We've sold three houses and bought four. Overall, buying and selling can be extremely stressful. Prepare for the unexpected. Buying the fourth house (the one we currently live in) was a pleasure because we had a fantastic realtor (Louisville). We finally closed on the Tucson house (10/30) after 2 failed contracts, and the whole process was really frustrating as our first set of realtors didn't do the job. I learned that if you are unhappy with your representation (as either a buyer or a seller), move on! Make sure in your listing agreement that you have an "out" clause that allows you to get out of the listing if you are unhappy with your realtor. Do your homework! And sometimes even this doesn't always mean success. We thought our first set of realtors would be terrific. They were recommended by neighbors who had used them to sell their homes, they had lots of awards, they had been in the business for more than 20 years and when we first contacted them about listing our house they were very responsive. The minute we signed the 6 month listing agreemnt, they seemed to disappear. It was like pulling teeth to get them to answer our e-mails and phone calls. And in Tucson, the market has never been as bad as it has been over the last year or so. In an up market, realty companies hand out awards like candy so the list of awards doesn't really mean anything. So interview several realtors, get recommendations from people who have used them, make sure to have an "out" clause in your listing agreement with them, ask them their average DOM for their listings, ask how many open houses they plan on having, ask them about their marketing strategy and make sure you get several comps (sold houses not currently listed houses). Roselvr has a good thread on here somewhere about questions to ask your potential realtor. The biggest lesson is patience. And I agree with johnmari on counting your chickens. Even if you have a contract, don't assume anything until it closes and the money is in the bank. If you can, don't buy before you sell. And check these boards. Aside from the rare Grinch, there are some really fantastic people here who can help you! I wish I had found this board before we listed. These folks could've saved me a lot of frustration. As it is, they helped me stay sane for the latter part of our selling odyssey.

