HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: tmkk@uiuc.edu (Khan)
Subject: Re: buy a model home?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 17:33:05 GMT


In article <1992Oct7.165951.1742@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu> jis@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu writes:
>
>Is a "MODEL" home usually sold with furnitures or not? 
>
>I am interested in a model home, but I am told that because it is 
>PROFESSIONAL decorated (living, family, dinning and master bedroom), 
>it costs $10,000 more in addition to the house price. It is a 4 bedroom
>house. Three other bedrooms are not decorated.

Tell them that the wear and tear on the model house lowers its value by at
least $15,000 over what it would be worth *new*. Perhaps that will shut
them up.

Tell them their decorator has lousy taste, and in your opinion the
decorating is hideous. Thus, it makes the house worth LESS to you
because it's so much less attractive visually. Knock at least $10,000
off the asking price (before "decorating") since you'll have to bring in
your own decorator to get the job done right.

Whatever you do, don't pay MORE for this model house than you would have
for one of the other comparabble houses in the development.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: nbull@access.digex.com (Nicholas Bull)
Subject: seller financing: +/- ?
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 01:34:49 GMT

Dear all,

I have a question about seller financing.  The seller wants to
provide financing so that he can count it as an installment sale and
pay capital gains taxes in smaller chunks.  He wants to do 10-15
years with a balloon payment at the end.  My primary concern is with
the balloon payment.  A main part of the motivation for buying a
house now is that interest rates are low; when the balloon is
refinanced who knows what the interest rate will be. Is there a way to
structure the loan so that it is still an installment sale over 10-15
years but so that the seller provide financing over a standard 30
year period?  How much should it be "worth" to the owner being able
to loan for only 15 years instead of 30?  How much should it be
"worth" to me to know I have the balloon in 15 years vs. being able
to just go to the bank and take out the 30 year loan?

A secondary question has to do with the legal aspects--am I at more
risk as the buyer making payments to an individual than to a standard
mortgage holder?

What are your thoughts on seller financing vs. standard mortgage?

Thanks,

Nick
From: egreen@east.sun.com (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re:    FREE REFINANCING
Date: 8 Oct 1992 14:13:21 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, RTP, NC
Distribution: world
Reply-To: egreen@east.sun.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: laser.east.sun.com

In article 1095@oakhill.sps.mot.com, theof@oakhill.sps.mot.com (Theo Freund) writes:
>-- 
>Note that any responses MUST be to the address below, not the From: address.
>(Engineering Rotation Program)  # 3:	| Long term through Feb. '93:
>Motorola, Inc.  			| Motorola, Inc.   (Personnel offices)
>6501 William Cannon Dr. West		| 505 Barton Springs Rd.

Theo's right, mail to his From: address bounces, but, um, this isn't
really much help!

:^)


---
Ed Green, former Ninjaite |I was drinking last night with a biker,
  Ed.Green@East.Sun.COM   |and I showed him a picture of you.  I said,
DoD #0111  (919)460-8302  |"Go on, get to know her, you'll like her!"
 (The Grateful Dead) -->  |It seemed like the least I could do...

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: drand@spinner.osf.org (Douglas S. Rand)
Subject: Re: Dealing with ungrounded outlets
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: 12 Oct 92 11:10:42

In article <1992Oct10.052737.14902@Synopsys.Com> arnold@synopsys.com (Arnold de Leon) writes:

   We just moved into a 39 year old house which has
   2 prong outlets and some 3 prong outlets with
   the ground unconnected.  We are in the process
   of trying to prioritize what of many things to
   fix.  We have questions on our options.

Bad.  Very bad.

   We've read FAQ on wiring.

Good.

   One of the ungrounded 3 prong outlets is for the
   refrigerator.  Should we have this "fixed"
   ASAP?  I believe the circuit is shared with
   another which is where we want to plug our
   microwave.  Options that I can think of:

	   o do nothing
	   o ground the outlet by running a wire to
	     cold water pipe.
	   o ground the outlet by running a wire to
	     the service box.
	   o have a new circuit pulled in.

I'd do either 2 or 3 depending on how close the cold water pipe is.
You need a cold water pipe that is continuous back to the water
main.  If there are any unions in the pipe,  they must be jumpered.

