Mortgage Monday: Where’s The Warranty?

Over the course of the past several months since we purchased our home, there have been a few things here and there that we have found that need replacing. Nothing major at this point but all items that we are trying to address in as timely a manner as we can manage at this point. Of course, there is also a process that we must follow when assessing each of these minor issues the first step is to assess our home warranty to see if any of these items are covered. This, as should be a surprise to no one, involves scanning a lot of fine print and numerous phone calls to clarify the coverage of some items.

The first issue that we encountered shortly after moving in was the self-destruction of our garage door… no one told us it was made by Mission Impossible Brands. It was a simple matter of a single bolt coming loose but it was enough to grenade the door. And, of course, it is something not covered under the warranty. So it remains one of the small but annoying items on our list of things that we need to address in the coming months.

It is the little things such as this that just seem to add up and it is never a small item that is included in the fine print of the home warranty. The wording is almost clairvoyant in the way is side steps many of the minor issues that we have encountered. While nothing is of great significance and would be considered an annoyance more than anything, they all add up as more and more small items turns into a rather large list.

And, right now, we are only in the very beginning of this process. As many of you know, all of the little quirks and minor repairs usually pop up within the first year… we are only half way there. I can see a few things that may be problematic in the coming months and have already started checking for warranty coverage. Our luck could turn in this regard but we won’t really know until we try to use it. However, we can’t lose sight of the simple fact that this remains a solid house.

There are many issues that I have heard about from others that are nowhere to be found in our home. Again, the ‘issues’ that we have encountered are very minor and it shouldn’t be an issue making these small adjustments, changes, and repairs. As was written about before, the optional list is something completely different. But, so far, things are good and we will make the necessary modifications… one project at a time.

TMI Tuesday: Worrying About Daddy!

Every morning before my wife takes him to school, I tell my son weather I will be home that night to tuck him in or if I will be out late. On Friday, as we packed everything up and put him in the car, I told my son that I would be home at my normal time that night so that I could play with him and tuck him into bed. Well, I had every intention of keeping my word to my son. In fact, I was even on the road a little earlier than usual when the accident happened.

Shortly after leaving the office, about five miles down the road, brake lights filled the highway causing me to come to a nearly complete halt in the left lane. However, the 1986 pickup truck behind me didn’t stop in time and rear ended me at about 40-50 miles per hour. The accident was limited to our two vehicles as I had come to rest with plenty of room between me and the car in front of me. I knew in that moment that I wasn’t going to be home before bedtime.

We pulled off the highway onto the right shoulder, called the State Troopers, our insurance companies, and waited. The 18 year old kid who hit me knew that it was his fault the instant that it happened. Surprisingly, I was just happy to still be in one piece and thankful that I wasn’t driving my old Malibu. While the Jeep held up and kept me safe, the entire back end is a mess and it is doing to require significant work to both the body and the frame.

By the time everything was settled and I was back on the road (the car didn’t drive the same but it still moved) my son was in bed and worrying about daddy. As I would find out later, he kept tossing and turning until I got home and before heading to bed he kept frantically reaching for the phone wanting to check in on me. Baby was worried about me. The next morning, he wanted to spend a little extra time with daddy frequently crawling over to me to give me hugs and kisses. It took nearly the entire day before he fully calmed down knowing that daddy was okay.

While I did keep telling my son that I was okay, I remained stiff and sore throughout the weekend. On Monday, after dropping off the car to be assessed, I did go to the local Urgent Care to get checked out just in case. Two hours and two dozen x-rays later and they could find nothing wrong… at least nothing related to the accident. I still have to keep an eye on things but, for now, I am fine. However, while I am okay, given the extent of the damage, this car is done.

Regardless of whether it is repaired or totaled, the car is never going to be the same and I no longer have the confidence in its ability to hold up over time. After all, it is not just my safety that we are talking about, it has to keep my family safe. So, expect a post or two in the future about the car search and whether or not I decide to simply replace or changing things up a bit again. Of course, it could take a while before I actually get a new car as the current repair timeline is about 30 days. A lot of recovering, waiting, and looking to come.

Mortgage Monday: Four Categories

I might have to call these guys!

While there is nothing wrong with our home there is always a list running in my head about different projects that we will be undertaking in the near future. Mind you, not everything falls into the project category but the list is definitely growing. Simply put, when looking around the house, there are generally four categories that everything falls into:

• Fine as it is
• Repairs /adjustments (possible replacements) needed
• There has got to be a better alternative
• Something is missing

The basic structure, kitchen, landscaping, and many other things fall into the first category. There really is nothing wrong with any of them. Nothing came up during the inspections and nothing has manifested since then. We like the layout of the house and so far it has been working for us. In fact, many of these aspects, especially the kitchen, are better than we were hoping to find when we first started our search so there aren’t any projects to speak of for these and many other things.

The second category comprises many of the things that most homeowners opt to replace, upgrade, or eliminate all together soon after buying their home which includes paint / wall coverings, flooring, kitchen and bathroom hardware, and other things that are more about personal taste than functionality. Not everything is optional as we also need to increase insulation in some areas, reseal the basement, clean up some minor electrical, cap the chimneys, repoint some of the masonry, and replace the retaining wall along the driveway. Of course, there are also things that we chose to replace as the current systems, appliances, etc. still work but are past their prime. For us this includes the washer/dryer, refrigerator, garage doors and openers, and AC unit. They all still work but it might be best to replace them now and avoid the immediacy of having to replace them quickly when they stop working.

