CAG home owner topic. Buying or selling a home? Have a maintance issue? Help is here!

They should work fine as long as your lawn is small enough to finish before the battery dies. So just estimate how long it would take and read up on the battery lives of the mowers (and assume that the manufacture listed times are longer than what you'll actually get in practice).
 
Got another preapproval from a broker that treated us better. We're all set for house-hunting Saturday! Will definitely post back about anything funny or if we find a place we like.
 
I use a cordless trimmer but my lawn is way too big for a battery mower. I actually use a corded edger and blower so I've got it all. But I have a self-propelled Toro that I got on clearance 5 years ago that's going strong - keep fuel conditioner in it and it cranks on the first pull and even after sitting over the winter only like 3 pulls after priming.

I'd be wary of battery life in the long run for the cordless electric mower. We had a roomba and the battery quit on us after two years (we sorta took advantage of Costco's generous return policy on that one.) I mean two years just isn't long enough - it shouldn't have died so soon. So I'm sorta jaded there. But I did just retire a 10 year old craftsman industrial cordless drill set that was still (barely) chugging along so I know batteries can last a while. I'm a bit of rechargeable battery nerd and have probably 30+ AAs alone so I'm a huge fan of rechargeables.
 
I don't buy cordless power tools anymore. Eventually the battery charge just doesn't last and you end up with a paperweight that never works when you need it to. And a lot of times the replacement batteries cost as much as the damn tool. Better off just buying corded or gas power tools, IMO.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Got another preapproval from a broker that treated us better. We're all set for house-hunting Saturday! Will definitely post back about anything funny or if we find a place we like.[/QUOTE]

What made you guys move from OH to MA? Just asking because we are thinking of moving to Massachusetts or Maine in a few years from OH ourselves.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']What made you guys move from OH to MA? Just asking because we are thinking of moving to Massachusetts or Maine in a few years from OH ourselves.[/QUOTE]

The main reason to move NOW was because my husband's job offered him a transfer here. But we were planning on doing it (or moving to Seattle area) eventually because:

1. Ohio sucks.
2. I'm originally from MA.
3. My husband used to work in MA (he's originally from WA).
4. My whole family is here except my parents.
 
Ok, we found a house we plan to make an offer on. It's been on the market for over a year and has fell out of agreement twice so we might be able to actually lowball and get it. The buyer's agents we're working with are going to call us tonight after researching to tell us what they think we should offer.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Ok, we found a house we plan to make an offer on. It's been on the market for over a year and has fell out of agreement twice so we might be able to actually lowball and get it. The buyer's agents we're working with are going to call us tonight after researching to tell us what they think we should offer.[/QUOTE]

Low ball for sure. I doubt they would ignore any offer at this point. Sometimes your realtor can find out what there circumstances are as well. If they need to get out of the house quicker for some reason you can use that to your advantage.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Low ball for sure. I doubt they would ignore any offer at this point. Sometimes your realtor can find out what there circumstances are as well. If they need to get out of the house quicker for some reason you can use that to your advantage.[/QUOTE]

Buying agent suggested $285k with a listing of about $310k. That's not much of a lowball, but if we get it for $285k, that'd be fuck awesome. Also, the house is vacant.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']All the houses today sucked, but we are going to see more tomorrow. Most of the problem was the foundations were pieces of shit.[/QUOTE]

Too many cracks, too thin, made of cinderblocks?
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']Too many cracks, too thin, made of cinderblocks?[/QUOTE]

One place we saw yesterday, the second floor was literally caving in. A lot of the places had poor beam/pole support, and the floors were sinking.


[quote name='metaphysicalstyles']Listed for $182k... placed our bid at $175k. [/QUOTE]

I hate you.

Well, these sellers/seller's agent are idiots. They countered with $305k and evaded my realtor's questions as to why so much. This is after the house has been on the market for over a year. They have no other offers. It seems they would rather pay $4k a year in property taxes, home insurance, and interest payments on a $240k mortgage (according to our agent) for a vacant house than sell the house at a reasonable price. We countered with $295k. If they don't go with that, they can have the place stay on the market another year, and almost certainly have to sell it off for less than our offer. Still, I KNEW this was gonna happen when I saw it'd been on the market over a year and they only lowered the price once, and only by $10k.

