<p>So true about finding the old guy! We just spent $2400 to remove an old, unused chimney from our new house - it was blocking space in two rooms in a very odd way - so we looked for an old-school guy to do the work. It was quite a sight looking up from a basement to a hole in the roof (basement+main+upstairs+attic)! My first thought was that I should have asked for a skylight in that spot :)</p>
<p>VeryHappy- prayers for your H.
Positive house news- we have a friend who was willing to sell their home if someone wanted to pay the “right” price. The house was not officially for sale or listed with an agent. They did let several realtors know that if the right offer came they would be interested. They have owned their home for a long time so selling in a down market was okay as long as they can buy in the same down market. The parents have been tight lipped about what they consider the “right” offer. Have heard now from several sources that they are in escrow. Their S facebooked my D the amount they are selling for. It is very high. Not sure if the kid is correct but if he is even in the ballpark it is looking good. According to the S they are looking for another H is our same neighborhood.(not sure they would be thrilled with their S facebooking this information)
Good luck to those trying to sell.</p>
<p>We have a brick home and put some effort into finding a skilled mason to do repairs. Even then, I was not really happy with the color of the mortar he used. Just ordered a new pump for our pond because the old one is getting a bit finicky; I told DH I didn’t want to risk showing the house with the pond not looking its best.</p>
<p>Today’s “househunters” weren’t here very long, but the agent wrote “I love it!” on the back of her card. Huh?</p>
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<p>Free advice…if you were going to get rid of that book…get rid of that book. List it on Ebay and SELL it. Don’t just hang onto it because it’s worth money…get the money and use it for something you REALLY want!!</p>
<p>VH…hope your husband is resting comfortably. As others have said…the house can wait.</p>
<p>1moremom – It means she’ll bring another set of buyers if they sound even remotely interested in a house like yours. Or that she already has somebody else in mind, even herself. Realtors buy houses too!</p>
<p>The more I think about it…the less likely I am going to seal the brick…i have this problem every few years when the rain is very heavy and it is coming down horizontally…</p>
<p>I think the problem is really the chimney cap anyway…</p>
<p>I think I am being hosed…;)</p>
<p>Imoremom…The agent didn’t have to write that…</p>
<p>VH so sorry to here that you ran into a snag. Best wishes to a speedy recovery for dh.</p>
<p>We had problems with our bricks leaching minerals and we were told we have to burn in our fireplace to keep the bricks in good shape, keep them dried out. We did not want to deal with logs and ashes, had gas logs installed, and we have had no problems since.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your good wishes for my DH. He is feeling considerably better and even took the dogs to the woods today, for an abbreviated walk. </p>
<p>Of course, he says he’s too tired and sick to pack boxes of books. Hmmm.</p>
<p>Ahhhh…sounds like he is getting better.</p>
<p>When I am feeling really good, I don’t want to pack boxes of books either.</p>
<p>Our chimney cracked when we had a 3.2R earthquake 35 miles from us, 1994(?). We put in a gas fireplace with a chimney tube. Strapped the chimney to keep it together. Concrete cap is flaking off. If it gets worse, I will take the chimney down and use a nicer metal chimney.</p>
<p><a href=“A Short Hop to Tax Savings — In the Region/Westchester - The New York Times”>A Short Hop to Tax Savings — In the Region/Westchester - The New York Times;
<p>Interesting article in tomorrow’s New York Times about downsizing to save taxes. Of course, they’re talking Westchester taxes, where “downsizing” means going from $30,000 a year in real estate taxes to “only” $12,000 per year. Ouch.</p>
<p>Yes, Novelisto, I hope you are right. When the agent wrote “I love it!!” all I could think was, “my clients . . . not so much.” ;)</p>
<p>1moremom: In my experience, agents who like your house are the ones who sell it. Just because their first clients didn’t like it doesn’t mean they don’t have other clients.</p>
<p>When a real estate agent first starts working with clients, s/he has to figure out what kind of house they like. The agent will make a round of four or five houses that the agent likes to see how the client responds to those houses, to help narrow down the search. An agent who likes your house will put your house on that first round–until the house is sold. </p>
<p>When we sold our first house, I used a friend as the listing agent. It was a mistake for several reasons: she liked old (antique) colonials (she lived in the family house–two generations old) and she didn’t have enough experience in the business. We had a fairly new contemporary house. We didn’t sell the house for seven months–until we made a contingent offer on another house and THAT agent sold the house. She liked contemporary houses, had thirty years of experience, and we used her when we sold the house we’d bought from her.</p>
<p>Thanks, dmd. I’m hoping she’ll go back to her agency and talk it up a little; we really have put a lot of effort into making it “showable”.</p>
<p>Re: the NYT article… How the He** do people make that kind of money and buy that kind of house! 2 mill for a house? 1 mill? I pay $6000 a year in property taxes (in a state with no income tax), and as it is, that is waaaayyyyy too much.</p>
<p>Well, they live in the 'burbs of NYC so they make NYC salaries. Not normal NYC salaries (e.g., $130,000) but super-normal-NYC salaries – e.g., $750,000 plus bonus.</p>
<p>Even if I made it, I’m not sure I’d waste it on property taxes.</p>
<p>Well…it is getting to be crunch time for me…I need several sets of workers to finish next week…</p>
<p>It is going to be really interesting…</p>
<p>I’m a little worried. I need painters to be done on Wed. They haven’t shown up a couple of
Times, but they promise they will be done by Wed.</p>
<p>I also need a broken window replaced. That window better come in…
I didn’t spend all this money fixing up the house to sell a house with a broken window. :)</p>
<p>My favorite line from one of our remodelers-- I gotta go to Lowe’s. See you in a week.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>