I can empathis with those of you struggling with noisy neighbors. I have had three in a row. The owners are clueless and reluctant to ask upstairs tenants to tone things down. On top of it all they tiled all the apartments, claiming they put soundproof cloth under the tiles but my neighbors have a new child and they wheel her around on their office chair all day long....driving me from my apartment. I have tried everything from complaining to using earplugs - nothing works. I think asking people to wear earplugs is crazy, since I can not possibly ask my visitors to wear them and wearing them for too long can have health problems including ear infections. It costs way too much to move. The resident manager was even put on notice because her kids were making way too much noise in her upstairs apartment and it forced the tenants who were renting under her to move out - that cost the woners money and their relationship has suffered as a result. Constant noise is stressful and can result in health problems and I have not only been driven from my apartment several times, but in calling the law found the tenants upstairs only too willing to retaliate. The owners dont care. HOWEVER they have some open units. I will be making up a nice sign to hang outside my door warning visitors of a possible loud noise sitution if and when they enter and that they shold be expected to wear ear plugs and or have our visit terminated early due to the din....hopefully the message will get through because I have even had to go to a friends house for a couple of nights in order to get sleep because I was exhausted from the constant noise. I have even read articles about tenants who have suffered so long they were driven to extremes - one guy blasted his neighbors alarm clock with a shot gun because it was so loud and woke him early every morning. I am constantly reading - oh just move, oh it isnt the fault of the tenants, or you are too sensitive, these are just excuses for bad behavior, inconsideration and owners not wanting to spend any money to remedy the problem. I was raised to respect others, includig their sensibilities, live can be lived without being a nuisance to others and it should be, but complacency is the new norm now and people are forced to deal with issues that are above and beyond reasonable.

denise54 said: "Suddenly our realtor wanted us to roll over and give in to everything the buyer wanted....(by the way...the buyer was a licensed realtor and it turned out the inspection person was a friend of hers). I felt that our realtor kind of abandoned us at the re-negotiation process....so beware" I've heard of this sort of collusion before. Here is an example from a newsletter I subscribe to. I don't have the link, but #2 of the following describes exactly what you are talking about. To-do list for spring, summer home sellers-March 2007/BobBruss.com. Tips for fixing and pricing home, selecting agent If you plan to sell your house or condo in 2007, in most communities the peak sales months are April, May, June and July. The reason is the largest number of prospective buyers are in the market during this time of the year. That means now is the time to get your home ready for sale. If you want to earn top dollar, careful preparation and planning are essential. The four key steps are: 1. GET YOUR HOME INTO "MODEL HOME" CONDITION. Home buyers are especially fussy this year. The reason is it's a "buyer's market." That means there are more houses and condos listed for sale in most communities than there are qualified buyers in the marketplace. In most towns the inventory of homes for sale is up and the volume of sales is down. If you want your home to go from "for sale" to "sold," it must stand out without any serious drawbacks. The best way to get your house or condo ready for sale is to take a critical look at it. Pretend you are a critical buyer. Ask yourself, "Would I buy this home?" If your honest answer is "no," then do your best to correct its deficiencies. Getting your home into "model home" condition doesn't mean making major renovations, such as installing a new kitchen or new bathrooms. That is usually a waste of money because buyers might not like your tastes. Instead, cleaning, repairing and painting are all that is usually needed. Inexpensive cosmetic improvements usually pay off handsomely. Even if your home really doesn't need it, fresh paint is the most profitable improvement you can make. It gives that "new feeling" to even old houses. For every $1 spent painting the interior and exterior, the return in the form of a higher sales price is often 10 times its cost. Other profitable improvements that usually return more than their modest costs include new light fixtures, new floor coverings (carpets, kitchen and bathroom tile or vinyl, refinishing wood floors, etc.) and a landscaping spruce-up with colorful flowering plants. Pretend you are a photographer from one of the home magazines, such as House Beautiful or Sunset. Aim to make your house or condo worthy of a low-cost home makeover feature article. 2. HAVE YOUR HOME PROFESSIONALLY INSPECTED. Although you might prefer to make this your first step, it is important to have a pre-listing professional inspection of your house or condo. Your residence might contain hidden problems of which you are not aware and which can be easily corrected before putting the home on the market for sale. Or, if a serious drawback is discovered and you either can't afford to fix it or you don't want to, then just reveal the defect in writing to prospective buyers so they can consider it when making a purchase offer. Another alternative is to repair or replace the deficient item, such as a bad furnace, but ask the supplier to delay payment until the sale closes. Most suppliers are eager to make sales and will readily agree to delayed payment without extra cost. The reason a pre-listing professional inspection is so vital is home sellers most of today's savvy buyers insist on these inspections. By having your own pre-listing inspection, you will already be aware of any serious drawbacks. For example, several years ago