HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: neilw@informix.com (Neil Williams)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Info on renting/buying
Date: 19 Nov 92 23:24:45 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <1992Nov18.104445.44913@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> 1k1mgm@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Christopher Gunn) writes:
>In article <1992Nov18.143832.2788@meaddata.com>, dedek@meaddata.com (Mike Dedek) writes:
>> In article <1992Nov17.232624.26624@wixer.cactus.org>, guppy@wixer.cactus.org (Jennifer Mery) writes:
>> |> I have a lot of good reasons to buy this house, but a tax deduction
>> |> isn't one of them. I'm always amazed by the stress put on tax
>> |> deductions. Some make little or no difference as compared to the cost
>> |> (like having kids, or losing money at the stock market).
>
>Yeah, I fed a year of projected mortgage interest payments into a
>tax program and it turned out Uncle Sam was willing to pay $17 a month
>toward buying a house.  BUT that chunk of interest gives you a base
>for other itemizations and a lot of the 'middle-class perks' in
>the tax code are structured on the assumption you have that.  I've
>filed complicated returns only twice (due to causalty losses once,
>liquidation of a profit-sharing fund once), and without a 'platform'
>to put other deductions on, you just have to swallow hard and watch
>what looked at first like wonderful tax breaks go bye-bye....

I just did the worksheet for the W4 since I just got married and
am planning on getting a home soon.  Quite an eye-opener!

First, for itemized deductions I estimated about 17k in deductions.
Worked out to 9 exemptions - hmmm, pretty good, I thought.

Next, I did the worksheet for 2-income couples.  Not so good -
I came up with 0 exemptions!!!  After a mild stroke and severe
panic, my co-workers told me not to worry and that my wife
and I should claim 4 or 5 exemptions.  Whew, what a relief!

>Laws are written by and for white conventional middle-class home-

...where conventional means 1-income families.  #&^%*!$% Republican
"family values".  Should've continued living in sin....

--Neil


-- 
Neil Williams: neilw@informix.com

Seen on my last trip on United: "If you are seated in an exit row 
and can not (sic) read this card... please notify a crew member."
From: judson@watserv.ucr.edu (Mike Judson)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Propane vs. coals vs. electric BBQs
Date: 18 Nov 92 07:13:51 GMT
Article-I.D.: galaxy.24023
Reply-To: judson@watserv.ucr.edu
Distribution: usa

In article <27380@dog.ee.lbl.gov> gelman@wallabee.lbl.gov (Frida Gelman)  
writes:

> Question: how well do propane or electrical BBQs work?
> Do you get the same/similar flavor, consistency as with coal?
> What about cost efficiency (I assume propane will be the cheapest?)?

To my surprise, when we got a propane BBQ, I could not taste the difference
when comparing it to charcoal.  And, the more you use it, the more BBQ flavor
you will taste.
It is extremely simple to use.  Just crank the knob on the gas tank, and push
the starter button.  Most brands undoubtedly will have a starter button and
thus you will not need to throw in a match.  However, like charcoal, you do
have to wait for the rocks to heat up before grilling something.  This is
probably the most important thing to do.  When I BBQ'd the first time with
the propane BBQ, I did not allow it to warm up, and I could taste that fact.
Thus, warming it up for about 5 to 10 minutes before hand really makes a
difference.  However, this is much easier then the 30 minutes or so waiting
for charcoal.
As for cost, it is extremely cost efficient.  One big bag of charcoal costs
about as much as it does to fill one propane tank.  One bag of charcoal will
last for perhaps 3 to 5 BBQ's.  However, the propane tank, used twice a week,
will last for several months.
Yes, I do recommend investing in a propane grill.  They will cost around
$150.00 to $200.00 for a moderately good brand.

