(no subject)

[kittydesade]

Claudia spricht im Superlativ. Wenn jemand etwas sagt, wiederholt sie es und sagt, dass es am größten, am kältesten, am langsamsten usw. ist. Stellen Sie sich vor, Sie sind Claudia.

e.g. Im Sommer sind die Tage lang. --> Im Sommer sind die Tage längsten.

1. Im Herbst sind die Farben interessant. Im Herbst sind die Farben interessantesten.
2. Im Frühling sind die Blumen schön. Im Frühling sind die Blumen schönsten.
3. Im Winter sind die Tage kalt. Im Winter sind die Tage kaltesten.
4. Regina fährt langsam. Regina fährt langsamesten.
5. Hans-Jürgen arbeitet schwer. Hans-Jürgen arbeitet schweresten.
6. Ingrid und Thomas tanzen schön. Ingrid und Thomas tanzen schönesten.


Well. Fuck.

I was hoping the inspection would clarify some things. and it did! It ruled out a number of potential problems. The electrical is fine, the foundation, the roof is in surprisingly good shape given all the doom and gloom of earlier. The leak in the bathroom is probably rain coming through a couple of loose shingles and is, as I suspected, more time damage than great gallons of water damage. The attic is apparently huge, despite access to it being a hole in the ceiling bordered by wood edging and covered by a piece of plywood, no pull-down ladder. One would have to be installed. But someone was doing electrical work up there recently and left a portable light plugged in, the inspector said. That amused me. The outlets are almost all grounded (and there are a LOT of them) and almost all work, there's a couple on the second floor and a couple on the first that are either not grounded or don't work at all. When they re-did the electric they did it pretty well even if they put the case on backwards. There's some older water damage and other kinds of damage to some of the exterior wood, nothing major, nothing that can't be a five years down the road problem. The paint on the outside is still peeling but that's a cosmetic problem.

The heating is fucked. A new heating system needs to be put in place. The ceilings on the first floor are high enough and the architecture simple enough (essentially boxes on top of boxes) that I don't think it would be a more-than-standard major proposition to put in forced-air, but until now it's been running on hot-water radiators, almost all of which are cracked, and the boiler done died. As far as my admittedly limited research shows, a forced-air system would be 10k for dropping in new duct work and everything.

The other problem is that we couldn't get the water on. The city water was on, we had one exterior tap with a hose hookup that dribbled out some water and the inspector could hear water rushing somewhere, but nothing came out of any of the taps. And we couldn't find any valves that hadn't been turned on. So then we turned the water off again so it didn't gush all over wherever it's hanging out. According to Folks (both relatives and the inspector, from what I remember) it could either be as simple as something that isn't turned all the way on that we haven't found yet or a cracked pipe close to the source/intake from city water that might be easy to fix. Or not. It's Schroedinger's problem.

And those are, by and large, the only two problems so far. I just got in the results of the radon test, that's fine, the inspector didn't make any other noises about things being dire, he took moisture readings everywhere there was water damage (there was another place that had water damage on the ground floor, but it was by a radiator and didn't leak in the rain so I didn't think it was a danger, and it didn't give off an abnormal moisture reading) and the normal walls were about, um. A 10? I don't know what the units of these things are. and then the leak in the bathroom was about a 31-33. I don't know what any of that means in abstract terms, but in relative terms I know that means the leak area isn't wildly out of step with the rest of the house. Pretty sure, anyway.

My plans for tomorrow are to dig in to forced air heating systems and educate myself there, and collect phone numbers and maybe call around for very rough estimates on forced air heating system installation and plumber opinions and whether or not they can come out and poke the pipes and try and find out what the hell is going on in there. Also talking to Realty Lady first to see if they can do that. That really annoys me. Not knowing what the hell is going on annoys me in general, in this situation it bugs the everliving fuck out of me. So. Those are the plans. These plans are, of course, subject to change depending on what the boy and I discuss tonight.

Heh. I am kind of glad and grateful that I have family support, now that they've been reassured that I'm not chasing after this wholeheartedly even with the attendant problems. I almost chewed on people today, 'cause of oi, with the I don't know if you can handle it. Yes, I can fucking well handle it! I can handle it by doing some research, calling around, and getting more information before I make a really big decision, that's how I can handle it. Yes, I'm in love with the house. No, I'm not going to run and buy it if something's terribly fucked. The boy won't let me, first of all, and second of all I'm not that stupid. I'll be sad. But I'm not dumb. Argh. Still not five years old, people.

Really, really tired though, which is no doubt contributing to the cranky. So. Horsies forever, or at least for a little while, and then writing. Because even if I can't do anything just yet about Old Hotness the Alleged House, I can do something about my deadlines.

