All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

Another option is to leave the fridge where it is, stack the washer/dryer, and make that dividing wall SMALLER, replacing it with a deep counter/bottom cabinets with barstool seating option on the other side.  That would really open up the kitchen without moving the fridge.

I personally would not add on to that dividing wall.  I think it looks awful.  With only 1100 SF you need to make it as open-appearing as possible.  I would also not downsize to a 30" fridge if it's a 3/2 unit meant for a family.  Especially with young kids.  It wouldn't be big enough. 

Is there a garage?  Is there space for washer and dryer out there?  I know that wouldn't fly very well here in Ohio, and I have no idea if that's okay in FL.  But maybe you could put the water heater out there, too, if there's space.  That would require a lot more plumbing than moving it to the kitchen.  But I wouldn't move it to the kitchen unless you got rid of the washer and dryer.  Even if you stacked them you would still end up with no counter space, because now you wouldn't be able to move the fridge, and that is really your biggest issue.

Have you thought about converting to stackable washer/dryer units which would then allow you to reconfigure that closet to add more storage or move the fridge without having to bump out into the dining area?   

Health care premiums are not tax deductible.  Just co-pays, deductibles and other out of pocket expenses.  And even out of those, only the amount that is 10% over your gross income.  So if you made 100K a year, you can only deduct the amount of expenses that are over the first 10K.  

@Andre Fierro to clarify - in most states it is customary/tradition for the seller to pay a real estate agent to list and help them sell their property and to split their commission with any buyer's agent that represents the end buyer.  If a buyer doesn't have an agent then the seller's agent can keep the entire amount (with his broker who he works under).  Buyers traditionally don't have to pay a commission at all when the property is listed with an agency, so there's no downside to having one represent you.  That being said, with regards to an attorney v. agent to help you with the sales contract, it really depends on how comfortable you are with your own negotiations and how experienced your agent is.  Agents are NOT allowed to practice law in any way, but in Ohio they are allowed to help with a "standard" preprinted fill-in-the-blanks real estate contract form that is published by a recognized agency like the Ohio bar or the Ohio Realtor's association.  These forms cover all the usual issues that come up and can be edited and initialed and still be valid.  However, that is as far as agents are allowed to go.  They cannot help you write up a custom contract or give you any advice with regards to it.  That is practicing law and illegal and therefore that is when you should have your own attorney review and/or create one for you. 

The easiest thing to do with regards to the agent dilemma is to have the agent you are considering using flat out ask the seller's agent if they will split commission and specifically what percentage or dollar amount it will be.  Then you can actually have that spelled out in the contract if needed if the agents don't already have their own legal agreement.  If one of your sellers is actually an agent like you stated then he's not going to charge a commission to himself - that would be dumb, so your agent would then just need to verify with him that his brokerage will pay her a commission.  If he says no, then I recommend that you definitely pay an attorney to help you along (but I'm not a lawyer so don't construe that as legal advice - just personal).  Or you can pay your agent a commission, but that's then another addition to your closing costs.  And by the way, the discount points that you don't know about - you need to learn about those quickly - one point is 1% of your loan, paid at closing usually, and you didn't mention how many points it was.  That fee can get big really quickly depending on how large your loan is.  Each point that you pay for lowers your interest rate by 1/8% for the loan.  You may be able to negotiate that and remember to shop around for lenders.    

If the deal is off market you need to find out if the seller will pay a commission to a buyer’s agent.  If not, it will hard to get an agent to work for you unless YOU agree to give them a commission instead.  Otherwise they are working for nothing.  Sellers can’t be required to pay an agent if they don’t have a contract with one.  And if you have already had contact with the owner and now suddenly want to bring an agent in, you may make them mad.  And there are always closing costs on both sides of the deal.  Your lender is required by law to give you an estimated cost prior to closing for you to review.  Typical buyer costs include appraisals and surveys (usually required when financing), recording fees, title insurance (negotiable who pays for that), etc. 

It is important to understand the difference between an service animal and an emotional support animal. 

A service animal is trained to perform a function, or do a job, that his or her owner can’t perform on their own due to a physical, intellectual, or emotional disability. These dogs may, of course, provide emotional support and comfort, but they are specifically trained to provide assistance beyond soothing benefits.  They will typically wear specific harnesses which clearly state they are service animals when out in public.

A support dog/therapy dog/emotional support animal is a companion animal that provides therapeutic benefits to a person with a medically diagnosed disability. Support animals do not have to be trained for their role, but medical documentation is usually required in order to receive this designation.

Service animals are included in the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The others are not.  Your question seems to combine the two together.  I don’t know whether or not tenants with service animals have any special rights regarding eviction in your state, but it would be easier to get the answer from others or your lawyer if you know what type of animal your tenant actually has.  I have seen examples of emotional support animal owners trying to take advantage of other people who don’t know the difference by acting like they have service animals so they can be in the same public places as service animals.  

As a retired military wife,I can say that 52 days is not unusual although it is on the longer end of the normal range - probably due to the DC meetings you mentioned.  Remember that the “report no later than” is just that - no later than.  And that’s the first real day of work/in-processing for the active duty family member, so the families like to be in their new home at least a week or two before that so they have time to unpack and get settled.  Most military families take advantage of being in between duty stations to take vacations because of the relative lack of job responsibilities, and as another poster mentioned, there may also be short term schools/trainings/etc. that are technically not PCS (permanent change of station) but TDY (temporary duty) that are sandwiched in between the duty stations for convenience.  There’s no point in going somewhere for two or three weeks and then coming back to move out when you can just move out before and then go on to your new home.  We move a LOT, and it gets old really quickly, so believe me when I say that we rarely want to leave a home any earlier than we have to.