1st time home buyer - help!

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Hey guys, I'm about to be a first time home buyer. I found a home I like in the House Creek North neighborhood, got pre-approved, have a pretty good realtor, and am in the beginning stages of negotiation that seem to be off to a pretty solid start. I did my own inspection of the house based on the minimum that I know and the house is looking pretty solid. There's a little bit of water damage under the kitchen sink that the seller agreed to repair/replace, the A/C and fire place are both going to be serviced by the seller, and there are a few minor outdoor repairs that I can do myself (a/c pvc drain pipe broken, sewer cap hit by lawn mower, etc). The home inspector should be coming by early next week (maybe Monday?) and as long as things go ok with no mold or cracked foundation, then it looks like I'm going strong for a closing date of 1 Dec. My lease on my home is up 31 Dec, so that would give me a full month to move and clean which is great. The papers say that the loan shall be no more than 4% for the home loan and no less than a 30 year loan.

Do those loan numbers seem ok?
Is there anything I'm overlooking so far?
Any helpful tips and tricks that y'all have learned through purchasing/selling homes?

[Ludwig]

Points make a big difference over a 30-year mortgage. Currently, you can find rates as low as 3.25% with 4% being on the high side. For example, Quicken Loan will give you a 3.25% rate (3.9 APR). If you're a veteran, you may want to check into the rate for a VA Guaranteed Loan as well.

[CenTexDave]

Ludwig is correct. 4% is on the high end right now. Of course if you go with a VA loan don't plan on closing on 1 Dec - takes them freaking forever. But VA will actually inspect the house and could, possibly, find
more wrong with it. Ensure the roof is thoroughly examined. Make sure the inspector looks in the attic as to what kind/how much insulation is there. Is this on a septic system? Regular or aerobic? Last time it was emptied? Make sure it's inspected. They are a royal pain if something goes wrong with them.
And don't overlook a 15 year mortgage. They aren't as much as you may think.
Congrats.

[Shotgun Jeremy]

So because it says no more than 4%, I should be able to try and get that down closer 3.5%-3.25%? It is on a VA loan - do they have an inspector separate of the one my agent has coming out? The roof has been noted as being 13 years old - even though it looks fine, we did go through a bunch of hail storms a few years back so I will be asking that the inspector pays special attention to that. It is on city plumbing, so no septic to worry about. I popped up in the attic and it has the loose insulation pretty much everywhere except above the garage which I'm guessing is normal. One thing I did like though is all of the A/C piping (for lack of better term) is hung up by straps.

[sojourner truth]

Check out Tex Vet loan discount... We got that on our current house and shaved half a percentage point off the loan... We paid the house off in 5 years and saved a bunch too... The key to saving after the sale is to put as much towards principal as you can. You wind up saving a ton on interest over time. I would have shot for a 15 year loan, but whatever makes you happy is fine. AND, a fixed rate. None of that adjustable rate BS.

The other smart thing we did was have Eva Keagle set us up with a tough but fair home inspector... The guy took all day and went over everything from sprinklers to Ac to oven temp settings to make sure we didn't get a lemon. All he found was a minor seal leak on the dishwasher and the fact that the roof needed replacing. All of which the seller did before move in. A good inspector is everything before the sale closes. Especially where things like structure, plumbing (think possible slab leaks) and insulation.

[rk103]

Pay attention to the foundation inspection. Portions of that development have had settling issues, to include doors, windows, slab etc. Also get ready for the school traffic congestion. They have improved, and are continuing to improve the traffic flow in that area. It will be great to finally be rid of landlords.

[CenTexDave]

Sounds like you did your homework Jeremy. One thing on that insulation - blown in. There should be a certificate up there in the attic stating the "R" value. How old is the house? If more than 10 years old that insulation has probably settled so much the R value is half now what it was. Negotiate for a credit to add insulation - easy to add roll out insulation and is not all that expensive

[fchafey]

House Creek North.
1. what is the traffic like at 0700? 1700?
2. How busy are the streets at 2100? on a Saturday?
3. are there a lot of cars parked curbside?
4. What cracked/broke the AC PVC drain pipe?
5. On a VA guaranteed home loan, the inspection and mortgage credit report (different from a consumer credit report) takes time, good luck with 1 December.
6. PM Grumpy and offer to buy him a cup of coffee at Hallmark and he has over 40 years of home inspecting. There is a wealth of knowledge and real good guy to talk to.
7. good luck and congratulations