I had a pre-listing inspection of a rental house I wanted to sell. Since I did not live in the home, I was not aware of any major problems. On his checklist, my professional inspector inspected the furnace and found it to be in good condition. However, my buyer's inspector (a retired contractor) said the furnace was defective and dangerous. To resolve the conflict, I arranged to have a furnace repairman and a representative of the local gas company inspect the furnace. The buyer and I -- as well as the real estate agents -- attended the joint inspection. Both the repairman and the gas company employee agreed there was nothing wrong with the furnace and the sale closed without further dispute. I think the buyer was just trying to get me to pay for a new furnace. To find a local qualified professional home inspector, I suggest members of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), which has the toughest membership standards. Local ASHI members can be found at www.ashi.com or by phone at 1-800-743-2744. In addition, wise home sellers have customary local inspections such as for termites, energy efficiency, radon and building code compliance. Such inspections avoid later surprises. Smart sellers have repairs made before putting their home on the market, thus thwarting buyer objections. 3. ESTIMATE YOUR HOME'S MARKET VALUE. Even the best, most experienced real estate agents have difficulty in today's "buyer's market" giving accurate estimates of the probable sales price of a house or condo. Although a few local markets are rising, most are stagnant or on a level plateau. A few are falling, due to lack of home-buyer demand caused by declining local employment. Home sales prices are based on the recent sales (not asking) prices of nearby similar houses and condos within the last three months. A good place to start is on the Internet to determine your home's approximate market value. To find out the asking prices of similar homes listed for sale in your community, the best source is www.realtor.com. This Web site claims to have virtually all the local home listings. It will give you a good idea of comparable nearby houses and condos now listed for sale. Please remember these are asking, not sales, prices. A controversial Web site offering free "zestimates" of local home values is www.Zillow.com. When you enter your home's address, in many cases Zillow will show an aerial photo and even lot boundaries. But this site doesn't include all communities, and some of the information is inaccurate because it is based on public records that might not be up to date. Zillow usually provides "comps" of recent sales prices of similar nearby homes like yours. Other free Internet home-value-estimate Web sites include www.HomeGain.com (the second most visited home sale Web site), www.HouseValues.com and www.Domania.com. These sites often refer you to a local real estate agent who will be thrilled to list your home for sale and help estimate its market value. INTERVIEW AT LEAST THREE SUCCESSFUL REALTY AGENTS. After your house or condo is in near-model-home condition, you have had it professionally inspected and made necessary repairs (or at least included them on your seller disclosure statement), and checked your home's approximate fair market value at several internet sources, it's time to decide if you want to sell your home alone (called "for sale by owner" or FSBO) or if you want to hire a professional sales agent. Before making that decision, it's best to interview at least three successful realty agents who sell homes in your vicinity. Even if you think you can sell your home without any agent, the agents you interview won't mind spending an hour or so inspecting your home and giving you their expert written opinions of its market value. The reason the agents you interview will welcome your phone call is they know most do-it-yourself home sellers fail and, within 30 to 60 days, they contact one of the interviewed agents to list their home for sale. Only about 20 percent of home sales today are made without a realty agent. It is critical to interview at least three successful local agents to compare their evaluations of your home. Watch out for the super-enthusiastic agent who estimates a far higher sales price for your home, without written justification, than the other interviewed agents suggest. Also, beware of the interviewed agent who recommends a low price, probably hoping you don't already have an approximate value for your home based on the Internet and the other interviews. Finally, don't be misled by a charismatic agent who gushes with praise for your home and lulls you into believing he or she can sell your home fast for top dollar. To find successful local agents to interview, consider the agents who have kept you informed with periodic mailings about neighborhood home sales prices. Visit local weekend open houses to meet local agents and evaluate their home listings similar to yours. Also, consider nearby "for sale" signs that turned into "sold" signs within 90 days. Recommendations from friends, neighbors and business associates who have used an agent's service are also important when selecting an agent to interview. Finally, after checking each interviewed agent's references of recent home sellers, list your home for sale with the best agent. For your protection, an initial listing term of not more than 90 days gives the agent time to show what he or she can do to earn the sales commission. But don't be misled by an agent who demands a six-month listing, often stating that's the average time on the market for similar homes. Politely reply, "I don't want just an average agent. I want a superb agent who can get my home sold in 90 days or less." However, if a truly superior agent insists on a six-month listing, with a no-cost unconditional cancellation clause after 90 days, that is acceptable just in case you made a bad decision so you don't get stuck with a lazy agent. Next week: the key questions to ask real estate agents before listing your home for sale. (For more information on Bob Bruss publications, visit his Real Estate Center).

