Vinyl siding if it is put on right will be great for you, no painting. If they covered the trims and overhangs even better and it does help with insolation. It can feel loose but the main thing is how they did the seams. I know when I sided my one house the realtor told me I should have went with a basic color as she thought that was one of the reasons I had a little more trouble selling it, but I made $30,000 on it when I sold it so can't complain. As for retaining walls, I would make sure they are in good condition, especially if it is yours so you don't have to repair it right away. I owned a walk out ranch, as long as the walls underground are in good shape wouldn't worry too much about flooding, although it can happen as we know someone whose walk-out basement flooded enough that the water washed out a big chunk of his wall. The most important thing about buying a home is how it fits your life style. If you are used to taking public transport then it might be more important to live on a bus line. If the half mile walk to the shopping is along a busy highway with no sidewalks, that can be a problem. I like where I live because it close to a bus and only a few blocks to everything I need. I could rely on my wife or sister to take me places but I like knowing that I can do it if I choose too. I would guess that my grocery and drug store are half a mile, but it is all within the neighborhood and with sidewalks, but I did have a house where there wasn't a lot of sidewalks and on a busy street, but we managed, no little ones in tow, smile! Housing is such a personal thing that it is hard to tell someone what or where to buy a home. The best way to get a house you want is pay what the seller asks, but you should never do that unless you really want the house.
----- Original Message ----- From: Jennifer Jackson To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 12:01 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] house questions Hey Everybody, So I have been looking at houses and have not yet found the one. Well, actually I have put a bid on one, but so did someone else that same day and they got the house. Anyway, I have some questions about houses in general, and I am hoping you guys can help me out again. What do you think about vinyl siding? It always feels loose to me, but I am told it is just how the vinyl siding is. I am not sure what I think about it. Are there things that should concern me besides appearance? What are the worries around retaining walls? Should I be concerned about having my neighbors yards fall into mine, or mine into theirs? Basements, I think. One house I like is built on a hill and has half of the bottom floor underground. You come in the front door on the stair landing. What should I be concerned about as far as flooding or leaking? You guys should also talk to me about being sensible. I really like this one house that is no where near a bus line, and at least half a mile to the nearest shopping for groceries and stuff. That's half a mile with little kids in tow too. The house isn't even my dream house or anything. I am just in love with the back yard. Jennifer [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
