Thread Drift

[OakLeaf]

Denture cleaner is what I always used on my night splint. Brushing just doesn't get into all the nooks and crannies.

It's great for bite valves, too...

[indysteel]

Denture cleaner is what I always used on my night splint. Brushing just doesn't get into all the nooks and crannies.

It's great for bite valves, too...

The ortho gave me some retainer cleaner, and we already have a giant box of denture cleaner for that purpose, so I'm covered. He suggested brushing the retainer daily and but didn't indicate how often to use the denture/retainer cleaner. Anybody know?

[OakLeaf]

I'd use that daily, too.

When I started out with only brushing mine, by the second or third day it smelled like something I really didn't want to put back in my mouth.

[indysteel]

I'd use that daily, too.

When I started out with only brushing mine, by the second or third day it smelled like something I really didn't want to put back in my mouth.

Eek. Daily it is.

[indysteel]

I love being a home owner in the current market. The appraisal for our refi came in $17k less than what we paid for the house in September of 2009. And that's notwithstanding that the house now has 25 new fiberglass windows that cost about $17k, too. We refied this time last year, without a hitch, but if we want to drop the interest on our 15-year mortgage down to under 4%, we're going to have to bring about $7k to the table to maintain sufficient equity.

Theoretically, I don't mind paying the mortgage down, but it still bites. The only bright spot in this is that from a monthly payment standpoint, we feel like we made a sound decision to buy what and where we did, but the loss in fair market value is depressing nevertheless as it makes us feel really chained to the house. We can't not fix the things that need fixing--many of which are costly--but it's sort of a black hole.

[Pax]

I feel ya Indy, we bought our house in June of '08, refied it the next year and the appraisal came in a little higher than we paid originally. We've put almost $40,000 into the house (new garage, driveway, roof) and we're looking at an equity bump in this market of a whole $8000.

[indysteel]

I feel ya Indy, we bought our house in June of '08, refied it the next year and the appraisal came in a little higher than we paid originally. We've put almost $40,000 into the house (new garage, driveway, roof) and we're looking at an equity bump in this market of a whole $8000.

Ugh. It's so depressing.

I'm going to try to get my hands on the appraisal to check for any obvious errors. I have a feeling I know why it dropped so much. The house immediately next door to us recently sold after being on the market for some time. I was a flip purchased from an estate sale for pennies. Another house had been on the market forever with some substantial price drops. The house itself was huge, and I have a feeling that there was something really wrong with it because they could hardly give it away. Ours, in contrast, has sold twice now in the last five or so years and, each time, was on the market for less than a month. It's a very attractive house and, unlike many of our neighbors, we have both a garage and a yard both of which add a lot of value since in our area most homes have neither.

[NbyNW]

Wow, Indy that's some crazy math.

Hopefully you will be there long enough for things to right themselves.

[Pax]

Ugh. It's so depressing.

I'm going to try to get my hands on the appraisal to check for any obvious errors. I have a feeling I know why it dropped so much. The house immediately next door to us recently sold after being on the market for some time. I was a flip purchased from an estate sale for pennies. Another house had been on the market forever with some substantial price drops. The house itself was huge, and I have a feeling that there was something really wrong with it because they could hardly give it away. Ours, in contrast, has sold twice now in the last five or so years and, each time, was on the market for less than a month. It's a very attractive house and, unlike many of our neighbors, we have both a garage and a yard both of which add a lot of value since in our area most homes have neither.

My brother purchased his house for $85,000 15 years ago and had a value of $175,000 four years ago.

His neighbor put his house on the market four years ago and it sat... for four years. It finally sold at auction for $25,000 (for a five bedroom Victorian house in decent shape), the new owner is a developer who promptly moved in 10 people with section 8 vouchers.

My brother had his house reappraised this summer to see if he could escape the hell that is his new reality... his house is now worth $75,000.

[indysteel]

Wow, Indy that's some crazy math.

Hopefully you will be there long enough for things to right themselves.

I just looked at the appraisal report. My only question is whether she had our square footage right. Beyond that, it is what it is. It's a grim reality.

I'll say this: If anybody is in the market to buy, do not do so unless and until you can put at least 20% down. I know you can still get loans with less money down, but I don't recommend them.

[Pax]

I just looked at the appraisal report. My only question is whether she had our square footage right. Beyond that, it is what it is. It's a grim reality.

I'll say this: If anybody is in the market to buy, do not do so unless and until you can put at least 20% down. I know you can still get loans with less money down, but I don't recommend them.

Our realtor told us recently (we were looking into condos), that condo loans can no longer be FHA, so finding qualified borrowers with 20% down for a conventional loan is becoming a huge challenge. Our best bet is to stay in our house until the market straightens out a bit. *sigh*

[indysteel]

Our realtor told us recently (we were looking into condos), that condo loans can no longer be FHA, so finding qualified borrowers with 20% down for a conventional loan is becoming a huge challenge. Our best bet is to stay in our house until the market straightens out a bit. *sigh*

I wonder why FHA is getting out of the condo market.

What scares me in my current home is our town is just rather small. Even during a "hot" period, I doubt a lot of homes were bought and sold. So, it will take that much longer for the market to recover. Ugh. I'm never going to get out of Franklin, Indiana.

The further irony in this: When bought the house, we could not talk the sellers down from their fantasy price. So, we made an offer that was contingent on the appraisal in that we agreed to pay up to a certain amount if the seller agreed to sell us the house down to a certain price. If the appaisal came in below that price, the seller had the option of walking, but he had to reimburse us for out of pockets. In making that offer, we had poured over the few available comps and felt that we knew what the house was "worth." This was right after the new appraisal rules had gone into effect, so we felt confident about how this would play out. As it turned out, the appraisal came back exactly--to the dollar--where we thought it would, and we got the house for exactly what we had offered in the first place (and the seller's had initialy rejected as "insulting."). Sometimes the comps work in your favor; sometimes they don't.

[bmccasland]

My house in Louisiana is for sale, and no-one has looked at it in over a month. At least it's rented out. But meanwhile, I'm stuck renting a house I don't want to stay in. For my sanity, I needed to leave my old office, but I hate being stuck with this current housing arrangement.

[KnottedYet]

I may b*tch and moan about how I want a house of my own, but actually I'm content being a renter right now.

I have no equity, but I'm not tied down to a money-sink either. I don't have my own dirt, but I can move if the neighborhood wanes or a better job beckons.

So, really, I shouldn't complain.

[indysteel]

I'd happily change places with you, Knott. I do think they got our square footage wrong, so I think we're going to challenge it. If we're successful, we might bump it by a $3-4k.

@Pax, I just saw your post about your brother. How awful. That really sickens me.