--
"It takes a big man to cry.
but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man."
				Jack Handy


judson@watserv.ucr.edu
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jdouglas@MITRE.org (Jason Douglas)
Subject: Re: Blown-In Insulation & Vapor Barriers
Organization: The MITRE Corporation
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 16:51:24 GMT

In article <lggg4qINNfn0@news.bbn.com> isidro@BBN.COM (Isidro Castineyra) 
writes:
> A neighbour of mine had his house insulated by blowing cellulose into
> the exterior walls. He swears by the process, and his house does feel
> much tighter than mine (the houses are almost identical).  I have
> heard that because it is almost impossible to install a vapor barrier,
> the insulation can trap humidity inside the walls. This could damage
> the structure in the long run. What is the net-wisdom on this?

I've been considering blown insulation for the old (55 year) portion of 
the house  Three separate salesmen all told me that the average paint 
buildup on walls old enough to have no insulation is quite adequate as a 
vapor barrier in metropolitan Wash DC.  Glidden reportedly sells a paint 
(Insul aid) specifically formulated for impermeabilty to moisture.  This 
paint would likely be the most cost effective way to add a measure of 
vapor resistance to your walls.
From: mlw@cisco.com (Monica Waldman)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: How to tell a REAL buyer's agent
Date: 22 Nov 1992 03:19:41 GMT
Organization: cisco Systems, Menlo Park, California, USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: lager.cisco.com

In article <1992Nov21.013007.27146@mccc.edu> pjh@mccc.edu (Pete Holsberg) writes:
>Grossly overpaid! That's a joke!! The average realtor makes under
>$20,000 and that's before expenses. Real estate is one of the most
>poorly paid of all sales jobs. You must think that because an agent gets
>1.5% of the selling price of a house that they have done no work for it.
>Follow my wife around for a week -- your tongue would be hanging out! 

I have to agree that some realtors earn their keep.  We spent more than a year
looking for a home, running our realtor ragged.  The last few months she's
been taking us out after the realtor's weekly walkthrough in hopes of us 
seeing the good buys and getting our offer in first.  This includes her time
previewing homes, calling to make appointments, driving us around, getting
property inspections on homes we liked, inquiring on the status of homes we 
liked, trying to find out the real scoop on how low of a bid the seller will
really take (I know legally she can't tell us much, but she can give a ballpark
figure on what the property may go for) and doing a song and dance routine for 
the sellers when presenting.
our offers.

-- 
standard disclaimer, etc. ad nauseum

"If your opponent picks up a hammer, you need to pick up a meat-ax and
cut off his arm"  -- Bill Clinton, 1981
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: tmcbraye@thor.ece.uc.edu (Tim McBrayer)
Subject: Cleaning a heat-pump heat-exchanger
Followup-To: misc.consumers.house
Originator: tmcbraye@thor.ece.uc.edu
Organization: Unversity of Cincinnati, ECE Dept
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 21:05:59 GMT


I've recently bought a house with a heat pump (with electric 'emergency heat')
for heating/cooling.  The full-house inspection I had done before buying said
that the heat exchanger was dirty, and needed to be cleaned.  Well, it is, 
and it does!  For whatever reason, enough dust has been sucked into it that
the lower surface is covered with gunk.  In some areas, this gunk resembles
paper, and I could simply peel it off the surface of the heat exchanger.  
In other areas, though, it has filled the area between the fins of the 
exchanger.

My question is: what is the best way to remove this stuff?  I used a small
knife to clean between some of the fins (1-2 mm spacing).  This is tedious, 
and I have to be careful not to bend the fins too much.  Is there any way to
soak the stuff off/steam clean it/???   Any advice will be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
-- 
Tim McBrayer                                tmcbraye@thor.ece.uc.edu
Computer Architecture Design Laboratory     (513) 556-0904
University of Cincinnati
From: steve@presto.ig.com (Steve Barnhouse)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: gas fridge info wanted
Date: 19 Nov 92 00:52:14 GMT
Organization: IntelliGenetics Inc., Mtn. View, Ca.


Can anyone give me some info on using a gas refrigerator?  We're
moving to a house with a propane stove and furnace, and we have a lead
on buying a used gas fridge.  I'd have to change the gas burner to a
propane burner, and I've been told that's not a problem, although not
cheap -- ~$100.  What I'd like to know is how well does a gas fridge
work?  I've been told that the burner requires no flue: it just vents
right into the room.  Is that ok?

