Water uptake and therefore nutrient uptake is energy driven, i.e. it takes energy to absorb water and nutrients, and the roots need oxygen to turn the carbs the plant makes (its food) into energy - just like you do. When your plants wilt while the soil is still damp and the problem persists more than a day or 2, you can be almost 100% certain it's a root problem - probably related to excess water retention and the dearth of oxygen that comes along with it. Roots are opportunists - they don't/can't "go looking" for water, air, and nutrients, they simply grow where conditions are favorable ...... and don't grow where they aren't. In your case, the roots are probably growing deeper into the pot when the water supply is at its lowest, then dying back again when you water. The cycle of death and regeneration of roots not only impairs root function, it's very expensive in terms of energy outlay as well. What it takes to regenerate roots killed by a lack of air might have been spent on things more productive - like an increase in plant mass, blooms, fruit ...... Your soil choice has a very significant impact on how easy/difficult success is going to be, and on how wide the margin for grower error is. My take on what constitutes a good soil, at a minimum, is one you can water to beyond the point of saturation, i.e. until at least 15-20% of the total volume of water applied exits the drain, carrying accumulating salts with it, this, without the grower having to worry about root rot or impaired root function. In most cases, the inability to water correctly also prevents you from being able to institute a nutritional supplementation plan that works well because nutrient ratios quickly become skewed if you can't hit the 'reset button' by flushing the soil regularly. Dennis is right about tight little root balls, too. If I get sets that have congested roots, I rip the bottom half of the roots off the plant and use as nylon pick to tease the remaining roots apart before the set gets planted. I also remove the lower leaves of the sets and plant very deep if in a pot, and deep and at about a 30* angle if they get planted in the ground. Often, roots allowed to remain in a tight little wad end up staying in a tight little wad with the plant suffering for it, and that's something you want to avoid. Roughing up the roots actually sends chemical messengers to the rest of the plant, telling it it needs to direct energy to the root mass. Plus, the closer roots are trimmed to the stem, the more juvenile and vigorous they are (look up 'ontogenetic age'), so make sure the roots are going to be able to easily colonize your soil mass by correcting congestion before planting and using an appropriate soil. Al

The roommate has "dictated" the month? And has "dictated" the price they'll pay? Oh come on! LOL We're talking about a girl on a budget! You've already stated your position on this. No sense to repeat. I think it's time to give some praise to a girl who is sticking to a budget. That shows responsibility and maturity. Rare these days. I give credit to her for that. You don't know her situation but you don't like her. OK, I can accept that. Your daughter likes her, wants to live with her.... kind of says a lot. Lydia, can't go with this one. You admit you don't know her, but you say you're trying to give her "leverage" to get the larger room. You use the term "fair" but sounds to me like you are getting a little selfish under the pretense of "helping". If you TRULY want advice, back off. I sense your daughter is going to be just fine. She doesn't seem to be the be the one causing trouble here and I also sense that you will make things miserable for her if you go too far and hopefully that's not what you want. And let's clarify: "Dictated" (obviously states your position clearly!) the month they'll move in. She's on a budget and made her needs clear. I commend her for that. "Dictated" the price they'll pay. No, you're wrong there. She specified that she's on a budget and doesnt' have unlimited funds. She specified what SHE could pay. Obviously she's not with unlimited funds and is staying within a budget. Kudos to her for that. Shows maturity and responsibility. There's certainly an arrogance here. I stand by my position that you should back off. And yes, of course we want the best for our kids and want to give them GOOD advice. Crack house? Leverage to get something more??? 'Nuff said. I wish your daughter luck. Methinks she's gonna need it.

