All Forum Posts by: Jill Rossi

Hi David, good to see you on here!

Hi Folks, I'm looking for a HUD registered real estate agent, does anybody have any recommendations? Thanks!

From what I understand you have to have things tested that are not obvious.  It was used in a variety of products for a very long time - adhesives, plaster, insulation, etc.  The siding is pretty obvious because it has a distinct look, but there are other things you wouldn't know just by looking at it.

Thanks all for the info.  All the talk I hear about asbestos sounds so scary, but your responses make it sound like it's not that intense - very good to know.  In the mean time, I contacted an asbestos abatement company that gave me a ballpark of $2500 to remove it.  That doesn't sound too bad to me.  And he also said it wasn't as big a deal as a lot of people make it out to be.  Thanks for all the feedback!

Hi all, I'm considering buying a property entirely clad in asbestos siding.  Has anyone dealt with this and what did you do?  I was told I can just put new siding up over the asbestos and it would be effectively encapsulated.  Is this true and what do I do if I need to cut a hole in the wall for something like a window - do I have to get an abatement team in there to do that?  Any advice or experience would be much appreciated.  Would you run away as fast as possible, or is this not that big a deal?  Thanks!!!

Already on it Adam, and yes it I a generous offer - thanks Art!  Are either of you planning on attending the TREIA meeting tonight?  I'll be there, so hopefully I'll see you both.  -Jill

Awesome, thanks for the link to the building code!  

I called the City of Durham and asked about any restrictions regarding building additions to residential structures and he said as long as I wasn't increasing the footprint there weren't any restrictions per se but that I should just send the drawings into the City and see if they approve them.  Not exactly reassuring... 

Thanks so much everybody, there are a number of things I did not know to consider.  I will Definitely call the City to make sure I can alter the structure to begin with and it can be permitted to expand.  

Chris, it never even dawned on me that a city would restrict the repair value, that's wild.  Was it in an area that had some kind of special protections, or is this a city-wide Garner thing?  Also, I'm sure this is an ignorant newbie question, but what are the Levels of alteration you are talking about (2 vs. 3?)  And do you know where I can find information about those definitions and their requirements?

Thanks Mike, I figured that might have been to vague.  There are actually 2 areas on the house I'm looking at:

1. 700 Sq. Ft. attic conversion to 2nd story with addition of new shed dormers to accommodate the footprint.  I wouldn't tear the whole roof off, just work with the pitch that's already there.  That would need to include a new 14' run of stairs.  I'm thinking wood shakes for the siding, there wouldn't be as much area to cover as a typical 2nd story addition.  It would house 2 bedrooms, a bath and a loft.   Carpet, tile, and wood respectively and probably need about 7 windows.

2.  There's a really crappy 400 sq. ft. addition on the back of the house that needs to be ripped off and rebuilt completely.  There would be existing foundation for the new construction to sit on, but otherwise it would need to be totally new, we'd either match the existing wood siding or go with shakes on the rebuild.  The new space would be used as the kitchen, so either tile or wood floors.

I'll try your suggestion of reverse engineering the price on a new build, that's a great idea, thanks!

Hi all! I'm looking at a house in Durham that's going to need an addition, probably 600 sq. ft. What does it typically cost per sq. ft. for new construction/addition in Durham? ARV should be in the mid 200's. Thanks!