Brigita's Blog: January 2008

You have been out looking at many different homes, new and old, in the country.  You drive up to yet another home.  This one is out in the country with a few acres around it.  This is an old farmhouse dating back to the 1800's and is surrounded by a few large shade trees and has a wrap around porch.  It looks like a painting by Norman Rockwell.  You love the place already.  Just before entering the home, you stop a moment on the porch and imagine yourself sitting on a swing on a warm summer night enjoying the sound of the crickets. 

As you walk through the home, you feel like you belong there.  It has a nice homey, comfy feeling.  The longer you stay there, the more you feel like this is THE home for you.  But, gee.  It's an older home.  What do I need to check before buying it?

Here are some things you need to look, and look out, for:

Is it in a floodplain?  The old farmhouses were usually built on flat ground.  Sometimes they were near creeks, streams or rivers.  Check to see if the home has ever flooded.  If it is in a floodplain, it is almost guaranteed you will get flooded in one way or another.

What is the layout like?  Old farmhouses usually lacked closet space and had small rooms, excluding the kitchen.  Even though the kitchen may be large, see if there is enough room for counter space and appliances.  Realize that back then there were no such things as a refrigerator or oven.  They used a fireplace to cook.  You also need to consider if the ceilings are high enough and the doors wide enough.  These would be difficult things to remedy.

How's the water and the plumbing?  Old farmhouses usually have springs or wells for a water source.  Check out the plumbing in the home to see if it has been updated.  The old plumbing may have lead in it.  Test the water for contaminants.  If the tap water is discolored or has grit in it, it may mean that a pipe is deteriorated, which may mean a costly repair. 

Farmhouses usually have septic systems.  See how old the system is.  It may not pass current percolation and design standards if it is old.  It is possible the old systems may not be grandfathered for new owners.  If you add on to the home, you may be required to replace the septic system.  Check to see if the septic pipe runs straight into the creek.  This will definitely need to be worked on.

Is the structure sound?  Redoing foundations is difficult and costly.  Also check the roof and gutters.  Plus, the flooring should be checked.

Is the fireplace original?  It is required that chimney flues be lined with heat-resistant tile or an equivalent, for safety reasons.  If the older flue cannot be retrofitted, then it needs to be torn out and built from scratch.

How is the electric and HVAC?  Old wiring needs to be replaced along with anything less than 200 amp service.  If the home still has a fuse box, you must replace it with circuit breakers.  If you are considering putting in duct based heating and air conditioning, it may be a huge expense.  It is difficult to retrofit old plaster walls with concealed ductwork and wires.

How well insulated is the home?  The old wood frame farmhouses were built without insulation.  They were not air tight.  The older windows and doors are not energy efficient and would need replacing.  It is possible the attic has been insulated, but chances are slim that the walls and the floors have been upgraded.

What is the heating like?  Back in the days of old, wood-stoves were used to heat the home.  Check if there is any other source of heat in the home.  You may want to consider converting the wood-stove to a coal stove.

What is the exterior maintenance?  The exterior may need constant painting or repair unless it has been updated with no maintenance siding.

Have a home inspection done.  A home inspection will give a thorough check of the home, inside and out, including the basement or crawlspace and the roof.  You will be informed of any problems, small and large.  Also, have the home inspected for bugs and critters.  Country homes are known to be homes to different visitors from the wild.  Farm buildings are not included in the inspection.

Before buying that old farmhouse, understand what you are getting yourself into.  It may be more costly than you think.  Check every little thing out and see if the farmhouse is a place for you.  With your added touches the country home will express your personality.  They have been around for a long time and with your extra touches, it will become yours.

I've been tagged for Meme #3 by Jamie of ERA 1st Choice Realty 

So, now I need to come up with 5 more things about myself that you don't know about me.  Hmmmmm.  Let me get my thinking cap on.  Let's see now . . . . . OK, here we go.