[mac]

Hey guys, I'm about to be a first time home buyer. I found a home I like in the House Creek North neighborhood, got pre-approved, have a pretty good realtor, and am in the beginning stages of negotiation that seem to be off to a pretty solid start. I did my own inspection of the house based on the minimum that I know and the house is looking pretty solid. There's a little bit of water damage under the kitchen sink that the seller agreed to repair/replace, the A/C and fire place are both going to be serviced by the seller, and there are a few minor outdoor repairs that I can do myself (a/c pvc drain pipe broken, sewer cap hit by lawn mower, etc). The home inspector should be coming by early next week (maybe Monday?) and as long as things go ok with no mold or cracked foundation, then it looks like I'm going strong for a closing date of 1 Dec. My lease on my home is up 31 Dec, so that would give me a full month to move and clean which is great. The papers say that the loan shall be no more than 4% for the home loan and no less than a 30 year loan.

Do those loan numbers seem ok?
Is there anything I'm overlooking so far?
Any helpful tips and tricks that y'all have learned through purchasing/selling homes?

you might want to get that clause out of there that says no less than a 30 year loan. sounds to me like that would preclude any re-financing or anything like that....maybe even to sellling......"no more" would be ok (possibly) for some....but I sure wouldn't like it in mine.......but, for sure, that "no less than 30 years has got to go. it's just bound to cause you a ton of grief on down the road...and of course you want to make sure that the lender doesn't slip in an adjustable rate on you.....that's super super important! actually, I think VA may even prohibit it....but just check to make sure......mac

[Night Owl]

Also be sure that the seller provides a home warranty plan that covers appliances, heating and air, etc. it is a standard item but you didn't mention it. Glad to see you didn't go for a new home.

[Alageo]

Congratulation on the start to becoming a homeowner... I have worked in the mortgage industry for several years.

Home Inspections are very important to have with a Texas licensed home inspector. They work for the home only.

VA doesn't inspect the home. VA loan like all home loans requires an appraisal. The lenders orders the appraisal through the VA portal, which the VA appraiser do look at things like roof, foundation, and etc. The home inspector goes more in depth than the appraiser does.

I would guess that you have been pre-qualified with a lender. On the interest rate, you should talk to your lender or message me, and I can talk you through this.

TX Vet VA loan are a good program that can give you a lower interest rate, but they do charge a origination fee at closing.

VA loan can be closed in 30 days. Most lender will tell you that it will take 45 day, but I have closed them in 30 days with no problems.

I hope this helps.

[mac]

I have worked in the mortgage industry for several years.


VA loan can be closed in 30 days.

there's no such thing as a VA loan. The VA does not loan nor lend money.....mac

[Alageo]

Mac, It is a VA mortgage program. VA only guarantee the loan.

[Alageo]

Mac, this is a standard on Texas sales contracts and not prohibited by VA.

[fchafey]

Mac, It is a VA mortgage program. VA only guarantee the loan.

To be more specific: VA will guarantee up to 50 percent of a home loan up to $45,000. For loans between $45,000 and $144,000, the minimum guaranty amount is $22,500, with a maximum guaranty, of up to 40 percent of the loan up to $36,000, subject to the amount of entitlement a veteran has available.

[Night Owl]

Mac, this is a standard on Texas sales contracts and not prohibited by VA.
How does a Veteran who has used his VA loan and paid it in full get his eligibility back to purchase another home?

[fchafey]

How does a Veteran who has used his VA loan and paid it in full get his eligibility back to purchase another home?

Read this, it might help.... I didn't feel like doing it, so we bought our current house with her VA benefit.....

https://www.veteransunited.com/valoans/restoration-of-entitlement-how-to-reuse-your-va-loan-benefit-in-full/

[CenTexDave]

To be more specific: VA will guarantee up to 50 percent of a home loan up to $45,000. For loans between $45,000 and $144,000, the minimum guaranty amount is $22,500, with a maximum guaranty, of up to 40 percent of the loan up to $36,000, subject to the amount of entitlement a veteran has available.

Saves you the cost of mortgage insurance which can be sizable.

[fchafey]

Congratulation on the start to becoming a homeowner... I have worked in the mortgage industry for several years.

Home Inspections are very important to have with a Texas licensed home inspector. They work for the home only.