Comments

[synecdochic]

Sadly, at this point I would be definitely be making "backing away" noises. :( If the law in NC is anything like the law in MD, they can't actually legally sell the house without working heat as an actual house certified for occupancy, so you would likely not be able to get a mortgage and not be able to get homeowners' insurance -- you'd have to get a construction loan, make the repairs, and convey it once you'd gotten the certificate of occupancy. Which is a pain, but doable. What really makes me twitch is the water not working. If it's not "cracked pipe somewhere that is leaking under the house and about to undercut the foundation", it's "the entire house is rusted out galvanized pipes", and either one is massively troublesome to fix.

Both of the problems are solveable, but for an unknown amount of money, and I would caution against picking up problems like that on your first house. For a second home or a long-term project, sure, but at this point in your life you'd probably want something a lot closer to turnkey.

Sucks. :(

[kittydesade]

Yeah, that's exactly what I was afraid of. The water, that is, I don't know about the heat, I'd have to investigate. Though I do know the entire house isn't rusted out galvanized pipes, we removed some of the paneling and saw both plastic pipes and good galvanized pipes. The problem is that probably somewhere we didn't look at is cracked pipe, and I really, really hate not knowing where/what the fuck is going on.

So, yeah. This irks me. It's irksome. Boy and I were both too exhausted at the end of the day to discuss it, so I'll dig into some research today. At least we have backup houses, though none so nice. :/

And, really, this is why I wanted the inspection fucking weeks ago. Goddamn selling bank. On further reading of the inspector's report the problem seems to be somewhere in the utility room, so it's probably not a tear out all the floors in the house problem, it's just... finding the damn thing. If possible. I don't even on the heating. I'll dig into the laws/have Realty Lady dig into the laws today.

[synecdochic]

*wishes you luck* It sucks that something you had your heart so set on has proven to be so much of a bother :( This is why bank owned houses are often pains in the ass!

[pocketassassin]

*hugs* Thanks. And YES. Rrrgh strangulation and non-lethal dysentery upon them. Though on the plus side I have managed to find a plumber recommended by the Elf Lord to come out and go "There's your problem" (hopefully) on Monday! Stupid uncertainties.

[kittydesade]

Oh for the love of... come on, brain, WORK properly. XD

[synecdochic]

*laugh* <3

[kittydesade]

Okay, Realty Lady is telling the listing agent that he has a listing with no heat and no water, to see what he says. She is pretty sure they'll let us get a plumber in to evaluate the problem but she wants to be sure. Everyone except the lady at the selling bank seems to be aware that this is a house that should be sold for vastly less than what they originally listed it for, so maybe someone can knock some sense into her scarufulous head while I try to make the known unknown into a known known. And in the meantime, backup houses.

If it clarifies anything at all, the way the house is arranged there's the house, a sort of a utility room/bridge room to the garage where all this is taking place. The inspector heard water moving around in the utility room, but we could only get the exterior tap and the boy says one of the interior taps in that utility room to come on. No one heard water going in any of the bathrooms and, I think, the kitchen, or anywhere int he house proper. The utility room seems to be a maze of twisty pipes all alike. As far as I could tell it could be something as simple as a valve we're not valving, a leak or crack in one pipe close to the source, or as you say something nasty and broken under the house. Or possibly they have it rigged up to cut off at the boiler if the boiler isn't working and the two taps are just on the pipeline before that? I have no clue. And lots of disappointment, sad, and grumpy.

So, um. *sheepish* Haven't totally lost my mind? I just... I'd rather know moreo f what it is I'm walking away from than walk away from what could be Casper or Cthulhu clanking in the pipes.

[kikibug13]

UUUgh. If what synecdochic says is true, then it will be a problem. (On the other hand, if it is true, you can possibly force the bank to take care of it anyway.)

Mmmph. *snuggles you tight* I hope the conversation with the boy reached some conclusions that you can work on!

[kittydesade]

I'm adding the legal aspect to dig into today, yeah. And I really want to know what that plumbing problem is. The not knowing is bugging me, if it's a strategically placed $500 problem or a massively inconvenient tear out all the floors $3000 problem. The one is irritating but fixable, the other is me curling up for two days, crying, and then finding another damn house. Or something.

No conversation with the boy, really, he was too tired and by the time he was awake I was too tired. So, conversations today/tonight.

[kikibug13]

*nods* oi. Damn, people, if the house was without resident for years, that requires DAMN MAINTENANCE if you want to sell it. *grumps*

Ah-haaa. *snuggles* tonight. Yay Friday night fun? I mean...

[kittydesade]

Pretty much. All of that. Tired and cranky and wanting to cry and wanting more goddamn information. I hate not making informed decisions.

[kikibug13]

Which is why you are informing yourself. And because people online are awesome with helping out with extra details. <3

*wry* Well, there are plenty of movies that will help you cry if it's difficult. Or something. Tonight. Because the weekend is coming.