All Forum Posts by: Chris Jargens

Thanks for all that info Jim and Jonathan. I had a discussion with the builder and he offered to install the Tyvek homewrap in the method that Tyvek describes when AFTER the windows have already been installed as shown in Jim's links over the existing WRB this time using flat cap nails and tape. I personally think this is a reasonable compromise as there will be preexisting WRB present around the sides and bottom of the frame.

Jonathan, the siding is brick so I assume that there will be minimal banging on the walls except where the ties are involved.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the thorough description and information. I went to the build today and noticed that the flashing at top of all the windows appears to be installed incorrectly. A flap of WRB is pulled through between the frame and head of the window. After that, flashing tape was attached horizontally over the WRB and flange. My impression from the Andersen installation guide is that a flap of WRB should be lifted up and flashing tape installed underneath this. Then the flap is laid down and taped flush.

My house looks like this.

The correct installation (according to Andersen) should look like this.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for your response, that was very helpful. It seems to me that there is this grey area regarding what is specified or not, particularly in the fundamental building materials. It seems to much detail for a contract  to specify OSB vs plywood subfloor, joist material, etc. Honestly, I don't know enough about the pro and cons of the materials to catch it even if it were individually specified in a contract and the WRB falls into this category. I only brought it up because an architect friend of mine spotted it and I started researching. The builder definitely used Tyvek in his most recent build before mine (I have pictures) and possibly other ones.

I am also concerned about the way the flashing was installed. There is flashing tape around all 4 sides of the windows. Apparently the WRB should be laid over the top as a flap and this is not what was done in my case. I am going to look into this as well.

Thanks again,
CJ

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the reply. I agree that that there are products that are probably very similar to Tyvek in terms of structure, but the one that he is using is definitely not one of them. In fact, your video is very helpful. That looks identical to what they put on my house.

CJ

Hi everyone,

I'm building a new property with the intention of house hacking. The house has been framed, windows installed and drywall put up. I've been doing a lot of research into the WRB that has been installed. It is a generic woven perforated product unlike Tyvek homewrap. I can't find much information except for its ICC-ES evaluation sheet.

I asked the builder why he used this instead of Tyvek and it has taken him a week to answer and even then the answers have been vague ("it should behave the same"). I then asked him if he used this product in his last build. No answer. However, I found some information online that states that Tyvek homewrap was used in the last property he build. This is setting off red flags in my head.

I am halting the build until this product is removed and replaced by Tyvek. Do I have a foot to stand on by doing this? What options do I have at this point? I am also concerned about where costs have been cut in other aspects of the building.

Thanks for your advice,

CJ

@Brent Coombs, thanks so much for the feedback. I appreciate it and that's one of the issues I've been struggling with regarding this. A couple months ago, I wouldn't have even considered about 400K.

I guess I should explain my motivations a bit. I'm a professor at OSU and I run a consulting business as well, working about 3-4 nights a week. I'm honestly not sure how much time I can put into renovating a duplex that I can afford. That's why I initially looked into relatively finished duplexes. Ideally, I'd buy my neighbors place. If I would have purchased it three years ago, I could have covered that mortgage and $800 of my mortgage. But he was smart, didn't want to sell and probably gained about 15% in value during that period in addition to rent. Our places are a block from the short north in one of the most popular places in the city.

A couple weeks ago, I saw a house selling for 680k with a carriage house garage that rented for $1200/month. In the areas that I'm looking at, SFRs range from 430-700k. Things are crazy around here now. The SFRs that I can find without a garage (so I can build one with an ADU) range from 450-700k. I imagine that a garage with an ADU must cost 150k to build so the difference between that and the new build isn't that much. In addition, a lot of the new builds are getting a tax abatement for 15 years in central Columbus. At first, the price tag of the new build blew my mind but once I started running the numbers, renting out part of it would cut my mortgage to close to what I am paying now.

TL;DR, I don't know if I will have enough time to renovate a multifamily home, function as a landlord for multiple units and reap the benefits of cash flow. I think I would be able to manage a built in unit. In the end, I would like to move to a property that pays me something since that will go towards monthly mortgage and equity if not major cash flow.

I'm pretty excited about this now but I don't want to let this cloud my judgement regarding a purchase. As a somewhat related question, do any of you use price per sq ft to negotiate purchases if you are comparing builds by the same company within the last year. I realize that price per square foot is misleading and is usually non-helpful with random properties but since it is the same builder with similar design styles and finishes, I would help.

Thanks!

Chris

Wow, thanks for the great advice! I was assuming that everyone would say its a horrible plan financially (please say that if you think it is, I can handle it). I imagine the more lucrative route is to look for multi unit apartments in the OSU campus area but I know that I will not be able to handle that well in terms of organization and time management. 

I didn't consider the AirBnB angle. It would probably be easier to rent it as a 450 sq ft "hotel" than an apartment. Its in the Grandview area about a 5 minute walk to Grandview Ave. Pretty lively neighborhood. I will check out the book!

Hi all,

Long time reader but I haven't had anything to really post about but now I'm thinking about moving forward more into real estate outside of just owning a property to live in.

I currently own half of a duplex that I've been living in for seven years. My neighbor rents his side out. Both of these properties are in a very walkable urban area of Columbus, OH. I currently have a $1500 mortgage and my unit would rent for about 2200/month. I really want to invest in a duplex building, live in one half and rent out the other side. I can know that being a landlord can be time consuming and I'm trying to make the process as efficient as possible. I just don't want to get in over my head. However, these type of properties rarely come up on the market in the area I live in. Recently, I spoke to my realtor about a home that was being built for 650K about a 2 minute drive from my current home that will include a ADU (450 sq ft) that has a kitchen and bath. It should meet all the zoning requirements to rent out. It would probably rent for 1000-1100. My mortgage on this place would be about 2800/month including taxes and insurance based on the downpayment I can afford.

My question is would this property be worth it? Also, would it be a better idea to keep my current place and rent it as well or sell it? I have about 160K of equity in my current home. I don't relish the idea of managing my current home as well but I don't know if its a good idea to sell. It has increased in value about 5% per year over the last 7 years.