HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: bills@sequent.com (Bill Sears)
Subject: Re: What is tax-deductible in closing cost.
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 20:22:52 GMT

In article <6841@bigbird.hri.com.hri.com> rudolph@sparc20.hri.com (David Rudolph) writes:
>In article <1992Jul30.164407.18139@sequent.com>, bills@sequent.com (Bill
>Sears) writes:
>> 
>> There is so much misinformation flying around about discount points and
>> refinances.  If you pay the discount points at closing, then you can
>> deduct the entire amount on your current years taxes, whether the loan
>> is an original mortgage, a refinance, home equity, or whatever.  Simply
>> remember that the discount points are "deductible in the year they are
>> paid."  So, if you pay them they are deductible, if you add them to the
>> loan, then they are deductible through the term of the loan (amortized).
>
>This part is not true. Quoting from the same source (pub 17), page 133:
>
>"Points you pay to refinance a mortgage are not deductible in full in
>the year you pay them unless they are paid in connection with the
>improvement of a home. This is true even if the new mortgage is
>secured by you main home."

Has this changed recently?  I could swear that I read in one of the IRS
publications (not pub 17, but the one that deals specifically with home
mortgage interest) that as long as the mortgage was secured by the home,
and you paid the points at closing, that they were deductible in the year
that they were paid no matter what type of financing it was.  An associate
of mine recalls reading the same thing.  He bought his residence in 1990,
I bought mine in 1991.

In any event, if the above information comes from the most recent publication
17, I will yield to its content.  Sorry for any confusion.

  bills
--------
Bill Sears            Sequent Computer Systems            bills@sequent.com

While a transcendant vocabulary is laudable, one must be eternally careful
to ensure that the calculated objective of the communication does not become
ensconsed in obscurity.  Stated simply, it is invariably preferable to 
eschew obfuscation.                                           - Unknown

Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate, ... things.         - VP Dan Quayle

If God had meant for us to vote, He would have given us candidates.  - Anon
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie)
Subject: Re: Can you get alarm system notices without the system?
Reply-To: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Distribution: misc.consumers.house
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 92 15:30:04 GMT

In article <TIMD.92Jul30154652@marcellus.juliet.ll.mit.edu> timd@juliet.ll.mit.edu ( Tim Dasey ) writes:
>This may be a dumb question, since I expect that the answer is no.

Most locksmiths in Atlanta, Ga sold them when I was down there. You
could also buy imitations of pieces of the systems (like the shut-off
box beside the door).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    |
George Patterson -  | If train stations are where trains stop, 
                    | what are work stations?
                    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Organization: Arizona State University
Date: Tuesday, 21 Jul 1992 07:05:30 MST
From: Bob Kaneshige <KHAAV@ASUACAD.BITNET>
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Reseeding vs. resodding
 <1992Jul17.235400.23562@csi.jpl.nasa.gov>

Theres also another alternative; stolens.  It cost me $28 to cover 800 sq'
and it doesn't become bird food like seeds do  :-).

  Bob
From: jas@ISI.EDU (Jeff Sullivan)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Advice on Fixing Creaking Floor
Date: 24 Jul 92 21:32:09 GMT
Distribution: misc
Organization: USC-ISI


I need some advice on fixing the floor of my condo.

I live on the top floor of a two-story condo.  Within that past year
(I bought 2 1/2 years ago), I have noticed a gradual increase in
creaking of the floor, to the point now where it creaks almost
everywhere.

I pulled up a liitle carpet, and it seems that my flooring is narrow
strips of hardwood planking, which I've heard is pure hell to fix
squeaking in.

To make matters worse, as far as I know, there is no way to get "in
between" the floors crawlspace-wise.  the space between my floor and
the downstairs woman's ceiling must be very thin indeed, as she
complains constantly of my "tromping" around.

Now, I'm less concerned about her complains (we do not walk heavily or
anything, and SOME sound transfer is inevitable -- plus, she has a
bunch of crystal chamdeliers and lamps that are pure motion
detectors!).  However, I've become increasingly a) concerned about the
structural strength of the floor and b) annoyed with the constant
creaking.

What I'm wondering is what is would cost to either repair the floor so
that the creaking doesn't come back, or replace it with somehting that
won't creak (or is easier repaired when it does).

