House sold (finally)

[dm_gsxr]

Yep, we finally got our house sold. We had a buyer. We'd made changes to a digital document but they weren't saved. The realtor thought we were lying about the changes and we thought he was making changes to a document that was supposed to be locked. So we cancelled the contract. After I called the digital doc company and provided screen shots of the problem, they admitted they had a glitch and fixed it. Saturday the realtor's boss called and asked if we were still willing to sell the house if the buyer is still willing to purchase. We said absolutely, the buyer is still good so we're moving forward. Closing is on the 13th of May and we have to be out by 6pm on the 14th.

We also found a house in Longmont. It took a bunch of looking but Rita finally found it. Head over to http://www.coloproperty.com and look up MLS 583476. Closing is May 14th and we'll move in on the 15th or so. Cutting it close

I whipped up a rough floor plan last night based on the listed room sizes and put them about where they where taken in the house.




I put "pic #" around the two plans to show where the pictures in the MLS listing were taken.

The Living Room is going to be Rita's craft room and the two downstairs bedrooms will be the library and computer room. Rita already has plans for the master bedroom and we're putting up a fence so we can let the cats go out back.

A bunch of stuff you see in the pics is staying (well, the owner is leaving it; we'll probably freecycle it) including the Piano and the Ping-pong table

And of course, a nice big garage for all the motorcycles

Carl

[asp_125]

Congrats, welcome to being a Northie now!

[64BonnieLass]

Congratulations Carl and Rita. Here's to smooth sailing to closing.

(now start throwing stuff away so you don't have to move it. )

[dm_gsxr]

Already done. Rita contacted the Smartbox folks. We have four smartboxes over in the warehouse with our gear and a small truckload of stuff left to move. My co-worker here is 6 houses away so I've been bringing the bikes up and leaving them in his garage and catching a ride home.



Carl

[salsashark]

So... having gone through the selling and the buying, how are your feelings about the market in general?

I'm kind of feeling like relocating and am torn about trying to put my house on the market.

[dm_gsxr]

I think it really depends on your neighborhood. One of my coworkers has been trying to sell his house for the past year but there are a lot of foreclosures in his neighborhood. As far as I know, there was only one foreclosure in our area.

We're also one of the few neighborhoods (Columbine Meadows) that doesn't have an HOA. That makes us a pretty attractive area. It's one of the reasons we picked that area up in Longmont. Rita was looking at a place in Fox Hill but they have an HOA. Even though it was a nicer place, the HOA was a deal breaker for us.

A big problem we were finding is that people have their houses too high for the area they're in. We liked several places and even made offers on two other houses but for prices more in line with the surrounding houses.

We did have a lot of people come through our place (about average according to the real estate folks) and the place we are moving to had an open house (after lowering the price twice) and had 80 groups come through over the weekend prior to us making our offer. And she only had one other offer even after 80 groups.

So it's a buyer's market. But houses seem to be moving when priced right.

Carl

[dm_gsxr]

We had the inspection yesterday (9am to 1pm or so). The guy was pretty thorough. He wanted us there for the inspection so he could educate us on what he's looking at and make suggestions. We'll still get the report but talking to him was an education.

House was built in 69. There are a few cracks in the driveway (you can see them in the pics) and a couple in the garage. On the east side of the house there's a tiny tiny settle crack. Other than that, the exterior is in excellent shape. On the north-western side, the ground slopes a tiny bit to the house. He suggested extensions to the down spouts to get the water farther away from the house. The trees have some dead branches and could use some trimming. The air conditioner can be a bit loud so he suggested a small air conditioner sized fence to redirect the sound away from the patio.

The roof uses T-lock shingles and has two layers. There is a little cracking of the shingles on the south side. The shingles are too close to the roof piercings. The flashing extends 4" to 6" from the piercing and if the shingles are butted up next to it, it can collect debris and can damage the roof. So they need to be trimmed. In addition, the piercings need to be painted to prevent rust. An attic investigation shows that the attic fan is falling apart. The investigator recommended a solar powered fan for $200 or so. He also recommended reseating the nails and covering them with a dab of caulk to seal them.