Thank you for referencing the post regarding the quality of old wood windows. Your issue with the sash weight cords can be easily remedied by carefully removing the interior wood casing, or removing the small "doors" held in place by one screw in the side jambs (often this feature was not available). Either of these options would allow access to the weights within the wall cavity. The weights are attached to the cord/rope by a simple knot, and the sash contains a mortise on the sides. The opposite end of the rope also contains a knot and a small nail to secure the knot/rope to the sash within the wood mortise. A new cord/rope can be purchased from your local hardware store and cut to the appropriate lengths required for proper travel. Be sure to oil the wheel assembly mounted to the top area of the jamb, or remove the wheel assembly before the cord is replaced and clean all paint residue before applying oil. Another simple maintenance item would include taking a bar of paraffin wax and rubbing it up and down within the jamb pocket where the sash slides up and down. This will allow the sashes to travel up and down with much less effort and may help remedy your "stuck" issue once the sashes have been "un-stuck". The "sticky" sashes may simply be due to the paint bonding to itself within the jamb pocket. The wax will solve this problem too. Many old structures have moved or settled over the years and that often caused window frames to become out-of-square. This situation does not allow the square sashes to "seat" properly within the frame, thus allowing air travel around the sashes. If this is minor, I have removed sashes and sawn a small kerf in the bottom of the lower sash and top of the upper sash and installed a compressible bulb type of weather-strip material used with modern wood windows. This provides compression when the sashes are closed and fills the void left by small differences in sash alignment to the frames. On a larger scale, wooden storm windows can be manufactured to fit the exterior side of the original double hung window (interior side if casements are used). The advantages of this "modification" are numerous compared to complete window replacement. Less mess and waste, shorter on site work time, less expense due to limited on-site labor, etc. Essentially, the most difficult aspect is making cardboard templates of the existing windows since the frames may no longer be square in the openings, and determining the pitch of the existing wooden window sill. We have often removed trim and re-set the existing windows square in the openings when there has been substantial movement/settling over the years. The storm windows would be manufactured off-site and may contain modern low-e insulating glass, if preferred. The frames would be made of a solid wood that is resistent to rot or decay. This could be cedar, cypres, mahogany, teak, etc.; take a look at what wooden boat manufacturers use in their construction for an idea on what wood to use. The edge of the new storm window frame should contain a rabbet on three sides that allows the frame to wrap the existing exterior window sash stop. This area will also receive a sawn kerf to accept a bulb weather-strip. The bottom of the storm panel is beveled to match the existing pitch of the wood window sill, and also receives a kerf and weather-strip. Once installed, the storm panel protects the existing window during cold months, provides energy efficient glazing compatible with modern windows, and provides air infiltration sealant through the use of multiple weather-stripping. This will likely alleviate your concerns about moisture and mildew on the exterior side of the original wood sashes. If condensation occurs, it will likely be on the new storm panel which is a marine-grade wood species. The aesthetic value in retaining original windows and wavy glass is sometimes tremendous. The cost saving value may be found in less on-site labor, but also in potential resale value due to the greater aesthetics in the original detailing. Among some additional advantages, this may be a good approach for many homeowners. In regards to the lead-based paint issue, I have never been too concerned about it, as it has been determined to be unhealthy when consumed and I've never thought of eating the flaked off pieces of old paint. Obviously, if very small children are present during paint removal, my opinion of lead-based paint would be different. I cannot imagine how much old paint I've scraped or sanded over my lifetime, but I've never given it much thought. Opinions may vary on this issue. On the same topic, I agree that lead-based paints did/do provide a more durable finish. Lead-based paints are still approved for commercial uses, such as for repainting steel bridges and such, as it is pretty important to protect such structures from rust. This may allow one to conclude that lead-based paints are more durable and may not be as highly toxic to normal human interaction. Lastly, regarding the difference in the two wood species, both pine and fir are considered "moderately" resistant to rot. Douglas fir may hold slight advantages due to some additional oils in the wood, but it is likely a longevity difference of today versus next week in terms of when they will each succumb to rot. If you're set on replacing the existing windows, an extruded aluminum clad-wood window can offer two benefits in that it is low maintenance on the exterior side and the heavy extrusion often offers additional structural integrity. Check window cut sections to view the amount of metal used, how it is applied to the wood, and how the aluminum is joined at the corners. I avoid clad wood windows that use screws, staples or glue to hold the metal to the wood. Due to expansion differences between unlike materials, these two should not be mechanically fastened to each other or it may be prone to separation at the corner joints. Physical attachments are a smaller concern, but still provide some bond between the unlike materials. Both instances may allow water penetration behind the cladding at some point in the life of the product, thus creating a hidden decay problem. We also don't use clad-wood windows that don't fully wrap the exterior frame with an extrusion, particularily at the sill. Any exposed wood in this area has proven to rot prematurely. I hope that you have found this information helpful.

As a kid in the 50s (in San Diego), sometimes I would think "oh no that can't be a popular look" when my parents did a change to the house or bought a new car...and then as I look in retro books and at old pictures I see the very things I thought were out of place were indeed the popular item of the time. Certainly I am not the only one who has these little de ja vus, so share if you can. We had the pink and black tile bathroom which I always liked and when I would go to my friend's houses, they all had the green and black, or gray and yellow, or pink and blue, or pink and black...etc. tiles so that felt comfortable. Our kitchen had those metal cabinets with built in stainless steel counter top with double sink sections. The other wall was a wooden built-in cabinet with a linoleum counter, space for the fridge. The other wall was our super modern Okeefe & Merrit pull out stove and overhead glass oven door unit. Then there was the yellow chrome dinette set and the skinny 3-shelf peninsula unit by the door. So today I am surfing around looking at retro stuff and I run across this picture and nearly fell out of my chair. I remember when my parents put in one of those accordion folding vinyl doors between the kitchen and the living room. Theirs was gray and I remember thinking what a hoaky set up it was at the time. Gheeeez how wrong I was...LOL!!!

Rose, guess I'm dense but how do you equate a good Christian man with a fellow who treats their wife horribly? Being a faithful follower means NOT treating your wife horribly. There's bad plumbers, bad tennis players, bad actors, bad Muslims and bad Christians, you get the idea. No one wants any of them except maybe another bad person. I call horrible husbands who claim to be Christians, Bible thumping criminals. Being a good husband goes hand in hand with a GOOD Christian man. Maybe you didn't meet a good Christian man when you were looking for a reason. You are good for him too.