How much are we talking to rip up a floor and replace it with a new
one?  It seems kinda major.  Can it be done one room at a time, or
must I move all of my belongings out?

What about just repairing the creaking?  Is it reparable?  Is is very
expensive?

Is there any weakening likely to correspond to the creaking, or is it
purely cosmetic?

Thanks,

jas
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey A. Sullivan		| Research Scientist at small
jas@venera.isi.edu		| Information Sciences Institute
jas@isi.edu                    	| University of Southern California
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: edwards@world.std.com (Jonathan Edwards)
Subject: Vapor retarder in walls?
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 13:02:21 GMT

I am concerned with indoor air quality in my new house, and wanted to install
a heat-recovery ventilator to ensure this. But the builder's HVAC guy is
unfamiliar with them, and wants to charge a fortune to run completely separate
ductwork for it. He suggests instead that I just not bother with the poly vapor
retarder I am specifying for the walls and ceilings. Claims that most builders
(here in New England) don't use them. By not sealing the house in plastic, the
need for mechanical ventilation would be reduced.
Any comments are appreciated - Jonathan
From: brooksp@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Peter Brooks)
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 18:27:49 GMT
Subject: Re: fixer-upper advice
Organization: the HP Corporate notes server
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house

/ hpcc01:misc.consumers.house / doshay@ursa.arc.nasa.gov (David Doshay) /  5:52 pm  Jul 20, 1992 /
>You will find almost no reasonable source of funds except your 
>normal income and credit cards. Banks will not lend to you to
True.  I financed my last remodel via Mastercard and spare cash, except for
one car that I sold to finish the job.
>
>less. We are in the middle and are determined not to quit, but we
>have been cured of any thoughts that it is fun. 
It gets old rather fast.  My job took 6 years (one year I took off
to recuperate and spend my time and money on another, less frustrating
project.)
>
>Restoring old houses may be an interesting hobby, but much like
>classic english sports cars, it is fun ONLY if you have another for
>daily use.
Amen!

The exception (and hiatus) was in restoring a 1960 TR3A with an 
advanced case of Murphy's disease.  :-)   When I was in the finishing
stages of the house, I sold the Triumph to provide the remaining
cash to finish.

Working with fixxer-upers ( both houses and cars) is a job for the
extremely patient, and it helps to have a huge sense of humor.  Note
that I was not married while doing this project; I doubt I would have
remained so.

Finally, a comment from an ex-boss (was boss at the time, *and* had
done the same type of project): "You can put your career on hold for
the duration of the project."  Whatever phase you are in will dominate
your life.

Other than that, it's a lot of fun.

Pete (waiting to do my roof as soon as the cash is available...) Brooks
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie)
Subject: Re: Lead Based Paints
Reply-To: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 22:54:51 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.175840.446@cs.ucla.edu> waldorf@lanai.cs.ucla.edu (Jerry Waldorf) writes:
>How does one tell if the paint on the house is lead based?  At what
>time was lead removed from paints used on houses?

By 1966, enamel paints were still mostly lead based, but latexes were
not. If the walls are an enamel paint, it's probably lead based because
it probably pre-dates latex paint. Latex took hold rapidly for interior
walls once it was introduced.

By 1974, only marine enamels were still lead based, and not many of them.
I built a boat in '74 and had a rough time finding a lead based paint.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    |
George Patterson -  | If you maintain your motorcycle yourself,
                    | eventually you will have two of them.
                    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: palat@rtsg.mot.com (Mohan Palat, Motorola Inc.)
Subject: Help - rotting wood on house exterior
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 21:25:39 GMT


	A small area of a wooden panel on the exterior of my
	house is rotting (mainly due to the rains, not termites).
	One solution is to replace the entire wood panel. Is there
	any wood filler/paste/sealer that I can use to fill in the 
	rotting area and then re-paint the entire panel? The wood
	panel doesnt support any weight.
	Thanks for any info in advance.

