billsfanone

We've ordered some. Not the Time-Life ones, but some others. I know my limitations though. In those books everything is neat and clean. I replaced some of my parents light fixtures in their apt. I felt confident until I pulled the old ones off and voila the wires weren't colored! Well I figured it out and they've been working ever since. I worked as a porter in a condo building during summers in college. So I got to do and learn some handy things. I'm one of those people who will try anything, but want to see it done right first (with my own eyes). We'll see...

I like the work and look forward to it. I guess "fixer-upper" is subjective. I mean it as a lot of TLC as they say. Nothing structural, like adding or removing entire walls. That stuff isn't on our radar.

SHE NAGS ME NOW!!! You mean to tell me there will be more??? lol We both can do plaster, painting. I can do some tiling and drywall. That's the extent of my skills.

Thanks man. I knew you lives somewhere out there... We are aware of the radient heat. Our realtor is very honest (at least we think so!). She tipped us off about that. Most of the fixer uppers have their heat upgraded to baseboard. Another thing on our checklist of things to look out for... The killer is the location of the furnace. It's in the kitchen! The pristine ones I mentioned have moved them. Which is a pretty major step.

Bevieve it or not, we have thought about moving down south. My brother was seriously considering it, and even bid on a house. That's before he landed a better job. We were thinking of following his lead. It's tough to find new jobs, new social circle, etc. For us anyway. All of our friends and family is in the NYC metro area...

Thanks! That's what we're planning. We're living in an apt now with no kids. We don't have a lot of "junk" yet, so we'd be able to do room by room. Great advice about finishing up first before moving on. The kitchen will likely be the first thing done. Great site btw!

Is she dead yet?

I blame violent video games.

All exactly the same. To a T. That's what's funny about the area.

Thanks again for the advice so far. I'm pretty handy, and I know my limits. There is plenty I can do, but a lot that I wounldn't dare to attempt. I'd leave all the major things to a pro (or more able family member). Can't leave LI for NJ. I would, but my wife works on LI and I just acceped a new job who's HQ is on LI too. We going to do some major budgeting this week. We're in no real rush to buy, so this exercise is very helpful. And probably came at the perfect time. Unfortunately, there's not that type of leverage here buckeye...

Thanks LA. Decisions....

Thanks. My mind is fried. Plan C is to get a complete disaster, come up with a sob story, and try to get one of those TV shows to fix it up for free.

Yes. Therein lies my dilemma. Looks like I have some more number crunching to do.

Thanks for all the advice so far. I'm still leaning fixer. Remember it won't be an complete overhaul. In my own mind, I categorize fixing like: 1) structural - like dormering or converting an attic into living space 2) major cosmetic - like a new kitchen and new bathroom 3) minor cosmetic - like paint, plaster, carpet Of course there is plumbing, electric, siding, roof, etc too. I think the "fixer-uppers" we're looking at need 2 and 3. Not much else (I hope).

I'll build a shed in the backyard.

Thanks. We've looked at a ton already. We're both pretty picky. The one that screamed "buy me" is a tiny bit out of our price range. Not completely not-doable, but stretching it. This is my dilema. We're going to lowball the fixeruppers that have been on the market a while and hopefully come away with a steal. There's no lowballing the others. They are usually on the market for a week or two. It's nuts around here.

Thanks. I have make some calls and price things out.

Thanks. I think the only downside of the fixer-upper is that we're stuck living in an old looking house for a while. I know there will be unexpected things. And I haven't gotten to the point of getting an inspector yet. Just getting a feel for what people think..

Yeah. I hear that.

These houses were originally all 2br 1 bath ranchs. What people did is make the attic 2 more bedrooms (in both pristine and the fixer-uppers). Some have a raw attic, but I'm taking them out of the equation... I'm comparing apples to apples.

All the same exact ages. Same exact neighborhoods. If anyone is familiar with Hicksville and Levittown, NY, you'd know they are EXACTLY the same. The pristine ones are fixed up so they look brand spanking new. The old ones look like they are from the 50s. Of course I'd get a professional inspector to look at major things not visable to the naked eye. But cosmetically, it's apples to apples.

Ok, my wife and I have been house hunting for about a month, and we feel ready to move on some houses. We've done exhaustive research on schools, property values, etc. We've found some decent towns we can afford... Would you either: 1) go with a house that's pristine, and would need no upgrades, and pinch every penny to make it happen, or, 2) buy a somewhat fixer upper that wouldn't stretch your budget, but needs upgrades (not major construction, just upgrades like kitchen cabinets, bathroom tiles, paint, plaster, etc.), with the possibly never getting it completely done. I'm leaning towards a fixer-upper. One that's livable to start. Not great and not a complete disaster, but livable. I have some family members who can lend solid advice on how and what to do to upgrade (and when), and maybe do a little work at minimal cost. Also, I am fairly familiar with what needs to go into the work (money, time, sweat, etc.). Pros of pristine house: No work, no headaches, no need to spend anymore money cons of pristine: dangerously eats at budget, no "emergency" funds pros of fixer upper: can easily manage financially to start cons of fixer upper: can be a never ending ordeal. Will likely spend the money to fix which would have been used up-front to go pristine. I know there's a ton more to consider, and we have. What would you do. Or what have you experienced?

Don't get attacked by a thug weilding a knife and nearly arrested for kicking the living crap out of him like I did.

From the article "Their eyes are open and moving about during the periods of wakefulness that alternate with periods of sleep; there may be spontaneous movements of the arms and legs, and at times these patients appear to smile, grimace, laugh, utter guttural sounds, groan and moan, and manifest other facial expressions and sounds that appear to reflect cognitive functions and emotions, especially in the eyes of the family." "Sadly, these actions often appear meaningful to hopeful families but are all automatic reflexes -- not movements with a purpose," it reads. "There are no confirmed reports of anyone fully recovering from a permanent vegetative state lasting more than three months."

The video of her "following" the balloon kills me.