I had heard wallpaper rumblings and rumors. A year or so ago, HGTV Househunters featured a fellow who wanted a condo where he could unleash his burgeoning wallpapering talents.
And, it seems that anytime something falls as far from grace as wallpaper assuredly has, it rebounds into the spotlight again just to keep us on our toes.

I worked hard many years ago to develop wallpaper hanging skills. To cut and match and plumb and level well enough to let people see my work.
About the time I got good at it (Or so I thought), wallpaper fell completely out of favor.
And now, my skill is redeemed! Wallpaper is back!

So, you have a home to sell in Cary? And now your wallpaper is back in favor, right? Not so fast. It can be expensive to be a trendsetter out on the bleeding edge of the cutting edge.
I have yet to hear Buyers mention “Wallpaper” without wrinkling up their noses at the concept.
And a new media fad doesn’t mean that your floral 1990′s have suddenly become chic, in, old school hot, desirable, retro. Not at all. And that foil paper? Buh-bye!
Decor is a personal and volatile subject. Your delight may well be a well-qualified Buyer’s stupor. And we all know there is no excess of well-qualified Buyers.

The advice to strip and paint is going to be with us for a while, I am afraid.

How many cars can you fit into a 2 car garage?

What makes a garage a 2 car garage?  Or a 3 car garage?
How can you tell?

The big door in front won't tell you.  You can get a pretty big door on a pretty small garage.

We see Cary listing agents marketing 2 car garages, or 3 car garages, for their seller.  But, some garages are so tight, it is difficult to imagine parking two cars and being able to open their doors.

Or, as often done in Cary, the water heater is placed in the garage, in the parking space.  Or the builder adds a flight of stairs from the garage to the living area, and that flight of stairs encroaches into a parking space.

Et cetera…

So, when working as a buyers agent, I take a very close look at the garage layout, the dimensions, and other factors that can impact the utility of the space.  And sometimes I will tell my home buyers, "Well, heck.  That's a 4 car garage.  If you own 4 Smart cars."  In other words, you will work hard to park 2 cars in that garage.

Zoysia Sod Installation

We are seeing more and more real estate listings touting “drought-tolerant Zoysia grass” in the Cary area. I think there is merit to that promotion by listing agents and home sellers. I had Empire Zoysia sod installed last week at home.  In near 100 degree heat.  It is supposed to be a "warm season" turf, and I surely hope so.

Green Level Environmental Landscaping did a great installation, and I was impressed how the crew pressed through the heat to finish.

Why Zoysia?  It will turn brown in winter, and some folks don't care for that.  But, it also will deal with the stresses of hot weather, will spread to repair itself, and will tolerate more abuse than fescue will.  Zoysia grows thick like carpet and offers a luxurious lawn grass.

I also shot some Before, During, and After photos of the project:

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Thousands of homes in Cary NC neighborhoods, built from the mid-1980's through the mid-1990's were plumbed with polybutylene water supply lines.

Polybutylene water line systems have a history of higher than expected failure, to the point that the manufacturers settled a class-action law suit with an agreement.
That said, I don't consider Polybutylene Pipe  to be a deal-breaker if found in an otherwise desirable home.  Location, Lot, and Layout are still most important.  And, if the system is working without issues known to the homeowner, the existence of Polybutylene piping in a Cary NC home is not even a material fact that is required to be disclosed to a potential buyer.  A buyer may be able to negotiate for credit for replumbing, or an agreeable price that considers the cost of replumbing.  Again, thought, the existence of polybutylene piping is not a violation of any building code, and is not a material defect.
 

As a real estate agent working for buyer clients, I tell them that, to the best of my ability, they will not write an offer on a home from the 1980's or 1990's until we determine whether it was plumbed with polybutylene water lines.
I try to help them avoid paying a home inspector a few hundred dollars to tell them that they have PB pipe, particularly if they consider it a deal breaker.
A photo of PEX water lines (the white pipes) connecting a replacement water heater to an existing polybutylene piping system:

Identifying Polybutylene water supply piping can be accomplished in a few different ways. 

Often it can be seen coming through a wall at the water heater.  Sometimes it is exposed at laundry room connections, or under sinks or vanities.

My preferred method is to look in a crawl space or basement to see what water line material was used.

For further information on polybutylene piping uses and issues, here is a great article by Kenny Hart, former plumber, real estate agent, and home inspector.

Yes, they can get well-established, and over time, they are capable of significant damage. But, it is not necessary to hire the first termite control company that offers a quote. You have time to take a week or so and interview a few service providers, and make a choice without being in a terrible rush.
So, if it is time to have termite treatment performed, do it logically, methodically, and dispense with the fear and doubt that the television commercials are trying to provoke.

Unfortunately, they are short-lived species.  Their limb structure makes them weak, and also susceptible to pests.  My neighbors lost two limbs from theirs this afternoon, and it is debatable that they may need to remove the rest of the tree.  That would be unfortunate, considering how much afternoon shade it provides to their home.

