Selling your house

[azgreg]

You sir are an odd bird.

[Chicat]

I'm seriously crying I'm laughing so hard.

Although I read your entry to Femcat and her only response was, "Hmmm, John's an interesting bird...". And now I think she's having an affair with azgreg.

[Longhorned]

I mean, that entry tells you absolutely nothing about pornography. Look at the bibliography:

Bibliography

"Church Leaders Suggest Ways to Fight Pornography." Ensign 14 (Apr. 1984):37-39.

Cline, Victor B. "Obscenity: How It Affects Us, How We Can Deal with It." Ensign 14 (Apr. 1984):32-37.

Cline, Victor B., ed. Where Do You Draw the Line? Provo, Utah, 1974.

Monson, Thomas S. "Pornography-The Deadly Carrier." Ensign 9 (Nov. 1979):66-67.

Shapiro, Gary R. "Leave the Obscene Unseen." Ensign 19 (Aug. 1989):27-29.

[catgrad97]

I had inappropriate thoughts today about a 44-ounce Coca-Cola.

[phenom5]

God, you jokers are such bigots.

[Jefe]

By the way, can anyone here tell my why it's good that I got into his home owner thing instead of continuing to rent? I've lived in my house for 13 months, and so far I've had to sink $9,000 into maintenance and upkeep, and I've got quite a ways to go before I'm finished with my "getting started" list. You people kept telling me that I was "burning my money" as a renter. As far as I can tell, I'm burning a lot more money now. Not to mention the fact that all that down payment money isn't doing any real work for me. I'm thinking that home ownership is really just about hemorrhaging money rather than investing it because you love the house and not having a landlord to dick you around.

There's very few scenarios where renting makes more sense. Prior to 2007, buying property in Tucson was a great short investment. You could make $25k no problem flipping a home, until the bubble popped, and that was tax free money. Now its more of a long term investment(5+ years) and a way to build equity on most homes. Unless you find a foreclosure dirt cheap that doesn't need much. I have a client that has been flipping 3-5 homes a year for 10+ years and hes thinking about quitting. He is losing money or breaking even on more than half the homes he buys. So now he is looking at the homes over $250k that need work and can still flip for a profit. The margin for a quick profit on sub $175k homes is small

5-10% down on yours? 15/30 year locked? What have you had to do so far maintenance wise? Wasn't something the inspector found?

[Longhorned]

God, you jokers are such bigots.

And you poseurs are such anti-Semites!

And Tucson haters!

[Longhorned]

By the way, can anyone here tell my why it's good that I got into his home owner thing instead of continuing to rent? I've lived in my house for 13 months, and so far I've had to sink $9,000 into maintenance and upkeep, and I've got quite a ways to go before I'm finished with my "getting started" list. You people kept telling me that I was "burning my money" as a renter. As far as I can tell, I'm burning a lot more money now. Not to mention the fact that all that down payment money isn't doing any real work for me. I'm thinking that home ownership is really just about hemorrhaging money rather than investing it because you love the house and not having a landlord to dick you around.

There's very few scenarios where renting makes more sense. Prior to 2007, buying property in Tucson was a great short investment. You could make $25k no problem flipping a home, until the bubble popped, and that was tax free money. Now its more of a long term investment(5+ years) and a way to build equity on most homes. Unless you find a foreclosure dirt cheap that doesn't need much. I have a client that has been flipping 3-5 homes a year for 10+ years and hes thinking about quitting. He is losing money or breaking even on more than half the homes he buys. So now he is looking at the homes over $250k that need work and can still flip for a profit. The margin for a quick profit on sub $175k homes is small

5-10% down on yours? 15/30 year locked? What have you had to do so far maintenance wise? Wasn't something the inspector found?

20% down, 30 years fixed. Nothing that the inspector didn't find.

But it cost $4000 to have the interior painted, $3000 to have two dying trees removed, another $600 to remove their stumps and replace the lost soil, and another $1400 in misc handyman work.

That $1200 fridge wouldn't have been my expense with a rental.

And every improvement involves collateral damage.

Next will be $5000+ for a new front door and sidelight, then $3000+ to rip out the old carpet on the lower level and replace it with cork.

Plus all the times you have to call a professional to fix the AC or the heater. The home warranty with American Shield was worthless because American Shield isn't in the business of providing service. If your heater stops working and it's below zero outside, service four days later isn't worth much.

[Daryl Zero]

Sounds like your wife was your worst financial investment, something a few of us suffer from.

I had the AHS policy for a while and I dropped it because of poor service and they've figured out over the years how to virtually cover nothing, just like my asteroid insurance policy.

