<p>Update:</p>
<p>DH has concluded, after sleeping on it, that we should walk away. Yippee!!! No fights after all!!!</p>
<p>He’s depressed about it. I told him he shouldn’t be depressed, only disappointed. </p>
<p>We will continue to look.</p>
<p>I’d be depressed too. Any house that needs fixing up is going to be hard to move into in October. Good luck!</p>
<p>VH, I didn’t want to say anything earlier, but in my house-hunting experience in your area, houses of that vintage and style are often very cheaply built, and age badly. Sounds like this was one of those. Too bad, because the spot is lovely.</p>
<p>Multiple water incursions: not good. Especially in a house on a slab. No wonder there is mold. The fact is, that after you remediated it, installed the drain, and so forth, there would probably be more water incursions because of the site and you would have mold all over again.</p>
<p>The roof and gutters are no big deal, to me. Standard maintenance. But eventually it all adds up.</p>
<p>Now, if when you brought the hydraulic lift in you could yank the entire house up off its slab, install sturdy pillars, and put it back down on them, then you might have a permanent fix. Of course, who knows whether the structure of the house could stand up to such treatment, and the cost might be such that you might as well just tear the place down and build new. :(</p>
<p>I hope you find something better soon.</p>
<p>Agree with the above. Didn’t want to say anything but that house has too many issues and even with repairs some of those could come back to haunt you when you try to resell (ie history of mold, etc). Some insurance companies will not insure a house thats had a mold issue. That house sounds like a teardown. You could offer a price for the lot only and plan to live elsewhere while you build new on the lot, if its really worth going through that.</p>
<p>
The vapor barrier should always go to towards the warm side. If the vapor barrier went to the cold side you would get condensation inside the insulation. This can lead to mold and rot, as well as making the insulation ineffective.</p>
<p>VH, sounds like a smart move. Mold is like some alien body snatcher that occupies the house.</p>
<p>Thanks, all. I’m disappointed, but I’ve already moved on. DH was, when I spoke to him two hours ago, still depressed. Realtor is trying to stir up some activity for us.</p>
<p>Too bad about the mold. That alone would have been a deal breaker for the Thumper clan. Seems that once a house had mold, it is VERY hard to get rid of. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that something awesome comes up for you this week!</p>
<p>notrichenough, I probably got it backwards. </p>
<p>Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I agree that the house is a tear down. Unfortunately the bank has set its minimum price and, IMHO as well as the town’s opinion, the land isn’t worth as much as the minimum price.</p>
<p>So there it sits.</p>
<p>VH - mold is a deal breaker for me. I can smell miniscule amounts of mold and it bothers me to no end. Honestly, the house looked like it could be “musty.” my DH thinks I am nuts on this issue so don’t be offended!!</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>DH is moping around as if someone has died.</p>
<p>I mentioned that I’d like to find a house in this part of town or that part, and he sighed, “I really don’t care where the house is.”</p>
<p>Depressed. </p>
<p>I’ve already moved on. So has our realtor. :)</p>
<p>VH: you saved him from himself!</p>
<p>Does he somehow want to do a renovation?
Because it doesn’t seem to me you really do.</p>
<p>I certainly don’t want to do a renovation – but I wouldn’t mind at all – in fact, I’d prefer – a house that needs a new kitchen, new baths, some updates that I could do with my own taste. I would prefer not to buy a house that’s already been done.</p>
<p>DH is less than handy, so he doesn’t want to “do” a renovation either. However, he was in love with the fantasy of living on the river – ice tea on the deck listening to the babble of the water, seeing the river behave differently in different weather, etc. He’s very much a romantic and has had, as long as I’ve known him, the desire to live on the water, or in a converted barn, or in something unique and quaint. </p>
<p>I just want to live on a good piece of land, with a house with good flow, and a house that doesn’t need to be gutted!!</p>
<p>This is about sooooooo much more than the house for him.</p>
<p>So what you’re saying, VH, is that he’s depressed not because he lost this house, but because he has lost his chance at the future he was hoping for. In that case, I have to say I truly admire the fact that he made the wise decision to turn down the house despite how much he wanted the life it represented. He definitely earns kudos.</p>
<p>^^ditto what hayden says</p>
<p>For some a house is just a house, for others it is part of their self image. It is definitely part of my self image. I did not feel like “me” in a condo. Even though it was easy, comfortable and sensible.</p>
<p>Good Luck with the next round of looking - are you going to look at more water properties? Can you find something rural with a pond or add a pond? It’s not the same as running water but will change with the seasons, especially the wildlife.</p>
<p>converting a barn is more doable, imho, than renovating an older home</p>
<p>Are there not converted barns on the market? It would give you the old look but high ceilings and open floor plan.</p>
<p>edit: Hey!! I have a barn I could give you a really good price on AND I know someone who could move it…
jk :)</p>
<p>You’ll find a new home that will work. You only started looking…when? Two weeks ago. Your real estate agent has an idea of what you each are looking for. This first batch of houses didn’t work. If she wants the commission from your purchase…she will keep on plugging!</p>
<p>VH … the first photo I saw and I said “I KNOW this house.” Actually, I don’t this particular one, but I lived in one very very similar to the outside for years. There are a ton of them all over our (mutual) area and they just are not well built. That second story deck on the front is a disaster waiting to happen. </p>
<p>Good plan to walk away … I am glad we are out of ours.</p>
<p>cnp55, you actually lived in one of these houses? The builder was Sam Bell, who coincidentally was the builder of our [very very solid] current house.</p>
<p>hayden, thanks very much for putting that positive spin on things. I hadn’t looked at it that way.</p>
<p>thumper1, we’ve actually seen around 30 houses in the past month! We’ll see some number more this weekend. </p>
<p>For me, a house isn’t “just” a house, but it’s a place to be comfortable. I want to have convenience (e.g., garage on the same level as the kitchen, etc.), and a good location (e.g., not on a busy street; close to businesses I use; not near the interstate highway that goes through our county). I can personalize the house with my own imprint – either through doing a new kitchen, or building a deck, or whatever it needs – but I don’t mind if the layout is like evry other house built by the same builder the same year.</p>
<p>good luck with the weekend looking… 30 houses already - You two must be getting pretty exhausted. What is it like there? Do more things keep appearing regularly?</p>
<p>alh,</p>
<p>We are in Fairfield County, an affluent place close to NYC that is very desirable. So Yes, things keep coming on; there has always been activity, although of course it is slower than four years ago and prices are lower. As an example, around seven years ago we looked at a specific house (just for fun) that was on for $799K. It’s on the market again, this time for $575K. Ouch to the people who bought it seven years ago, but goodie for us, if it turns out we like it. (Of course we also lost value in our current house from seven years ago, so I guess everything evens out!)</p>