OT- Homebuying
- Thread starter snowcraig2.0
- Start date
Home warranty? Not worth the paper they are printed on. That being said I would always make the seller provide one. They are a cheap throw in for a seller (400-600 bucks usually) and sometimes work like they are supposed to - or at least take some sting out of a sudden home improvement need. Do not rely on them though. If you think there is a problem, get it solved up front. On our current house the inspector identified a leak in the furnace that would require replacement. Since there was a warranty in place (paid for already by the seller) I agreed to work with the seller and the warranty company to get the furnace replaced. After farting around with it for several months the warranty company finally decided they would put in the new furnace. Unfortunately, they tend to put in the cheapest piece of **** imaginable. I would have been worse off with a furnace that wasn't good enough to heat my home so I ended up taking the cash out option, and the money the seller had agreed to provide for an upgrade and buying one myself. I came out about 1500-2000 in the hole. If I had just made the seller replace it up front that wouldnt have been the case.
Good luck! :wink:
I used to roof houses for a construction company, and if it's soft at all you made the right decision.
I've seen a roof with 7 layers of shingles including the wooden cedar shingles on the bottom. It was not a good situation, and neither is 3 layers on a roof with soft spots.
I've seen a roof with 7 layers of shingles including the wooden cedar shingles on the bottom. It was not a good situation, and neither is 3 layers on a roof with soft spots.
I would suggest being a hard apple about verifying specs were met in construction, though. I have a buddy who carries a ruler and a spirit level and checked his house constantly as it was being built. He had them redo so much stuff, it made me think you gotta stay on top of construction as much as buying used.
Since the house is being built in Texas (well, not yet...waiting for the permits to come back), and I'm in Iowa (later Wisconsin) I'm not going to be able to monitor the construction. However, I do know the city has to come out after every stage of building and certify that it's up to code, so that'll help a bit.
If you're relying on the city, I wouldn't expect a ton. Code and built right are often two different things.
Been there, done that. The city inspections won't help you at all if they build you a turd. I would hire an agent if you can't be there; in fact, I'd rent there a year before I made the mistake of owning a home, sight unseen.
So have I heard right or wrong, I've been told you can put an additional layer on top of one layer of shingles but after that its usually a bad idea.
Sidenote: 7 layer?!? Those must have been some long nails to go down and hit some solid wood.
*Update*
Well, the seller went and got estimates of his own, which actually ended up being more expensive than the estimate we got. So what does this frickin guy do? He says, ok, I'll give you $2k (about 1/3 of the total cost of replacement) of the roof. He then said, if we don't accept, he'll get the roof fixed and then sell the house for more. Yeah, like someone who has seen the house listed at a lower price is all the sudden going to pay more for a roof that should have been replaced 10 years ago. Man, first time homebuying sucks!
Well, the seller went and got estimates of his own, which actually ended up being more expensive than the estimate we got. So what does this frickin guy do? He says, ok, I'll give you $2k (about 1/3 of the total cost of replacement) of the roof. He then said, if we don't accept, he'll get the roof fixed and then sell the house for more. Yeah, like someone who has seen the house listed at a lower price is all the sudden going to pay more for a roof that should have been replaced 10 years ago. Man, first time homebuying sucks!
Walk away. For obvious reasons.
And, you never know what else in this house has been patched together and he's not telling you about.
And, you never know what else in this house has been patched together and he's not telling you about.
What he said!!!
Superfan, I'm not sure where you are building in Texas, but Texas has its own little "quirks" that require attention.
Proper soil stabilization is critical for foundation longevity. The soil here is like a big sponge. When it rains, the soil swells, when it is dry, the soil shrinks...in a major way. A few years ago, there was a whole subdivision of $300,000 homes up near Denton that got condemned because the builder skimped on soil conditioning, and the foundations failed about a year after the homes were built.
Also, to save money, many builders don't implement any termite prevention measures. GET TERMITE PROTECTION, or you will pay dearly for not having it. The amount of damage that termites can do in a short period is unbelievable.
Also, if you are building in a new subdivision, be sure to check out flood plains, creeks, and drainage from other subdivisions. Down here, those little harmless-looking babbling creeks turn into raging rivers in a matter of minutes because of all the runoff. There is alot of flooding that goes on because one subdivision dumps all its runoff water right into a new one (or vice versa).
Also, check with your insurance agent about any discounts that might be available for a non-conventional, weather-resistant roof. It hails a lot down here. If you can swing it financially, get a hail-resistant roof. Every "long-timer" in my office has had a roof destroyed by big hail. It not only wrecks the roof, the subsequent water that pours into the house wrecks floors, drywall, etc. Also, the hot sun is a killer on roofing material. Must builders go cheap on shingles unless you specifiy otherwise.
The bottom line is if you are building new, you've go to be involved...
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The house I'm building is in League City. I know the soil in Texas is questionable. I've lived in Houston on and off since 2005. The soil down there is horrid. (I've often joked that I'm going to use whatever weight allotment I have left in the semi to import some good Wisconsin soil). I was made aware of the possible foundation issues, but the subdivision (well, I guess that's not the right term - it's technically a master planned community) has been around for several years - the documentation I can find on the community's existence dates at least back to 2002, so I'd guess if there were major soil issues they would have at least shown up by now in the other homes or on I-45 which is within a couple of miles.
Termites I've been told about. I also made sure to stay the hell away from the bayous - they showed us a home being built in Dickinson right next to one. The conversation went like this:
Fiance: "I like the nature view we'd have out the back."
Me: "Yeah, I've got a bit of an issue with it, though. (point at bayou just behind the trees) You know what that means?"
Fiance: "We're going to have wildlife in our backyard?"
Me: "No...well, yeah, there is that, but that right there? That's a bayou. That means it's going to flood here. Often."
Fiance: "Oh...yeah let's go somewhere else..."
The hail thing hadn't occurred to me. I think I might call them on that in the near future. I know every house in League City has to be certified for a 3-second gust of 120 mph wind (hurricanes, obviously) - and I was told the building requirements there were among if not the strictest in the area. Still, you're out of your mind if you think I'm spending over $600 for plane tickets every couple of weeks to go down and check on construction during a time when I have no income. Both my realtor and the building company have agreed to keep me updated on the progress of the home.
Frankly, it got down to a question of economics. They've really been able to jack the rent rates up after Katrina since there was in influx of people from New Orleans who didn't go back. Over last summer I paid just under $1000 per month for a 654 square foot, 1 bedroom, 1 bath - that was just for me. Now I'm going to be living with my soon-to-be wife, and the bottom line was my rent payment would have been more than my mortgage payment (just principal and interest - not counting mortgage insurance, etc.). Actually, the same model home a couple of blocks down the street is renting for more than my entire mortgage payment will be.
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It may not hail as much down there as it does up here. A couple of the folks in my neighborhood got steel roofs after the last big hailstorm. I've only owned for 4 years now, and haven't experienced a big hailstorm at the house yet...so I'm due, and I'm already putting some money away for the hail-resistant roof.
On the other hand, if you don't mind driving a hail-damaged car, you can get awesome car deals around here...
