120

Re-hash from last page:

NW corner to front bedroom soffit missing small strip of soffit board recommend repair to prevent pest intrusion.


See attached roof report that was performed by South Florida construction which states the following, roof is from leaks at time of inspection. There are three cracked tiles in the field.


There is a small wall opening behind the washer and dryer that appears to be created to make some kind of plumbing repairs. There is no visible signs of leaks, recommend repairs to the area to prevent energy loss to the open wall cavity.

4/17/2016 2:18:37 PM

Pretty sure a 1-person drywall crew could mud an entire house in the time it has taken me to do 1.75 skim coats in a 5x8 bathroom.


I really need to trust standing and stop trying to mud so smoothly.

4/18/2016 10:10:36 AM

Any recommendations on where to purchase beadboard paneling? Lowe's stock didn't look all that great and I'm somewhat concerned about MDF in a bathroom. Capital City Lumber is on my list to check out.

4/18/2016 11:46:25 AM

^^^ seems like fixing the roof should be an obvious thing for the seller to pay for

None of those issues seem too big to me, less than 1k to fix everything probably.

Can you see what is under the washer/dryer? Any water damage there? Does the wall still seem firm surrounding the opening (is it water damaged)?

4/18/2016 4:46:32 PM

unfortunately, I'm in KS and the house is in Miami. The tile in the house is relatively new, as is all of the furnishings (save the kitchen appliances). It's odd that the wall was never completed, but I don't know why.

4/18/2016 5:41:01 PM

Conversation with inspector just now:

Me:

Quote :

"I don’t know if you had a chance to look at the inspection report. I have a question about section 8.1 (Walls). The photo shows a gap in the drywall on the floor of the laundry room behind the washer and dryer. Is there a reason why the wall wasn’t finished? Was there water damage done to the wall and the wall had to be replaced?"

Inspector:

Quote :

"The picture would be a lot clearer if I could pull the washer or dryer out the wall was cut out about 18" high and 2 ft long to make repairs to the plumbing pipes or drain pipe I am not sure which one. A small piece of drywall and plaster should be all that’s needed for the repairs. As for water damage possible as something cause the wall to be cut out and plumbing pipes is the only thing in that wall."

4/18/2016 6:05:50 PM

I would never let an inspector's report be the final word before purchasing a home. You need to go there with the report and look at the issues yourself. Not to mention, do your own inspection, if you have not already done so. Inspectors typically don't do much beyond looking - if an object is blocking a visual inspection, many inspectors won't move the object so there's no way for them to really report on the issue (e.g. the wall issue behind the laundry). You need to go there and move everything you can so you can see behind/under objects. That, and some inspectors just look for petty shit that aren't real issues.

4/19/2016 10:36:37 AM

Closing day on the house I am selling is tomorrow hoping everything goes smooth.

4/19/2016 11:40:48 AM

nice, doss

wdprice, unfortunately, I won't be able to go back down between now and moving in, so...I'm going to have to trust that the inspector does his job

4/20/2016 9:19:36 AM

I've got a tubeless wheelbarrow tire that's deteriorating to where it won't hold air and am a cheap ass. Any chance a can of fix-a-flat would work? Doesn't seem like replacing the tire is an option.

4/20/2016 2:30:26 PM

Past Month:
$600 plumbing repair
$600 roof repair

rental home ownership woes

The house is getting to the point where this type of thing is getting more and more common...Starting to consider selling it.

[Edited on April 20, 2016 at 4:42 PM. Reason : ^why is replacement not an option?]

4/20/2016 4:41:44 PM

According to Lowes and True Value they can't replace just the tire...wheel+tire is $30-$35

[Edited on April 20, 2016 at 5:06 PM. Reason : Anyone seen just the tires for sale?]

4/20/2016 5:03:46 PM

Would a tubeless lawnmower tire work?

4/20/2016 9:27:39 PM

or a cheapo one from harbor freight?
http://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/solid-flat-free-tires.html

4/21/2016 1:43:45 PM

^ that might do it

4/21/2016 3:28:28 PM

anyone used these before? https://ring.com/products



never heard of them before

4/21/2016 4:42:45 PM

i used a can of fix a flat on my old ass wheelbarrow tire, definitely worked for a long while

4/21/2016 10:42:15 PM

^^No, but I was thinking of getting one since our old dumb doorbell broke. It's an interesting concept, especially since we don't have a peephole (the front door has a big leaded glass insert, not very covert.)

