rbarz

http://search.har.co...20Shadder%20Way

I like it...

I'd be all of it, only if it had one less zero in it.

I personally think gutters are a waste of money unless you use them with a rain water recovery system (or you have a stucco home). But if you are going to get them make sure you get one that attaches by some sort of clip system and not with spikes and ferrules. Also high quality aluminum gutters are at least .032 inches thick.

No they are not worth it.

Have you ever used your warranty that is about to expire?

Anyone have a recommendation for R-value on a new garage door? I'm trying to decide on how high to go; I've got options ranging from 12 to 15 to 17.8. Is the 17 overkill? I'm inclined to go as high as possible, but there is, of course, a cost difference.

What are the cost differences? I have never priced the insulated ones.

Are you planning on air conditioning the space?

I just bought a single floor house which was built in 1975. I plan to remodel the half bathroom by myself. I had no DIY experience before. But since this bathroom is very tiny (5.5' X 6'), I think it might be a good starting point.

This bathroom just contains a vanity and a toilet. Here are the things I plan to do to the bathroom:

(1) Replace the saltillo tiles on the floors with new porcelain tiles.

(2) Remove square white ceramic tiles on two adjacent walls around the toilet.

(3) Install faux wainscoting on the walls.

(4) Paint the walls.

(5) Install a new toilet and a new pedestal.

Here are my questions:

(1)Yesterday I removed one saltillo tile from the floor by using hammer. Some old white thinset came out with the tile, some didn't. It looks to me the underneath is concrete. May I place thinset/tile directly on the concrete slab? Or should I install Ditra membrane first, then thinset and tile? The original tiles are in good condition right now. No cracks. They are just worn out.

(2)What exact power tool(s) should I use to speed up the tile/grout removal process? I tried to find the answer online. However, it seems different people favor different tools. I'm totally confused.

(3)What would be the correct/easiest way to remove the small tiles from the walls? Do I have to install new drywall afterwards?

(4)What aspects do you think are important for my first DIY project? I would greatly apprecite any suggestions!

I want my bathroom looks like this:

Thank you!

1. You need to get all of the old thinset off the concrete. Do not use Ditra membrane or any other fracture membrane for that matter, it is a waste of money unless you are in a pier and beam house (which you're not). You will place the thinset on the concrete and the tile on top of that. If you are using stone or a big tile then you will need to butter the tile also.

2. There are no power tools to help you remove tile and grout unless you are just replacing 1 or 2 tiles. A fubar, wrecking bar or that same hammer will remove the tile from the walls. Don't use a sledge hammer and do not use a reciprocating saw -- because you don't know whats behind the tile (electrical or plumbing)

3. Yes, you will need new drywall, preferably green board.

4. Remember to turn off the water and don't give up

I would not be so quick to "remodel", just to get a measly 3 foot setback. Depending on what you desire as far as the new garage goes, the cost of the "remodel" could approach the cost of a new garage, and because the "remodel" requires you to use much of the old shed, you are limited in what you can do. In other words, you may pay the same money for a less than ideal garage, just because of your obsession with a 3 foot patch of dirt.

How do I know this? I just knocked down a 2 car garage on my back property line so that I can build a new one.

You are speaking of a remodel while I was talking about a "remodel"

It would certainly cost the same as a new garage, because it would be.

I have purchased a older home in Sunset Heights and it needs a new garage. The old single garage (well storage shed) is built right on the back property line. The door of the garage has about 15' set back from the property line. Question, if I demo this structure and build a new 2 Car garage will I have to have setback? Thanks

I would suggest you "remodel" it into a 2 car garage. PM if you would like a bid.

Has anyone seen this one lately? Pics?

You have to wonder why the owners bought this house. With the amount of changes they made, it obviously didn't appeal to them. Was it the only home of that size in the neighborhood at that time, or did they just get caught up in the stupidity of the house flipping trend?

Well if they did plan to flip it had to have been the worst buy on the books because they paid over list and well over $100/SF. They probably can't get more than they paid for the house much less all the money they dumped into the stucco and pitched roof.

Looks to be architect designed, of the 1970's era. Unable to look up additional information without an address... "rbarz", can you provide such?