In the basement, the furnace and air conditioner were installed in 2005 and the water heater in 2003. The washer looks to be original though. You can't even read the Maytag dial any more. The dryer is newer and not gas driven any more. He found that the gas pipe didn't have a cap (it did have a valve so it's just good insurance). There's a sump pump in case there's any leaking from the surrounding ground but they put a French Drain in a few years ago so the pump container (looks like a 5 gallon paint tub) is bone dry and filled with spider webs. He also found a tiny gas leak that needs to be repaired (at one of the joints). You can just barely smell gas.

Speaking of gas, the Radon test found the 72 hour average is 5.2 which exceeds the recommended maximum of 4. As a side note, she recently married into a local real estate family. When the inspector arrived back on Wednesday, the owner met him on her way out. She was concerned that the house had been sealed up (unused) for several months and wanted to know if that would affect the Radon test. Joe (the inspector) assured her that it wasn't a problem and that it only lasted 3 to 4 days. Someone (we suspect her new husband) had opened four basement windows to "air out" the basement Joe suggested that if the Radon test had been closer to 4, he would have requested the test be redone but since it's at 5.2, he's recommending mitigation using a pressurization system that costs up to $2,000.

We did some checking on the net when we got home and found this:

Can a home seller beat a radon test (cause it to pass)?

Radon levels will change when you open a window especially if the window is in the same area as the test kit. In general however the window or multiple windows have to be wide open in the test area to make a big change (cut radon levels in half). Opening windows can bring marginal radon levels below the guideline. Opening windows on floors above the area being tested can cause the radon levels to go either higher or lower. Moving the radon detector to a low radon area will obviously also change the results to the new location level but many testers will minimize this possibility with tamper resistant features. We have a full report on test tampering available as a download. Whether you believe radon is over-hyped or not, the EPA risk table graphically illustrates that the exposure risk is very serious and lung cancer is the most deadly cancer.

Radon (for the folks who don't know) is a fairly stable radioactive gas with a half life of 3.8 to 4 days (so it goes inert and harmless in about 4 days). Radon is produced naturally however it is one of the causes of lung cancer and the second highest killer in the US (21,000 last year). The gas of course takes the path of least resistance. So in dryer weather, it'll filter through the dry ground and out through the yard. In wetter weather the damp or frozen ground blocks it so the easier path is up through the concrete of the basement. There are several mitigation systems from rubber barriers (for crawl spaces) to negative pressurization systems.

So we've put in our inspection answer that we want the gas leak repaired and a mitigation system installed prior to move in.

He suggested replacing the pull out windows in the basement with better quality ones. In addition, the two bedrooms in the basement are non-conforming. In Colorado (and other places I'm sure) basement bedrooms require two means of egress. The door of course and the window. The window wells are pretty tiny so he suggested that if we wanted to have the rooms conform, we get someone in to widen one window in each of the bedrooms to be large enough for someone to escape in case of a fire.

On the main floor, he discussed the gas fireplace. There's a requirement to prop the flue open so that carbon monoxide doesn't kill the people in the house. Since we don't use a fireplace, he suggested we cap the gas line outside, remove the gas fixtures and close the flue and then perhaps put a gate or door in the opening. The kitchen was remodeled recently (we were told $50,000 in work was done). The dishwasher and stove are pretty expensive looking and fancy. There's also a wall sized built-in between the family room and the kitchen. The front windows (master bedroom and living room... *ahem* I mean Rita's craft room) are pretty fancy Pella windows however the back part of the house has original windows so we'll be replacing them too as well as one of the sliding glass doors (there are two).

The master bathroom is very small. Our plan is to tear down the wall between the master bedroom and the center room and then totally remake the bathroom to be a nice sized one (a master bedroom suite). The fun thing is that the toilet and even the toilet hardware (in the tank) are marked as being original equipment. That's right, 1969! I can't believe toilet hardware will last that long. The toilet in the main bathroom is also 1969 however the hardware has been replaced. And the basement bathroom is newer.

Otherwise, great house and a good selection by Rita.

Carl

[dm_gsxr]

I captured the pictures from the MLS website and the Rita took a few during the inspection.

http://www.schelin.org/20090427/gallery.php

I've also updated the floor plans to be more accurate (we took measurements)



I had to read up on what a "Keeping room" is:

A keeping room is an area just off the kitchen of a home. Keeping rooms date back to Colonial times when families would sleep in that area when the rest of the house was cold. Since the area could be heated by the kitchen stove, it often provided the only heated place in the house. Today, a keeping room is called by many different names, depending on one's geographical location, such as a family room, a great room and a hearth room.