[quote name='dopa345']Time is your friend DoK. MA housing prices still have much lower to go.[/QUOTE]

True that. People still think their houses are worth what they were before the crash, it seems. We have time, our lease doesn't expire till May 2012, but we'd like to be in a house before February 2012, before my hellish busy season starts. I don't think I could take my current commute during busy season without dying of exhaustion.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']
Well, these sellers/seller's agent are idiots. They countered with $305k and evaded my realtor's questions as to why so much. This is after the house has been on the market for over a year. They have no other offers. It seems they would rather pay $4k a year in property taxes, home insurance, and interest payments on a $240k mortgage (according to our agent) for a vacant house than sell the house at a reasonable price. We countered with $295k. If they don't go with that, they can have the place stay on the market another year, and almost certainly have to sell it off for less than our offer. Still, I KNEW this was gonna happen when I saw it'd been on the market over a year and they only lowered the price once, and only by $10k.[/QUOTE]

Pretty crazy how people would rather pay another year of $10K+ in interest plus everything else rather than sell at a loss. Around here the rental market has slowly swelled as a number unrealistic/underwater owners have chosen rentals over foreclosure.

Interesting about the floor support, I've seen a couple 50-60s houses with poor pole support but those where built with 16 on center 2X12's I've never seen one that's actually caving in, that's rather impressive.
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']Pretty crazy how people would rather pay another year of $10K+ in interest plus everything else rather than sell at a loss.[/QUOTE]

It's not even a loss. The guy got the house as a gift, then took out 3(!) mortgages for a total of currently owing $245k or so on it. And now he's pissed because there's an offer that's at a fair market price instead of his fairytale price from 2006? The sad thing is I don't think he used much of that mortgage to actually, you know, update the house.

If they're dicks about us raising our offer by $10k we're walking away.

[quote name='zionoverfire']
Interesting about the floor support, I've seen a couple 50-60s houses with poor pole support but those where built with 16 on center 2X12's I've never seen one that's actually caving in, that's rather impressive.[/QUOTE]

Yeah no shit right? The house was actually pretty nice if the fucking 2nd floor wasn't caving in and the 1st floor (no basement) wasn't sinking. Kinda sad. :( I think they must have built the second floor later on and completely fubared the job.

Most of the houses in the area are older. One of the ones we looked at was even built in the Civil War. The one we put an offer in for was built in the 1920s. Such is New England.
 
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[quote name='Dead of Knight']It's not even a loss. The guy got the house as a gift, then took out 3(!) mortgages for a total of currently owing $245k or so on it. And now he's pissed because there's an offer that's at a fair market price instead of his fairytale price from 2006? The sad thing is I don't think he used much of that mortgage to actually, you know, update the house.

If they're dicks about us raising our offer by $10k we're walking away.[/QUOTE]

WTF? :rofl:

Oh right there are actual old houses back there.
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']WTF? :rofl:

Oh right there are actual old houses back there.[/QUOTE]

I am honestly wondering what he actually spent the money on. Hookers and beer I'm assuming. I think the furnace is a few years old, but other than that....

Apparently it was actually up for sale as early as 2008, at $350k! And then they took it off the market after a year of not selling, despite not lowering the price once. Then it was put back on the market a year ago at $320k, and they lowered the price a couple months ago to $310k. The seller is a fucking idiot.
 
Holy shit people. I was just quoted $250,000-$300,000 to put a ONE ROOM addition (25'x15') on the back of my ~1,300 sqft. house (three stories - full basement, living room, master bedroom/master bath). Goddamn NJ.
 
[quote name='Javery']Holy shit people. I was just quoted $250,000-$300,000 to put a ONE ROOM addition (25'x15') on the back of my ~1,300 sqft. house (three stories - full basement, living room, master bedroom/master bath). Goddamn NJ.[/QUOTE]

Maybe I should stfu about a $300k, 1500 sq ft house 6 miles from downtown Boston.
 
[quote name='Javery']Holy shit people. I was just quoted $250,000-$300,000 to put a ONE ROOM addition (25'x15') on the back of my ~1,300 sqft. house (three stories - full basement, living room, master bedroom/master bath). Goddamn NJ.[/QUOTE]

Damn. Where I live, I call that the 'Summit Tax' (if you know the area). Contractors seem to gouge a person if you live in a nicer area.
 
[quote name='Javery']Holy shit people. I was just quoted $250,000-$300,000 to put a ONE ROOM addition (25'x15') on the back of my ~1,300 sqft. house (three stories - full basement, living room, master bedroom/master bath). Goddamn NJ.[/QUOTE]

For that price you might as well ask how much a complete demo and whole new house would cost you.:lol:

Well can you be your own contractor in NJ?
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Maybe I should stfu about a $300k, 1500 sq ft house 6 miles from downtown Boston.[/QUOTE]

Wow - that seems like an insane deal that close to the city.