1. I tend to be a fighter.  No I don't mean going out and punching someone.  I don't let anything get me down.  When I am down, I just turn myself around, pick myself up and move ahead.  I just don't give up.  When the chips were down, and believe me, I've had some hard times, I have managed to get through.  I don't believe in the word "can't".  If there's a will, there's a way.  It might take a while, but, if you put your mind to it, it will happen.  There is always a light at the end of the tunnel when you work at it.  I never give up.  
2. I like to help people, children and animals.  That might be why I volunteer with different organizations.  I have been a District Commissioner with a local chapter of the US Pony Club for about 10 years, helped with the local Handicapped Riding Program for a few years, have been, and still am, a leader of a 4H Horse (of course) Club.  I am currently involved with the Lehigh Valley Animal Response Team.  I try not to overdo the volunteer work.  Not only do I volunteer with different organizations, I also help others (individuals) in need.  I find that helping others out gives me such a good feeling, and I like it. 
3. I am a big sister to an 8 year old girl.  I used to work at a day care and a certain little girl became attached to me when she found out that I had a horse.  She loves horses.  We connected right from the start.  She is going through a rough time in her life (her parent's divorce, looking for a new home, etc.), so I tend to get her away from those things for a little bit.  We do many things together.  She loves to come up to the barn and help with the chores, and I have been teaching her to ride.  I must say she's a great little student.  Anything horsey we do together and she loves it.  If anything special is going on in her life, she invites me to it.  I do the same with her.  She's a great little girl. 
4. I love to learn.  I am always looking for ways to educate myself.  In reference to horses, I audit clinics, read books and magazines, attend seminars and anything to do with horses.  Even though I have been in the horse business for over 30 years, there is still more to learn.  I also educate myself in real estate (of course), self improvement and my different interests.  I think it's neat finding out new things. 
5. I love older homes and older barns.  By older, I mean 1800's and earlier.  I am fascinated with the construction of these structures, as to how well built they are.  It amazes me as to how the original log homes were built.  And the fact that all of these have been built without the heavy equipment we have these days.  If only the newer homes were built as well.  LOL

Well, that's 5 more things you found out about me.  Now, I have to tag 3 more people.  Let's see.  Who should I pick?  OK!  The winners are (drum roll, please):

Duane Marlink

Lizette Fitzpatrick

Marc Grossman

Looking forward to reading more about you!

All across the United States, the number of horses that are not properly cared for is on the rise.  This is either because the owners will not or are unable to take care of them.  Over the past decade, horse ownership has drastically increased in the US.  According to the American Horse Council, there are over 9 million horses in America.  That's a big increase from just over 6 million in the mid-1990's. 

Over 2 million Americans own horses and more than 1/3 of those owners have a household income of less than $50,000.  As the horse population rose and the economy fell, horses are more difficult to sell.  Some owners are no longer able to afford their horses.

It seems that, along with everything else, the cost of maintaining a horse is getting very costly.  The cost of hay alone has more than doubled over the past year because of drought, floods and record high costs of fuel needed to grow and harvest the crop.  In 2005, the cost was about $2.50 per bale.  Now, it costs over $6.00 per bale in many states.  Of course horses naturally graze on grass, but hay is needed mostly in the winter months when pastures stop or slow down in growth.  Even the small farms must buy hundreds of bales of hay each winter to last until the spring grasses come in.

Some horses end up in slaughterhouses, but others end up starving, eventually ending up at rescues.  Even the rescues are struggling with the upkeep of the horses due to rising costs.  Some owners aren't even bothering to find homes for the horses.  They are left abandoned in remote areas to fend for themselves.

Euthanasia and burial of horses is even costly because you need to call a vet in to put the horse to sleep and then you need to have the body disposed.  Many areas do not allow you to bury dead animals on your property, so you need to have someone come in and haul it away.  It's costly putting a dog or cat to sleep.  Imagine the cost of a horse.  It's not even that simple.

What will happen to the uncared for horses as the economy worsens?  With the economy going the way it is, it is hard to say.  Unless the economy makes a sudden turn for the better, the future of the horses looks grim.

The local news station here in the Lehigh Valley, has a segment called "The Kid's Corner" and is televised daily on the evening news.  Last night they had an unbelievable story.

Would you believe children that are raised in newer homes are smarter than the ones raised in older homes?  Now their reasoning behind this is that the asbestos and lead from the older homes affect your brain.  Very interesting.  Does this mean those of us that were raised in these homes back before the 70's are not smart?  Hmmmm.  Now let me see.  We did have some great people back in the olden days.  Did we not?  Albert Einstein comes to mind, for one.  How about Thomas Edison?  Did it not take some smarts to come up with inventions and scientific theories? 

