If you want a lot in a subdivision south of Hillsborough my parents might finally be selling theirs. 1 1/2 acres or so, in a subdivision but it's not very restrictive at all (mostly just no trailers or multi-family homes). Already cleared and ready to build on.

1/7/2013 11:16:33 AM

KillaB, you'll probably pay a higher rate if you're going over 80% of ltv and you'll also be charged most of the same fees you'd pay for another mortgage or refi. I'd just hold off for now if you can't pay for it out of pocket without killing your emergency fund.

1/7/2013 11:57:21 AM

Thanks - that seems to be the best way to go. I'll keep on saving. We've been fortunate to put a lot of money back lately, hoping that trend continues.

1/7/2013 1:09:05 PM

Quote :

"Those things look nice and being able to control over wifi is pretty cool (but I don't know how much I would use it) but honestly I don't see much benefit over just a nice 7-day programmable thermostat. There is not really any period for calibration either (it does learn the time to get to temperature, but the initial lag is nearly negligible after a day or two) "

I bought 2 nest thermostats for my house and really enjoy them. The benefits that a programable one does not offer:

- When I leave the house for a weekend, it is easy on the road to turn it to away (even though after a few hours it would set to away anyways)
- When I am heading back home from Raleigh, etc, I can turn it on and it be warm/cool by the time I am home. This is important when we travel at night so the kid can sleep. You don't want to come back to a freezing house and expect the kid to stay asleep.
- I work from home but not on a regular schedule. It is nice that it knows when I am there and doesn't freeze me out, due to the schedule.
- I don't have to program from a thermostat. I can use one of the mobile apps, the website, etc and don't have to be at the house.

In terms of energy ususage, I can't really say if it is better or worse than before. I can only imagine that it is better due to not trying to hold a certain degree so tightly when I am not there. I can't say that I paid attention to my bill before.

1/7/2013 1:11:56 PM

energy-usage I'm sure the benefits are negligible over a regular programmable but better than a non-programmable. The wifi with access from a smart phone or computer is the main advantage (being able to turn adjust the thermostat before coming back from being out of town) but you can do that with a lot of newer touch screen thermostats too.

I definitely think they are cool but i'm just not sure the cost is justified for what it offers. It takes me all of about 5 seconds to set our programmable on vacation-mode when heading out the door for the weekend and the press of a button to let it know I am home if we are around during a normally scheduled "away" time. Plus, my actual thermostat itself is wireless and thus can be placed anywhere in the house where people actually are if desired which is nice. I like the advanced programming control I have on this one versus what I perceive with the Nest.

Our upstairs thermostat is a really crappy old-programmable though. It works ok but definitely is a pain to program and I am not happy with it's accuracy compared to some measuring devices I have available to me. I am already planning to replace it with a newer programmable one at some point. If I could get a Nest at a great deal (definitely sub $200) I would still definitely consider it for the upstairs. Plus it would really fit with the aesthetics up there. Downstairs I wanted to hide the thermostat completely (thus the completely non-wired thermostat) but upstairs in the hallway it could be cool.

[Edited on January 7, 2013 at 1:38 PM. Reason : ]

1/7/2013 1:35:35 PM

Quote :

"I definitely think they are cool but i'm just not sure the cost is justified for what it offers. It takes me all of about 5 seconds to set our programmable on vacation-mode when heading out the door for the weekend and the press of a button to let it know I am home if we are around during a normally scheduled "away" time. "

I was stepping up from a non-programable thermostat. I never took the time to go to both thermostats to turn them down before I left. And since we are not around 20 or more weekends a year, I am not too worried about how long the payback is. I would rather spend an extra $100 (over another brand of programable thermostat) to get one that functions how I use it. I never found one that satisfied everything that I was looking for until I got the Nest.

I paid under $200 for mine on the Black Friday deal they had at Lowes.

1/7/2013 2:57:29 PM

Yeah, I too am currently using a non-programmable thermostat so pretty excited to make the switch.

1/7/2013 3:03:36 PM

^^ i'll have to keep my eye out then. I would definitely consider it for our upstairs below $200. I certainly wasn't trying to say they are bad, because I think they are cool devices, I just know that there are wi-fi accessible thermostats available for cheaper.

[Edited on January 7, 2013 at 3:46 PM. Reason : ]

1/7/2013 3:32:39 PM

The damn nest wasn't compatible with my router, but after an hour with support (45 minutes were spent on hold) I was able to get it up and running.

On the plus side it only took about five minutes to install once I figured out which circuit to turn off.

[Edited on January 7, 2013 at 10:03 PM. Reason : ]

1/7/2013 9:54:38 PM

not really an ownership woe..but curious as to how much it costs to run gas line to a stove if gas logs are about 15 to 20 ft away...any ideas?

1/11/2013 11:14:52 PM

The nest realized I turn up the heat every day when I wake up so it started doing it automatically. Not too shabby..

1/12/2013 1:13:10 AM

If you use soft copper the materials alone would be around $100, so probably $200 to $300. having PSNC do it is probably the best option, it's worth it to not have to deal with shady plumbers and the guy that works on stuff in my neighborhood is amazing.