[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Damn. Where I live, I call that the 'Summit Tax' (if you know the area). Contractors seem to gouge a person if you live in a nicer area.[/QUOTE]

I know Summit VERY VERY well. It's not far from me at all. ;)

[quote name='zionoverfire']For that price you might as well ask how much a complete demo and whole new house would cost you.:lol:

Well can you be your own contractor in NJ?[/QUOTE]

You can be your own contractor in NJ but I honestly don't have the time or the skills to coordinate something like that, unfortunately.

The addition we are planning is a little more complicated than just adding a room (but not by much). We are also digging down in our existing unfinished 6' basement to give me a full finished 8' ceiling in both the existing basement and the addition so it will be one giant room (the man cave!). The first floor is getting some interior walls moved around and there are structural considerations as well as a new countertop in the kitchen (they are blowing out the back wall to create an area where you can sit and eat - kin of like a bar). On the second floor, in addition to the new master bathroom they are also reconfiguring the existing bathroom to make room for a hallway to access the addition. So it's not just a simple room on the back but still - you can build an entire house for less in other parts of the country...
 
[quote name='Javery']I know Summit VERY VERY well. It's not far from me at all. ;)[/QUOTE]

Heh, small world. Off topic, but if you're ever REALLY bored, I run the local access channel in the area, Comcast 36 or Verizon 33.
 
Anyone have any suggestions for unclogging a drain? Iv tried doing a few random suggestions iv found on google like bleach down the drain and using a plunger while someone else holds a towel over the hole near the spigot. Iv also tried 2 different store bought snakes but since the pipe bends at an odd and narrow angle they dont seem to be doing alot of good. I hate to call a plumber if I dont have to...and something tells me they wont need the big tools to fix this, got to be something we can do!
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Anyone have any suggestions for unclogging a drain? Iv tried doing a few random suggestions iv found on google like bleach down the drain and using a plunger while someone else holds a towel over the hole near the spigot. Iv also tried 2 different store bought snakes but since the pipe bends at an odd and narrow angle they dont seem to be doing alot of good. I hate to call a plumber if I dont have to...and something tells me they wont need the big tools to fix this, got to be something we can do![/QUOTE]

Have you tried liquid plumber or something similar? Also, we have used vinegar and baking soda to clean stuff as well. You can also try taking the trap off of the drain in the cabinet below the sink (have a bucket ready!) and see if the clog is there.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Heh, small world. Off topic, but if you're ever REALLY bored, I run the local access channel in the area, Comcast 36 or Verizon 33.[/QUOTE]

Nice - I'll have to check it out one of these days. What kind of programming is it? Local high school sports and stuff?

[quote name='MSI Magus']Anyone have any suggestions for unclogging a drain? Iv tried doing a few random suggestions iv found on google like bleach down the drain and using a plunger while someone else holds a towel over the hole near the spigot. Iv also tried 2 different store bought snakes but since the pipe bends at an odd and narrow angle they dont seem to be doing alot of good. I hate to call a plumber if I dont have to...and something tells me they wont need the big tools to fix this, got to be something we can do![/QUOTE]

Draino. That's the only other suggestion I can think of - I have a drain that is always giving me problems (the shower) and I bought a sieve to cover the drain to catch my wife and daughter's hairs. It is pretty gross. I unclog it with Draino (usually a full bottle - it works OK if you follow the directions) and then I bought a very small snake which helps unclog whatever is left.
 
My wife (before we were living together) had a shower drain that never worked. I just dumped two cans of cokes down it a couple hours apart and she never had a problem with it again. Now I swear by coke when I clean my drains lol.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Have you tried liquid plumber or something similar? Also, we have used vinegar and baking soda to clean stuff as well. You can also try taking the trap off of the drain in the cabinet below the sink (have a bucket ready!) and see if the clog is there.[/QUOTE]

Tried liquid plumber and some other declog stuff as well as baking soda and vinegar. Also this is for a bath tub not a sink if it makes a difference.
 
[quote name='Javery']Nice - I'll have to check it out one of these days. What kind of programming is it? Local high school sports and stuff?[/QUOTE]

Yeah, local news, we cover events, farmers market, concerts, etc. We mainly cover Summit & Millburn but we do a little Springfield, Berkeley Heights and few other surrounding towns.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Tried liquid plumber and some other declog stuff as well as baking soda and vinegar. Also this is for a bath tub not a sink if it makes a difference.[/QUOTE]

Well if the sink in that bathroom also backs up slightly during heavy use you could have a clog where the tub and sink drain connect. In this case I've found it far easier to disconnect the sink drain pipe and snake that, I've never been great at forcing a snake through a tub pea trap.
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']Well if the sink in that bathroom also backs up slightly during heavy use you could have a clog where the tub and sink drain connect. In this case I've found it far easier to disconnect the sink drain pipe and snake that, I've never been great at forcing a snake through a tub pea trap.[/QUOTE]

Nope, the sink and toilet in the bathroom both function perfectly normally.
 