I have no idea where these people come up with ideas like this, but they are easily proven wrong.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't heard of any great inventions lately, that I can think of.  How about you?  I honestly think some people have nothing better to do than to come up with ridiculous theories. 

I received an e-mail this morning from the IRS stating the I am due for a refund.  The following is a copy of the e-mail:

Internal Revenue Service
      United States Department of the Treasury

After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have
determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $109.
Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-9 days in order to
process it.

A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons.
For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline.

To access your tax refund, please click here


Best Regards,
Tax Refund Deparment
Internal Revenue Service

I clicked onto to the website and it looks legit, but it asks for your credit card or debit card number, your pin number, your social security number and other personal information.  And these are all required fields.  This sounds rather suspicious to me.  Why would the IRS want your PIN number?

Has anyone else gotten a similar e-mail?

My husband and I went mattress shopping this past weekend.  Boy, was that an experience!

We went into many different stores: mattress stores, department stores, outlets, etc.  You name it, we were probably there.  What I noticed in every store were the types of sales people we came across.

The one type of salesperson we met was a pushy one.  This was the type we were dreading.  As soon as we walked into the store, she was there.  Instead of letting us look around, right away she started her sales pitch.  First, we were to lie down on this bed that was hooked up to the computer and the computer was going to tell us what sort of bed we needed.  Now, no way is a computer going to tell me what kind of bed is best for me.  I will choose one that I like and feels best for me.  Next, using the computer data, she showed us the mattresses that fit the computer's description.  Of course, we were shown first the high priced mattresses.  Sorry, not in the budget for top of the line.  Next, we were shown the mid range(?) mattresses.  Did we like them?  Sure, they felt good, but, please, they are out of our budget. 

She then informed us that we can get 0% financing for 1 year on the mattress of our choice.  We just told her we'd think about it, thanked her and left.  We did not want to pay a fortune for a mattress, financing or no financing. 

Another type of salesperson we met up with was one that was there only when we needed him.  When we walked into the store, he greeted us and asked if we needed assistance.  We politely informed him that we were just looking, at which point he replied that if we had any questions, he'll be happy to assist us.  This is more the way we liked it.  We checked out the different mattresses and came across a couple that were in our budget and we liked.  We asked the salesperson a few questions, which he answered.  Not only did he answer our questions, he also gave us some useful information about the mattresses, which helped in our decision.

Just like salespeople, there are many different types of real estate agents out there.  Some are pushy, some do very little, some rude, and others will work in the interest of the buyer/seller and let them make the decisions.  If I were a consumer, I would personally go with the agent that educated me, worked in my best interest and let me make the final decisions.  It only make sense.  Which type of agent would you feel comfortable with? 

This past weekend, my husband and I were out shopping for a mattress.  Our old one has hills and valleys in it, so it's time to get a new one.  We visited many stores and tried many different types of mattresses.

I never imagined that there were that many types of mattresses out there.  There were firm (more like rock solid), plush/firm, plush, form fitting, etc.  Just too many to list.  And the price ranges were from cheap, with a 3 year guarantee, to ridiculously expensive, with a lifetime guarantee.  Of course the most comfortable ones were the expensive ones.  Those are just a bit (LOL) out of our price range.  With such a variety to choose from, how are we to decide which mattress to purchase.  Many of them felt comfortable, which doesn't make the decision any easier.  Too many choices.  We want to be sure we make the right choice.

This must be how some of the buyers in the real estate market must feel.  So many homes to choose from and each one has it's pros and cons.  This makes for a difficult decision.  Would a brand new home be better than an older home?  Would a fixer upper be a better choice?  The older homes are built solid, but the newer ones include modern conveniences.  Would a large piece of property satisfy my needs, or would a small lot be better?  Decisions, decisions.  Which would be the better way to go?

I certainly feel for the buyers right now.  Even though they have such a huge inventory to choose from, which would be the better option?  Yes, they may be able to take their time to decide, but this is a very important and expensive step in their lives.  I'm sure they want to be certain that this is the right decision they are making.  You simply cannot return a home if not satisfied. 