VA doesn't inspect the home. VA loan like all home loans requires an appraisal. The lenders orders the appraisal through the VA portal, which the VA appraiser do look at things like roof, foundation, and etc. The home inspector goes more in depth than the appraiser does.

I would guess that you have been pre-qualified with a lender. On the interest rate, you should talk to your lender or message me, and I can talk you through this.

TX Vet VA loan are a good program that can give you a lower interest rate, but they do charge a origination fee at closing.

VA loan can be closed in 30 days. Most lender will tell you that it will take 45 day, but I have closed them in 30 days with no problems.

I hope this helps.

You are right VA doesn't inspect the home. BUT the VA will not guarantee the loan until all the things the appraiser has found gets fixed. The most common things found when one thinks they are ready is soffit painting and outside trim, that is a fun one. I am not saying the VA is pain, but I believe the VA appraisal is one of the biggest reasons people are steered towards a new house, especially when one is up against a quick closing. I am willing to bet a cold soda or cup of coffee that the majority of 30 day closings are new homes. I am not too familiar with the FHA process.

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Check out Tex Vet loan discount... We got that on our current house and shaved half a percentage point off the loan... We paid the house off in 5 years and saved a bunch too... The key to saving after the sale is to put as much towards principal as you can. You wind up saving a ton on interest over time. I would have shot for a 15 year loan, but whatever makes you happy is fine. AND, a fixed rate. None of that adjustable rate BS.

The other smart thing we did was have Eva Keagle set us up with a tough but fair home inspector... The guy took all day and went over everything from sprinklers to Ac to oven temp settings to make sure we didn't get a lemon. All he found was a minor seal leak on the dishwasher and the fact that the roof needed replacing. All of which the seller did before move in. A good inspector is everything before the sale closes. Especially where things like structure, plumbing (think possible slab leaks) and insulation.
Thankyou for the tip! I'll go look into Tex Vet later today if I get time. The inspector coming out is one the real estate agent has been using for a few years. She seems pretty picky about how things are done so I'm trusting her on this until I see reason not to. The inspector takes about an average of 4 hours, and has never been taken to court for any of his work. He sounds good so far, so we'll see come inspection day.


Pay attention to the foundation inspection. Portions of that development have had settling issues, to include doors, windows, slab etc. Also get ready for the school traffic congestion. They have improved, and are continuing to improve the traffic flow in that area. It will be great to finally be rid of landlords.
Yea, I was just reading about those settling issues a few hours ago! I even saw my builder as listed as one of the ones who had problems! I guess that's one benefit to buying an older house - with it being an 04, it's had plenty of time for those problems to present themselves, yet the house is still in very nice condition from what I've seen.


Sounds like you did your homework Jeremy. One thing on that insulation - blown in. There should be a certificate up there in the attic stating the "R" value. How old is the house? If more than 10 years old that insulation has probably settled so much the R value is half now what it was. Negotiate for a credit to add insulation - easy to add roll out insulation and is not all that expensive
I did see that certificate when I went up there but didn't pay much attention to it. I'll go back up there today and get a picture so I can do a little research. The house is an 04, so it has had time to settle if that is indeed original insulation.


House Creek North.
1. what is the traffic like at 0700? 1700? - I'm not going to lie - it's HEAVY. But it moves, so I think I can deal with it for the home and land I'm getting. There's land behind the house that is city property, but it's pretty obvious they will never build on so it's like an extended back yard that someone else mows. :)
2. How busy are the streets at 2100? on a Saturday?[I]When I left the other night at about 7, the neighborhood was lively but I kind of like that. There's a Deputy who lives directly across from the house I'm looking at and he told me he's never heard of a single call coming from that street. /I]
3. Are there a lot of cars parked curbside? There's not A LOT, but there are some. The street has a pretty good width to it though, so it's not as bad as when I was living on one of the older streets in Cove.
4. What cracked/broke the AC PVC drain pipe? It looks like a combination of someone hitting it while mowing and the 90* elbow wasn't glued on. I can glue on a new elbow with pipe coming off and it will be as good as new.
5. On a VA guaranteed home loan, the inspection and mortgage credit report (different from a consumer credit report) takes time, good luck with 1 December. It's written in the contract by a woman who's been doing this since 2004, so I HOPE she knows what she's doing. But, if not, I'm on my current lease until Dec 31, so I should be ok.
6. PM Grumpy and offer to buy him a cup of coffee at Hallmark and he has over 40 years of home inspecting. There is a wealth of knowledge and real good guy to talk to. Hmmmmm.....thanks for the tip
7. Good luck and congratulations Thankyou!