From here.



Carl

[Filo]

So... having gone through the selling and the buying, how are your feelings about the market in general?

I'm kind of feeling like relocating and am torn about trying to put my house on the market.

I just sold my house in Ft. Collins. It was on the market 15 days before it went under contract. It was priced at what I wanted to sell it at, not priced higher hoping someone would offer something.

And Carl, I am glad you updated us on a keeping room. I was going to have to call the cops on you for getting all "Silence of the Lambs" on us.

[64BonnieLass]

Cute place. I like the kitchen and the blinds in the family room are nice. Looks like some good space for you guys and it will be fun to move in and get it decorated according to your own tastes.

Hey, if you need help burning that juniper bush in front, call me. I hate those things.

Very nice guys.

[dm_gsxr]

I might have to do that. I'm planning on pulling it out but of course, Rita has the final approval

Carl

[636chick]

Congrat's guy's I love your new house.

I really love LOVE the Kitchen so cute and I love the white in the kitchen. House is very Southern California looking.


Congrat's again and my sympathy on moving we just did a move after 11 years in the same house. I soooo am not wanting to ever do that again.

[asp_125]

That basement is so '70's Trim / take out the big juniper bush for better light and curb appeal.

[dm_gsxr]

Congrat's guy's I love your new house.

I really love LOVE the Kitchen so cute and I love the white in the kitchen. House is very Southern California looking.

Rita's not much of a cook (well to be precise, she uses a toaster oven for pretty much everything and a microwave for most everything else ) and already has plans to make changes

Congrat's again and my sympathy on moving we just did a move after 11 years in the same house. I soooo am not wanting to ever do that again.

This is my 46th move. You'd think I'd have less stuff but NooOOooo It's a good workout and fresh air

Carl

[dm_gsxr]

That basement is so '70's Trim / take out the big juniper bush for better light and curb appeal.

I already have plans for that honking big bush and Rita seems to agree. We'll see just how far though

Carl

[asp_125]

I already have plans for that honking big bush and Rita seems to agree. We'll see just how far though

Carl

Edward Scissorhands!

[Filo]

I have a honking big bush and Rita seems to agree.

Dude. Too much info.

[dm_gsxr]

Dude. Too much info.

Good one.

Carl

[Bruizza]

That is a nice looking house!

[dm_gsxr]

Holy Crap!

Rita rented a 17' Budget truck. We started packing it yesterday. I was creative, putting boxes in shelves and stacking like a puzzle. The truck is packed front to back, side to side, and top to bottom. Other than a *clunk* when I left this morning, no other shifting was felt.

Even so, we weren't able to get everything into the truck. The bicycles, TVs, and a bunch of miscellaneous stuff is still at the house. The neighbour was nice enough to let us use his garage so we moved the heavy stuff over last night. I was so beat at 11:30 that I simply went to bed and was out like a light a minute after hitting the mattress.

This morning I got up and organized the garage, throwing stuff away, sweeping, and stacking the rest of the stuff in a pile. Rita packed up the bed and we stuffed it into the truck (it's a Sleep Number bed so it's an air mattress). The rest Rita should be able to move next door to the garage.

I'm at work and getting ready to start on my next big requirement for this week (building two servers). I'll be bailing at 12:30 or so so we can inspect the house before closing. That's of course if the real estate people get off their lazy asses and provide the information to the lender. Otherwise the seller will be paying us $200 a day to hold on to the truck and rent a motel room.

Right now my Achilles Tendons (more so my left one) are sore from climbing stairs. My hands and wrists are a bit store from carrying stuff. And of course the occasional bang-up and cut from carrying stuff.

Good thing I don't use my hands at work.... oh wait.



Carl

[dm_gsxr]

We're in the new place. Lots of room, holy moly. We're bailing to pick up the rest of the gear this afternoon and then tomorrow is move in for the Smart Boxes.

For the folk who may be coming, again it's to be at 10am tomorrow. Address is 46 Cornell Drive, Longmont CO 80503.

I'll be picking up bagels today along with cream cheese from Brueggers in Broomfield so we're ready for tomorrow. Hopefully we'll do Anthony's pizza. Domino's really didn't sit well yesterday when we unpacked the truck.

Carl