I am interested in this home

Keesha said:
LOVE ❤ the wood stove. I had a really difficult time talking my husband into getting one. He figured our insurance would sky rocket. We pay less than $100 more per year. Now he loves it too. We have alternative heat sources too but don’t usually use them unless we get anywhere from -25 to -40. Luckily our house is well insulated and we have all new doors and windows which makes a huge difference. There’s nothing quite like a home warmed with a fireplace or wood stove. Love the smell of the wood burning too.
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Yep, can't get through to most people that insulation is the critical factor. We framed our house with sawmill lumber 2x6's thus allowing us to use R-30 insulation. Combined with the sheathing, and siding, we ended up with 9 inch thick outer walls. (that did make framing windows and doors a bit of a chore). :)
 

911 said:
Pricing it comes to just over $200 per square foot. Around my area, you can buy a very nice, upper middle-income home for that pricing. That price just seems awfully high to me. Here is a home in my area comparable to what you are looking at in your area and it's only about $132.00 per square foot. If you decide to pursue this home, please consider having a home inspection done before signing on the dotted line. It may cost a little, but I have found that home inspections can be worth every penny.

House For Sale
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A house like that where we live would be worth about $800,000. Nice acre property.
 
squatting dog said:
Yep, can't get through to most people that insulation is the critical factor. We framed our house with sawmill lumber 2x6's thus allowing us to use R-30 insulation. Combined with the sheathing, and siding, we ended up with 9 inch thick outer walls. (that did make framing windows and doors a bit of a chore). :)
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That’s ‘code’ here in Canada. You have to have 2 x 6’s for outside walls and 2 x 4’s for inside walls. Some areas of our house , like our back wall which faces north east has 14 inches of insulation. YES a well insulated house saves money in the long run. We always have lots of snow on top of our roof. You can see the houses that aren’t well insulated because the heat escaping from the roof melts it.
Even the snow acts as insulation.
 

I sent a list of questions to the agent that responded to my email. Haven't heard anything back yet. However, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He may not be the listing agent and may have to research the answers.
 
Okay, the agent just sent me this in response to my questions:

How long has it been on the market?
-it has been on market for 12 days as of today (7/28)
When was the septic system last serviced? Has there ever been a problem with it?
-septic was pumped approximately 3 years ago; the property condition disclosure states no issues with the system
Is it currently occupied (it looked like it in the photos)?
-yes, the property is currently rented
Why is it being sold?
-seller owns several investments and decided to sell off one of the smaller properties; this one.
Has it ever been rented?
-yes, the owner has never occupied the house themselves, it has always been a rental property; the current tenant has been there 3 years and will be out within a week.
How old are the appliances? Any warranties on those?
-appliances are not original; the listing agent was not sure on the exact age; he is checking with the seller
Is it insulated?
-yes, the house is insulated - was built in 2008 and should be 2x6 exterior construction; roof is also original, should be a 25-30 year roof
Are there cable connections?
-yes, there is cable hook-up
Are the window air conditioners included?
-window units are not included, they are tenant owned.
How flexible is the seller on the asking price?
-the listing agent wouldn't necessarily indicate sellers flexibility on price; they never really do. Once we walk-through the property, and if it works for what you want/need, then we can discuss price and terms.
 
All good questions. :)
Your best position when negotiating is the lack of central air. Most people want that central a/c system, so, that should be considered when discussing value. (myself, I prefer window air. easier to localize my cooling since we're only 2 people and no sense cooling an entire house).
Everything else seems alright and normal for an 08 built home. By the way, that roof looks good too. (y)
 
That's an old photo. ;) Another question would be:

Is any building or development planned for the neighborhood?

This may be outside the scope of the realtor. I did send an inquiry to the city planning board. Have not heard back yet.
 
You might want to have a realtor walk your current property and house before looking elsewhere. It helps to know how much you're likely to net for your house, how long it will likely take to sell it, and other details before looking at other places.