Our counteroffer was accepted. I'm kind of surprised, but I'm glad they finally wised up. We ended up getting $15k off the list price, so that's not bad. And our mortgage broker just informed me via email that their rates have dropped about .3%. Awesomesauce.

Our mortgage payment will be over $300 a month less than our rent. With insurance and taxes, it will work out to maybe a few bucks more. Our current apartment is 830 sq feet, the house is 1502, not including the basement (which isn't finished, but is in good condition) and attic (good for storing shit).

Probably way more room than we need now, but I know the cats will love it, and it's less than half mile walk to the subway station into Boston. Will definitely beat the bit under 1.5 hour one-way commute I have now (drive to train station->wait for train->take commuter rail into Boston->walk to subway station->take subway->walk 5 minutes to work from the station). The line the nearby station is on is the same line I need for work too, so all I have to do is walk like 5 minutes to the station, take the next subway train (every 5 minutes or less during rush hour), sit on my ass for 15-20 minutes, and then walk another 5 minutes to work. It will be amazing. My husband's commute will only increase by 2 miles too, from 4.5 to a whopping 6.5 on the side roads. :lol:

The main issues with the house are that there's an inground pool we want to get rid of, the bushes are overgrown and need serious pruning, and it needs an exterior painting. Anyone got any estimates on how much this might cost? Obviously it will be some serious change for the painting and the pool, but we can wait on those for at least a little bit. The pruning will probably have to come first, but at least that will definitely be the cheapest, or even DIY (or hire some neighborhood teenager to do it).
 
[quote name='slowdive21']Wire hanger solves so many problems...[/QUOTE]

Naturally that was the first thing we tried. Again the problem is that our drain bends at a very odd angle and is very narrow.
 
Have you tried boiling water yet? Toss a few buckets down the drain. Other than that it seems like everything else has already been mentioned and it's time to call a plumber.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Have you tried boiling water yet? Toss a few buckets down the drain. Other than that it seems like everything else has already been mentioned and it's time to call a plumber.[/QUOTE]

We are going to try the boiling water thing later tonight. I read something online today too where someone said to try putting salt down the drain THEN hitting it with the baking soda and vinegar, let it sit a few hours, THEN boiling water. We will probaly try that later tonight since up to this point we have done the V&B and then immediatly ran luke warm water down. Maybe the salt, sit, boil method will work ;)
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Naturally that was the first thing we tried. Again the problem is that our drain bends at a very odd angle and is very narrow.[/QUOTE]

A bottle of Liquid Plumber, wait 30 minutes, then pour a massive pot (like a huge soup cooking bowl) of boiling water down the drain. I guarantee your clog will clear. At least mine always has.
 
[quote name='keithp']A bottle of Liquid Plumber, wait 30 minutes, then pour a massive pot (like a huge soup cooking bowl) of boiling water down the drain. I guarantee your clog will clear. At least mine always has.[/QUOTE]

Well I know we have bought declog stuff at the store a few times but I do not know if we have ever used liquid plumber. I will ask my wife if it was LP or draino or what that we bought and if it was not LP we will try that this weekend if the above method doesnt work.

Thanks Junpei!
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']The main issues with the house are that there's an inground pool we want to get rid of, the bushes are overgrown and need serious pruning, and it needs an exterior painting. Anyone got any estimates on how much this might cost? Obviously it will be some serious change for the painting and the pool, but we can wait on those for at least a little bit. The pruning will probably have to come first, but at least that will definitely be the cheapest, or even DIY (or hire some neighborhood teenager to do it).[/QUOTE]

Congrats! Having a house is a lot of fun and of course a lot of work. We got our exterior repainted a year ago and it was around $3000. We got coupon mailers in the mail and usually they had some deal in there. It made a huge difference on the curb appeal.

Pruning and stuff you can do yourself or like you said, hire someone local.

Good luck.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Congrats! Having a house is a lot of fun and of course a lot of work. We got our exterior repainted a year ago and it was around $3000. We got coupon mailers in the mail and usually they had some deal in there. It made a huge difference on the curb appeal.

Pruning and stuff you can do yourself or like you said, hire someone local.

Good luck.[/QUOTE]

Yes hire someone local.....just find the closest home depot then standing on the curb say I need 4. You will have someone to prune for dirt cheap, or paint or do anything else you might need ;)
 
But is it the Foaming Pipe Snake?
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It's so powerful they have to keep the ingredients in two separate containers because they're so caustic together.
 
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