WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:04.040 KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp, the 2 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:10.599 house Whisper on demand on the iHeartRadio app, talking about 3 00:00:10.599 --> 00:00:13.160 anything and everything that you want to talk about regarding 4 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:17.359 your home. I want to talk to James. James, welcome home. 5 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:20.480 Hey, thank you so much and I appreciate you taking 6 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:21.039 my call, sir. 7 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:23.800 You are welcome, sir. How can I help you? 8 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:25.000 So? 9 00:00:25.399 --> 00:00:27.800 I've been running this home for the past ten years. 10 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:31.440 It's three bedroom, two and a half bats. 11 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:35.920 Approximately eleven hundred square feet. The owner decides he wants 12 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:39.159 to sell because he's going back to his country and 13 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:41.399 he hasn't put it out in the market yet. 14 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:44.840 On red Fend the house is approximately between eight lower 15 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:46.840 eight to eight twenty. 16 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:49.439 He wants to give me. 17 00:00:49.399 --> 00:00:51.399 First DIBs at the at the house. 18 00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:53.920 And there is some. 19 00:00:55.320 --> 00:00:59.880 Fixes that the house's meets with the plumbing. There's termite, 20 00:01:00.520 --> 00:01:03.719 the chimney has cracks, and then there's like multiple cracks 21 00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:04.480 throughout the home. 22 00:01:05.079 --> 00:01:08.239 I did get an inspector to come out yesterday. Unfortunately 23 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:11.239 he didn't inspect the foundation. Just by ayyballing it. He said, 24 00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:13.239 you know, you're going to need someone to come check 25 00:01:13.239 --> 00:01:15.640 out the foundation. There's going to be some. 26 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:18.200 Fixes that the house is going to have to be addressed. 27 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:19.480 My question to you is. 28 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:23.040 It was build in nineteen thirty six, that's about ninety 29 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:25.640 years old. Is it going to be a good investment, 30 00:01:25.719 --> 00:01:27.519 is it going to be a headache in the long run? 31 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:30.439 And what would be a fair offer, because that's the 32 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:34.159 owner said, I'm not gonna fix anything that the house needs. 33 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:38.079 I'd rather give you credit on it. So what what's 34 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:38.879 your opinion being? 35 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:42.359 Okay, all right, really really good question, James. Okay, So 36 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:44.760 first of all, just so as not to disappoint you, 37 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:47.280 at the end of my answer, I can't give you 38 00:01:47.319 --> 00:01:49.439 a number on it. I can't give you a number okay, 39 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:52.400 but because you know, there's just too many there are 40 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:54.920 too many variables. We don't know what's going on. But 41 00:01:55.719 --> 00:01:57.879 it sounds like you're in a good position to make 42 00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:00.799 the decision. Okay. It sounds like he's being fair with you, 43 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:03.200 he's being honest, he's being straight up front. He says, listen, 44 00:02:03.239 --> 00:02:07.359 I'm not fixing anything, but I'd rather give you credit. Okay. Well, 45 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:11.280 so here are the layers that go into this layer. 46 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:14.439 Number One, you got to know from a realtor or two, 47 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:17.759 what the fair market value of the house is as 48 00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:20.159 is as it sits right there. What are the comps? 49 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:23.280 What's fair and you get a sense of that. Number one. 50 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:26.960 Number two, you've had the home inspection done. Now home 51 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:30.560 inspection start is. The whole purpose of a home inspection 52 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:36.639 is to find any potential things that could be an issue. Plumbing, foundation, 53 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:40.080 you know where why you know, a house built in 54 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:43.719 the nineteen thirties, you know, may have cracks, cracks in 55 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:46.840 the plaster, cracks in the ceiling. Does not necessarily mean 56 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:49.199 that the ceiling is failing. It just means that, you know, 57 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:51.639 it's almost one hundred year old house at this point, 58 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:54.000 and maybe those things have been neglected for a while, 59 00:02:55.400 --> 00:02:59.039 so he wants to give you first DIBs all. What 60 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:01.840 you need to do, if you're seriously thinking about it, 61 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:05.039 is to do your due diligence. In other words, if 62 00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:07.719 you know that if the home inspector has said somebody 63 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:09.479 should look at the foundation, then you got to get 64 00:03:09.479 --> 00:03:12.120 a foundation company out there to take a look at 65 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.639 the foundation. Uh, one who's going to give you a 66 00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:18.639 thorough inspection and a price. That's what the home inspector 67 00:03:18.759 --> 00:03:22.960 isn't doing. His job is to simply alert you to 68 00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:26.439 issues that he finds. He's not giving you an estimate 69 00:03:26.520 --> 00:03:30.960 of value. You need to get a couple of foundation companies. 