4/21/2016 11:15:57 PM

I just closed on my condo today.

I know, it's not a house, but it's got a list of things that are due for repairs or maintenance (which I already listed in the last few pages somewhere).

I'm living in downtown Norfolk, VA now and it's nice to have a condo rather than a house (omg screw raking and mowing half an acre). Got it for a real good price too because nobody else was interested in buying at the time (I just got super lucky).

Also the place was in disrepair from a lot of minor stuff they didn't fix which would have made the place show better. We're talking about stuff like replacing blown lightbulbs and replacing flappers on leaky toilets. All the wood trim around the windows needs sanding & polyurethane, and the paint above the windows on one side needs scraping, sanding, and painting. Whatever, people not taking care of their investment = more cheapness for me, hos!

4/22/2016 5:37:05 PM

Ugh, wife just called and said she thinks she hears birds in our attic. She specifically said when she listens around the exhaust fan in the upstairs bathroom, so I'm hoping they are just nesting near the exhaust on the top of the house and not in my attic.

4/25/2016 9:53:56 AM

Hopefully its birds and not bats!

4/25/2016 10:22:25 AM

^6 no, but when I looked into them, most of them seemed to require a monthly service for $.

4/25/2016 1:58:03 PM

Has anyone tried SimpliSafe?

This seems like a pretty good deal...

http://tools.woot.com/offers/simplisafe2-wireless-home-security-8-pieces-3

4/25/2016 2:05:35 PM

^ http://www.ioactive.com/pdfs/IOActive_Advisory_SimpliSafe-Replay.pdf
As i work in security, this slightly worries me that they haven't done much about this yet or responded even to it properly.

Im looking at them but also Fortress Security Store, which doesnt have a service (yet) but can call you

4/25/2016 2:24:33 PM

lol, when re-reading this thread, my previous post about the MLS pictures looks silly now because they ended up just swapping out their photos for mine. They offered to come and take new photos, but with the same person. And we said no. Ended up getting our house under contract in 5 days though and getting some money back for the pictures. So whatever. Hopefully the closing process goes smoothly.

4/25/2016 2:55:55 PM

Quote :

"Hopefully its birds and not bats! "

We had bats last year, they're not that hard to deal with. Called a guy who came and got rid of them by sealing up all the access cracks except one, and putting a device on that which let them leave but not come back in. Cost something like $150.

(This is assuming that the theoretical bats do not leave behind big piles of guano, which is a health hazard.)

4/25/2016 6:32:55 PM

So we have a playground in the backyard for our daughter. It's your typical 3 swing, slide and small climbing wall deal. The house next door is a rental, and the new tenants have two children, 7 and 4. For some reason, they think the 7 year old is qualified to watch the 4 year old, so there's no adult supervision, and they are constantly coming in our yard. I don't really care about that, kids will be kids, but the 4 year old doesn't listen to a word you say. Also, while I'm standing in the yard talking to the dad, the 4 year old just comes over, goes in our garage without asking, and starts pulling out all of my daughter's toys. The dad just looks on like nothing is happening. My daughter just stares at him (she's 3) and then he leaves without putting anything back.

My concern?

Am I liable if they play on our daughter's playground without our consent and fall off and get hurt? Or if something on it breaks while they are playing on it? There's one in their yard but it is dilapidated. If I am liable, would it be a dick move to make them sign some kind of consent form?

I'm just so sick of this whole rental situation. This is our 4th set of neighbors in as many years.

4/25/2016 9:21:44 PM

Not a lawyer, but I presume you'd be liable as you failed to prevent them from accessing the playground. Sounds like what you need is a fence, or if you have one, a lock on your gate. (Yes fences are not cheap but neither is a lawsuit.)

4/26/2016 2:52:45 AM

As they say... Fences make good neighbors

4/26/2016 4:04:12 AM

4/26/2016 8:44:58 AM

Quote :

"Not a lawyer, but I presume you'd be liable as you failed to prevent them from accessing the playground. Sounds like what you need is a fence, or if you have one, a lock on your gate. (Yes fences are not cheap but neither is a lawsuit.)"

Id worry being in the garage more and getting into something. Knowing all the chemicals and whatnot in my garage...

4/26/2016 9:24:23 AM

As someone who has been sued twice for kids getting hurt at my old house, here's my two cents.