   The other area of concern is bedroom where we
   want to put a computer.  It has 2 prong
   outlets.  Will replacing these with GFIs be
   sufficient?

Yes.  Find the first outlet on the branch (usually tracing the wiring 
in the basement is easiest) and replace it with the GFCI outlet.

   Should we consider having all the ungrounded
   outlets upgraded at the same time?

You might have to.  Grandfathering should cover it though.

   We haven't talked to an electrician yet.
   What kind of prices should we expect
   (we live in Sunnyvale, CA)?  How do we
   find a good one?

Electricians get around $40/hr in the Boston area.  I'd ask your
new neighbors for recommendations first as this is IMO the best
way to find a reliable contractor.  But you job is pretty small
so you might just get two or three bids and pick the one you
like best.  Also check the local BBB to see if the one you want
to choose has many complaints.


--

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Douglas S. Rand <drand@osf.org>		OSF/Motif Dev.
Snail:         11 Cambridge Center,  Cambridge,  MA  02142
Disclaimer:    I don't know if OSF agrees with me... let's vote on it.
Amateur Radio: KC1KJ
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: tseng@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Carol Tseng)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Pilot-less gas cooktop
Date: 8 Oct 92 11:18:41 GMT
Reply-To: tseng@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Carol Tseng)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

I recently got a new KitchenAid gas cooktop with an
electronic lighting system (no pilot light.)  It
worked great at first but now( three months later) it
doesn't light as quickly as in the beginning and
sometimes the burners won't light at all.  I try
keeping the burners as clean as possible but I still
have problems with it.  Is this a defective cooktop
or am I just not cleaning it properly?  Its driving me'
crazy.  Please e-mail responses to me.

Thanks,
Carol
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jeff@tct.com (Jeff Witzer)
Subject: Help for a 1st-timer?...
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 19:43:40 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: TC Telemanagement, Clearwater, FL

I realize (and hope) that this post will open the floodgates...

Does anyone out there have any advice for a first-time home buyer? 

Actually, I'm going to be building a house through a developer (as is
the norm in this part of the country).  If you're not familiar with 
this M.O., the standard tack (as I understand it) it to spend a while
visiting model centers of various builders in the area, find a builder
you trust who builds a floorplan you like in a convenient area.  Choose
a lot in that development, choose some options, sign a lot of papers, 
get a mortgage, watch the house get built, close, and move in.
      
First, some information:
    - I live and work in Clearwater, Pinnelas County, FL (between Tampa 
      & St. Pete)
    - after several weeks of looking, I have found a situation I like:
        - builder:  Marc Rutenerg (one of the 4 Rutenbergs, Arthur 
                    being the best-known)
        - area:     New Port Richie, Pasco County, FL
	- model:    The American Adventure II (Yeah, I hate the name, too)
	- dimentions:  3 bed/2 bath w/1,813 sq ft of living space
        - construction:  steel-reinforced concrete floors and foundations
	            w/5 year limited subterranean soil treatment protection
		    guarantee (?), hurricane-strapped roof trusses, R-22
		    ceiling insulation throughout (R-11 in exterior walls),
		    expanded foam seals around windows, doors, locks, and
		    electrical outlets, passive attic ventilation system,
		    high-efficency reverse cycle heat pump, primed/enamel
		    painted interior woodwork, Sherwin Williams painted
                    interior walls, 100% nylon Philadelphia carpet, copper 
                    wiring throughout, PVC plumbing (assumed), and fire stop 
		    interior wall partitioning
	- financing:  Marc Rutenberg's preferred method is through Barnett
	            Bank... he's/they're offering the following financing:
             - 5% the first year
	     - 6% the second year
	     - 7% the third year
	     - the fourth through 30th year "ARM (7.65% APR)" ...caps 
               unknown
		    
    
I am hoping for advice in the following areas:
		
    - any information on Marc Rutenberg
    - concrete block vs. wood frame
    - insulation
    - financing (esp. how can he quote a 7.65% APR on an ARM four years
      ahead?)
    - electrical/plumbing
    - construction techniques
    - negotiating strategies
    - is this the right time to buy (interest rates/political climate...)    
    
