All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-nove...

^^^I'd like to read these books.^^^

REI give you the time and freedom to do so.

@Jordan L.

Included is a photo of a crawlspace detail. This image comes from the book "The Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling, Third Edition" by Charlie Wing (available on amazon and other places I'm sure) (The Taunton Press, 2009, Newton CT) It's a great book which I'm sure can answer your question regarding more research. 

To answer your question: Yes, the vapor retarder will stop most moisture from the ground from destroying your joists and rotting them out. In addition, it will stop Radon Gas from rising up from the ground and into your living spaces as well, especially if you don't have a pipe + fan assembly for that already installed. 

Insulating the floor space (underneath the joists, with rigid or batt insulation- not shown in this drawing) will keep your living spaces warm during the winter, which given your climate is not so important probably. The insulation itself might have a vapor/moisture barrier attached, but if you have the vapor barrier on the floor already, it won't matter all that much anyway. Insulating the side of the foundation as is shown in this drawing (which may not be 100% of what you have, but illustrates the point) is also a temperature control strategy. You might have a "vented crawlspace" (though given the issue you have, you probably don't) so talk to your GC to find out. A vented crawlspace allows the air and moisture that comes from the ground to escape out through the foundation walls, and thus the moist air doesn't damage your joists. In your case, it's possible that the vents are blocked (with leaves, dirt, etc) and that's why you have the damage you have. 

A super bonus point, which would be expensive, and probably overkill, is to put in the drainage system you see near the footing of the foundation wall (labeled-4" perforated drainpipe). This pipe would be around the perimeter of the house and empty into the storm sewer. Basically, as long as it's lower than the level of the crawlspace, the water in the ground will drain into this pipe, keeping the crawlspace dry, and eliminating your moisture problems. It's on the outside of the footing for easier installation, because the ground on that side is more moist, and because moisture does travel through concrete and into the crawlspace. 

A dehumidifier and sump-pump are overkill in this case. 

Since you are replacing the joists (a structural element) you will most likely need to get a permit. Your GC can help you with this, it will probably cost around $100 or so, will take a week or perhaps two to get, and will require that your GC be licensed and bonded and all that type of stuff. Check your municipality's website for more details. 

Good luck with your project! Sorry about the unexpected surprise. 

Hello-

Does anyone BRRRR or otherwise Buy/Hold in the Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, PA area? I just did a quick cursory look at the general area and it seems there's quite a bit of properties available that would easily clear the 2% or even 3% rule at very reasonable prices. I'm curious if anyone has experience in this market and their general thoughts.

Thanks in advance for your time! 

 I live in Palatine, IL and I tend to agree in spirit with you. You go around to River North or South Loop or anywhere, and prices are definitely "healthy". However, just across the street from me, there are three homes for sale, the type you describe in Des Plaines for around 500,000. They've been on the market for over 9 months now with no sign of movement. There was a time about two years ago where homes in this area were just flying off the shelves, so to speak, but now... it just doesn't seem quite the same. I'm not an economist, and I don't even play one on TV, but there have been suburbs of Chicago that really did expand quite robustly in the last few years, (Huntley, Palatine, even Arlington Heights) but have recently slowed down. My guess would be that things slow down significantly and that this does touch and affect the city and it's "blue-chips" as well. 

@Carolina E.

First of all, I would encourage you to consider the zoning and code implications of your action. In some municipalities, if you touch the sidewalk or somehow engage it, you might need a certain kind of building permit. You can go to the City of Chicago's (or suburb's) website and find the zoning requirement, and see what type of hassle you'd be in for. 

Second, with regards to pavers, I would encourage you to think twice. I would guess-timate that just pouring concrete will cost less than the hours of labor that it takes to lay down pavers. With concrete, you just dig a little trench, put in some gravel, pound and level it out, and pour concrete on top of that. It shouldn't cost all that much, and it's pretty fool-proof. With pavers you do all the first things, but the gravel should be deeper, and the cost of labor for pavers will most likely be higher (not to mention the pavers can be expensive as well) But as others mentioned the upkeep might be a bit much. Grass and weeds tend to grow in between pavers, you need to shovel and salt in the winter (especially in Chicago) and due to the freeze-thaw cycle the pavers tend to creep, move, bend and look unsightly after a short time (the frozen water expands, shifting the pavers around and out of alignment during the winter) All-in-all, I would imagine its a bit of a hassle, especially if people tend to enter through the garage. 