you might want to get that clause out of there that says no less than a 30 year loan. sounds to me like that would preclude any re-financing or anything like that....maybe even to sellling......"no more" would be ok (possibly) for some....but I sure wouldn't like it in mine.......but, for sure, that "no less than 30 years has got to go. it's just bound to cause you a ton of grief on down the road...and of course you want to make sure that the lender doesn't slip in an adjustable rate on you.....that's super super important! actually, I think VA may even prohibit it....but just check to make sure......mac
I did not know that, nor would I have thought to ask. I'm glad you brought that up - I'll ask my realtor and loan officer tonight when we meet.


Also be sure that the seller provides a home warranty plan that covers appliances, heating and air, etc. it is a standard item but you didn't mention it. Glad to see you didn't go for a new home.
The realtor already got the seller to agree in contract! Not only that, but she asked for the one with the most coverage that you can get,
and they agreed to that as well! Honestly, at $500 and some odd dollars, I may just use my tax refund each year and keep it going. It was cheaper than I thought it would be.


Congratulation on the start to becoming a homeowner... I have worked in the mortgage industry for several years.

Home Inspections are very important to have with a Texas licensed home inspector. They work for the home only.

VA doesn't inspect the home. VA loan like all home loans requires an appraisal. The lenders orders the appraisal through the VA portal, which the VA appraiser do look at things like roof, foundation, and etc. The home inspector goes more in depth than the appraiser does.

I would guess that you have been pre-qualified with a lender. On the interest rate, you should talk to your lender or message me, and I can talk you through this.

TX Vet VA loan are a good program that can give you a lower interest rate, but they do charge a origination fee at closing.

VA loan can be closed in 30 days. Most lender will tell you that it will take 45 day, but I have closed them in 30 days with no problems.

I hope this helps.
It does - thankyou!


To be more specific: VA will guarantee up to 50 percent of a home loan up to $45,000. For loans between $45,000 and $144,000, the minimum guaranty amount is $22,500, with a maximum guaranty, of up to 40 percent of the loan up to $36,000, subject to the amount of entitlement a veteran has available.
I'm pre-guaranteed for $36,000. Is that about average? Honestly, I thought it would be at least double that until I read what you just put out.

[kantwin]

When we bought the house we're in now, the VA sent a separate inspector out. He required a railing on the front porch steps. If the seller didn't put that in, they would not have issued the guarantee for the loan.

The VA guarantee isn't what you can get for the loan, it's just how much of the loan the VA guarantees to the lender. I know people who used their VA guarantee to get a quarter million dollar loan.

With an older house, the thing I told my wife was, "how's the roof, and how well established are the termites?"

Servicing an AC unit can actually cause it to show any faults. I've seen that happen, for a unit that hasn't been serviced in a while, adding the extra refrigerant can actually produce minor leaks in the coil.

Congrats on becoming a homeowner.

[Alageo]

You are right VA doesn't inspect the home. BUT the VA will not guarantee the loan until all the things the appraiser has found gets fixed. The most common things found when one thinks they are ready is soffit painting and outside trim, that is a fun one. I am not saying the VA is pain, but I believe the VA appraisal is one of the biggest reasons people are steered towards a new house, especially when one is up against a quick closing. I am willing to bet a cold soda or cup of coffee that the majority of 30 day closings are new homes. I am not too familiar with the FHA process.

Not a new homes. This is the reason for the home inspector. If the home inspector find that repairs are needed, the said repairs are usually done before the appraisal has been ordered.

[Alageo]

How does a Veteran who has used his VA loan and paid it in full get his eligibility back to purchase another home?

Well, you can go on the VA website and pull your COE (Certificate of Eligibility) or go to a lender for help. COE should show that the property has been paid in full and restored. Sometimes, it show paid in full, but not restored. You will need to provide VA with documentation showing that it was paid in full, and VA will restore your COE. VA does allow you to use your VA eligibility on two property at the same time. Example: Veteran purchase a home in Ft Rucker, AL after 5 years is PCS to Ft Hood, TX. Unable to sell home in Ft Rucker, Veteran rents his/her home out. Veteran would like to purchase instead of renting in Ft. Hood. Veteran can use his/her VA eligibility as long as the sales price is at least $144,000, and VA guarantee is at least 25%.

