Recent comments in /f/rva

ValidGarry t1_j6ox2o4 wrote

Reply to comment by Reasonable-Newt-8102 in VCU student death highlights worsening pedestrian fatalities trend in Richmond. How can the city fix it? by CrassostreaVirginica

It's part of the solution, not the only way. The gap between where Richmond is now to "viable city with no private vehicles" is vast to not possible. I've not seen a city in the world where private vehicles are not present. Controlled yes, banned no. SUV and lifted truck owners are in the burbs, not the $400k condos downtown.

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constructit t1_j6owz3z wrote

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

Another tip is to never take information from real estate agents when it comes to construction related matters. They have seen a lot of houses and often consider themselves knowledgeable, but it’s superficial knowledge. Find a good contractor who isn’t cheap and is busy, that’s who you can trust. They will certainly chime in and say I’m wrong but once they can run a panel box or cut a roof I’ll change my mind. Stick with the paper and pencils and let the pros handle the work

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Kindly_Boysenberry_7 OP t1_j6ouxv4 wrote

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

I'm happy for people to invest in real property. I am just disgusted by the people who are buying up real estate to use as short term rentals (STRs), knowing they are flaunting the law. The law exists to balance the interests of homeowners who want to make additional money vs. the needs of the community.

If you live in a triplex and decide to operate the two other units as Airbnbs - that's legal under the City law and fine with me, so long as you register your units and pay the fees. If you have a garage apartment on your property and you want to make that an Airbnb, again, fine with me, it's legal under the law so long as you register with the City.

However, what is NOT COOL with me is for people to buy homes or multifamily buildings in the City, NOT live in them, and turn them into Airbnbs.

Want to buy real estate as an investment and use it as a year-round-rental? That's perfectly fine. I think investors who don't have real estate as part of their portfolio are making a mistake. But I also think the public policy of restricting Airbnbs in order to ensure there is enough affordable and available housing for real people, residents of this City, is the right approach. And it infuriates me that people are blatantly ignoring the law and then screaming about "my rights!"

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Cerebral-Knievel-1 t1_j6ouiw3 wrote

Reply to comment by KDRadio1 in Where do you buy chicken breast for a good price? by Astronaut-Ordinary

I was using lobster as an example of personal experience.. Canned lobster is perfectly fine if you are using it as part of something larger. It's very much used commercially in restaurants and food production. Raw lobster goes in the can... sealed. And then the heat of pasteurization cooks it in the can.. no worse than canned tuna, crab.. etc.. The crab in take out crab rangoon i can guarantee came out of a can. Wanna make a lobster bisque.. thats a couple cans of tail meat added at the end of the process, so it juat heats up.

A friend of mine also got reamed out and fired on first day by the dude because she was taking a picture of some piping tips.. dude accused her of trying to steal his recipes and threatened to smash her phone.

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SuccsInAllSituations t1_j6oth28 wrote

Reply to comment by freetimerva in Need Help Rehoming Dog with Human Bite History by trshwmn

I grew up in an area with a lot of hunting and they would absolutely dump the dogs that weren’t good at it or injured. I would pick them up all the time and end up rehoming them to loving homes as pets. We kept one who was dumped probably because he was afraid of gunshots. He was a sweet boy. But it does happen.

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Kindly_Boysenberry_7 OP t1_j6otajo wrote

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

On ungrounded outlets, I don't necessarily think it means the flipper did a bad job if certain outlets are ungrounded. However, what you don't want to see is three prong outlets for ungrounded receptacles. Having those receptacles with two prong outlets is fine. Happens a lot in old houses. You don't want someone thinking a receptacle is grounded when it's not. So two-pronged, ungrounded plug = fine. Three pronged, ungrounded plug - NOT fine.

I agree to some extent on foundation issues. However, as someone who deals with almost exclusively older homes (1890s-1960s), especially with 100+ year old houses some lean and sway doesn't necessarily mean a scary structural issue. Homes settle over time. It is what it is. But the materials and craftsmanship of masonry 100+ year old homes will almost always beat the pants off any kind of new construction, unless it was a very high end, new custom build. Now if it's SEVERE sway, and/or obvious major cracking, that might be worth having a structural engineer evaluate it. And have a REPUTABLE structural engineer, who knows old houses, look at it. Do not get one of those foundation repair companies, especially the ones that advertise on TV.

Agree on scoping a sewer. Just had it done for a 196os house in the Near West End in Henrico and it was about $350.

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