Also, I'll have to add some gas line from where the stove is to where the
fridge will be.  Is that a do-it-yourself kind of task?

Thanks,
--steve                                          steve@presto.ig.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com (patterson,george r)
Subject: Re: Fireplace Cracks
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 92 18:02:45 GMT

In article <1992Nov20.211413.685@linus.mitre.org> mwc@bistromath.mitre.org (Mike C. Conant) writes:
>The front face of my 6 month old fireplace cracked 
>right up the middle. Has anyone seen this happen??
>The fireplace is built out of brick.

I've seen this usually in old units, and it's caused by settling. You
say yours is built of brick. If that means it's the conventional design,
the entire unit weighs several tons and requires skilled foundation
work to prevent settling. It sounds like either your contractor wasn't
very skilled, or there's some poorly packed underground fill he didn't
know about. If it's a conventional design, it will almost certainly have
to be demolished and replaced after the foundation is redone properly.

If it's a more modern design, the brickwork is merely a shell around
the insert (which is the real fireplace). In this case, it may be
possible for a skilled mason to shore it up underneath and replace
the mortar around the crack.

It goes without saying that you shouldn't be using it (but I'll say it
anyway).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    | The reason that cliches become cliches is that
George Patterson -  | they are the hammers and screwdrivers in the
                    | toolbox of communication.
                    |                        Terry Pratchett
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: perley@trub.crd.ge.com (Donald P Perley)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: chipper-shredder
Date: 19 Nov 92 18:03:58 GMT
	<H1PguB2w161w@cdthq.UUCP>
Organization: GE Corp. R & D, Schenectady, NY 12345

In article <H1PguB2w161w@cdthq.UUCP> gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston) writes:


   I have used a Troy-Bilt Tomahawk Jr., also 5HP. It works as well
   or slightly better than the MTD at chipping, and is somewhat better
   at shredding small branches. It'll have the same difficulties 
   handling 2" wood as the MTD. For leaves, the Jr. is miserable.
   Aside from having to pick up the leaves to get them in the hopper,
   they don't feed down the narrow neck by themselves--I spent most
   of my time using a branch or stick as a plunger. It belongs to 

If you are looking to get your sister a present, Troybilt now
makes a plastic plunger that does a good job of pushing
leaves and grass down the chute.  YOu can shove with abandon
because it's shape prevents it from going in far enough to 
shred itself.

I got mine at the troybilt store, but sears may also carry it.
Be aware that they make different pushers for different model
shredders, so get the right one!

-don perley
--
perley@trub.crd.ge.com
From: mlw@cisco.com (Monica Waldman)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: How to tell a REAL buyer's agent
Date: 23 Nov 1992 17:33:21 GMT
Organization: cisco Systems, Menlo Park, California, USA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: lager.cisco.com

In article <1eqpbrINN68@sixgun.East.Sun.COM> egreen@east.sun.com writes:
>News Flash, Monica:  This person is *not* working for you, and will
>*not* represent your interests in any negotiation. 

I know that.  My realtor knows we know that.  She knows that she's a shuttlebus
service for the properties just on the market, writer of contracts and 
person who gets to co-ordinate inspections and financing.  I also know that 
realtors often get kick-backs from the inspectors and financiers.

>violation of her moral, ethical, and legal obligations.  Any info she
>gives you on how low a price the seller will accept is less than
>useless, if she tells you *anything* useful, the seller can and will
>sue her butt off.

True.  We've been looking long enough that, in the cities we've looked in, I 
can tell what the asking price on a house and what it will eventually go for 
within $5k.  So my realtor knows that we've got a clue as to the prices on
the houses.

>"Song and dance" is *exactly* what she will do for
>you when presenting your offer, she will *not* negotiate in earnest on
>your behalf.

She knows that we are one offer types, we'll make an offer close to what the
house should go for (minus most of the emotional, squishy feely reasons the
price should be higher) and if they start to quibble on the counter, we walk 
away.  So, if she doesn't do a song and dance, she doesn't get a sale.