1/12/2013 10:22:52 AM

Anyone have recommendations for a window screen company?

1/13/2013 1:12:16 PM

is there some trick to getting listingbook to send an activation email after signing up? i've checked the inbox and spam and nada. i tried 2 different gmail addresses

1/13/2013 11:04:36 PM

Because we have a 1.5 year old, we are constantly running a humidifier in her room at night because she always seems to have some sickness. Because of that, the door to her room has swelled to the point that it won't close.

I'm sure if we didn't use the humidifier for a while it would dry out and come back down to normal size, but we need to use it.

Any tips?

It sticks on the upper right side, away from the door hinges. I've tried tightening and "over" tightening the lower hinge to cause the door to rotate clockwise but it doesn't help. I've thought about just sanding down the upper right side of the door, but then when it contracts back down I feel like it will have too much space up there.

1/17/2013 8:04:59 PM

Do you have a humidifier with a built-in humidistat?

To me it seems like you could be over-humidifiying that space. Though it depends on how close the door was before of course.

[Edited on January 18, 2013 at 8:30 AM. Reason : ]

1/18/2013 8:28:52 AM

No, it's just a normal Crane humidifier

1/18/2013 9:32:28 AM

Gotcha. If you already had a humidistat on the humidifier (some come with them, but obviously they are more expensive) I was going to have you look at the humidity measured on that when it had been running for awhile. Since you don't, I would pick up a hygrometer at your local hardware store or Amazon or something.

There is such a thing as too humid just like too dry can be bad too. Relative Humidity inside a dwelling is generally most tolerable and healthy between something like 35-55% depending on the temperature. It's certainly possible your door was just cut/installed with too low of a tolerance and that even a little extra moisture is causing it to expand just enough to be annoying. However, it is also possible that you are causing that room to be too humid.

You may already know all that though because I forget what you do with your ME degree

[Edited on January 18, 2013 at 9:51 AM. Reason : ]

1/18/2013 9:49:14 AM

roof started leaking a few weeks ago. we had it patched as a temporary fix and have a new one going on sometime next week.

1/18/2013 11:29:44 AM

I'm considering a neat project in the back of my house. I have their weird part of the yard that really isn't used. I am planning on putting in a 20x10x10 golf cage complete with a really good professional golf mat to help me get my game decent Should have some plans up soon, and I'll upload them.

http://www.unique-sports.com/products/cimarron-20x10x10-pro-supreme-golf-net-complete-frame

And this mat
http://www.skillbuilder.com/golf/index.php?cPath=337

Should pay for itself in under a couple of years of wasting money and the driving range, and should take plenty of strokes off my shitty game

1/18/2013 2:22:34 PM

I closed on my house today! ranch built in 89

So thankful the weather didn't push this back as I have to be out of my current residence at the end of feb. doing almost a full kitchen remodel, some oak flooring, crown molding, paint and updating some lighting fixtures.

The bathrooms will need to be renovated at some point but I just don't have the time right now. Very overwhelmed but excited

1/18/2013 2:30:55 PM

congrats

1/18/2013 2:31:40 PM

Thanks I'm very excited. I love the backyard
I've got a privacy fence that is over 6ft tall. its fairly new and well built. Nice brick walkways and a patio big enough for a fire pit. Very well kept property and every owner has been state alumni or a parent of one

1/18/2013 2:40:29 PM

I'm moving into a "new" house (still renting) that has un-insulated walls and I was wondering if I can do anything to lessen the air loss, and more importantly the impact on my wallet? The house has new windows and doors and an insulated, albeit not enough, attic. The HVAC system is probably 6 years old now. Suggestions?

1/18/2013 2:48:07 PM

spray insulation in the exterior walls and attic (note, not spray foam insulation). probably expensive and you have to repair holes in the walls.

1/18/2013 9:01:31 PM

How can your walls be uninsulated? Well I guess the better question is, why are they uninsulated? At least when my previous owner finished the bonus room he put in something. It is all R-13 (floor, walls & ceiling) and substandard but it was at least something.

1/18/2013 11:24:30 PM

congrats gunzz!

1/19/2013 10:23:18 AM

My heat pump has been running for 18-20 hours a day, would it be cheaper to run emergency heat?

1/19/2013 10:56:26 AM

lol i spent 2 hours at my rental property yesterday getting a new door knob installed. the door knob to the front door completely jammed and the only way for my tenants to get out was to take it apart. of course because the door knob is 30 years old, the locksmith had to install a new door knob. i probably got ripped off but because it was weekend/emergency work, i flushed $230 down the toilet

1/20/2013 10:31:32 AM

Good Lord, you could have done it yourself for the cost of the doorknob

1/20/2013 6:44:10 PM

yes except that i know nothing about door knobs and the original knob is 30 years old. the locksmith said i would have had to get a new knob regardless so i put him to go use and had him fix some other lock at the house too. lol

1/20/2013 7:20:35 PM

more than likely it was just a few screws

1/20/2013 7:36:11 PM

yea, it would probably cost about $20 total if you do it yourself.