	Mohan Palat
	email: uunet!motcid!palat
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: lester@naomi.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Les Bartel)
Subject: Re: Ground source heat pump
Reply-To: lester@naomi.b23b.ingr.com
Organization: Dazix, An Intergraph Company
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 20:42:02 GMT

Has anyone experimented with running/spraying water on the coils outside
the house to increase the efficiency of the heat_pump/air_conditioner?
Rust would likely be a problem.  Comments anyone?

 - Les

-- 
Les Bartel			lester@naomi.b23b.ingr.com
Dazix, An Intergraph Company	uunet!ingr!b23b!naomi!lester
Huntsville, AL
From: slm@cs.arizona.edu (Sandy Miller)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Can you get alarm system notices without the system?
Date: 31 Jul 92 20:11:09 GMT
Organization: U of Arizona, CS Dept, Tucson

In article <l7j0liINNqgr@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>, srivatsa@karna.Eng.Sun.COM (Chakra Srivatsa) writes:
|> You get generic stickers that say: "This premises is protected by an electronic
|> security system" or something to that effect.  You get them in places where you
|> can buy DIY systems, or electronic supply stores.  Radio Shack might even have
|> them.
|> 
|> IMO, generic stickers are better than advertising which system you have.
|> 
|> In article 92Jul30154652@marcellus.juliet.ll.mit.edu, timd@juliet.ll.mit.edu ( Tim Dasey ) writes:
|> > stuff deleted..
|> 
|> >I'm sure companies would not be too keen on giving you the
|> >stickers without your purchase, but is any other way I can
|> >get them?  Any liability??

We had stickers on our house, but no alarm system (my husband got them
from the alarm salesman who set up his business).  Our house was broken
into anyway :-(.  They broke one of the windows that had a sticker, so
they must have seen it.  We were told by the salesman that sold us the
system we have now, that burglars will sometimes check to see if there
is an alarm somewhere (ours is mounted by the front door).  We were
burglarized three times in four years before getting the real alarm, but
not once since (four years now).

-sandy
From: andy@SAIL.Stanford.EDU (Andy Freeman)
Subject: Re: What about alarm systems (was Burglars and dogs)
Organization: Computer Science Department,  Stanford University.
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 23:40:37 GMT

>     Well, I missed the start of the Burglars and dogs and snakes 
>discussion so someone may have brought this up -- but why not get
>burglar alarms?

And, what does that buy you?  You know that he's there; now what?

There's nothing wrong with burglar alarms, but they're not a complete
solution to any real problem.  They're merely a notification.  You
still have to deal with its cause.

-andy
--
UUCP:    {arpa gateways, sun, decwrl, uunet, rutgers}!cs.stanford.edu!andy
ARPA:    andy@cs.stanford.edu
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.consumers
From: bair@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (matthew.a.bair)
Subject: What specifically is a first time home buyer?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 12:33:54 GMT


Dear Netters,

I know this has been rehashed here previously, but could someone please
refresh my memory?  What technically qualifies someone as a first-time home
buyer.  In particular, how does this work with a married couple.

Thanx,

Matt Bair
bair@ihlpm.att.com
From: burky@austin.ibm.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Sulphurous Smell from Sink
Date: 20 Jul 92 16:27:56 GMT
Organization: IBM Austin
Originator: burky@weburky.austin.ibm.com


I've recently moved into a 9-year-old house and I've noticed that when I turn
on the water in the master bathroom sink, I get a waft of air that smells
like sulphur. It comes only from the sink that was used most often, so perhaps
it's from hard-water deposits?

I do not have a water softener. I'd like to know what might be causing this, and
how I can get rid of the smell.

I do not get the smell from other sinks in the house.

Thanks for any help ...

Bill Burky
From: jheath@CERIS.Purdue.EDU (Jim Heath)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Geothermal heatpump
Date: 27 Jul 92 16:08:26 GMT
Organization: Center for Environmental and Regulatory Information Systems, Purdue University

From article <1992Jul27.042152.20503@dg-rtp.dg.com>, by eliot@chutney.rtp.dg.com (Topher Eliot):
> Everybody I've spoken to here (in NC) who has or had a heat pump didn't like
> it.  They said it blew barely-warm air, which made it feel drafty.  I would
> definitely choose gas over a heat pump.
>