My suggestion is to decide exactly what you are looking for?  What are the things that a home must have, that are important to you?  What are some of the things that aren't as important to have in a home?  The easiest thing to do is to write up a list.  Make 2 columns: 
                                                 1-Must include and
                                                 2-Would be nice, but not necessary. 
The list will make it easier to search. 

Oh, by the way, make sure to look at homes that are affordable.  If not, you may fall in love with one that is out of reach for you and you will only be dissapointed. 

All you buyers, now go out there and find that dream home!  It's out there calling your name!

The Kentucky Horse Park, located in Lexington, KY, has just received the Special Eclipse Award, which is for promoting and showcasing horse breeds.  The National Thoroughbred Racing Association made the announcement on January, 9, 2008.

The Kentucky Horse Park was founded in 1978 and is the home of 53 breeds of horses.  There are many things to see at the park.  The park includes a museum, which is dedicated to the horse and its role in human history, and is the home to a few retired show and race horses.  The complex also hosts competitions, including the International Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event.                                                 

The Horse Park will be hosting the 2010 World Equestrian Games.  This will be a first since this event has never been held in North America. 

Hey, all you antique buffs!  A huge antique show will be happening here in the Lehigh Valley, PA.  It will be held at the Merchants Square Mall in Allentown (The exact address is 1901 S. 12th St.)  on Saturday, February 2, 2008 from 10AM - 4PM and Sunday, February 3, 2008 from 10AM - 3PM.

There will be over 45 dealers from 3 area states participating.  You will find antiques dating from the 1900's through the 1960's for show and sale.  You will find linens, depression glass, jewelry, pottery, porcelain, vintage books, antique glass and china, Victorian items, furniture and many, many more items. 

The cost is $4.00 and children under 12 get in for free.

Come out and see, and maybe even purchase, items from the past at the Great Lehigh Valley Antique Show in Allentown, PA.  There's something for everyone!

My friend's daughter, son-in-law and 2 grandchildren (a 3 year old and an infant) are moving from Ohio back to Pennsylvania.  (The son-in-laws job is relocating to the area.)  They were here visiting for a few days during Christmas and during that time they were out looking for a place.  They decided to rent first and buy a home after they moved.  That makes sense.  So, they looked at a few rentals.  They were moving to Pennsylvania in the middle of January, so they had to have a place secured before going back to Ohio.

During their stay, they did find a 3 bedroom row home to rent.  Even though the rent was a bit higher than they wanted, they signed the lease, anyway.  They had gone out on their own to find a place and did not ask for anyone to help them or for anyone's opinion.  I do want to mention that this couple is a young couple in their mid-twenties.  So, they are inexperienced. 

Yesterday, I received a panicked phone call from my friend.  She had gone over to the house to get it ready for her daughter and son-in-law to move into and she was totally disgusted with it.  She asked me to go over with her to see it and find out what my opinion of the place was.  I agreed.

I went over with her and for starters, the outside of the place looked a bit run down.  OK, it's a rental.  Let's see what it looks like inside.  Stepping into the house, you right away smelled a strong odor of cat urine.  Ugh!  I'm a cat lover, but that is something I can't take.  The kitchen was totally outdated and had no counter space.  We went into the living room.  The carpet had stains and was worn in one area.  The odor was strongest here.  It was probably in the carpets.  Upstairs, the odor wasn't as strong and it didn't look too bad in the bedrooms. 

Going downstairs into the basement was a bit tricky.  The stairs were shaky and the railing was just hanging.  One of the steps felt like it was ready to go at anytime.  Not safe.  I checked out the wiring.  It was old and still had the fuses instead of circuit breakers.  There were 2 doors leading to the outside, but were unusable.  They had no door knobs and were falling off the hinges. 

This is where a family with a newborn are supposed to live?  These are terrible conditions. 

My friend had called the landlord and brought up these concerns.  He told her that the carpet had been cleaned and the smell is only because the house has been closed up for awhile.  Air out the house and it will be fine.  The carpet was not replaced because the it was not that worn.  As far as the basement, well, that's not a living space.  Therefore, it is not a safety issue.  How's that for blowing it off?

My friend is upset about the kids and grandkids moving into this place, but there is nothing she can do.  They are intent on moving there.  She is just worried about the kids in conditions like that.  The toddler and the infant can easily get hurt there.

What would you do in this case?