Any and all help would be appreciated...

jeff@tct.com
From: neilw@informix.com (Neil Williams)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Financing/calculating interest
Date: 15 Oct 92 21:22:56 GMT
Distribution: us
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.


My wife and are looking to buy our first home in next 6 months
or so.

We've figured out how much we can afford to pay monthly, but I
need a formula for calculating how much interest I will pay over
the course of a year - and hence how much of a deduction I will
have for tax purposes.

If you have a formula or spreadsheet, I'd love to see it.  Basically
something that take an interest rate, the beginning balance, and
spit out the monthly payments and also total accrued interest for
any given number of months.

And while I'm at it - does anyone think real estate in Silicon
Valley (mid-peninsula) has bottomed out???  I have a nagging
feeling I'll buy a 300k house and be left holding the bag in
5 years when the house is worth 200k and I'm ready to move.

Thanks,

--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: jeq@i88.isc.com (Jonathan E. Quist)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Our house has a polterpuddle
Date: 13 Oct 92 14:55:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: i88.1992Oct13.145557.18173
Organization: INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation, Naperville, IL

In article <1992Oct12.213919.846465@locus.com> aardvark@locus.com (Warren Usui) writes:
>One bathroom in our recently purchased house (40 years old) has an
>interesting phenomenon.  Every so often, a puddle mysteriously appears
>in the middle of the floor.  There are no signs of leaking plumbing, no
>signs of seepage, and no signs of water condensing off of anything.  We
>would clean up the puddle and the floor will remain bone dry until the
>puddle mysteriously appears days later.  Sometimes the puddle will happen
>one hour after we last checked and found the spot to be dry.

Is it under an exhaust fan vent?  If so, does it happen mainly in cool
weather, or year round?  (My parents have a serious condensation problem
in their bathroom vent during cold weather, which is why I ask...)

Oh, do you have any pets or small children? :')
-- 
Jonathan E. Quist                              INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation
jeq@i88.isc.com  '71 CL450-K4 "Gleep", DoD #094        Naperville, IL
        There are many things a person should experience in a lifetime.
       Among them are an infant's first cry, and an infant's first laugh.
From: jcoates@ncrsmg.DaytonOH.NCR.COM (Jim D Coates)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Removing Old Caulk
Date: 8 Oct 92 14:45:28 GMT
Reply-To: jcoates@ncrsmg.DaytonOH.NCR.COM (Jim D Coates)
Distribution: usa
Organization: NCR Systemedia Group Headquarters, Dayton (Miamisburg), Ohio

Hello out there - I need your help.

I'm getting ready to recaulk my windows. In all of the instructions for
preparing the windows, it says "remove the old caulk". That's it - it
doesn't tell you how.

I got out there one day with an old screwdriver and in an hour I had chipped
away about two linear feet of the old caulk. At this rate, I should finish
next spring :-)

My question is: is there a better way to do this? Is there something I can
do to soften up the old caulk before removing it? Alternatively, do I have
to remove the old? Can I just put a wide enough bead of new caulk over it
to cover it completely?

Any help/comments would be greatly appreciated.

-Jim

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,tx.general
From: ponder@oakhill.sps.mot.com (Carl Ponder)
Subject: Book on Texas lawns?
Organization: Motorola Inc.  Austin, Tx.
Distribution: tx
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 02:35:57 GMT

I moved into a house last February, and am gradually learning some of
the in's and out's of lawn care. Can anyone recommend a book on lawn
care, specific to Texas? Here's some things I would like to know
about:

	1] What can grow in this soil, and what kind of care it takes.

	2] Xeriscaping.

	3] What the annual "maintenence schedule" would look like:
	    a) frequency of watering and mowing at different times of year.
	    b) when to seed the grass, fertilize, and apply pesticides/
		fungicides.

This stuff is all new to me; I can't pay someone to do it, but figure I
ought to be able to work out some sort of "low-maintenence" plan, so long
as I do the right thing at the right time.