I think this is what the realtor meant when posing the question about whether you were ready to buy.
 
debodun said:
I COULD buy it, but I don't want to deplete my savings too much.
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But if you aren’t considering doing that then why even put that offer on the table in the first place?
Thats NOT considered a ‘cash offer.’ If you have to sell your house before even putting an offer on the house, then it changes your ‘buying’ approach completely.

Next you’ll be saying you need to sell all your knick knacks first as well. If I were in your current situation I’d rent a dumpster and toss all of that extra baggage once and for all and be forever done with it OR give it to charity in ‘your name.’
 
debodun said:
Who said I was going to buy it right off the bat?
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Nobody said you were going to buy it right off the bat but you did volunteer info that you could pay cash. Most people don’t mention these types of details unless they are really interested which I thought you were. If you aren’t then it’s my mistake.
 
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I'm a late comer to this thread but I didn't see reference to heating. If there is no central air, what heat does it have? Sorry if I overlooked it.
 
debodun said:
What do you think?

https://www.fieldrealty.com/propert...22858/25-brickyard-rd-mechanicville-ny-12118/
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IMHO you should pass on this property. I know upstate New York intimately. When I bought and sold property in New York I had to have an attorney represent my interest, is that still a requirement now? I certainly hope so. If not you have a lot of research to conduct. You need to retain a certified independent home inspector and a property appraiser. Do not use one that they recommend. They have an awful lot of furniture in that house, you need to find out before closing how soon they could fully vacate the house for you sign anything. If and when you do move in change every lock in the house and I would strongly suggest you get a security system. Remember the sale or purchase of a home is the most expensive and time consuming financial transaction you will ever experience. It is one of the top 5 stressors in life. I'm in now way shape or form trying to scare you, just educate you unless you've done this before. I see you have a propane tank and window mount air conditioners, also an unfinished basement and the wood appears to not be pressure treated which would have a greenish tint. Is your driveway gravel or asphalt? Most lawn care companies also plow driveways in the winter and that can be expensive when you experience 2 to 3 feet of snow you may not even see the town or county plows hit your street for a good day or two. Do you have a cesspool or septic system. I see you're too far to be connected to the city sewer system. Have you checked the City-Data website and the City-Data/Mechanicville forums? I see Albany is the closest major city so will have cable, satellite or OTA TV antenna service? Check with the Saratoga County Sheriffs Office to get a copy of the crime stats (Including registered sex offenders) for your zip code. Like I said, this is just friendly advice gleaned from past experience, some it financially painful. I hope this in some way helped you and the best of luck.
 
Deb already lives in New York State and prefers to live no more than 10 minutes away from where she is currently living now This house is only 2 miles from where she lives which is why she picked it.

Pressure treated wood doesn’t have to be used in a basement, especially not for inside walls.
SPF non treated wood is fine as long as a vapour barrier is used to separate the wood from the concrete. For an outside frost wall tar paper can be used to the grade height outside and again use vapour barrier on the bottom of the plate. Some people use a sill plate / baseplate gasket . Galvanized nails need to be used for this. Pressurized lumber doesn’t have to be used.

Everyone should hire a home inspector before purchasing a home and a lawyer usually IS involved in a home purchase. These aren’t unusual procedures in the least.

Changing the locks is a good idea and common sense. New owners- new locks.

The window mount air conditioners belong to the current renters who ‘appear’ to be taking good care of the home. A good bargaining point to lower the price of the home since central air is what’s needed.

It has a septic system and high speed Internet.

Anyway she is seeing the house on Thursday. If she likes it and is seriously considering purchasing it then her next step would be to hire a qualified house inspector. To bypass this step would be a huge mistake. These professionals can tell Deb all the info she needs to make a wise calculated offer as well as things to watch out for.

A propane tank and septic system shouldn’t scare anyone away from purchasing a house they like as long as they are in good working condition and are serviceable.

In my opinion, if this house checks out, I think it’s a perfect fit for Deb. No offence FastTrax, but you don’t know Deb like most of us do or her current living conditions. Your considerations are certainly note worthy though.
 
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