[sojourner truth]

A good home inspector is not cheap, but well worth it in the end... When our guy finished our current home he asked me where we had moved from and when we told him the neighborhood he just laughed and said he bet we had slab leaks out the gazoo... That was one of the reasons we moved and made sure we did not get another home built by the same guy.

We had to redo all of the pipes in our former home and replace them with some new PVC type stuff that went into the attic That was a 6 grand upgrade but it solved the problem... And we were not the only ones who had the problem on our old street. Just about everyone had at least one or 2 slab leaks.

My wife and I used both our tex vet loan discounts as well. One for me being a VN vet, and hers was actually for her being a teacher... which I guess gets the same benefit. Even though she was a Desert Storm vet and could have gotten it for that. That shaved us an entire percentage point. This was in 2003, and our final rate was 3.95%... Unheard of at that time. The lady that did the paperwork thought there must have been some mistake until our realtor told her otherwise... She was shocked never having seen a rate quite that low at that time.

[Alageo]

I'm pre-guaranteed for $36,000. Is that about average? Honestly, I thought it would be at least double that until I read what you just put out.[/QUOTE]

If you have full entitlement you can borrower up to the limit post by VA in your area. Max in this area is $424,100. Please understand that you still have to qualify for that amount with your lender. Your Loan Officer will be able to go over this with you.

[mac]

How does a Veteran who has used his VA loan and paid it in full get his eligibility back to purchase another home?

how close are you, or how often do you go to waco. it'll take you less than 20 minutes at the Waco VARO in the late afternoon.....mac

[txswimmer]

A good home inspector is not cheap, but well worth it in the end... When our guy finished our current home he asked me where we had moved from and when we told him the neighborhood he just laughed and said he bet we had slab leaks out the gazoo... That was one of the reasons we moved and made sure we did not get another home built by the same guy.

I paid an inspector, who did a lot of VA inspections and who was recommended to me by a realtor that I trusted, a hefty sum to check out a really nice home I was going to buy from the nicest couple. The place was immaculate, and the landscaping top notch. Well, it needed about $15,000.00 worth of work. I passed. I gave the inspection to that nice couple who did most, but not all of the repairs, and six months later they sold it to a couple who ran it into the ditch - house is shabby and the lawn is eaten up and infested with rot and insects. . Good for me, sad for everyone else.

[mac]

Mac, It is a VA mortgage program. VA only guarantee the loan.

correct!......well, a part of the loan.....mac

[Shotgun Jeremy]

I called the finance lady and asked some questions.

- the no less than 30 year loan means they won't try to put me in a shorter loan with higher payments, but I still have the option to refinance down the road. It is a locked in interest rate.

-the no more than 4% interest is on the low side of average right now. That fluctuates daily depending on the economy, and right now the average is 3.75%-4.75%

-I COULD go for the Ted Vet but it would be $3,000 upfront and save me $30-$40 per month. I just don't think that's worth it.

Keep the help coming! I'm taking notes.

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[txswimmer]

Just do NOT accept an Adjustable Rate Mortgage! They are very alluring, but oh, so dangerous. I had a nephew buy a house he couldn't afford with an ARM. He was bankrupt 3 years after buying it. Payments doubled!

[Shotgun Jeremy]

I will absolutely not accept adjustable APR.

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[kantwin]

When I was in Killeen, we were selling our house on the northeast side, and moving to the southeast side of Killeen.
We used our VA guarantee on the house on the northeast side, and we had to sell that one, and a few days later, the VA released it so we could use it on the house on the southeast side.
The inspector that the buyer had for the house we were selling was a royal pain in the butt for us as the seller, found a few things that the buyer wanted us to fix. Lots of little nit-pick stuff. So, we hired him to inspect the house we were buying. Turned out to be a good thing for us.

[Shotgun Jeremy]

I stopped by the house again this afternoon and had a nice chat with the Deputy. Real cool guy - I'm already looking forward to having him as a neighbor. Here's that pipe I mentioned. The angle its coming out of the ground already seems weird to me, but I'll wait and see what the inspector and HVAC Technician say. As long as that angle checks out ok, that's an easy fix with the elbow. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171102/421f87bf122b381e4126a518fad724a7.jpg

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[fchafey]

Looks like a Goodman AC unit. A weed eater probably did away with the return line insulation. If you can push down the pipe coming from the house a little and it drains, and its relatively clear, once fixed you should be fine. The pipe looks like it once ran against the side of the unit and once broke was stuck under the bottom lip so it wouldn't get lost. You should be fine. You are mechanically talented to fix that kind of stuff.

