All Forum Posts by: James W.

the best way is from referrals. Do NOT go with the inspector your agent has provided. Your agent wants an inspector who does not find too many things wrong with the house otherwise it will delay the transaction. Your agent wants to make money as fast as possible and move on so they do not want a nit picky inspector.

Also, go with a inspector who is independent. Inspectors who work for large companies get paid a flat low rate so they probably will not spend very much time in the house. You want someone who searches every single nook and cranny in the house and does a VERY THOROUGH job.

you can install a sump pump and a dehumidifier.

I would choose the laundry room over the 2nd bathroom. No one wants to do their laundry at the dry cleaners at 10pm at night.

You should be able to add a stack washer/dryer in the 2nd bathroom. That way you get the best of both worlds.

A nice parking spot in San Diego, CA

I am in the process of negotiating for a house right now. The 4 bedroom house costs $218,000 (St. Louis, MO). The seller has agreed to give me $8000 credit to pay for repair for the house.

My mortgage broker told me that the lender will no longer give me $218,000 loan but instead will give me a $210,000 loan because of the credit.

He said to get around this, I should write in the contract that the seller will pay the $8000 credit towards the CLOSING COST. Then the mortgage broker will write me a check for $8,000.

This way I can get the loan for the full $218,000. Is this true???

I tried opening an equity line on my 4 bedroom san diego house and US Bank told me I could not because this house is a rental property. Is this true?

Does this mean I cannot refinance the house also because it is a rental property?

I am renting out my 4 bedroom house in San Diego, should I include the washer, dryer and refrigerator in a house rental.

The current tenants offered to leave their refrigerator, washer dryer in the house after they move out for $1000.

I just purchased a 4 bedroom 1 bathroom house that I want to rehab. I want to add a 2nd bathroom either upstairs or the basement. The problem with the upstairs is that the roof is slanted so there may not be much room for a bathroom addition without punching out the ceiling.

Would it be better to just add the 2nd bathroom upstairs or in the basement.

Does anyone know what a good price should be for the addition? What is the best way to find a good cotractor? Home depot?[/img]

bubble or no bubble, I am not moving out of my house. It is not for sale... unless ofcourse if walmart decides to build over it.

here is an article regarding St. Louis, MO from businessweek.com

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/may2005/nf20050523_2049_db016.htm

Has anyone researched investing in St. Louis? The houses there are rediculously cheap compared to the rest of the country and the city is beautiful. You can get a really nice 4 bedroom house in a great neighborhood for only $200,000.

Only 7% of the houses are purchased with interest only loans versus over 50% for California. A lot of biotech companies are moving there. Also Boeing, Microsoft and Anheuser-Busch have offices there. They have some of the top hospitals and schools in the United States.