No we don't all want that house. I mean, Everyone wants to buy a house for a low price ... and sell it for a high price ... and to own the least expensive house in an expensive neighborhood. Were people to demand more efficient houses, then the market would respond, but in reality, most people don't care. I think people want efficient houses ... but they find themselves caught up in finishes /can't see past finishes. A smaller house (which can be high end in all respects ... triple pane windows, high insulation, custom kitchen, hardwood floors, beautiful bathrooms, etc.) costs you less to operate in the long run. Let’s not forget about things like property taxes ... which are forever. A small house has cheaper taxes. Let’s talk heating/cooling ... a small house is cheaper to operate and who knows where these costs will go in the future. If you can keep the long term operational costs of your home down, it’s a good thing. A smaller house is easier to clean ... a consideration as you age. (We actually got rid of our cleaning service ... simply didn’t need it. We could do it ourselves.) I’m sure you’ve taken into consideration all of the aging in place things. But these are important. One can’t predict the future and one’s health and mobility. It’s not an issue for us, but we’ve watched friends sell their beloved homes that were simply not appropriate for older people (two stories, in particular.) We are amazed at how much we save per month simply by having a smaller house. I would much rather put this money into travel than extra square footage. Yes, these are all reasons we're building a small house. I'll add just one more, and it's a rather morbid reason: I'm younger and healthier than my husband. The reality is that I'll likely live in this house alone one day. I don't want to knock about alone in an oversized house. This is the exactly the sort of minutia that some consumers like to suggest to other consumers. It comes from reading a few book, a blog and maybe watching a video or two. It's also the kind of thing that causes your builder to add a P.I.A. charge on top of your bill. "I am more than capable of paying off my mortgage many times over if I ever decide to do so. lol. sure. I believe you. I believe it. Hang around here a while, and if you're doing more than throwing insults at people, you'll note consistencies (or inconsistencies) in people's comments. It's pretty easy to tell who's telling the truth. CPArtist is a solid poster ... not a liar or a braggart. ETA: @ D E, I don't care if you set your money on fire, it is your money, do whatever you want with it. However, I think you should refrain from making fun of people who chose not to set their money on fire. Agree. It definitely shows ignorance. I personally fall into the camp of "buy a modest house and pay it off", but I do understand the math behind the idea of keeping a mortgage /investing. I don't believe it's at all easy for a rank amateur to actually save money GCing their own build because the money saved in not paying a GC is likely to be eaten up by delays, mistakes and lack of access to trade discounts and quality subcontractors. Agree. No -- more than agree; that implies opinion. This is fact. A GC knows the ins-and-outs of building, has relationships with the best trades, and will be more efficient in the long run. That includes building for a lower price, especially when you consider that time is money.

My highlighting of an actual current listing in my area. Welcome to the esteemed block of ________, is a rare opportunity in a picturesque and enduring location that stands the test of time, in the heart of______. This enchanting ______ bi-level condo is a condo which features three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, on-site one car parking and a rare allowance for your distinguished pet . This magnificent home has been exquisitely renovated to harmonize the ornate features of an 1870's historic home with contemporary amenities for modern-day living. Impeccably maintained, the property occupies the uppermost two floors of a former brownstone mansion, providing stunning vistas of the treetops and cityscape, as well as the tranquility and solitude of upper-level living. Step into the foyer and bask in the grandeur of the soaring ceilings and intricate moldings that captivate your attention. Towards the front of the house, the light-filled formal living and dining room, spanning a generous 23 feet, showcases three grand windows that overlook the tree-lined ______. Connected to this area is a chef's in-eat kitchen that is a showstopper in its own right, with plaster moldings, built-ins, and a fireplace, which adds an air of exclusivity and sophistication. The kitchen is equipped with Jenn Air appliances, granite countertops, and a breakfast bar that makes entertaining a breeze. At the rear of the home, the south-facing owner's suite is a secluded retreat, complete with a large marble bathroom, double shower, and radiant floors. The laundry room and a powder room, which features original tile accents and a classic and noteworthy pull-handle toilet, contribute to the charm of this meticulously renovated space. Upstairs, enjoy additional living space for leisure or work, along with two commodious bedrooms and a five-fixture upgraded bathroom. If you desire more private outdoor space beyond the park, there is an opportunity to create a roof deck off of this floor. This home also offers plenty of space for extra storage! Amongst so many crowded sky rise condos, this home offers a neighborhood feel, historic and classic charm, and all the conveniences of home with a sensation of prestige and class only ______ can offer.