70 00:03:31.479 --> 00:03:34.520 And this is how I would support my justification for 71 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:39.520 the credit. I would have more than one contractor, a 72 00:03:39.560 --> 00:03:43.400 reputable contractor in every category of concern come out to 73 00:03:43.439 --> 00:03:47.639 the house. So if there's a potential foundation issue, I'd 74 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:51.759 get two bids, two estimates from them, number one, so 75 00:03:51.800 --> 00:03:54.919 that you can show them, Hey, you know all the 76 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:57.719 guys who look at the house, are they all have 77 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:00.360 a consensus? You know, they all agree it should be this, 78 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:03.400 this and this and this is the ballpark price for 79 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:06.759 getting this done. Somebody to take a look at the framing, 80 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:09.520 somebody to look at the plumbing, and so on. A 81 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:12.000 lot of stuff when it comes to an older home 82 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:17.120 may be superficial. But when you mentioned plumbing and foundation work, 83 00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:20.240 that's not superficial stuff. That stuff that needs to be 84 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:23.639 seriously addressed. And what you do is you simply compile 85 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:29.199 together the costs to you of realistically bringing the house, 86 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:33.360 not making it brand spanking new in terms of every finish, 87 00:04:33.399 --> 00:04:37.519 because that's that's not you know, we're not crediting, we're 88 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:40.519 not asking for a credit to make a house that's 89 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:43.160 been you know, a little old, it has a dingy 90 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:46.000 paint job to get it all bright and shiny. Because 91 00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:49.319 that's not the point. Okay, the house gets evaluated at 92 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:52.680 the price that it's in given the condition, and then 93 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:56.399 you say, listen, you know there's sixty thousand dollars worth 94 00:04:56.399 --> 00:04:59.000 of things here that have to be done to the house. 95 00:04:59.079 --> 00:05:02.519 So if you willing to take sixty off the price, 96 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:05.040 then you know, maybe we're talking about me buying this 97 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:07.279 house from. 98 00:05:07.480 --> 00:05:11.879 Okay, perfect, great advice and neither more so peace of mind. Soel, definitely, 99 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:15.639 I do have plumber coming out tomorrow, and I do 100 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:19.199 have someone that's gonna look at the foundation. But to 101 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:24.120 get a second opinion, I think that would also ease 102 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:27.600 the homeowner and say, well, it's just one person's opinion. 103 00:05:27.639 --> 00:05:28.720 I suppose to there's. 104 00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:32.279 Two, yeah, exactly. And that's the thing is that it's 105 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:35.800 not See, it's really easy to argue down from a 106 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:39.600 negotiating standpoint. It's really easy to argue down the idea like, 107 00:05:39.639 --> 00:05:41.639 oh so you had Joe blow come out and they 108 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:45.560 gave you a crazy price. It's completely different to say, listen, 109 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:50.680 I had three builders look at this specific prom I 110 00:05:50.680 --> 00:05:54.160 had three plumbers look at this, and I'm here. Let 111 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:58.600 me show you they're written estimates. You see consensus between 112 00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:02.319 them all. This is at least a fifteen thousand dollars 113 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:06.240 plumbing job. That's what I'm saying, between three different licensed 114 00:06:06.279 --> 00:06:09.240 plumbers and a couple of different foundation You see how 115 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:12.759 that takes the argument to a completely different level. Plus 116 00:06:12.839 --> 00:06:14.800 it gives you peace of mind that you're not missing 117 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:17.959 anything along the way. So, James, I think you're headed 118 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:21.879 in the right direction. Just my opinion would be double up, 119 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:25.519 at least double up on the estimates so that you 120 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:28.360 really are standing on solid ground when it comes to 121 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:31.560 the house. Good luck, my friend, and thanks for your call, 122 00:06:31.639 --> 00:06:35.040 Thanks for listening, thanks for your confidence in asking me 123 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:35.600 the question. 124 00:06:35.879 --> 00:06:39.959 All right, you're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on 125 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:42.360 demand from KFI AM six forty. 126 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:49.160 We're talking about a great architectural design being theater, and 127 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:53.800 I'm using the idea of theater or movies, movies or plays, 128 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:59.839 cinema and theater as things that your elements of artistic 129 00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:05.199 endeavor that you're more familiar with than you are evaluating 130 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:09.800 an architectural space for improving its design. So I want 131 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:13.560 to get your head more into your home, knowing what 132 00:07:13.720 --> 00:07:16.319 to look at, where to look, how to look at 133 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:19.079 a space, to try and figure out what is wrong 134 00:07:19.160 --> 00:07:21.720 with this room, how can I make it better? And 135 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:25.600 we're using cinema and theater as a metaphor for that, 136 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:28.079 as a tool to get in your head because it's 137 00:07:28.120 --> 00:07:31.319 so so very true, it's so applicable. Of course, not 138 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:36.160 