but the underwriter signed off on everything today. Unless something goes completely sideways, we should in, right?

12/4/2012 7:23:33 PM

Yep. My HUD changed right before my closing, so that was fun

My brother was set to close (as seller) on his house and that very day, asshats broke in and ripped out all of the copper (ended up closing about a month later).

12/4/2012 7:29:24 PM

Some asshats stole the heat pump from the house we're buying. The builder is gonna wait till tomorrow afternoon to have one installed, and, I shit you not, pay one of his guys to sleep in his van in the driveway to make sure it stays put until closing It's the 4th one they've had stolen in a year, even chained down.

12/5/2012 6:26:01 AM

^and you're not concerned about that?

12/5/2012 9:47:08 AM

The bums know the best place to steal a unit from is a vacant house.

12/5/2012 9:49:56 AM

Probably the only reason ours wasn't stolen was because it was a huge 20 year old gas pack. I kind of wish the people had taken it with the appliances and gas lines so we could have gotten more of a discount on the place.

My place is in a pretty good neighborhood, just sat vacant for 2 years and the last tenants came back and took advantage of that. We haven't had any problems so far, but we also haven't invited any of the neighbors over to see all our stuff.

12/5/2012 12:39:27 PM

yall live in the ghetto

12/5/2012 1:56:55 PM

I think I would be a little concerned about having 4 condensing units stolen in a year, even if the house was vacant

12/5/2012 1:59:46 PM

Any recommendations for granite and cultured marble counter cleaners

Also any recommendations for window screens?

12/6/2012 9:46:17 PM

Does building code require a handrail for stairs in homes? Just curious...I took mine down to paint and never put it back up. If it needs to be there when I sell the house I'll go ahead and put it back up, but otherwise I was thinking of stowing it away in the attic for a cleaner look.

12/7/2012 11:56:04 AM

Depends on your state or possibly more specifically your city or county. I don't ever really deal with handrails but I believe that they do dictate when a handrail is required. It's something like any rise >24" which would mean 3 consecutive stairs basically.

So, if you had an L-shaped stairway with 2 stairs up, a landing, and then it turns and goes up the rest of the way to the 2nd floor, I believe that you wouldn't need it on the first few steps to the landing, but you would require a handrail the rest of the way up the stairs on one side. They also dictate the height (and how it is measured) that the handrail needs to be at etc.

You just need to look at your local code. I agree that a lot of times it looks cleaner without a handrail, but it may not be worth going without it. We took ours off, painted it, changed the mounting hardware and it looks a lot nicer at least.

12/7/2012 12:08:04 PM

I think it's 6 stairs, so it would definitely be more than 24" even though it's not a full sized stairway like you'd find in a traditional 2-story house. If I have to put one up I'll probably at least grab some new brushed nickel hardware for it.

12/7/2012 12:29:42 PM

Quote :

"Any recommendations for granite and cultured marble counter cleaners"

best shit out there. $texas.

12/8/2012 12:04:53 AM

Quote :

"put my house on the market. short sale in chesapeake va. ugh, 130k...paid 182k 4 years ago. I was so dumb. 8/1/2012 4:02:46 PM"

Sold it yesterday. Difference was forgiven. Had to change the closing date 3x because Wells Fargo agreed to do it, but they would never sign the paper.

But my house is gone. thank you jeebus!

12/8/2012 12:47:57 AM

Does anyone have any empirical evidence as to why it seems like all contractors related in some way to home building or repair are crooked?

I've never seen another industry outside of (presumably) drugs that routinely and reliably feature top-shelf liars, manipulators and scam artists. I mean, a lot of these people are seriously good at earning trust only to burn a bridge.

I'm pretty much set on only fixing things myself forever, and only renting whenever I sell the home I'm in.

12/8/2012 2:14:19 AM

Because of competition? Contracting, especially on the small-scale local level, is hugely competitive and they'll do anything to cut a corner (within "reason") in order to lower a bid or contract price. Reputation is worth the proverbial weight in gold when it comes to contractors. I work in local government planning/zoning, part of which includes directing building inspections, and I learned very quickly which contractors cut corners and which do quality work. Building inspectors know which contractors are worth a damn, but unfortunately they can't legally give recommendations...

[Edited on December 8, 2012 at 7:23 PM. Reason : ]

12/8/2012 7:19:01 PM

Quote :

"Sold it yesterday. Difference was forgiven. Had to change the closing date 3x because Wells Fargo agreed to do it, but they would never sign the paper."

I assume you know you'll be getting a 1099-c and paying taxes on the forgiven debt?

12/9/2012 10:44:18 AM

^^ Right, but I'm talking about guys who are "recommended" turning sour as soon as you get them on the job. It's as if the reputation thing no longer matters. When everyone is bad, all of the crooks win. Maybe I'm just unlucky.

12/9/2012 3:17:22 PM

So for those of you that have gone through the miserable process of selling a house...have you considered just renting from now on?

12/9/2012 3:26:46 PM

^ ha, definitely - until maybe finding a "forever" home...

we're near the end of our selling experience (supposed to close 12/13), and today we were informed that the USDA is behind on processing loans and the closing may be pushed out a week... since our buyers are from out of town, they're asking to allow them to move in as scheduled and us do an "early possession" document... anyone ever been part of that in any way? what was the experience? everything i've read says do not do it (as the seller) unless absolutely necessary... i can empathize, but the liability seems too great

12/10/2012 9:19:48 PM

No early possession.

/Realtor advice.

The buyer will be a lot more persistent on their lender when they do not have a place to live. USDA being backed up is a legitimate problem, it is just not your problem.

12/10/2012 9:23:51 PM

I did early possession...but I paid a pro-rated portion of the mortgage as rent and bills while I was there.

12/11/2012 9:00:36 AM