1/20/2013 7:44:59 PM

yes well i am a girl and my husband (who is incredibly handy) has already moved out of state and i didn't know anyone else i could have called to fix the issue. it's my rental property so i didn't want to put my tenants in any harm by not having a knob on the door.

1/20/2013 8:10:02 PM

ever consider having the renters do it and knocking 50 bucks off their rent for a month? (my sister is renting and they did that for her to paint 2 walls.)

1/20/2013 8:28:50 PM

i have 2 girls living in there - they didn't know how to fix it (including one of the boyfriends who took a look) and that's when they called me.

changing topics - anyone have the name of a carpet company that could come out to see if they could replace a small section of carpet in a room?

[Edited on January 20, 2013 at 8:53 PM. Reason : carpet]

1/20/2013 8:52:06 PM

Quote :

"yes well i am a girl"

This is so far from an acceptable excuse, I don't even know what to say.

1/20/2013 10:43:15 PM

hahaha maybe i should rephrase. i actually can be quite handy but i consider myself more crafty than handy. i have never changed/fixed/screwed around with a door knob before so i had no clue what i was doing. i went over there to look at it because sometimes i can tinker with things and get it to work but the door knob was so old it was not repairable once removed from the door. again, i probably could have gotten a new knob and figured out how to install it myself but i had never done it before and didn't want to run the risk of my tenants getting locked into the house...again.

1/21/2013 8:10:30 AM

Quote :

"ever consider having the renters do it and knocking 50 bucks off their rent for a month? (my sister is renting and they did that for her to paint 2 walls.)"

Just FYI, but I'm pretty sure this is illegal in NC. Rent is rent. Landlords can reimburse directly though.

1/21/2013 1:07:14 PM

My wife and I are considering Bamboo flooring for our living and dining room.

Specifically this:

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/home-legend-brushed-horizontal-rainforest-3-8-in-thick-x-4-in-width-x-38-5-8-in-length-solid-bamboo-flooring-2576-sqft--case--hl606.html#.UP21bSZGJ5Q

Anybody have any thoughts about HD flooring, Home Legend, or Bamboo in general? I can't really find any reviews of the specific product or the Home Legend Company.

1/21/2013 4:41:18 PM

have you checked out lumber liquidators? there's one in raleigh that our contractor told us to check out.

1/21/2013 5:13:48 PM

I haven't tried Lumber Liquidators yet...but certainly planning on checking them out. I was surprised to see that after looking on their website...the price seems to be more expensive than HD for the bamboo flooring.

1/21/2013 6:18:35 PM

oh really? i thought they had reasonably priced stuff but if you find a better deal at HD, i'd go for it!

1/21/2013 7:21:14 PM

my mom put down bamboo in their den and she loves it

1/21/2013 8:53:10 PM

That's nail down stuff, which is good. Harder to install than floating, but less noise. We've got nail down bamboo with an acacia veneer and a friend has nail down bamboo without a veneer and we're both happy. They've had theirs for a couple years and have a dog and say that it holds up well, and where it has dented it doesn't look bad because it's bamboo and you expect it to be sort of natural looking (moreso than hardwoods at least). We've only had ours in one room for 4 months so it's too soon to say. We bought enough to do the entire downstairs and one of the bedrooms upstairs (got it on clearance for $2sqft and it held up well to being soaked in water and stabbed with a screwdriver, even better than the oak sample we had). so you can ask again in a couple years.

1/21/2013 9:26:04 PM

I have seen plenty of bamboo floors that looked very nice, so I'm not saying this because I dislike bamboo floors, but I find it very interesting that you say you expect bamboo floors to look more natural than typical hardwood floors.

Personally, while I do like bamboo flooring, I think it tends to look the least natural when compared to hardwood floor varieties. This is because the pattern it makes becomes very repetitious and consistent compared to a birch or walnut or other woods. That is both the pro and a con depending on your stance. It can definitely give a very clean and contemporary feel because of the consistency but it can also lack the character in some other woods for the same reason.

I will say that there was a push for several years toward hardwood flooring with too high of a gloss which took away from the warmth and natural aspect imo but I am glad that is not as popular now.

[Edited on January 22, 2013 at 8:24 AM. Reason : ]

1/22/2013 8:15:46 AM

^ i was just about to message you. do you know any carpet folks you'd recommend?

1/22/2013 8:47:28 AM

My engineered bamboo are stained such that you don't see the bamboo grain. I love the color; though with dogs I should have gone with a handscraped finish and a light color (which I don't particularly like for my house). I will say, that my floors are much softer than I expected (damage easily). I really contemplated going with laminated floors, but couldn't find one with an acceptable finish.

1/22/2013 10:58:27 AM

I'm selling my place and moving back to Raleigh

Gonna buy me a condo
Gonna buy me a cuisinart
Get that wall to wall carpeting
and a pocket full of credit cards
Woah-oah
Gonna buy me a condo
Never have to mow the lawn
Gonna get me a t-shirt
With the alligator on

1/22/2013 11:03:39 AM

you can buy my downtown condo

1/22/2013 11:49:12 AM