Thanks,

	  Carl Ponder
	  oakhill!ponder@cs.utexas.edu

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: rudoff@mdd.comm.mot.com (Doug Rudoff)
Subject: Timed Thermostat for Electric Baseboard
Organization: Motorola, Mobile Data Division - Seattle, WA
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 22:23:33 GMT


Does anyone make a timed thermostat for electric baseboards? Electric
baseboard thermostats have the full 240v AC going through as opposed
to the low DC voltage used for most furnaces.
-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Doug Rudoff          Motorola, Seattle    INTERNET:rudoff@mdd.comm.mot.com
                                            USENET:uunet!mdisea!rudoff   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
From: friddo@maya.sybase.com (Mike Gionfriddo)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: For Sale: Land Near Colorado Springs
Date: 14 Oct 92 20:31:05 GMT


                               Land for Sale
                               =============

        - 5+ Acres.  Excellent lot for a country home and horses.

        - Located 20 minutes North of Colorado Springs in the
          Wildwood Village development (Black Forest).  Easy commute to
          MCI, Digital, or downtown.

        - Outstanding views of Pikes Peak and Front Range.

        - Back of lot borders a large ranch, so you will never have
          any houses behind you.  It's like getting an additional 1000
          acres of privacy.

        - Located on quiet road with little traffic.

        - District 38 Schools.

        - The street address is 7345 Wilderness Drive.

        - Priced to sell at $25,000.

    We are moving and would like to sell this lot as soon as we can.
    For more information call Mike or Diane Gionfriddo at 719-495-0530.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: gt@fc.sde.hp.com (George Tatge)
Subject: Re: High Efficient Furnace Question
Organization: HP SESD, Fort Collins, CO
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.4 PL6]
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 19:54:10 GMT

Dominic Nguyen 4-6604 MRCE (nguyen@mr.med.ge.com) wrote:
: Could some one give me some comments on these high efficient furnaces:
: 	1. Bryant
: 	2. Carrier
: 	3. Lennox
: I need one that is about 92% efficiency and at about 100,000 Btu.
: Thanks!
: Dominic

I have a new Lennnox Pulse (93%).  It's great except for two things:

1. Noise- the exhaust is LOUD- I've ordered an in-line muffler.
2. Condensation- You need a way to get rid of the condensation from
the combusion chamber.

gt

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: sturges@master.lds-az.loral.com (Jim Sturges)
Subject: Re: Electricity Time of Use Meters
Followup-To: misc.consumers.house
Organization: Loral Defense Systems - Arizona
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 16:02:44 GMT

In article <22855@galaxy.ucr.edu>, judson@watnxt2.ucr.edu (Michael Judson)
wrote:
> 
> In article <sturges-091092102539@158.185.20.246>  
> sturges@master.lds-az.loral.com (Jim Sturges) writes:
> 
> > and significantly less on either time-scale. I pay .055/KwH on peak and .03
> > off peak. Kinda like free electricity at night. With a 3155 sqft house, I
> > have set peak on-peak at 5.0Kw and peak off-peak at 10.0Kw.
> 
> > If you get just the TOU, you can save some money, especially if you're not
> > home during the day. If one of you is home during the day, I recommend
> > getting the load controller in addition.
> 
> First of all, where can you get a load controller?

Load controllers sense total incoming current via current transformers 
which must be put around your incoming wires from the street/pole.
Although it's not a significantly intellectual task, the chance of being
bopped by all that electricity probably makes it worthwhile having an
electrician do it? I haven't found a consumer-available source for them.
Mine is a Dencor -- has worked well. Dencor is available at
800 392-2690. Ask for Mike Moe.


> My original question was how much of a savings have others received.

I called the local utility and asked what my charges would have been for
the last two months. Remember, this is Phoenix, AZ. Our last 100 degree
day was last week!

Month   Straight   TOU        TOU/Demand
Aug.     $231      $182       $156
Sep.     $332      $256       $207    [New pool ran 24 hr x 8 days! ouch!]