It has to drain free of water in cold weather. If water lays in it during extreme cold weather, the water will freeze and may swell and burst.

That hose still connected to the hose bibb can be a recipe for disaster.

When the valve bursts, it may be back in the interior wall of the home, particularly if the home is built on a concrete slab. If the hose bibb is installed in a crawlspace wall, there is less risk of water damage to the interior of the house.

And the pipe may not run free until the ice in it thaws. A 1/2″ water line with a split in it and running full tilt can make a whole lot of water in the home. Real fast. And can make a homeowner real sad. Real fast. Times 100, if it happens while you are spending Christmas weekend at Grandma’s house.

Even in a fairly temperate area like Cary, NC, we have risk of deep freezes. My hoses are already removed, so I just don’t have to worry about it.

So, disconnect your garden hoses. Put them away for the winter. Avoid adding the “2009 Christmas Flood” story to your family lore.

There are 100 exhibitor spaces, with commercial and residential building sections represented in one hall.

The event is open from 9AM to 5PM, and should appeal to all with interest in sustainable building practices, and at my favorite admission fee:  FREE!

For $35.00, one can attend lunch with presentation on Greening the North Carolina Workforce by John Morrison, NC Assistant Secretary of Commerce–Energy.

I am way behind on learning about sustainable building practices, and a couple of hours at the convention center will be time well spent, I think.

My calendar is marked!

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This is one that was going together near a new home that clients are having built in Grandale in SW Durham.  I came by at just the right time with my camera to get a few shots.

The truss has to be supported properly.  It will hang vertically all right when rigged right by the ground man.  If twisted abruptly, the metal gang nails that join the framing members in the truss can be popped loose, and create the need for repair.

The ground man, the framers on the roof, and the crane operator have to work together.  Obviously it is hazardous work, but good communications and teamwork take most of the risk out of the task.  The ground man holds a tether rope that he uses to control the truss and minimize swinging and twisting in the air.

Done repetitively, and there will be a new roof under cover by dark tonight!

I like a historical gem of a home as well as the next person. Historic Oakwood. Boylan Heights. Mordecai. All great Raleigh neighborhoods with wonderful examples of old homes that have been loved. We have nothing like these in Cary.
But I don’t have blinders on regarding the topic of quality across time.  We have slap stick builders today.  Of course.  We have always had slap stick builders, all through the history of building.
Plumbing kicked it all off:

Some polybutylene pipe fails.  In some homes.  The existence of polybutylene water supply piping is not a material fact that must be disclosed by a home seller in North Carolina.

Copper plumbing has a 40 year life expectancy.
Lead pipe will last just about forever. I don’t think that makes it a desirable water supply option.

The vast majority of homes I visit have no foundation issues, whether they are a year old, or 20 years old, or 50 years old.  Get to 100 years old and the foundations have issues much more often.

I have been in many 40 year old homes with trussed roofs, where that roof framing appears to be easily good for another 40 years.

I would like to have a brick home at some point. I may be able to afford one. Many people can’t, particularly when they require the space they must have at a price point. In compromise by consumers, brick loses to more space.
Good quality wood siding, as used 100 years ago also is prohibitively expensive, and would be difficult to offer to a million new construction buyers. It also takes a lot of maintenance. White wood is passe for exterior use, IMO.

I have been in old homes that were junk when they were built, and are still standing as historical junque today. I predict that the home I am in will be here in 100 years, absent flood, hurricane, tornado, fire, or other act of God.

The slap stick homes of 100 years ago have tended to settle in, like Grandpa into his recliner, and often are revered as survivors. Well, that is, the ones that have been highly maintained; the slap stick homes that have not been expensively maintained have mostly crumbled into their foundations already.

It’s comparable to having Grandpa in the home, and helping him find his glasses or slippers, and overlooking his forgetfulness with love.
We tend to forgive the foibles and shortcomings of older homes, the sloped floors and crooked doorways, constricting floor plans, outdated construction methods with high rates of failure, and seriously outdated mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems, and high maintenance costs, because of respect and love of the memories and the hearkening to another time.

That forgiveness is certainly laudable. It is just oversimplification to make an across the board attribution of a higher level of workmanship to any era of homes.

Modern engineering and modern building codes have done a couple of things.
1. Provided minimum standards that were not in place 100-125 years ago.
2. Allowed homes to be built to those minimum standards. Too much reverence for minimum standards does NOT make a fine home, to be sure. Exceeding the minimums with most bang for the buck structurally may be a wise investment.

As consumers, we have helped cut our own throats on quality by worshipping maximum square footage per dollar invested in a home and surface appearance without substance beneath it.
Most people will not pay the price for quality they cannot see every day. “Gotta have granite and stainless steel. Don’t bother me about 2×10 floor joists on a 16 foot span.”
But, the minimum codes probably ensure the long term survival of structures that receive at least the maintenance which was given to the typical 100 year old home.