The third category is something that we have been thinking about a lot lately, especially during the really cold nights, and we are considering overhauling the whole heating system for the house. Right now the boiler that supplies the baseboard heat his rather loud and, given how much we are spending on oil, not very efficient. Note that the same boiler is on year round as it also provides our hot water.

Basically, we are already looking at replacing the 10+ year old and undersized AC unit so we might as well get everything done at the same time and put a full HVAC system in. This would also allow us to pull out all the baseboard heating which are son is a little too fascinated with and which limits the wall space in our home. Of course, if we pull all of them out we might as well replace flooring and redo the walls at the same time as we don’t want to have to patch everything and then work on it later. Lastly, we are not going to keep the boiler just to supply the hot water so we will have to install a new instant hot water system while we are at it. As you can see, this third category tends to trickle down.

Finally, the fourth category is really about the things that we want but don’t need. A front porch would be nice to have (and a walk way across the front of the house) as would converting the fireplace to gas. We would also like to finish off one of the rooms and possibly the basement at some point in the future. However, we have plenty of space now so I don’t really see that happening any time soon. Again, this category is basically the splurge column. None of these things are needed but they would be nice to have an undoubtedly enjoyed.

That is the basic rundown that we have been going through recently as we continue to adjust to our new life in our new home. Some are items that we should check off our list this spring or summer while other projects can be held off for future years as we have the time, patience, and finances to tackle each of them. Again, we are already starting with a great home but this is the natural progression of things… every home owner goes through the same thing even those that build their ‘perfect’ dream home. And, sadly, I know that these lists will never disappear they will simply morph over the years to include other items and projects.

Mortgage Monday: Just In Case

When my wife and I originally made an offer on our house one of the things that we made sure to include was a home warranty policy. While we didn’t expect to find anything during the inspections and we don’t anticipate any major issues in the near future you just never know what might happen. The last thing we wanted was to invest such a large amount of money into a home and soon thereafter have to increase our investment because the AC unit finally gave up or the well pump decided to take some time off.

Actually, the reasons are quite a bit more mundane than the major issues that one could face in that first year. Usually it is something as simple as an appliance acting up or a garage door opener that was older than you expected. These are the things that fall beyond the purview of the regular homeowner’s insurance policy and, just like insurance, you never know what might happen. The last thing that I want to happen is that we don’t have something covered, particularly during this first year, and then all of the sudden we have to spend thousands of dollars that we were hoping to keep in the bank.

I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it… sounds like I’m referring to something else doesn’t it. But the same line of thought applies. I don’t want to be caught without it especially when it can impact the well-being and comfort of my family.

This is the just in case for those things that we can’t anticipate happening but, as we have heard and read about, they happen all of the time. So, I guess this could go back to my weekly checks that I referenced previously. Not only checking for the major things that everyone does like the roof and boiler but also the minor things like making sure the appliances sound the way that they should and that the garage door isn’t straining to open.

It really is a nominal cost or, as in our case, no cost option that brings a tremendous piece of mind to this first year in our new house. If something breaks we can take care of it right away and not worry about the financial impact that the repair or replacement might have. Rather than thinking and incessantly worrying, we can focus on enjoying our home and, more importantly, see the enjoyment on our son’s face when he is exploring the play room, looking outside, or watching the buggies as they sway down the road.

Another One Bites The Rim

Again I am in the midst of a short week and just like every other time I have tried to take a day or two off things are not going as planned. The basic schedule that I originally set this week was to put as many hours in during the four days was going to be in the office so that I could take Friday off knowing that nothing was being pushed back to the following week. Essentially, I didn’t want the day off to cause me to fall behind. That timeline took a few dings during work on Monday but nothing that I couldn’t address with my remaining three days.

Well, that all changed during my drive home on Monday night when the asphalt decided to jump up and take another victim. I was almost home when I was one of many cars forced to slam on the breaks to avoid an accident (thanks a-hole who decided last minute to turn into the first Wawa parking lot entrance). That sudden stop prevented me from avoiding the large crater waiting like a Venus Fly Trap to claim another tire.

Seconds later my dashboard lit up like a fireworks display and I turned into the next street. I know how to change a tire as, unfortunately, I have done it a few times before but having to do so on an incline still sucks. When I pulled off the tire I could see the rip in the tire but it was what I say when I looked on the inside that let me know that this was not going to be a quick tire change… the damn rim was bent. Given my past experience it was a rather quick stop and after sweating out my frustration of the day I slowly made my way to the apartment after about 30 minutes.

After shuffling our schedules, I ended up using my wife’s car this week while the dealer ordered a tire and rim… it actually worked out well as she didn’t really need the car too much this week and was able to quickly arrange for a ride to those places she was going. The prolonged process is finally, hopefully, coming to an end this morning but not without a little bonus discover at the dealer that the back right tire needs to be replaced as well. Another big expense that I am not paying for!

That’s right, thankfully I’m not going to be paying for two tires and a rim. While I am usually not a huge proponent of additional coverage when buying a car, I am a firm believer in purchasing tire and rim protection. With this latest stop at the dealer I think I am going to get about three times my investment back over the course of the two years since I purchased the car.

Since I have to be at the dealer I might as well get a few other things taken care of while I am already being inconvenienced so I figured to get the annual inspection and oil change done. With all the work being done to the car today, I should be ready to hit the road early tomorrow morning. It would be nice to get back on schedule for the first time this week. More about that later (hopefully without any other issues to report).