The "updating" this property has undergone is really quite mind numbing.

1414 E Sugar Creek Blvd

Sugar Land, TX

on townhouses maybe...

I don't think they ever were for homes (in the good inner loop neighborhoods).

they are defined in your HOA agreement and are therefore different for every association . I have seen them range from a flat $150 to two months dues which happened to be over $3000 for that particular sale.

If the listing agent (the one selling the house) referred you to another agent in their branch or company, then I would be worried. If you found your own agent, and they are representing you in a transaction that happens to involve an agent from the same branch/company then I would still be worried, but less worried than if I was directed towards a specific agent.

I agree

Ask for specific reasons as to why they're dismissing a particular house. If they can't provide legitimate, verifiable reasons as to why it shouldn't be considered then it is time for a new realtor. Yes they do make more for certain properties, and yes there are tons of secret incentives such as referral kickbacks from inspectors, mortgage companies, insurance agents, contractors etc.

Sort of agree... there aren't that many kickbacks if any. But plenty of agents will not show a house that has less than a 3% commission.

You should think of a realtor as somebody who is barely capable of unlocking houses and filling out paperwork. Don't expect them to dispense good, sound advice or act in your best interests, because at the end of the day they just want you to buy a house so they can get their commission check and then move on to the next commission check. Do your OWN homework!

I totally disagree (although it can be true). I have three degrees including a law degree, I have been successfully investing in real estate for a decade, and I am a Realtor. The commission check is not my ultimate goal. The amount I receive from deals under $500,000 is a small part of my income and I realize (like others should) that it is better to have repeat customers and good word of mouth advertising then to just push a deal through.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/busine...te/6485592.html

I have also noticed this becoming more and more of a problem. It affected a deal I'm working on right now, but luckily we were able to get the appraisal raised by justifying a value with comparable sales.

flipper

ps. way to go rps!

Bank of America just finished with a ridiculous appraisal on one of my homes.

The home is in midtown and has comparables that sold in the last six months that you can see from the front porch. Instead the appraiser only used homes that sold in 3rd Ward for comparison. When I called to explain (in a nice way) that every buyer, Realtor, and every other Appraiser alive in Houston knows the difference between the two sides of 288 he kept repeating that we are in a declining market. I explained that a declining market has nothing to do with using the wrong neighborhood for comparables and he told me that it has everything to do with it!

Usually in a declining market an appraiser would have a standard deduction to use after finding the current value. Now they just seem to be scared. This guy found the lowest priced homes within 5 miles and only used those to value the home. Good thing it wasn't for a home sale, I would have been livid.

I can't remember from my real estate classes in law school. Are title companies regulated by the state and insured as a common pool (meaning there is some kind of fund to cover those that go belly up)?

Or is it a safe bet to pick a well known 'brand name' title company?

Yes, the Texas Department of Insurance or TDI regulates it. But, I can't remember anything about their pool or if there even is one. I know that the complaint process is bogus... they send one letter to the title company and then tell you to get a lawyer.

Every little title company I have used is just the middle man for the actual insurer so I doubt it makes much of a difference.

the whole kitchen is a remodel as is the bad stucco job

$700

hi everyone! i've been reading posts on the forum for quite some time, but this is my first actual post.

i hope all you knowledgeable folks can help me out.

i'm looking to purchase in saint george's place (by the galleria) and noticed that the property taxes have dropped ~5% in the area from 2008 to 2009. any idea why? is it just a case of the neighborhood petitioning to bring down the taxes?

can i use this to my advantage when trying to negotiate on a purchase price? the house i'm looking to buy is listed at $150K over the 2009 appraisal value. another is listed at $100K over the 2009 appraisal value. any suggestions?

thanks in advance!

I would suggest using a Realtor. I know a good one . PM me for contact information.

It looks liake a wash to me, ugly for ugly. It was a monstosity of square mud before.

lol

Just in case you referred to it as mud because it looks like adobe or stucco in the photos, it was actually cedar siding.

Is this the one in Sugar Land?

Yes, it is in the Sugar Creek neighborhood. 1414 E Sugar Creek Blvd.