I'll take a stab at answering some of your questions... 1.) Large difference between appraisal & judgment. It might be a junior lien holder that is foreclosing. For example, the property is appraised at $180K; there's a first mortgage with $60K outstanding (hypothetical); and a second for $14,895.53. Many times, a homeowner in trouble will keep payments on their first mortgage current but default on the second. In our example above, there's enough equity for the junior lien holder to foreclosure, take title subject to the priority lien, & still anticipate selling the property for enough to clear their position. 2.) Yes, that's probably correct about the taxes. You should pay a visit to town hall & take a look at the land records. That will tell you who the mortgagee(s) is. It will also tell you if my above guess is accurate as to who is actually foreclosing. If it's a junior lien holder foreclosing they have probably paid the taxes. A junior lien holder does not want the priority lien holder to foreclose in a case like this because that foreclosure would wipe out their subordinant position. 3.) Other monies owed. Yes, undoubtedly there are additional charges against the borrower. These would include penalties, late fees, accrued interest, attorney fees, auctioneer fees, advertising fees, appraisal, insurance, real estate taxes, etc. A foreclosing lender will include all of the above into their auction bid. 4.) Also, if it is a subordinate lien holder who is foreclosing anybody bidding at the auction would be taking title SUBJECT TO PRIOR LIENS such as a first mortgage. So, let's say you were the successful bidder at $21K. You didn't buy the property for $21K...you purchased it for $21K plus the $60K I noted as hypothetical above for a total purchase price of $81K & you are responsible for paying the first mortgage. Now, that's a whole 'nother bucket of worms because there's probably no assumption clause in the mortgage...so the holder of the first might require you to get a new mortgage. 5.) Real estate taxes are ALWAYS A PRIORITY LIEN. So, they would have to be paid. In your example though there is no tax lien. Somebody has paid the taxes (likely the lender). The lender would have taken the taxes into consideration in their bidding strategy at auction. So, there would be no consequence to any successful bidder at the sale. Any liens lower in priority than the foreclosing entity (other than real estate taxes, mechanic's liens) is distinguished in the foreclosure process. So, if Aunt Thelma is owed $10K...she loses. 6.) Your link only took me to the county page. I was unable to actually look at anything useful to your example. So, I can't comment on your "detective" work. 7.) NEVER assume there are no title problems. As example, maybe whoever built the house never paid the roofer & the roofer filed a Mechanic's Lien that has been sitting there all of this time. It's a priority lien. There's any number of title issues that could be a problem. Again, a trip to town hall will reveal title issues. 8.) Yes, he could be losing the property for $15K. I once foreclosed approximately $75K against a property appraised at $2.2M. (There were nesting bald eagles & my borrower couldn't sell the property because of the eagles.) I foreclosed & worked out a deal with the city to buy the property from the bank & establish a park around the nesting site. The city purchased the property for what I was owed plus cancellation of all of the back property taxes. Strange things happen. I'm guessing it's a second lien holder that is foreclosing based on what the attorney told you. 9.) Has he trashed the place? Gosh, who knows! 10.) Buying an REO is easier than purchasing at foreclosure auction but not nearly as much fun nor as exciting as standing there with your bidder paddle, "Do I hear $50K? I've got 50...do I hear $55K? Yes, back there in the corner...come on now, it's a great house...now do I hear $60K?" lol /tricia

DLM200--part of our issue is that we'd both like to build if we can make it work. We built the house we're in now and we got spoiled. Our house actually has more than enough storage (as evidenced by the fact that we have a closet I've never used). The floorplan works. There are almost no 'honey-do' tasks or 'replace/fix infrastructure' tasks beyond routine maintenance. My kitchen is as close to perfect as our budget permitted. We have the double shower we wanted. The master opens on to the backyard so we can get to the hot tub easily. Pros to building: Control over floor plan (office space, open plan for entertaining) Design my own kitchen Can plan for sufficient storage Can control all the 'finishes' Can plan perfect master bath Can (we hope) manage to build our extra large garage as one big garage instead of an attached garage and a detached garage Disadvantages to building Limited availability of suitable lots in the areas we're considering, especially since we want to be near an expressway Cost of building Many available lots require a private well and/or septic Would need temporary housing, meaning we'd have to move twice General stress of building (offset by getting exactly what you want) Would likely be a lot in a neighborhood in transition (in the slow process of teardowns being replaced by new homes) Disadvantages to buying existing Limited availability of properties that already have the garage we want Would likely require extensive remodeling to get the kitchen, modern master bath, and open floor plan we want, which could drive up the price even beyond building new, with the risk of overbuilding for a neighborhood Older homes tend to have less "interesting" architectural features I really appreciate everyone's input--this is the time for DH and I to be considering the options--and the inputs have helped crystallize thoughts so we can weigh the advantages/disadvantages and decide which way to go--whatever it is.