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Adventures in Home-Ownership

Fallon Brooks — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:06:38 +0000

As you’re reading this I’ve been in my new house somewhere in the neighborhood of six weeks, and well, the honeymoon is over. I’ve made quite a few changes, including: peeling enough layers of wallpaper to cover the White House, re-texturing the walls, painting every room, replacing nearly every single light fixture, installing a new front entry door, and replacing doorknobs one by one.

I’ve learned that a little corner of wallpaper sticking up can lead to another to do on the list.

It’s turning out beautifully. While home ownership is by far the most rewarding thing I’ve put my heart (and wallet) to, the lessons learned have been manifold.

A few of my favorites:

The day I shut off power to the entire house when I removed an old switch panel. I was informed the switches had been bypassed when the new electrical panel had been added. Wrong. Luckily, I’m pretty calm under pressure and I’m not afraid to learn the hard way. I rewired it in and voila! The lights came back on (it only took me four hours in the dark to figure it out).
Just last week, my stove decided to breathe it’s last while I was preparing dinner for guests.
About a week later, my refrigerator decided to take a vacation as well.

None of these compare to the sewer line incident. Somewhere in the middle of the third week in the new house, my sewer line backed up into my bathtub. Stop. Soak that in. Yes, it was awful. I immediately called my home warranty company and they promptly scheduled someone to come out and snake the line. The plumber noted that I might have “Orangeburg Pipes”.

Orangeburg pipes, or bituminous pipes, are a type of pipe created from layers of tar paper and cardboard. Yes, cardboard. It’s been my understanding most of my life that poo and cardboard don’t mix well. These pipes tend to have a lifespan of around 60 years and as luck would have it, my house is 59 years old. Since I’m in the business of Civil Engineering and often do water and sewer line design, I had heard of these old systems, but had never thought to check my potential new residence for them. A couple of worrisome days after the incident, the plumber came back with a camera and inserted it into the line to give me a proper diagnosis. The good news was that my pipes are concrete.

So the problem is a major blockage, not failing pipes. Yes folks, I had to see it on the little screen. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. The blockage appeared to be bad enough that I may have to have a portion of the line replaced, but for now all is functioning well enough. Estimates are currently somewhere between $700 and $1200 to have that portion replaced. If you’re a fist-time home buyer, I recommend spending the extra $200 to have a camera inserted into the sewer line when you have your inspections done. Any blockages or apparent damage that could cause a backup or failure could be found ahead of time and the repairs negotiated into the contract. That will leave you with a peace of mind on closing day.

As for the appliances going out, you can’t anticipate that, and the likelihood of them going at once is slim. However, I would recommend having a cushion in the bank to replace any appliances not covered by your warranty, just in case Murphy and his law decide to visit your new house.

Speaking of warranties, I’ll make one quick plug for my agents over at the Hukill Group @ Paradigm AdvantEdge. Susan Walker, super agent to the first time homebuyer, insisted I ask for a home warranty in my offer. I’m so thankful that I had the warranty the day my sewer backed up. While it won’t be paying for any portion of a line replacement, it did cover having the line snaked and the having camera inserted. So, when making an offer, ask your agent about a home warranty.

Next month: everything I never wanted to know about refrigerators.

Fallon Brooks is the keeper of one mortgage and two cats… an avid tweeter, who bought her first home October 2009 and enjoys sharing what she learns with other soon-to-be home owners.

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Tax Credit Details To Come

Ryan Hukill — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:17:29 +0000

Well, the news broke almost a week ago and in the spirit of good faith, I wanted to be sure we have REAL details about this extension/expansion before spewing a bunch of mis-truths and rumors, but apparently, I may be one of the few who put the brakes on

Truth is, you’ll find plenty of guessing out there, so PLEASE don’t buy into it all and take is as gospel. If you have specific questions about your situation, please wait until we have the real info before making any major decisions. If you’re not sure what you’re reading out there is correct, call your tax attorney or CPA for clarification, but I can tell you that right now what they’ll tell you is “the IRS hasn’t released a formal set of guidelines for this bill yet, so sit back and wait… we should know more in a few days.”

That’s where I am with it. When a formal release hits us, I’ll make sure you get all the best information right here on this blog, so stay tuned and in the meantime, let us know if we need to start sending you listings. Have a great day!

Ryan Hukill
Hukill Group – Paradigm AdvantEdge
405.802.4663

www.RyanHukill.com

Posted via email from Take Advantage of the ‘Move-Up’ Tax Credit Now

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#3 Strongest U.S. Metro – Guess Who?

Ryan Hukill — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:45:08 +0000

More kudos for our local economy were published by MSN.com recently. Low unemployment, continued improvement & growth in our city, and affordable living seem to be the common thread through all of these stories.