-- 
standard disclaimer, etc. ad nauseum

"If your opponent picks up a hammer, you need to pick up a meat-ax and
cut off his arm"  -- Bill Clinton, 1981
From: mikey@uumike.UUCP (Mike Couture)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Home Automation
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 92 01:42:22 GMT
Reply-To: mikey@nlbbs.uucp
Distribution: world
Organization: The Northern Lights BBS * Portland, Maine * 207-762-2756 (v.32bis)

I'd like to know if there are any cateloges out there for home
automation especially how to attach a PC to control this stuff....

Mike Couture
mikey@nlbbs.uucp
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: pjh@mccc.edu (Pete Holsberg)
Subject: Re: How to tell a REAL buyer's agent
Organization: The College On The Other Side Of Route One
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 01:36:54 GMT

In article <1992Nov18.200317.7781@tessi.com> allen@tessi.com (Allen Warren) writes:
=Geez, must have left my latest and greatest acronym dictionary at home
=again.  =)  What does FSBO mean?

For Sale By Owner:a scheme in which a homeowner decides to save the 6%
that would have been paid to brokers. You'll note that in the case of
our other correspondent, it didn't work!

=I used to date a realtor, and for the amount of work she did, working
=from sunrise to 9:00 or 10:00 or late at night, no weekends off, showing
=houses at a moments notice, showing houses to potential buyers for
=weeks or months and then they decide maybe they're not ready to buy,
=etc., etc.,

Amen.

=I would have to say that the realtors who really care
=(I'd say about half) work very hard for their money.  I know that I
=personally wouldn't work in the business since the hours are just too
=crazy and long.  I think that the ones who are grossly overpaid are the
=realtors who open their own agency.  They treat the salespeople working
=for them like dirt, make the salespeople pay for office space, business
=cards, etc. and the agency owners just sit back and rake in the dough.

Do you have a sample of more than one to draw this conclusion from?
Realtors are not employees of agencies; they are independent
contractors. That is, they are free to move their business to any other
agency. Some agencies do not provide any services for their realtors,
but they pay a significantly higher commission.

=I guess that I'm agreeing with you in that real estate is fundamentally
=a dishonest business in some respects, but then, I think plumbers and
=electricians, etc. are grossly overpaid as well.  Considering what software
=I write, what it does, the fact that I sweated out over 4 years of college,
=etc. and then compare all this to being a plumber and I think there's a
=GROSS inequity factor here.

That's life. There's no such thing as "fair". Do you see anything
unequal in paying a pro athlete $8 zillion per year? After all, while he
went to college, he probably majored in coaching and produces no software
at all. Or take Michael Jackson or Madonna! :-)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: pjh@mccc.edu (Pete Holsberg)
Subject: Re: Re: How to tell a REAL buyer's agent
Organization: The College On The Other Side Of Route One
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 01:24:11 GMT

In article <1edo6tINN8l1@sixgun.East.Sun.COM> egreen@east.sun.com writes:
=You could, you would be stretching it.  In 10 out of 10 cases, the
=seller's "real" price is inflated to cover the agents' fees.

Interesting way to look at it. The offering price of a house for sale is
somewhat related to an informal appraisal -- called an MVA (market value
analysis) -- done by the listing agent. It's based on what comparable
houses have sold for.

=>A "buyers" agent is paid by the buyer, and is legally obligated to the buyer,
=>NOT THE SELLER.  If an agent is legally obligated to the seller, then they're
=>not a "buyers" agent, they're a "selling" or "listing" agent.

There appears to be NO requirement that the buyer pay the buyers' agent. 

=Actually, that is the main impetus behind the buyer's agent movement.
=Buyers are only beginning to realize that the agent driving them around
=every weekend and being oh so helpful in finding that perfect home is
=legally obligated to fleece them.