[SCCat]

Sounds like your wife was your worst financial investment. Something, a few of us suffer from.

[Longhorned]

Sounds like your wife was your worst financial investment, something a few of us suffer from.

I think the act of spending money itself makes her happy, even if we got nothing in return.

[Daryl Zero]

Sounds like your wife was your worst financial investment, something a few of us suffer from.

I think the act of spending money itself makes her happy, even if we got nothing in return.

I just hope your $1,200 refrigerator came with an Encyclopedia of Pornography or you should return it immediately.

[catgrad97]

Sounds like your wife was your worst financial investment, something a few of us suffer from.

I think the act of spending money itself makes her happy, even if we got nothing in return.

That's exactly what I think every time I leave a Kirkland's Home Store.

I think someday historians will turn the tables on the White Savage theories behind the settling of the Americas when it is discovered that most of the European "plunderers" of the New World were actually just trying to get enough booty to shut up their wives.

Which we know now, of course, to be impossible.

[phenom5]

Sounds like your wife was your worst financial investment, something a few of us suffer from.

I beat me wife to the punch on that, and became her worst financial investment before she could become mine!

Holy shit CG97...we need rep functionality ASAP...

[Jefe]

20% down

Damn that had to hurt. That's the best they could come up with? On the bright side, you just knocked out a good chunk of your mortgage. Id start doubling up on payments when you can and get it paid off as soon as possible.

Did they show you the price history of your home? Assessor has some but you could probably use trulia or zillow to see what it has done over the years. A lot of the homes Ive been looking at are back around the 2001-2004 pricing.

But it cost $4000 to have the interior painted, $3000 to have two dying trees removed, another $600 to remove their stumps and replace the lost soil, and another $1400 in misc handyman work. That $1200 fridge wouldn't have been my expense with a rental. And every improvement involves collateral damage. Next will be $5000+ for a new front door and sidelight, then $3000+ to rip out the old carpet on the lower level and replace it with cork.

$3600 to remove 2 trees? I hope they were massive. $5k for a door and light?!

It really pays to know how to do a lot of things on your own or have a buddy that's a good handyman. I would even put ads up on craigslist for tree removal/carpet work.

[azgreg]

I'm a firm believer that it's way better to own, but some times I envy those who can come home from a bad day at work, hop in the pool to relieve the stress, take a deuce in the deep end, then head back to the apartment.

[Longhorned]

20% down

Damn that had to hurt. That's the best they could come up with? On the bright side, you just knocked out a good chunk of your mortgage. Id start doubling up on payments when you can and get it paid off as soon as possible.

Doubling up on payments? My APR is 3%. That's the only good part of home ownership I can see. I want to slow those payments down. I love that debt. I wish it were a 60 year mortgage!

Did they show you the price history of your home? Assessor has some but you could probably use trulia or zillow to see what it has done over the years. A lot of the homes Ive been looking at are back around the 2001-2004 pricing.

I've only had it for 13 months. We got it for a good price history-wise, but I doubt it's gained value. I haven't found Zillow useful in any case, and Trulia is downright wrong on the basic facts of houses as far as I can tell.

But it cost $4000 to have the interior painted, $3000 to have two dying trees removed, another $600 to remove their stumps and replace the lost soil, and another $1400 in misc handyman work. That $1200 fridge wouldn't have been my expense with a rental. And every improvement involves collateral damage. Next will be $5000+ for a new front door and sidelight, then $3000+ to rip out the old carpet on the lower level and replace it with cork.

$3600 to remove 2 trees? I hope they were massive. $5k for a door and light?!

The were MASSIVE, like every tree on my property. The limbs that fall off my trees are bigger than most big trees. My property is a towering forest filled with all kinds of foreboding natural and supernatural elements. Most of the area's trusted arborists come out to give an estimate, but are too scared to take on the work. I need power tools like I've never heard off. I have to deal with the leftovers of what the foxes hunted the night before, mostly ducks and other birds, and opossum.

It really pays to know how to do a lot of things on your own or have a buddy that's a good handyman. I would even put ads up on craigslist for tree removal/carpet work.

I have a buddy who's a good handyman. He charges me $25 an hour. And don't make my wife laugh with this notion of me cutting through walls to replace windows and stuff. The reason I need a new front door is because I screwed up trying to fix the last one. Craisglist for tree removal? I can't have some dude without insurance hanging from a limb 100 feet off the ground. I'd have to sell the house to pay off his family.

[Longhorned]

I am good at plumbing, though. And kind of proud of it.

[Jefe]

Doubling up on payments? My APR is 3%. That's the only good part of home ownership I can see. I want to slow those payments down. I love that debt. I wish it were a 60 year mortgage!

