Comments on: What makes a house a “tear down” http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/ Seattle's Leading Resource for Real Estate Information Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:58:53 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Carolyn Contreras http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-344917 Carolyn Contreras Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:11:49 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-344917 Dear Lori, I am looking for the children of Dick and Flo Whinery of Dallas TX. My husband, Phillip and your Dad went to SMU law school. Are you the right Lori? THANKS Dear Lori,
I am looking for the children of Dick and Flo Whinery of Dallas TX. My husband, Phillip and your Dad went to SMU law school. Are you the right Lori? THANKS

]]> By: ARDELL http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-329898 ARDELL Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:43:45 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-329898 I don't know what you mean by "or for the lot". Are you suggesting that whomever tears it down and takes away the debris gets to keep the lot? If that is the case, I'm sure I can find someone willing to do it. I don’t know what you mean by “or for the lot”. Are you suggesting that whomever tears it down and takes away the debris gets to keep the lot?

If that is the case, I’m sure I can find someone willing to do it.

]]> By: Jerry Minor http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-329893 Jerry Minor Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:06:31 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-329893 Thank you for a great website and answers to many questions. Can you direct me to someone that tears down homes for scrap or for the lot - in either Lewis or Pacific county - I don't even know what these people would be called - thanks Jerry Thank you for a great website and answers to many questions. Can you direct me to someone that tears down homes for scrap or for the lot – in either Lewis or Pacific county – I don’t even know what these people would be called –
thanks
Jerry

]]> By: James Hsu http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-95831 James Hsu Mon, 12 Feb 2007 05:37:07 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-95831 Hi Lori, ...this is an extremely tough question to give a clear cut answer. Huge factors are involved for you to make the best choice that none of us know or could answer for you. So here's some questions that might help you arrive at your answer. As I see it...it boils down to time and money. If you tore it down and built new, where will you live for the X number of months it will take to demolish and build? Can you afford the holding costs and/or the payments on a construction loan in addition to any loans you took out to buy the property in the first place? You'd have to talk to a lender that is experienced in construction loans to help you figure out what kind of dollar figures you'd be looking at. How much remodeling has the house had since 1925? What else needs to be done just to make the house safe to live in. You listed foundation, siding, kitchen, floors, ...but what about plumbing? wiring? Is the electric panel still knob and tube? Some (many?) insurance companies won't even issue you a policy for a house with knob and tube. Can you and your family live with the noise and the constant mess of a progressive remodel? ...if there are little kids around....it's also dangerous with all the construction materials and nails and such everywhere all the time. If you went with building new...Is building a new house somewhere else on the 2.5 acre lot while you live in the old house an option? That would solve the problem of where you'd live during construction. Tough tough question Lori, ...I dont' know if I helped any in helping you answer it! :) Building new....you wipe the slate clean and everything is brought up to today's standards and code at the same time, but financing it could be an issue as well as living arrangements during construction. Progressive remodel ....you're remodeling bit by bit ..most likely take a lot lot longer to get to a fully remodeled place, ...what would cost more in the long run? ... Sorry for the non-answer answer, but there's simply too many factors involved in such a huge decision to simply tell you what to do. Otherwise I'd say ... uhm... a vacation in Hawaii sounds good! Hi Lori, …this is an extremely tough question to give a clear cut answer. Huge factors are involved for you to make the best choice that none of us know or could answer for you. So here’s some questions that might help you arrive at your answer.

As I see it…it boils down to time and money. If you tore it down and built new, where will you live for the X number of months it will take to demolish and build? Can you afford the holding costs and/or the payments on a construction loan in addition to any loans you took out to buy the property in the first place? You’d have to talk to a lender that is experienced in construction loans to help you figure out what kind of dollar figures you’d be looking at.

How much remodeling has the house had since 1925? What else needs to be done just to make the house safe to live in. You listed foundation, siding, kitchen, floors, …but what about plumbing? wiring? Is the electric panel still knob and tube? Some (many?) insurance companies won’t even issue you a policy for a house with knob and tube.

Can you and your family live with the noise and the constant mess of a progressive remodel? …if there are little kids around….it’s also dangerous with all the construction materials and nails and such everywhere all the time.

If you went with building new…Is building a new house somewhere else on the 2.5 acre lot while you live in the old house an option? That would solve the problem of where you’d live during construction.

Tough tough question Lori, …I dont’ know if I helped any in helping you answer it! :) Building new….you wipe the slate clean and everything is brought up to today’s standards and code at the same time, but financing it could be an issue as well as living arrangements during construction. Progressive remodel ….you’re remodeling bit by bit ..most likely take a lot lot longer to get to a fully remodeled place, …what would cost more in the long run? …

Sorry for the non-answer answer, but there’s simply too many factors involved in such a huge decision to simply tell you what to do. Otherwise I’d say … uhm… a vacation in Hawaii sounds good!

]]> By: shane http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-95787 shane Mon, 12 Feb 2007 04:43:03 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-95787 Lori, I am in the same as Ardell, Tacoma is not my area of geo expertise. As an appraiser I must refer you to someone who as the main post by Ardell touches on and that is Highest and Best use. An appraiser or broker may be able to help you in this area. All Highest and Best use problems take a little bit of number crunching and the crunching needs to be based on good market data. Good luck. Lori, I am in the same as Ardell, Tacoma is not my area of geo expertise. As an appraiser I must refer you to someone who as the main post by Ardell touches on and that is Highest and Best use. An appraiser or broker may be able to help you in this area.

All Highest and Best use problems take a little bit of number crunching and the crunching needs to be based on good market data.

Good luck.

]]> By: ARDELL http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-95774 ARDELL Mon, 12 Feb 2007 04:31:57 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-95774 Not my ara of expertise there, Lori. Is the land subdividable? I don't know Tacoma at all. Not my ara of expertise there, Lori. Is the land subdividable? I don’t know Tacoma at all.

]]> By: lori whinery http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-95757 lori whinery Mon, 12 Feb 2007 04:22:01 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/08/01/what-makes-a-house-a-tear-down/#comment-95757 Hi we need help on making a decision. Should we tear our old house down and build new or slowly remodel this one. The problem is our septic would have to be shored up and that will cost alot to do. So if we just remodel we will not have to do that. We just bought a 1925 home with 21/2 acres of land with a beautiful view of Mt. Ranier in Tacoma Washington. It cost us 350,000.00 the house needs alot of work but it is only 1200 sq ft.I love old homes and would be kind of neat to fix it up, but the foundation needs shoring up and it needs new siding not to mention new kitchen,floors throughout, ect. Someone quoted us 19,000.00 to put footings under the house and someone said that was too much. Do you know anyone who could do it for less? Oh what to do help. Lori Whinery Hi we need help on making a decision. Should we tear our old house down and build new or slowly remodel this one. The problem is our septic would have to be shored up and that will cost alot to do. So if we just remodel we will not have to do that. We just bought a 1925 home with 21/2 acres of land with a beautiful view of Mt. Ranier in Tacoma Washington. It cost us 350,000.00 the house needs alot of work but it is only 1200 sq ft.I love old homes and would be kind of neat to fix it up, but the foundation needs shoring up and it needs new siding not to mention new kitchen,floors throughout, ect. Someone quoted us 19,000.00 to put footings under the house and someone said that was too much. Do you know anyone who could do it for less? Oh what to do help. Lori Whinery

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