Au contraire, sir!! Legally, an agent must treat all clients and
customers fairly and aboveboard. However, the listing agent and selling
agent are prohibited from telling the buyer financial things that the
seller told them. They are both required to help the buyer get the
highest selling price, to be sure, but that doesn't necessarily mean
fleecing the buyer. What all agents are interested in are (1) this deal
being consumated and (2) referral business from a *happy* client or
customer.
From: kim@castle.wpd.sgi.com (Kim Rachmeler)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Need info: HOUSE FOR SALE BY OWNER
Keywords: help
Date: 18 Nov 92 20:26:52 GMT
Reply-To: kim@wpd.sgi.com
Organization: SGI CASE Products Group

In article <1992Nov17.110502@orion.IntelliCorp.COM>, philo@orion.IntelliCorp.COM (Philip R. Obermarck) writes:
|> My wife and I are trying to sell our house, and have been very 
|> dis-satisfied with the results our realtor has produced (none).
|> 
|> I would like to find out how easy/difficult it is to sell "by owner".
|> Can we get into the multiple listings?  Are there other places to advertise?
|> How do we handle the legal stuff?  What are the ins and outs of owner-
|> financing?  And what would it all cost?

	There is an excellent book put out by the Nolo Press
  called "For Sale By Owner" that will give you most of the
  information you need. Since you're in the Bay Area, you should
  be able to find the book in Tower Books and Printer's Ink.

	Kim Rachmeler
	kim@wpd.sgi.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: sturges@master.lds-az.loral.com (Jim Sturges)
Subject: Re: Getting rid of radio on my phone lines?
Followup-To: misc.consumers.house
Organization: Loral Defense Systems - Arizona
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 21:19:29 GMT

In article <1992Nov23.150227.14070@miki.pictel.com>, dustin@miki.pictel.com
(Dustin Clampitt) wrote:
> 
> 
> I get clear and distinct reception of some local radio
> station on my phone lines.  I've disconnected all internal
> phone wiring and tested at the junction box, and it's still
> there.  The phone company said, "find somebody who sells
> phone stuff and ask for a supressor."  The phone company
> says it's not their problem.  How supportive.

 If you know a radio amateur, get her/him to help you. This class of
problems is really germane for amateur radio. He or she can tell you
whether or not you need to go back to the phone company with fire in your
eyes.

Otherwise....

Get an assortment of capacitors from 15 pf down to about .01 mf, in pairs.
Start with the smallest (15 pf) and take *both* sides of the phone line to
ground; if you get some improvement, keepo going until you have reached the
size that satisfies you but still lets the phone work.

 If the problem really is at your end, that will cure your "antenna". My
suspect is that there is something happening in their equipment which is
both receiving and detecting the signal, in which case it's *their*
problem. But not until you've proven that a hefty .01 mfd cap won't kill
the rf. Caution: if someone dials you
up while you're touching both of their wires, you will get "rung";
not fatal, but not pleasant. Work on one wire at a time to minimize
but probly not preclude this...
 ************************************************************************

Jim Sturges                                       MS 8612
602 925-7204                                Loral Defense Systems --
Arizona
602 925-6988 Fax                         P.O. Box 85
sturges@master.lds-az.loral.com    1300 S. Litchfield Rd.
CIS: 72470,3117                             Goodyear-Avondale, AZ  85338
From: hullp@cogsci.Berkeley.EDU ()
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Security system info wanted
Date: 15 Nov 1992 21:11:39 GMT
Organization: Institute of Cognitive Studies, U.C. Berkeley
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: cogsci.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Nov15.173735.8950@midway.uchicago.edu> gse@gsbux1 (George Easton ) writes:
>
>I recently purchased a house with a security system monitored by
>Security Link. We had two additional motion detectors installed. The
>price Security Link charged for installing these devices was
>outrageous.  I was wondering if it is possible to purchase motion
>detectors and other upgrades to the system and install them yourself.
>have looked in the local yellow pages for stores that sell security

I need to install a complete system.  I would ideally like to do
all the installation myself but I want a system that is "monitored"
(ie. calls the police dept when it's alerted).  Are there any
manufacturers that sell such systems that don't require paying
outrageous installation fees but that also are "monitored"?

Many thanks for any leads,

Philip V. Hull.


-- 
INTERNET: hullp@cogsci.berkeley.edu
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UUCP: ucbvax!cogsci!hullp  OR: ucbvax!cogsci.berkeley.edu!hullp
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:19223 alt.folklore.science:4045