Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: off + pay + remodeling  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/7/2008)

Grand Jury Clears County Treasurer Street Orange County Business Journal, CA - Claims that Street had split a remodeling project for his office into several small projects to avoid a competitive bidding process were rejected by the ... Scientology buys prime parcel Tampabay.com, FL - Remodeling cost: up to $6-million. Just south of the Belvedere and also on the water is Scientology's now-sprawling Sandcastle complex, a mix of hotel rooms ... Rundown house has neighbors seeing red Joliet Herald News, IL - This would be costly because the city would have to pay market value for the land, which is off the I&M Canal. It would also take court proceedings to get ... Three budget scenarios presented, but none is pretty Swampscott Reporter, MA - Aug 5, 2008 Maylor said proceeds can essentially only be used to pay interest on debts, not to pay them off and not for operating budgets. Maylor said many numbers will ... O'Fallon puts off building remodeling; elevator blows the budget Belleville News Democrat,  USA - Jul 31, 2008 He hopes to find money in the 2009 fiscal year budget to pay for the needed upgrades. "We were just getting started on it when it was determined the ... 8 Home Improvements That Pay Off Smartmoney.com - Jul 17, 2008 "The buyer is unwilling to pay as much as [they] would have a year ago for that property...[with the] deck or the remodeled bathroom. ... Payson Roundup Plan details YMCA complex Payson Roundup, AZ - Aug 5, 2008 However, to shave about $1 million off the cost, the YMCA proposed merely remodeling the Taylor Pool, which is 25 yards long. That's sufficient for most ... The Associated Press Tight for cash, people, businesses seek to recycle The Associated Press - Aug 5, 2008 He walked away with $133.40 at Fitzsimmons Metal Company in suburban Pittsburgh after turning in scraps left over from remodeling his basement bathroom. ... What to Do With $5000 Motley Fool - Aug 2, 2008 If you're saddled with credit card debt, you really should pay it off before investing. Although you can hope to earn 10% to 15% per year on your ... Residents raid the stores, but many aren't running this time Beaumont Enterprise, tx - Aug 4, 2008 Hardin County officials are hoping early preparations will pay off today as Edouard approaches land. Theresa Wigley, Hardin County emergency management ...

How to tell if remodel will pay off when it's time to sell

Q: We're in the early stages of deciding to remodel our master bath. Besides making it comfortable and functional, we want to be able to recoup as much of our investment as we can when we sell. Is there any rule of thumb for the percentage of a home's total value it makes sense to pay for different remodeling projects?

A: Not really, because the amount spent can depend on so many factors, including the home's condition and livability. However, the question behind your question — how can you make a wise investment? — is a solid one. That's why Remodeling magazine does its annual Cost vs. Value report. It analyzes the costs of 10 common remodeling projects and estimates how much each one will return on resale in 35 U.S. cities, including Seattle.

Our numbers are mixed. The bad news first: The average cost of a midrange bathroom remodel is higher here — $11,160 — than the national average of $10,088. The good news: The returns this remodel generates at resale are terrific — 126 percent of the original cost here, compared with 89 percent nationally. However, a high-end bathroom redo ($27,553 compared with $23,544 nationally) returns considerably less at resale than a more modest job: just 95 percent. But compared with the national average of 93 percent, local homeowners still can consider themselves blessed.

For a description of what's included in each of these remodels, plus job cost vs. resale value for a host of other projects, including window replacement and family room additions, go to www.remodeling.hw.net. You'll also find lots of general information there about remodeling. One last thought: If you want a personal evaluation of how much of a remodel is not too much of a remodel, contact an experienced real-estate agent in your area. They can tell you what buyers expect in improved baths.

Q: My rental house is showing its age, but I don't want to update it. Can I sell it as a fixer-upper with the understanding that the buyer takes it as-is, or will I still be responsible under state law for anything that goes wrong (such as the furnace) for a certain amount of time?

A: "What is legally required is, you have to disclose any known material defects in the property," explains Dick Beeson of Windermere Real Estate/Paragon in Tacoma. Commonly that's done on a Form 17 disclosure statement the seller fills out and provides the buyer.

Even if the buyer waives the right to get Form 17, you must disclose problems or you'll be responsible to correct them after the sale closes, Beeson says. "You can't have the roof leaking and tell them, 'You check it out.' You say, 'The roof leaks, you check it out, I'm not going to fix it.' " Then the onus is on the buyer to have the home professionally inspected and decide whether to buy or walk.

If you've honestly disclosed everything you know about the house — and the law doesn't require you to know everything — and put the buyer on notice that no repairs will be forthcoming, then you've fulfilled all your responsibilities.

Q: Several miles of roads in my semirural neighborhood are private. They were formed by easements for access across privately owned property. After a recent windstorm, the owner of the final section of road that provides the only exit would not allow anyone access because he was afraid of liability in case one of his weakened trees fell.

Who would be liable in this situation? Can he really prevent an entire neighborhood from getting out? What can be done in the future to avoid such situations?

A: Speaking about your neighbor, Bellevue attorney Greg Home says, "If he knows a tree is damaged or defective and could fall over, and he doesn't do something about abating that, then he might very well have some liability if one of those trees falls over. But his duty really is to abate the problem. He cannot deny access just because he didn't want to deal with the trees."

Home suggests you read any documents you have regarding this road, such as easement or maintenance agreements. They may answer some of your questions.

As for what to do in the future, Home suggests sending your neighbor "a nicely worded letter saying he doesn't have a right to block the road, and he does have the responsibility" to deal with the trees. In it, reference any pertinent information you find in your documents. (If you don't have copies, request them from the title insurance company that was involved in your home purchase.)