Did you know anyone who tried one of those "geothermal" heatpumps
where the input (and output?) for the pump is buried below the
frostline?  I have heard that they are much better. 
-- 
"Land of song, said the warrior bard,           Jim Heath
Though all the world betrays thee.
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard, (The Minstrel Boy)
One faithful harp will praise thee."         (Thomas Moore)
Xref: sparky misc.consumers.house:10048 misc.taxes:2862
From: jheath@CERIS.Purdue.EDU (Jim Heath)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.taxes,misc.inv.real-estate
Subject: Re: RE: Tax Break for Home Sales At A Loss?
Date: 30 Jul 92 21:14:28 GMT
Organization: Center for Environmental and Regulatory Information Systems, Purdue University

From article <30JUL92.11071887@jevex.waisman.wisc.edu>, by karcher@jevex.waisman.wisc.edu:
> In a previous article, sgh@dazixca.ingr.com (Satyen Harve) wrote:
>> 
>>There was a report in today's Wall Street Journal (July 29,, 1992)
>>that mentioned briefly that some legislation was passed by the
>>House that favor people who sell their homes at a loss.
>> 
>>Does anyone have any more information on this?  If you do sell
>>at a loss can you deduct that from your taxable income?
> 
> Currently, there are no breaks for selling a personal residence at a loss. You
> may deduct a portion (up to 3000 I think) of selling expenses as moving costs.
> I'd be surprised if the IRS would ever let you have it both ways (one time
> exclusion on $100K of gain AND deduct losses). Any legislation would still have
> a long way to go after being passed by the house.
>

Beg your pardon, but if you have a gain, how can you have a loss
and vice versa?

I would think that your _passive_ loss on the house could be
counted against _passive_ income, but don't have the books, etc.
here. 
-- 
"Land of song, said the warrior bard,           Jim Heath
Though all the world betrays thee.
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard, (The Minstrel Boy)
One faithful harp will praise thee."         (Thomas Moore)
From: keith@badseed.Eng.Sun.COM (Keith)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Who to refinance with?
Date: 30 Jul 1992 19:20:30 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems
Distribution: world
Reply-To: keith@badseed.Eng.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: badseed.eng.sun.com

Victor,

What is meant by 30 due in 7 is that the loan is amortized over a 30 year period,
but you must pay off the balance at the 7 year mark.  So, since this is my first
house, and stats show that the first home is only lived in for 5-7 years on 
average, and the interest rate is lower on a 30/7 loan I took that option. 

Just to clear things up.
---

	-Keith

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: wreck@fmsrl7.srl.ford.com (R. Cage)
Subject: Re: Moving a power panel
Summary: Why not re-route things NOW?
Organization: Ford Motor Company Scientific Research Labs, Dearborn, MI
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 20:25:24 GMT

fredch@phx.mcd.mot.com (Fred Christiansen) writes:
: I'd like to understand what the options are for the following situation:
: 
:                       |-----------|--------------------------|
:                       |           |                          |
:                       |  future   |  house to be built       |
:                       |  garage   |  starting in 2 weeks     |
: ......................|...maybe..X|                          |
:                       |  in 2-3   |-------------|            |
:                       |   years   |             |            |
:                       |-----------|             |------------|

Why not this?

                       |-----------|--------------------------|
                       |           |                          |
                       |  future   |  house to be built       |
                       |  garage   |  starting in 2 weeks     |
 ------------------    |   maybe   |                          |
                   |   |  in 2-3   |-X-----------|            |
                   |   |   years   | |           |            |
                   |   |-----------| |           |------------|
		   -------------------

Is there a problem with planning ahead?
-- 
Russ Cage   wreck@fmsrl7.srl.ford.com  russ%rsi.uucp@destroyer.rs.itd.umich.edu
  *  When Ford pays me for my opinions, THEN they can call them theirs. *

                           _Bad_ cop.  No donut.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: gordon@sneaky.lonestar.org (Gordon Burditt)
Subject: Re: To close or not to close on a new house with a leak!
Organization: Gordon Burditt
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 09:04:12 GMT

>Our new dream house is just about ready.  I say just about
>because there are many small details (or big details depending
>on the way one looks at them ..) to be ironed out.
>
>The most important of those is a leak which the builder has
>not been able to solve thus far.  Water comes in from the roof

If it is at all possible, I recommend that you abort the deal
and find another builder.  At the very least you should
insist that the builder rip out the *ENTIRE ROOF* and everything
that has gotten wet from the leak (except possibly the foundation,
but including any wood or tile floors, and any sheetrock and 
insulation) and replace it.  At no extra cost.  And I hope there's
a penalty in the contract for being late.