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Home Buyers Help is Official – Get Going!

Ryan Hukill — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:26:01 +0000

I told you the other day that the Tax Credit extension and modification had passed Congress and was headed to President Obama’s desk for signature. Now I’m excited to post that IT’S OFFICIAL… Obama has signed the bill into law and it’s time to get moving if you plan to take advantage! Call or email me immediately if you need details.

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Selling or Staying, the Right Holiday Decor Makes All the Difference

Jennifer Hicks — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:44:28 +0000

If you’re like most people these days you love the idea of having a beautifully designed home for the holidays but a shortage of time (and patience) keeps your sugar-plum dreams at bay year after year.

DESIGNING DIVA INTERIORS KNOWS HOLIDAY DECORATING.

I also know that whether you’re selling your home or staying put this winter, the right decor makes all the difference. If your home is on the market, turning the residence into Santa’s workshop is not something I would encourage. And even if you’re comfy cozy and not going anywhere this winter, choosing the right decor is still important.

As with your year-round furnishings, you want your holiday adornments to match the style of your home. You also want the right look for your personality.

Are you fun and funky?
Fresh but modern?
Delightfully traditional?

Know what you like and build the appropriate look around it. And when holiday decor is the topic, more isn’t always better. Designing Diva Interiors carefully designs rooms and table settings that are lovely but not so over-the-top that even the elves would cringe.

Jennifer’s work has been featured in homes across the metro and in a Christmas Parade of Homes in 2008 (South OKC). Allow her expertise and unique eye for affordable style to work for you this fall while you do more important things–like relax!

THIS POPULAR SERVICE IS FOR YOU IF:

~ You are tired of your old holiday decor and need a fresh look.

~ You want to use your current decor but do not have time to do it yourself.

~ You need help creating the perfect color palette.

~ You are expecting guests and need to get your home fabulous in a hurry!

~ You crave a “wow!” look for your holiday parties and dinners.

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL:

$20 off custom Holiday Decorating Service if scheduled by 11.15.09

Jennifer Hicks is a Certified Interior Designer and Owner of Designing Diva Interiors, LLC

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Tax Credit Extension On It’s Way

Ryan Hukill — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:11:25 +0000

It’s a much-anticipated move that, for some reason, has taken a lot longer than most expected it would, but it’s being reported that the Senate has approved an extension (and modification) of the Home Buyer Tax Credit, which many believe will continue to drive the housing market upward, aiding in an overall economic recovery. Now, it’s up to President Obama to sign it into law.

The $8,000 maximum first-timer credit will continue and will now available to couples with income up to $225,000, a nearly $55,000 increase above the level in existing law. A new $6,500 maximum credit would also be available to move-up homeowners who have lived in their current residence for five of the prior eight years.

The modification most likely to make an impact, in my opinion, is that a credit will now be offered to move-up buyers as well; not just the first-time buyers. Expanding the income limits will also open up the opportunities to a broader group of home buyers.

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Bricktown Area – Now and Then

Ryan Hukill — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:23:16 +0000

Steve Lackmeyer of the Oklahoman just put together a very cool video about the history of Bricktown and the surrounding area. Call me a geek, but I kind of enjoy hearing about what used to be and how we got to where we are, as well as where we could be going. Enjoy!

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MAPS 3 Vote Coming Up Dec 8th

Ryan Hukill — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:18:05 +0000

One of the big topics that’s coming up at about every meeting I’ve attended lately is the upcoming vote on whether to extend the current one-cent sales tax to keep the MAPS projects going.

IMO, you’d be hard pressed to point to any negatives from the MAPS projects that have already been carried out. Our city and the surrounding areas have benefited greatly and our city’s on the radar of other metro areas like never before. We’re being used as THE example of what a city can do when everyone comes together for the greater good, so why in the world anyone would want to vote against MAPS 3 is beyond me!

What say you?

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OKC Area’s Jobless Rate Lowest in Nation

Ryan Hukill — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:04:48 +0000

More props for the OKC area economy came shining through earlier this week as the labor department released the latest unemployment numbers:

The Oklahoma City metro area’s September jobless rate of 5.9 percent was the lowest in the nation for large cities with a population of 1 million or more

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Historic Home Tours Galore – Right Now!

Ryan Hukill — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:54:44 +0000

Get your comfortable walking shoes out, cuz right now is when the historic homes junkies among us get to walk their legs off! Take your pick:

The Heritage Hills Historic Home & Garden Tour today and Sunday
The Nichols Hills Kitchen Tour on Sunday
The Gatewood Historic District Home & Garden Tour on Nov. 1
The Linwood Place Historic Home Tour Nov. 8

For more details, check out Richard Mize’s article. Now, go check them out, then come back here and let us know what you thought!

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