[mac]

Looks like a Goodman AC unit. A weed eater probably did away with the return line insulation. If you can push down the pipe coming from the house a little and it drains, and its relatively clear, once fixed you should be fine. The pipe looks like it once ran against the side of the unit and once broke was stuck under the bottom lip so it wouldn't get lost. You should be fine. You are mechanically talented to fix that kind of stuff.

and as long as the 'spout' is lower than your unit, it don't really matter......just flush it out once a year with a little clorox....mac

[Shotgun Jeremy]

I'm thinking that HVAC tech should re-foam the lines. Then I may be able to dig down a few inches and re-set that PVC where it needs to be. I'm not sure how to run bleach through it though. I'm only about 10% knowledgeable when it comes to HVAC.

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[kantwin]

I'm thinking that HVAC tech should re-foam the lines. Then I may be able to dig down a few inches and re-set that PVC where it needs to be. I'm not sure how to run bleach through it though. I'm only about 10% knowledgeable when it comes to HVAC.

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I’m fairly mechanically inclined, and HVAC is like Mandarin to me.
But, you put the Clorox in at the air handler

[CenTexDave]

Yep. Should be a valve there. If not an HVAC tech can install one easily. Pour a cup of bleach down it every time you change the filter in the summer.

[Mestral]

Yep. Should be a valve there. If not an HVAC tech can install one easily. Pour a cup of bleach down it every time you change the filter in the summer.Mine has a simple T fitting, rather than a valve, adjacent to the inside unit.

[fchafey]

I'm thinking that HVAC tech should re-foam the lines. Then I may be able to dig down a few inches and re-set that PVC where it needs to be. I'm not sure how to run bleach through it though. I'm only about 10% knowledgeable when it comes to HVAC.

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Your air handler unit is in a hallway closet, probably. No need to dig, it is above the drain which actually runs through your foundation.

[sojourner truth]

The only thing I can see that would concern me is that it appears the drain pipe is slanting upward... As long as it is lower than the bottom of the inside unit, it will drain, but the upward slant will cause a small amount of water to be retained in the pipe. This could cause some mold, smell, and possible breeding ground for mosquitos...

My weed eater takes mine out about once every 2 years when it is hot outside and I am in a hurry to get the yard done. Bad weed eater...bad.

Oh, almost forgot... At least once every summer I will take a shop vac outside and suck out the drain pipe... You would be amazed at what you will see come out.. It ain't pretty.

And Dave... I said I used a shop vac to suck it out.

[CenTexDave]

Once a year just use an air compressor from the inside to blow it out. Yes, does get a lot of junk in there.

[kantwin]

Once a year just use an air compressor from the inside to blow it out. Yes, does get a lot of junk in there.

I tried that once and it back-blasted and sprayed all over the inside of the closet....

[kantwin]

Oh, almost forgot... At least once every summer I will take a shop vac outside and suck out the drain pipe... You would be amazed at what you will see come out.. It ain't pretty.

I just had a new unit installed for the upstairs of my house 2 weeks ago, and the installer said the same thing. Once a year, take a shop vac and suck out the drain. Then, go upstairs, and fill the drain until water comes out the other end. Mix with a little bleach, and there should be no issues.

[CenTexDave]

I tried that once and it back-blasted and sprayed all over the inside of the closet....
Obviously the Tide rolled - backwards.

[mac]

Your air handler unit is in a hallway closet, probably. No need to dig, it is above the drain which actually runs through your foundation.

that's where mine is. it's simply a pvc pipe, one inch, maybe 3/4 inch od with a pvc screw cap on it......no valve or anything like that. sticks up to about waist level.....mac

[mac]

I tried that once and it back-blasted and sprayed all over the inside of the closet....

wow....must have had a dead mouse jammed inside the pipe...mac

[kantwin]

wow....must have had a dead mouse jammed inside the pipe...mac

Nah, just didn't have a good enough seal from the air nozzle to the pipe. Basically, everything that was in the trap came up the pipe.