This was a house I tried to buy a few times... every time I was out bid and there was always a lot of interest with this house that was never active for more than a week. I assumed the interest came from the awesome modern style of the home. Apparently I was wrong.

Before

After

Are you thinking why would they tear down that perfectly nice house and replace it with that ridiculous stucco and tile "Mediterranean" home?

If you are, then you would be surprised to learn they paid more per square foot than anything else in the neighborhood to remodel it into that nightmare. (Even though it was already completely remodeled inside)

This would have to go into the books as one of the worst remodels ever. Before they purchased it the home was worth $515,000, now, after the very expensive remodeling job its probably worth $450,000.

Why would anyone get in a bidding war and pay over list price for a remodeled very original home to dump a bunch of money into it and completely change the outside into something that looks like 30 other homes in the neighborhood?

You might as well be asking the door to throw itself onto the hinges.

Many times doors come pre-hung (or with the frame) which means you rip out your door and frame and install the new one, usually with shims (and plenty of know-how), then replace the molding around the door frame. (The frame is all the wood around the door that holds the door up)

The other way to buy doors is in slab form. They come without mortised areas for hinges and no holes for your door knob and lock. I personally think this is the easier way to DIY. But, if its your first time expect to spend a LONG time installing it. You will have to take many precise measurements, mortise the hinges, possibly shave or rip the bottom of the door, hang the door, and drill the holes for the lock and knob.

You will certainly be asking for trouble trying to hang a used door. Actually, the trouble will be in finding one that will work, not the actually hanging, but most likely you will have to get into bondo and skilled refinishing for it to look right.

There are plenty of guys that will hang a slab door for $100 to $150 and it is usually well worth it.

It sounds as though the only problem is the glass? If that is true why not just replace it? If it is a good solid wood door, then there is usually no reason it can't be salvaged. Have some tempered glass cut and replace the broken area or the whole insert.

Actually, there is nothing wrong with it... It's a pretty cool space with three stories on the 30 thru 32 floors and a nice view of the galleria. I just would hate to be relying on a dishonest broker to facilitate the sale and subsequent buildout. If you go into it with your eyes wide open and, perhaps, have someone else build it out for you then you might be ok. Just double check everything; square footage, etc. and not rely on anything this man says because he is a BS'er

By the way, it has been on the market for several years. In the beginning they were asking close a million for it. Every 6 months or so they chop off another 50 grand give or take. I think part of the problem is it's a little too much condo for this building, even if it is nice. By the time you get it built out you are looking at close to a million bucks in a building where anything rarely sells for more than 300K. If I had a million to spend I would probably go over to the Cosmo or maybe even 2727 kirby. There is a completed unit across the way that is identical (three stories 4000 sqfeet, same floor plan) that is gorgeous and for sale at $999k. It took several years to sale too. They started at 1.4 million and finally sold it for $835K back in 07. They don't have the gallaria view but its a very nice unit if you want to check it out on HAR.com.

Nothing wrong with the mark though but it is not that upscale and the building is beginning to show its age. I went to my first board annual meeting last week and was impressed. We have reasonably good management too.

I certainly don't think it is worth the asking price. One of the major problems is that it is 4000+ Sf spread over three floors. If it was on one floor it would have sold a long time ago.

Actually what has held me back from low balling the unit--my usually course--is the damned door man. I hate that guy. He is horribly rude and should be fired immediately. While trying to show one of the units he couldn't get off his cell phone long enough to push in the coded entry for the penthouse level and acted like I was inconveniencing him! The ridiculous part is when he did it a second time with a second client.

looks like a cool space.

I'm not sure I would want to pay the $1,000+ condo fees associated with it though.

The condo fees are insanely cheap for that size unit. One of the reasons is because they do not count the third floor (or the roof) in the calculation. Incidentally, the roof space use to not be included in the sale of this unit.

No... it's not her. He currently has a unit listed at the Mark. It is an unfinished penthouse unit (next door to mine) for about 600K. I feel sorry for who ever buys that thing...

What's wrong with it? It is obviously unfinished, but I was going to put an offer in on that unit. I, of course, would be doing the work myself and not through their company.