c/general-housing

My dad insisted on putting the water heater in the garage instead of the attic, and after our pipes froze last winter, I owe him an apology.

He said it would save us from a major repair down the line, and sure enough, the attic unit in our neighbor's identical house burst during a cold snap in Charlotte, causing over $5,000 in water damage.

3 comments

susan_adams•24d ago

Our kitchen faucet cartridge gave out on a Sunday evening, of course.

The plumber charged $200 for the emergency call, which hurt more than the leak. Anyone have a good brand for a replacement cartridge that doesn't fail after a year?

3 comments

quinn_reed17•24d ago

Our apartment complex switched from individual window units to a central HVAC system this spring.

My electric bill for June was $87, which is almost $40 less than the same month last year with the old noisy window AC. The new system is way more even and quiet too, no more fighting with that one unit that never cooled the bedroom. Has anyone else seen a big drop in costs after a similar upgrade?

3 comments

john_fisher•25d ago

Update: My neighbor insists a 20% down payment is the only way to buy a house, but my lender in Phoenix said we could go as low as 3%.

I keep seeing people online act like you need that full 20% down, which can scare off first-time buyers, but after talking to a loan officer and reading the actual FHA guidelines, I found out there are several programs for way less if your credit is decent, so what's the biggest down payment myth you've had to unlearn?

3 comments

lucash53•25d ago

The difference in my attic insulation after one winter is crazy

I added 10 inches of blown cellulose in my attic last fall, and my heating bill dropped from $220 to $140 a month. The house just holds heat so much better now, and the upstairs rooms don't feel drafty anymore. It cost me about $600 to do it myself with a rental machine from the hardware store. Has anyone else seen this big a change from just one upgrade?

3 comments

claire_grant34•25d ago

I finally figured out why my water bill was so high

Last Tuesday, I noticed a small patch of my lawn in Phoenix was way greener than the rest. I checked the meter and it was spinning even with everything off inside. I dug down about a foot and found a tiny crack in the main line from the street. The plumber said it was probably leaking 20 gallons a day for weeks. Has anyone else had to fix an underground leak like that?

3 comments

corap21•27d ago

Overheard my neighbor's story about a hidden leak and it got me thinking

I was at the hardware store last week and this guy in line was telling the cashier about a slow leak behind his kitchen sink. He said he only found it because his water bill jumped by $80 in one month. The leak had been going on for maybe six weeks, and by the time he pulled out the cabinet base, there was black mold and the subfloor was soft. He said the repair quote was over $3,000. It made me realize I NEVER check under my own sinks or behind the fridge for damp spots. We all look at the big stuff, but a tiny drip in a hidden spot can cause a huge problem. How often do you guys do a real check around your place for water leaks?

3 comments

gibson.wesley•27d ago

Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro vs Rocket Mortgage?

Trying to figure out if I should stick with Rocket Mortgage or switch to Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro. Anyone compared the two?

2 comments