[sojourner truth]

There are chlorine pellets that you can set inside the drain pan on the inside unit that the AC guys recommend..... But then you have to remove the outer cover from the A frame coil inside to put the pellets in...

When I had my new American Standard installed, the AC tech put a tee pipe inside the house where I could either pour chlorine down without removing the A frame cover. Plus, if I wanted to, I could blow the gunk out instead of sucking it out... With the shop vac that is Dave.

[kantwin]

This is the setup the AC guys did for my new unit. Pour a bit of bleach down the tube with the cap, and we're all set. it goes into the pan under the coil. To refill the drain after sucking it out with a shop vac, pour some water down the tube without the cap.

http://www.centextalk.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=7221&stc=1
{edit} For some silly reason, no matter how I rotate the image on my computer, it uploads it sideways....

[Ricky]

:))

[kantwin]

My hero....LOL

[Shotgun Jeremy]

What are some affordable home camera systems available? ADT already has sensors put in.

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[Night Owl]

:))
Looks like Shawns handy work.:))

[CenTexDave]

What are some affordable home camera systems available? ADT already has sensors put in.

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A couple very large Rottweilers

[shawnricheson]

What are some affordable home camera systems available? ADT already has sensors put in.

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Reolink - makes excellent indoor / outdoor cameras and the DVR is stupid easy to configure.

https://reolink.com/product/rlc-410/

This one rotates 360 degrees with a 90 degree tilt.

https://reolink.com/product/rlc-423/

The WIFI type cameras are WAY to easy to hack, I would stay away from any of them.





DEFINITELY - NOT A SYSTEM BASED ON THIS TECHNOLOGY ...

http://www.centextalk.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=7227&stc=1

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Is there a more affordable recorder I can use and still get phone notifications?

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[onetime]

Congratulations. A few things though, what are you buying the house for? Will the note be more then 20 percent of your take home income? If so pass. Steer away from the zero down loans. If you can’t put money down you’re likely not in a good position to purchase a home. A good rule of thumb is 20 percent down to avoid PMI fees, but I don’t think that Va loans require mortgage insurance. Get acquainted with the neighborhood. Drive around during different periods of the day. Find out why the seller is leaving. Occasionally it is to get out of a mess in the house. Don’t overbid in a saturated market and never fall in love with the house. If you decide to go with buying it don’t hesitate to request repairs, insurance, and appliances like the refrigerator. Good luck

[onetime]

What are some affordable home camera systems available? ADT already has sensors put in.

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Simply safe is advertised on ESPN all of the time. Its a do it your self set up, I’m with Sean on the hackers but whose hacking the average Joe?

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Got the home inspected as well as had a few guys drop in to work on some minor fixes to the house today. The inspector found a few good items, but said overall the house is in better shape than most homes he inspects. Very few items compared to his usual reports. Then the contractors working on the house echoed the same thing a little while later saying its on very good condition especially considering its age.

Awwwww yea

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[CenTexDave]

Congrats, Jeremy.

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Man, I gotta say - I've been very fortunate with this process. I better never move again because there's no way I'll get this lucky twice. Not only was I EXTREMELY lucky in finding a decent house that was in overall good shape from pretty upfront (it was the second house I looked at, and I was pretty skeptical even going looking), but the seller has been very easy to work with this whole time. The home inspector got his report to me, and I submitted the whole thing to the sellers for repair. It was mostly minor things and a lot of them I wouldn't have minded doing myself but I was trying to leverage myself a little negotiating power. The sellers agreed to go ahead and get just about everything fixed!!! Now we're just waiting on the appraisal.

Then, additionally, the realtor really knows her stuff and has become a great guide and assistant for me through this process. If anyone ever thinks they want to look into moving, y'all just let me know. Plus, she set me up with a GREAT mortgage team which again - I have nothing but good things to say about them as well.

After seeing what my dad went through trying to sell his house and buy a new one, and then watching my brother and other friends around me....I will never get this lucky again. But if I DO find that I need to move, I will be sure to go back to the realtor I found. She's a diamond in the rough for sure.

[Ludwig]

[QUOTE=Shotgun Jeremy;460026]... So, since we are all friends here, how about sharing your realtor's ID with us? It's always good to know a good buyer's agent while sales agents in realty are as plentiful was corroded pennies.

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Yea sure, it's Claudia Trainum with Randall Morris and Associates. She's been a realtor since 2004 and takes her clients, contacts, and license very seriously.

www.claudiatrainum.com