Yes you are "liable", with a caveat. Unless the kids get hurt due to your gross neglicence (the swing set is dangerous or broken), the suit will not have any legs. You can go a step further and put up a sign that says "play at your own risk" or "keep out".

One lawsuit was because the kids liked to ride their bikes down the street and then through my yard (because it had a slight downward slope and allowed for some offroading on their bikes). One kid flipped over the handlebars and hurt her arm. Their parents tried to sue me because there were "holes" in my yard, but my insurance adjuster came out and said my yard was a typical yard and there would be no consequences.

The second one was when kids were shooting their airsoft guns at my dog (who was in an invisible fence). I didn't realize this was happening because I was at work. One of the kids was running through the yard to further tease my dog and he got bit. I had to keep my dog inside for 10 days to monitor for rabies and the kid's dad sued me for $300k (my max liability insurance through my house). Again the adjuster came out, saw my dog playing with the 3 year olds next door, and was obvious that my dog was not dangerous. I never had to pay a dime for the law suit (but did end up having to put the dog down because he became too agitated when around teenage kids). The adjuster said if I had a sign up that said "dangerous dog" or "beware of dog" it would not have been an issue regardless unless my dog got off my property.

In both cases I was not guilty of negligence, so the suits didn't go anywhere. However, you should have a conversation with your neighbor and bring up your concerns (which would go in your favor if the kids ever did get hurt). I would also suggest calling your insurance agent and getting their advice on what to do.

** both kids that got hurt in my yard did not actually live in my neighborhood, but instead lived in the multiple tenant housing in the neighborhood next to mine.

[Edited on April 26, 2016 at 10:17 AM. Reason : ]

4/26/2016 10:12:57 AM

fuck those parents.

4/26/2016 10:27:51 AM

Have you talked to the dad about it? Sounds like his kids need some discipline. I'd advise that you be polite and just let him know that you don't feel comfortable with his kids playing on your stuff without adult supervision.

4/26/2016 10:39:37 AM

We've already told the parents just that - that we certainly don't mind their children playing, as long as someone other than us is doing the supervising.

It didn't change things though - that 4 year old rules the roost.

Another concern I have is that we live at the end of a street, and we're the last house. Our neighbor is the second-to-last house, and right in front of their house is a T intersection. Since we are the last house, people rarely stop at that stop sign at the T, thinking no one is coming and that everyone is turning right. Those kids ride their bikes out there with no one watching, and I'm scared to death that they're gonna get hit. Not really my problem, but as a parent you just worry like that.

And yes, we do have things in that garage that our daughter knows is off-limits, but other kids might go after.

I just don't understand. Are we too strict? Am I being an asshole here? Am I being a helicopter parent? I mean my daughter isn't even 3 yet, and I certainly don't feel like a helicopter parent, but I feel like our neighbors are on the other end of the spectrum.

4/26/2016 3:01:17 PM

Quote :

"As they say... Fences make good neighbors"

4/26/2016 5:00:14 PM

It sounds like you are just being actively involved in making sure your kid doesn't kill themselves at an age where they are very likely to kill themselves and you recognize that your neighbors couldn't give a shit what their kids do at a similar age.

[starts chanting] FENCE! FENCE! FENCE!

If your neighbors get pissy just say you can't take the liability of their kid getting hurt on your property without supervision. If they still get pissy just wait since they'll probably move out in a year anyway.

Also DonMega I'm sorry that those things happened to you. Sounds like those were some shitty fucking people.

4/26/2016 7:02:27 PM

Thanks guys. It was some stressful times, and the whole situation with my dog especially sucked.

rjrumfel, you need to find what you are comfortable with. If it means asking those parents to not let their kids play on your swingset, then so be it. It sounds like you are doing the right things in my opinion.

If you ask them to not play on the swingset and they continue to do so (and as much as I hate to recommend it), you may need to file a police report for trespassing (but only after calling the parents when you notice it happening to see if they fix the problem if you care about keeping an ongoing relationship with them). The parents won't actually get in trouble, but there will be public record to cover your ass if there is ever an incident. It will also let the parents know that you are serious about the kids being safe on the swingset. Unfortunately the police got involved with several of the incidents with my dog, first with animal control because of the bite, then because I filed reports when the kids continued to mess with my dog even after I fenced in my backyard. It sucks when people can't be responsible for their kids and their actions.

