Recent comments in /f/rva

The_Cawing_Chemist t1_j6osf4p wrote

Reply to comment by Kindly_Boysenberry_7 in Real Estate 101 - How to Tell a Bad Flip From a Good One by Kindly_Boysenberry_7

I know people who have felt like having a buyers agent was a rip off and not worth the service they received. Clearly you have good knowledge that could help a buyer assess whether or not a house they are looking at is in good condition, and valued properly.

On average, so you find that most of your peers have this level of knowledge? Can you comment on why agents are worth 3% of the sales price?

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Reasonable-Newt-8102 t1_j6os69j wrote

Reply to VCU student death highlights worsening pedestrian fatalities trend in Richmond. How can the city fix it? by CrassostreaVirginica

The only way to fix traffic problems is strengthening public transportation infrastructure. Aside from that one lady that ran out in front of the bus a few years ago (rest in peace, my friend saw that happen) these have all been privately owned vehicles striking pedestrians. Anyone who’s driven on broad street during the day knows how chaotic it is. I think bringing back trolleys would be huge for Richmond but nobody is going to do that. I also don’t think it would be a bad idea to erect some pedestrian bridges between VCU buildings because a majority of foot traffic most of the year is students just trying to get to class.

Our city is starting to look like dystopia, all these empty luxury condos and clogged roads. If you think traffic is bad now wait until all the SUV and lifted truck owners move into their 400k$ condos. A lot of those buildings are boasting 100+ units a piece.

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The_Cawing_Chemist t1_j6or81o wrote

Reply to comment by whowasonCRACK2 in Real Estate 101 - How to Tell a Bad Flip From a Good One by Kindly_Boysenberry_7

Alright so if property can’t be used as an investment source anymore, what do people do? End up with a non-diversified portfolio and all their assets tied into the stock market? Can land still be used as an asset or is that off limits too? Can I own any tangible asset or am I just fucked if the market isn’t doing well?

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Lavenderlaurel t1_j6oqht6 wrote

Reply to Richmond School board member proposes closing five schools to more efficiently use budget by Charlesinrichmond

This is so dumb. It's going to overcrowd and overwhelm other schools. Not to mention the Richmond neighborhood feuds that may come into play as a result of forcing students to switch schools. Last year the rezoning caused multiple fights at several middle/high schools. It's going to happen again if they close those schools down. Not to mention RPS's central office is already an absolute mess. Focus on hiring people to fill central office vacancies before touching a topic like this....

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opienandm t1_j6oplzo wrote

Reply to Real Estate 101 - How to Tell a Bad Flip From a Good One by Kindly_Boysenberry_7

This is a good overall guide.

Some things I’ll add:

  • Check to see that every electrical receptacle is grounded. You can pick up a cheap plug tester which you can use. Sometimes, people will replace two pronged receptacles with three pronged, but that doesn’t mean the circuit is grounded. If all aren’t grounded, it’s almost guaranteed that the flipper has cut corners and you might find some significant safety issues in the future.
  • Verify that the hot water heater is right sized for the number of occupants and activity in the house. This is another place where flippers may attempt to save some money, but it’s a PITA if you don’t have the right sized unit. Also, check to make sure that any CPVC has been replaced with PEX. It’s not a matter of if, but when older CVPC will fail. If there was CVPC in the house, have your inspector look for evidence that it’s all been replaced.
  • The foundation - much more important in older homes, make sure you have a structural inspector take a thorough look at things. Some repairs are relatively cheap, but others can be a very expensive and lengthy nightmare. It’s not terribly difficult to hide some foundation problems during a renovation, but if they exist they will appear sooner or later.
  • Sewer line: If the house is more than 50 years old, it may be worth the piece of mind to have the sewer line scoped between the house and the city/county. It’s not very expensive, and it can prevent a very unpleasant surprise in the future. These issues are very difficult or impossible for an inspector to detect.
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ImpressiveHunt810 t1_j6opjmo wrote

Reply to comment by neatlair in VCU student death highlights worsening pedestrian fatalities trend in Richmond. How can the city fix it? by CrassostreaVirginica

You need a license to drive, not a license to walk. And plenty of people get hit by cars while walking down the sidewalk; or crossing when they get a walk sign. There are also people who can't move our of the way of a car quickly who also deserve to move around without being run over. It's a choice we've made as a society to allow cars to go faster at the expense of pedestrian lives.

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