The Home Ownership Thread

[jbarwick]

Putting in an offer on a condo with disclosures that indicate the HVAC system is 10-15 years old. It's otherwise a great unit - spacious, new washer and dryer, kitchen and bathroom don't need any work, and parking. A little freaked out as I understand HVAC systems are $$$$ - so I am working in the ability to walk away or negotiate if the inspection report is troubling... that's if my offer is accepted. A friend with experience owning multiple properties says not to worry as the systems last north of 20 years....Wish me luck!

Good luck. A lot goes into the cost such as size of the condo and also if the whole HVAC needs replaced or just a part of it. Efficiency also plays a role and I felt lost when we had to replace ours.

 

[Van Veen]

I can’t believe people still smoke in their houses. Walked into a house today and was immediately hit with the stale smoke smell. Couldn't smell whatever they sprayed to cover it up until I took the mask off for a second. (Side benefit of masks, I guess.) Now we know why this house has been sitting. I was ready to turn around and walk out 2 steps into the house.

That has to be easily a 5 figure hit to the value of the home.

(I also should note that this was an updated home, not some place someone hasn't touched since the '70s.)

 

[Numbernine]

Sometimes I'll crash at a motel 6 or it's ilk in South Lake Tahoe. Once I went in and the desk clerk asked if I was a smoker because thats all he had on the first floor. I said no but I'll probably be ok . He literally guffawed at at me. He gave me a handicap room he was saving but it was late and snowing like crazy so he figured no one would show up looking .

 

[PhilKenSebben]

We just got approved for 30 year conventional @ 2.5% could have gone 15 @2.0%

The shithousery going on is helping someone somewhere, we had might as well jump on board.

 

[Joffrey]

I can’t believe people still smoke in their houses. Walked into a house today and was immediately hit with the stale smoke smell. Couldn't smell whatever they sprayed to cover it up until I took the mask off for a second. (Side benefit of masks, I guess.) Now we know why this house has been sitting. I was ready to turn around and walk out 2 steps into the house.

That has to be easily a 5 figure hit to the value of the home.

(I also should note that this was an updated home, not some place someone hasn't touched since the '70s.)

I don't get the no ventilation when smoking indoors.
...

In other news, I was outbid - winning offer had no contingencies and offered well above ask so I wasn't really in the game. I'm okay with it since I offered the max of my comfort zone.

 

[beargonefishing]

I think No. 9 just confessed about where he takes his victims.

 

[Van Veen]

I don't get the no ventilation when smoking indoors.
...

In other news, I was outbid - winning offer had no contingencies and offered well above ask so I wasn't really in the game. I'm okay with it since I offered the max of my comfort zone.

Looking at a house tomorrow that is the first since we've been looking that we've both been bullish on. Of course it's at the absolute top of our budget, so if we're done if there's a multiple offer situation. Gotta try to stay dispassionate.

I'm in a good situation in that I don't NEED to move (though we certainly want to get out of this shithole ASAP). I don't need to sell a house. And my lender has a program that allows you to waive financing contingencies. (Maybe this is standard...?)

 

[Omega Male]

I don't get the no ventilation when smoking indoors.

My uncle (Mom's younger brother) was the most dedicated smoker I ever knew. You just never saw him without a cigarette in his mouth or in an ashtray in front of him. I was at university and he asked me to house sit for him while he was off on some promotional jaunt overseas, as he owned a travel agency. I also smoked at that point -- in my defense it was back in the 80s -- and even so couldn't spend more than one night in the place. It was so absolutely permeated with that sour nicotine tang, down to the molecular level I assume. He was a proper rogue, died of a heart attack in the saddle while cheating on his third wife.

 

[PhilKenSebben]

My Ex wife's grandparents used to smoke. every year they would basically empty out their house and clean everything, walls, ceilings, carpets. Apparently (I never witnessed it, it happened when she was young), the color change on the walls was crazy once the tar was washed off

 

[Van Veen]

My Ex wife's grandparents used to smoke. every year they would basically empty out their house and clean everything, walls, ceilings, carpets. Apparently (I never witnessed it, it happened when she was young), the color change on the walls was crazy once the tar was washed off

I lived in an apartment in an 1860s building above a smoker, so it wasn't really airtight between levels. (Probably can find me complaining about it if you look in my post history.) When I took a shower, the condensation dripping down the walls would be yellow. When my landlord finally evicted him (the building was technically non-smoking), he said the walls were brown with tar. I think it took him weeks to clean up the apartment to get it ready to rent again.

 

[PhilKenSebben]

I lived in an apartment in an 1860s building above a smoker, so it wasn't really airtight between levels. (Probably can find me complaining about it if you look in my post history.) When I took a shower, the condensation dripping down the walls would be yellow. When my landlord finally evicted him (the building was technically non-smoking), he said the walls were brown with tar. I think it took him weeks to clean up the apartment to get it ready to rent again.

That is.... really really gross :/ I don't get the indoor smoking. dear god

 

[Omega Male]

Extending this metaphor, we had an informational letter from our insurers recently (in light of the latest California wildfires) explaining that even if you get a near miss and your house doesn't actually burn down, you can expect to have to replace all soft furnishings because intense smoke will get in no matter what and permeate everything.

 

[Van Veen]

Before and after a of the kitchen - my wife is supposed to make some cute half curtains for the windows, but timing is TBD: View attachment 1461936 View attachment 1461937 View attachment 1461938 View attachment 1461939 View attachment 1461940 View attachment 1461941 View attachment 1461942 View attachment 1461943

Just noticed the Kit-Cat clock. That's really the icing on the cake.

 

[Lizard23]

Finally pulled the trigger on redoing all the irrigation zones and heads. It had been pieced together after we renovated all the landscape/hardscape and since i got slammed with fungus this year i figured as good a time as any to rip up the lawn and re-sod with the good stuff.

Prime example of work i could do myself but just isn't worth it.

 

[Van Veen]

I think my wife finally believes me when I say, "if a house sits on the market (or comes back on after going pending), there's usually a reason." There are some delusional sellers out there right now. OTOH why not swing for the fences if you can afford to let your house sit?