All Forum Posts by: Jacob Edmond

you would need to contact some roofing companies and get quotes for both and compare. It will also depend on the shape of the structure. A lot of times flat roofs are used where the layout doesn't work with a more traditional sloped or gabled roof plan. Laying out a gabled roof where all of the valleys slope correctly can be an art form. Many people will build additions with flat roofs for this reason.

It means ultimately what it sounds like, the roof is flat. In reality they must be sloped at least 1/4" per foot of run usually so that water runs off. These roofs usually are tar with gravel, or some type of membrane system. Most commercial buildings have all or partially flat roofs. Residences with flst roofs are more rare in most parts of the country, but they are common in certain regions. It is a whole different animal structurally, and especially as fsr as waterproofing goes.

Honestly, it sounds like your agent, if you have one, didn't help you out at all. I have bought 2 homes with FHA financing in the last 2.5 years. And going in the very first thing I discussed with my agent was how much I could afford to pay out of pocket. That is a very big distinction from how much you can afford for a down payment. Both of my houses we knew going in that if the seller wasn't paying closing costs that we would have to pull out.

You mortgage lender should have found out when prequalifying  you how much money you had to put down, and where it was coming from. They know how much cash you have in your accounts, and they know where I came from and when within the last 3 months usually. 

It sounds like you have the money, otherwise you wouldn't have made it this far. You just made a deal you don't want to pay now?

Are you under contract now? With FHA they won't allow you to pay more than the house appraises for.

I agree with Dave. Keep the sink by the window, to me that is just where a sink should be if you kitchen has one. I think sinks in islands are overrated (personal opinion). I am redoing my kitchen currently to have an island. I think islands make the best workspaces with no sinks. Our toddler loves to help baking and cooking, anything really, and pulling a chair up to the island works great. People can work from both sides and not get in each others' way.

Also agree with losing the angled corner base. They are awkward, and rarely end up being used for as much space as they take up. I think trash pull outs are a must if you can fit one. They are super functional, everyone needs a trash can, but without a designated pullout I have always struggled to decide on a good location.

I plan on doing the same thing eventually. If you look around you can usually find a discount reseller locally to you that may sell building supplies. We have one locally that sell doors and windows, as well as trim and many other items.

Also, Habitat Restore can often have some good deals. I'm not sure how many of those you have locally.

Definitely confirm your rough opening as best you can, and buy a unit, with frame, bronze or aluminum sill, weather stripping, and doors. I would try to aim for outswing units, as they tend to have less leaking problems at the sill.

The main thing as far as install goes is you need to make sure to set the unit plumb, square and level, otherwise you will always have issues.

 When my tenant wasn't keeping the yard up, I sent her a picture and let her know that I knew it wasn't being kept, and that she needed to cut it, per the lease. She cut it the next day. 

I prefer to give them the opportunity to fix it, while letting them know there are repercussions if they don't. Not saying that is the answer with this tenant, but it didn't sound like they had that chance from the way you described.

I think now that you have told them you were taking care of it and charging them. You just have to follow through and make sure they know they owe it and if they don't pay they have to go.

Good luck. Not a fun situation.

Was your first course of action on the subject that notice telling him you were hiring a landscaper? That basically let him off of the hook if so. You need to contact the tenant with a notice of late rent and whatever your late fee is.

I would also note, that this shouldn't really be a knock on quartz or granite. That is pretty darn good for setting a hot pot down. If that had been a laminate top, you would be replacing it for sure.

Yeah quartz is very durable for the most part, but if heated too much the resin will discolor (turn white in this case). I wouldn't replace it. In my state you have to have an itemized list within 30 days to charge anything from the security deposit, so I don't think I could charge based on an estimated value decrease as you are saying.

I would check with a local stone guy that fabricates quartz, and see if they cant do some time of color treatment, or just replace a section, adding a seam, since you already have 2 seam there.

I would also make it a point to tell future tenants about this. Leaving the discoloration as reminder might help future tenants to take better care as well. Good luck.

I only have 1 rental property, so I may be in over my head, but we have switched a couple of times. We had Amica, and liked it because they pay out a dividend at the end of each year, however we had to have our primary residence insurance with them as well. When we bought our new house, we switched everything and now have Progressive for our rental house insurance. It was one of the only companies that would give us a policy without requiring our primary residence. Where our rental house is though, we have always had trouble finding companies that will insure it for whatever reason.