 ************************************************************************

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
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: wlg0988@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Wanbing Li)
Subject: Termites near house
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 21:25:07 GMT

posting this for my friend.  Please reply to the newsgroup.
   I bought a house and is ready to close on 15th of OCT.  but... Last friday
it was checked out it had termites, not in the house, but right in the firewood
near the siding.  The inspector says there might be some even inside, but only
he could not see any. (since it takes a while for the king and queen to start
their colony).  according to the contract, the seller has to treat any active 
infestation or repair any structural damage.  but the infestation is not in the
house.  I am hope either he treats the house and the wood, or let me out of the 
contract if he refuses to fix it.
Do I have a chance ?
From: rrw@elden (Robert Wier)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: programmable thermostats
Date: 8 Oct 92 23:19:12 GMT
Distribution: na
Originator: rrw@elden.cse.nau.edu

From article <1992Oct8.202842.16498@cbnewsd.cb.att.com>, by kendell@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (daniel.w.kendell):
> 
> I have the same problem with "set-the-temprature-once-let-the-
> heating-and-AC-take-over" cars, don't people ever want to feel 
> the wind in thier hair anymore?  You also can't get fresh air
> unles you have the fan running - sorry wrong news group.

  This got me to thinking (although this will sound unbelievably 
  couch - potato - ish) - do any of these units have some kind of
  temperature up/down remote control (similar to a tv remote?).

  The reason I ask is that I like to "sleep cold".  And since I live
  at high altitude (Flagstaff is at 7,000' elevation for those who've
  not been to the Grand Canyon) it does get chilly at night (hard
  freezes the last two nights in early October).  What I *DONT* like
  is to have to get out of bed to turn the furnace on (or at least up)
  in the morning when the bedroom is running 50 degrees or so.  I sure
  would like to be able to grab the remote from the bedside stand
  and set, say, 72 degrees and then go back to sleep for a half hour
  while the house warms up.  You could do this with a programmable,
  thermostat, but especially on weekends my time to arise varies around
  quite a bit (depending on how late I'm up the night before at the
  keyboard), so some sort of remote manual control would be nice also.

  THANKS!

 - Bob Wier

  ---------- insert favorite standard disclaimers here ----------
                   College of Engineering
      Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff Arizona
  Internet: rrw@naucse.cse.nau.edu | BITNET: WIER@NAUVAX | WB5KXH
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: macrakis@osf.org (Stavros Macrakis)
Subject: Re: Building near property line
Organization: OSF Research Institute
Date: 12 Oct 92 14:43:31

In article <2090018@hpkslx.mayfield.HP.COM> lou@hpkslx.mayfield.HP.COM (Lou Kvitek) writes:

   Your neighbor can still build and apply for something called a "variance".

Here (Cambridge, Mass.), a variance must be approved by a public
hearing of a city Board.  Public notice of the hearing is given in the
newspaper, and abutters (and abutters of abutters) are sent individual
notices.  They almost NEVER grant variances if an abutter objects.

But watch out.  These things can get nasty.  I've been at such
hearings, where neighbors of 20 years had forbidden their children to
talk to one another etc.

	-s
From: perley@trub.crd.ge.com (Donald P Perley)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Propane regulator failure?
Date: 9 Oct 92 03:35:48 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: GE Corp. R & D, Schenectady, NY 12345

In article <bill.718390194@chaos.cs.umn.edu> bill@chaos.cs.umn.edu ( Hari Seldon     psychohistorian ) writes:

+   In <5627@naucse.cse.nau.edu> rrw@elden.cse.nau.edu (Bob Wier) writes:
+
+   >Having never experience something like this before, can anyone say
+   >how rare it might be?  We talked with several people and most felt it
+   >was either a regulator failure in the diaphram or something blocked

I don't know how rare, but I have had one freeze up.


+   >Second incidentally, I've run across a specification for an appliance burner
+   >which says the pressure should be 11" W.G.  I'm thinking that this is 
+
+   Water Guage
+
+   >stated in terms of "inches of water" (I've seen it elsewhere).  I'm not
+   >familiar with this type of unit - does it imply since 14 psi (std atmos
+   >pressure) will support a water column of about 30', is a 12" W.G. equivalent
+						     ^
+   inches not feet (") as in barometric pressure ya know.

Feet was right. 30 feet WG *is* about right for atmospheric pressure.
Barometric pressure is usually measured as mercury, which would be
about 30 inches.

+
+   >to 1/30*14? That seems like an awfully small pressure to get gas thru a
+   >pipe to an appliance burner (?).  

You figured it about right. about 1/2 psi. If you think that's too low to push
the gas through the pipe, think about the orifice size.  The "simmer" orifices
on my range I drilled with a #80 bit, which is almost like a hair.

-don perley
--
perley@trub.crd.ge.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house