[Edited on April 26, 2016 at 7:50 PM. Reason : ]

4/26/2016 7:41:15 PM

Quote :

"The parents won't actually get in trouble"

Actually yes they will. Trespassing is trespassing, which is a criminal charge. Kids either will go to juvi (unlikely) or parents will get slapped with the charge on their behalf, or charged with neglect. Or some mix of the above.

Ive had to deal with that personally when I was a kid so Im well aware of this situation.

Regardless, CYA, yes do what you are comfortable with, but CYA at end of the day.

4/26/2016 8:41:40 PM

Man, I couldn't see myself calling the cops on these people, that would suck to have to do that.

and @DonMega, I'm shocked that someone actually had the testicles to sue someone over dips in their yard. I just don't understand the logic behind that.

4/26/2016 9:01:33 PM

^^ I don't know exactly what I am talking about, but I wasn't saying you actually had to press charges, just for a police report to be filed for public record. When I had to call the cops on the bastards shooting my dog, the cops just went and talked to the parents about what the kids were doing. I naively hoped that just talking to the parents would fix the problem, and if they wouldn't listen to me, they would listen to a cop. There were never any charges filed as far as I know.

^ I don't know what was going through the heads of the parents, but it scared me pretty good (I was only 23 at the time and had certainly never received a letter that I was being sued). I didn't even know a girl got hurt until I got more details after receiving the letter.

4/26/2016 11:39:58 PM

The nice thing about liability insurance is that they defend against the frivolous law suits. It is a beautiful thing really, most people do not have the money laying around to hire an attorney if they get sued, the insurance companies have them on staff.

4/27/2016 9:16:25 AM

This is stress:

Closing on a lake house next Friday with a dependency... If I don't get my promotion, I'll likely be leaving the country in the not too distant future. That means no lake house. I had 6 hours of interviews on Monday and my competition interviews on Friday. I'll know by next Tuesday if I have the position. Wish me well.

If I don't get the job, I walk from the home. Will end up costing at least 6k in fees and expenses.

4/27/2016 1:39:48 PM

ouch...that's some gamblin' right there!

4/28/2016 10:23:08 AM

It was unintentional. We've been looking for places for years. We ended up getting an offer accepted on a property at 50% of its tax value. The house was not going to last. It was a calculated move. I am the internal candidate of choice, so I think I'll be ok. But stranger shit has happened.

4/28/2016 1:25:00 PM

^Going to be Jim 2.0?

4/28/2016 2:19:23 PM

That is the goal.

4/28/2016 7:15:34 PM

I called my loan officer today to check to see if the loan required flood insurance, and to see if i could put it on escrow.

After that inquiry, the conversation when somewhat like this:

Her: So your homeowner's insurance is set to start on the 18th of June.
Me: Yes, that's the closing day.
Her: Well, that's a Saturday.
Me: Yes.
Her: We don't close on Saturdays.
Me: What? We've been talking about this for three weeks now.
Her: Well, the closers don't usually work on Saturdays. I'll see what I can do, but you may want to move the date.
Me: The contract is for the 18th. I can't make that decision myself. I'll have to talk with my realtor and see if the sellers are okay with that.
Her: Well, you should do that then.

4/28/2016 8:24:16 PM

Quote :

"anyone used these before? https://ring.com/products"

Yes, we added the ring to the house after purchasing since there is no peephole and impossible to see the front door. I've found it to be really handy having the app on my phone. If you live really close to the road, you may need to turn the motion sensor off because I've found it to be really sensitive. It was easy to install.

Got mine at Costco for $180 and the additional chime was included. http://www.costco.com/Ring%2C-Wi-Fi-Enabled-Video-Doorbell-with-Chime-%E2%80%93-Satin-Nickle-Finish.product.100178969.html?catalogId=10701&keyword=ring+doorbell&langId=-1&storeId=10301&refine=

Quote :

"when I looked into them, most of them seemed to require a monthly service for $."

There is no monthly cost unless you want cloud recording. The cloud recording just keeps the videos for later playback. Otherwise, you only get the live feed when the doorbell is rung or the motion sensor is activated. Cloud Recording is $30/year or $3/month.

[Edited on April 29, 2016 at 9:19 AM. Reason : .]

4/29/2016 9:16:32 AM

I'm waging a war on fireants. Apparently when I was moving in I ran over a huge hill in the backyard and caused them to scatter and now I've got a bunch of little colonies popping up every where. I treated them all with bait, but I'm guessing it's not going to work. I might have to get some nematodes.

4/30/2016 9:24:10 AM