You might want to consider concrete or decorative "stepping-stone" type walkways. You get these concrete plates or perhaps stones and you just place them on the lawn to create a walkway. That's the cheapest and easiest way, but it's not accessible, and you still have the snow clearing issues. 

Good luck!

@Matthew Gainey

Not an expert, but perhaps I can help:

Say you want to buy a house to buy and hold. (ie. you rent it to someone and act as the landlord). You find a whole bunch of properties on the MLS, or from some other source and you want to find out whether or not you will make money on the deal. (ie. the rent you receive will exceed the expenses you have as the owner)

1. The target "all-in" price should be 2% of the rent. 

2. Figure out what the average rent is for a comparable property. Let's say it's a two bedroom SFH, and it rents for $1,000/month. Therefore, your purchase price + any possible renovations/improvements should be around 50,000. (2% of 50,000= 1,000).

3. Basically, multiply the rental rate by 50 and determine what a reasonable purchase price for that type of rental property should be. 

The 2% "rule" is used to quickly determine whether or not the property is worth your time to do the more exact due diligence. Whether or not it works every time, whether you can make it work at 1% or whatever; you can see these types of debates up and down this site. But as you're looking through properties, you can use the 2% rule to narrow down your search and get a sense of whether or not something is a "good" deal. 

If you have some good knee-pads and a solid saw, putting down laminate flooring is surprisingly relaxing. A lot of products are "click" in place or something similar, they go together quite quickly, and it makes a huge difference in the look and feel of a room. My sister and I did it in our basement a few years back and it was a fantastic weekend project. 

@Mike Gillespie

Writing a detailed scope of work and requesting itemized bids from multiple contractors is your best bet and gives you the best estimate. 

But there are also lots of fantastic books available, like the RSMeans Contractor's Pricing Guide, which you can get on amazon or elsewhere. 

I'm going to skip thinking about costs, or what you might learn, or deals or whatever. 

Scope of work:

-Remove all furniture, trash, things that are not tied down. 

-Secure the roof (ie. stop leaks) put up a tarp, get a piece of osb and a nailgun and nail it to where the leaks are (if localized), make sure it stops leaking. Don't replace the roof, because things may shift around if you start touching the foundation. 

-Determine location of mold/termites, have professionals take care of this (before or after demo of remainder)

-Demo sheetrock, studs, etc

-Resolve foundation issues with professional help. 

-Rebuild your house. 

Looks like a heluva job, but construction/design/rei is fun! Good luck!

@Nicole S. At this point you've committed to a certain contract and architect, so your options might be a bit limited. I'm sorry that your experience hasn't been so good; it's always disappointing to me that people have poor experiences with architects, but perhaps I'm too young and idealistic. 

I'm not sure of your particular situation (you may of course message me with more details and we can figure things out) but in many municipalities you shouldn't legally speaking require an architect for a SFR. Think about all those tract-homes that developers build... most likely no actual architect was involved in the project. To complete the house-plans, get the permits, figure out the details of construction, estimate the price, work with consultants/engineers, bid the project, estimate the cost, and manage the construction (on a general and basic level) you really might only need a "builder", "designer", or "general contractor".

The value of using an architect comes from greater customization, specialization, and knowledge. Architects obviously run the gamut (like all professionals, for the most part) from good to exceptional, but as a general rule architects can add value to a project by: 

-Greater construction efficiency

-Superior aesthetics/design

-Understanding of regulations, codes, variances, etc (above and beyond a GC)   

-Speed & efficiency

-"Green" design or "Future-proofing" your house

-A more holistic approach to the project or superior experience. 

It remains to be seen whether the premium you would pay for an architect will return on a buy/hold or flip-property. I would run the numbers to find out for sure, but frankly, I would probably think no. As much as it hurts me to say it, I'm not so sure that hiring an architect is the best choice for this type of project. If you're designing your dream-home... yes, absolutely. If you're doing a large multi-family or condo project... that experience will be invaluable. A skyscraper... goes without saying. But a SFH that you won't be living in, and aesthetics aren't extremely important... it's your call.

Shoot me a message if you need any more info. Good luck with your project.