Nice rate! The more you can get applied towards principal, the faster the debt is paid off and the less you will pay when all said and done. Start making double payments and that house will cost you thousands less and be paid off years in advance.

Have you compared the sale price to what 30 years of regular payments will be? Make sure you are sitting down when you do. Get a few years down the road and look at refinancing it into a 15 year loan if the rate looks good. Your monthly payment will go up about 25%. Of course, only do that if you can afford to

I've only had it for 13 months. We got it for a good price history-wise, but I doubt it's gained value. I haven't found Zillow useful in any case, and Trulia is downright wrong on the basic facts of houses as far as I can tell.

Heres a great site for property info: http://gis.pima.gov/maps/landbase/parsrch.htm

You can look up property features, tax history, aerial photography over the years, recorder docs, permits obtained, floodplain info, census info, fire/water/trash/voting districts, all sorts of stuff

[Longhorned]

Nice. Thanks, Jefe.

[Bruins01]

Doubling up on payments? My APR is 3%. That's the only good part of home ownership I can see. I want to slow those payments down. I love that debt. I wish it were a 60 year mortgage!

Nice rate! The more you can get applied towards principal, the faster the debt is paid off and the less you will pay when all said and done. Start making double payments and that house will cost you thousands less and be paid off years in advance.

This is really rather terrible advice. At 3%, there is hardly any reason to pay down principal.

[Longhorned]

Doubling up on payments? My APR is 3%. That's the only good part of home ownership I can see. I want to slow those payments down. I love that debt. I wish it were a 60 year mortgage!

Nice rate! The more you can get applied towards principal, the faster the debt is paid off and the less you will pay when all said and done. Start making double payments and that house will cost you thousands less and be paid off years in advance.

This is really rather terrible advice. At 3%, there is hardly any reason to pay down principal.

He's just trying to get revenge for me stealing his livestock and his wife's sister.

[Daryl Zero]

And don't make my wife laugh with this notion of me cutting through walls to replace windows and stuff. The reason I need a new front door is because I screwed up trying to fix the last one.

This made me laugh self-consciously. I almost don't attempt to fix things knowing that I will make them twice as worse. Talk about supernatural abilities to muck things up.

[phenom5]

Contract is in, waiting for inspections.

Got 3 houses we really like (like the most expensive of course), going to write an offer today or tomorrow.

[PieceOfMeat]

Good luck! I guess these days the appraisers do exactly what it takes to ensure the sale goes through. Inspection will at most result in one final, relatively insignificant negotiation where the buyers will be on pins and needles. And the buyers just have to not be dumb enough to buy a new car or a boat before closing.

The inspectors are in the pockets of the realtors now. Our inspector told us our house was in better shape than most brand new homes he inspects and gave it a glowing review. Meanwhile it was falling down (literally).

I know two families that bought a home recently (in the last 2 years), and both times their home inspections were (nearly) worthless. What a freaking joke they are. might be better off doing it yourself with a an electrician, plumber, and roofer in tow.

[phenom5]

Anyone have any idea how much it would costs to remove slide from an in-ground pool?

[wyo-cat]

I would go after it with a sawzall, sledgehammer and a pipe / chain wrench to pull it out of the sleeves in the pool deck.

[gumby]

Anyone have any idea how much it would costs to remove slide from an in-ground pool?

$25 an hour if you use Longhorned's friend, Pokey (no relation).

[Jefe]

Anyone have any idea how much it would costs to remove slide from an in-ground pool?

Picture?

[phenom5]

No pictures...the house isn't mine just yet.

And for the record, I definitely can remove it. I want the cool deck to look good after, and I don't want it to cut the shit out of people's feet.

[azgreg]

Just cut it flush and use one of these.

[phenom5]

Cool, thanks Greg, I didn't know those existed.

Through inspections & appraisal, everything looks good, just waiting for the buyers to sign off. Then I guess we gotta get serious about buying. Wrote an offer, but the seller were a little concerned about doing a deal with us contingent on us selling our house...

[phenom5]

Wow...1 more 3/4ish load from the storage unit and we are officially moved. Whole process, from start to finish, is awful. Haven't moved in 10 years, guess I forgot how bad that sucks.

[Merkin]

Anyone have any idea how much it would costs to remove slide from an in-ground pool?

Just curious, unless you don't have kids come by ever why would you do this?

If you want to take out an inground pool though, let me know, I have done it.

[phenom5]

Kinda moot now, we did not get that house...but, the slide was an eyesore. It wasn't in very good shape...I don't know, I didn't like it.