				Gordon L. Burditt
				sneaky.lonestar.org!gordon
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: harrism@aquila.rtp.dg.com (Mike Harris)
Subject: Wallpaper Stripper Advice?
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 92 19:27:29 GMT
Distribution: us
Reply-To: harrism@dg-rtp.dg.com
Organization: Data General Corp., Research Triangle Park, NC


	I need to strip two bathrooms and a hallway of wallpaper.
	The kitchen and dining room may also need to be done.

	Should I rent a machine or buy a Wagner or B&D home unit?
	The Wagner is $58 and the B&D is $48 - to me not comparing
	favorably with a commercial rental at $20/day for a day or so.
	The home jobs are said to work for drape steaming though.

	I'd appreciate your input if have direct experience.

	regards, Mike

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie)
Subject: Re: fixer-upper advice
Reply-To: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 14:49:29 GMT

I've been reading this thread with interest, since I'm in the midst of
fixing up a house that has been neglected for about 20 years. For those
married DIYs out there, let me tell you that this sort of thing is also
interesting for those of us who are single.

Forget about social life. If you start dating someone (and who has the
time?), she starts to wonder why you don't invite her over. If you do
invite her over, either she takes one look and disappears, or it turns
out that she's been *dying* to replace the cabinets in the kitchen of
her condo but doesn't know how. She'll be glad to "help" you if ...

By the way, don't ever let a condo owner "help" you clean up. It seems
space is so critical in a condo that they regard anything as junk if
you haven't used it in the last three months.

And words do not exist to adequately describe the joys of hanging 1/2"
sheet rock on a cathedral ceiling alone.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    |            - The 90/90 Rule -
George Patterson -  | The first 90% of the work takes 10% of the time.
                    | The last 10% of the work takes the remaining 90%
                    |   of the time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jadams@vixen.uucp (26070-adams)
Subject: Re: Removing mirror tiles
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 92 14:17:47 GMT
Summary: hacksaw blades and "goof-off"

In article <1992Jul22.165806.17585@morrow.stanford.edu>, FB.MXP@forsythe.stanford.edu (Michelle Pallas) writes:
> Does anyone have a method for removing mirror-tiles  (about 6"
> square adhesive back tiles, the kind with the tacky gold scribbles
> on them) that doesn't involve broken glass, or tearing off part of
> the wall along with the adhesive?

Several years ago, we bought a beach house with the hallway covered with
these over what turned out to be perfectly good panelling.  We found that
a "naked" hacksaw blade when bent would fit behind "most" of the tiles and
severed the double sticky pads.  The goof off then removed the remains of
the severed pads.  Unfortunately, we broke about 6 of these (not bad
actually) in the process, but overall the job went fairly well.

Jack (John) Adams		| Bellcore RRC 4B-259
(908) 699-3447 {Voice}		| (908) 336-2871 {Facsimile}
jadams@vixen.bellcore.com	| kahuna@attmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
	 -- If God had meant for us to vote, He would have given us
	candidates.  -- Anon
From: egreen@East.Sun.COM (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: fixer-upper advice
Date: 22 Jul 1992 17:05:26 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, RTP, NC
Distribution: world
Reply-To: egreen@East.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: laser.east.sun.com

In article 19192@porthos.cc.bellcore.com, patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie) writes:
>
>And words do not exist to adequately describe the joys of hanging 1/2"
>sheet rock on a cathedral ceiling alone.

I bet!

I'm not sure this is too smart a thing to do.  I mean, if you fall off
the ladder onto the end of a board on a sawhorse, launching the hammer
on the other end up to the ceiling, which hits the ceiling fan, which
comes down a bonks you in the head so you're dizzy, and you trip on the
sack of nails, and fall into the ladder that folds up around your neck so
you can't fit through the hall to get to the phone...

who ya gonna call?

---
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