everything is this equal across the board, but already, already 139 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:39.920 I think we've crossed some boundaries and opened up your 140 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:42.879 thinking in terms of how you evaluate a room. Anyway, 141 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:45.279 We're going to be going back to that in a bit. 142 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:48.800 But middle of the show right now, the ten o'clock 143 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:52.399 hour means we're taking calls, and that is always a 144 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:55.079 pleasure and a joy for me as well. So let's 145 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:59.040 go back to the phones. I want to talk to Sandy. Hey, Sandy, 146 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:01.920 welcome home, Thank you. 147 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:03.680 Hi. 148 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:07.800 I just have a quick question about an air conditioner 149 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:13.199 versus the heat pump. Sure, And we live in Marino 150 00:08:13.319 --> 00:08:17.279 Valley and out closer to the desert, and we have 151 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:21.480 a single story, nineteen hundred square foot home and it 152 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:23.279 was built in two thousand and two, and the air 153 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:26.480 conditioners still running from then, but we just put a 154 00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:30.040 capacitor in and it's still going. But wanted to kind 155 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:32.759 of get some head up about heads up about whether 156 00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:38.120 heat pump. We spoke with the air conditioning gentleman, but 157 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:40.399 he wasn't really excited about the heat pump. He said, 158 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:42.360 they've had problems with them. So I just want to 159 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:43.480 get your ideas on that. 160 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:47.159 Okay, So my first idea is talk with more than 161 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:51.600 one air conditioning gentleman. Okay, when it comes to that, 162 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:55.320 you know, everybody has their experiences with things, but I 163 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:59.080 am I'm actually I'm surprised, and not surprised, you know. 164 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:01.639 I mean, I've got I got I know plumbers out 165 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:04.399 there who are still telling me that you know, putting 166 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:07.120 in copper piping is way better than pecks, or that 167 00:09:07.320 --> 00:09:10.639 you know, everybody's got their thing. Everybody's got their thing. 168 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:15.360 But you want to educate yourself on a wider spectrum. 169 00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:18.200 So as the homeowner, I want you to have two 170 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:21.840 or three I would say three at a minimum, ac 171 00:09:22.600 --> 00:09:24.360 take a look at the house and evaluate it and 172 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.919 talk to you about it. Honestly, I have a very 173 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:30.200 very different opinion about that than the one that the 174 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:34.879 gentleman expressed to you, which is that heat pumps are 175 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:39.720 probably very very they're very much becoming, especially here in 176 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:43.039 California and in more temperate climates and even in more 177 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:48.000 severe cold climates. Get pumps are gaining ground like no 178 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:52.279 other innovation in the HVAC industry in a long, long, 179 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:55.919 long time. And it really doesn't Yeah. 180 00:09:55.919 --> 00:10:00.879 Go ahead. He was something concerned about something about the 181 00:10:00.919 --> 00:10:06.919 free on issue. Yeah, there's something he was talking about. 182 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:11.080 There's things going on with the free on about new 183 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:13.519 ones and old ones and getting it and I don't know, 184 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:15.519 I guess there were some free on questions. 185 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:18.639 Okay, So that sounds like that you may be a 186 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:21.200 little bit confused or maybe he wasn't really clear about 187 00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:26.200 certain things. Free on is a kind of refrigerant that 188 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:29.679 we don't use anymore. It's out of date and older. 189 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:36.399 Twenty thirty year old AC has a free on, a 190 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:39.240 kind of free on in it that is not available anymore. 191 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:42.240 And so in terms of like, you know, when it 192 00:10:42.279 --> 00:10:45.360 comes time to upgrade, do you just keep repairing the 193 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:49.320 old unit and keep it going. The question is, next 194 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:52.000 time you have to charge that thing up with the 195 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:56.679 refrigerant that is no longer being sold or manufactured, you're 196 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:59.080 going to be paying a mint for it because the 197 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:02.720 only free on that's out there right now available is 198 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:06.720 free on that has been bled off of old units 199 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:09.440 that are being removed. So it's like it's like an 200 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:13.320 antique now. And so that piece of furniture, now that 201 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:16.720 it's been labeled antique, is like ten times more expensive 202 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:20.399 than it normally would be. So there are new refrigerants, 203 00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:25.960 better refrigerants in existing modern units that you don't have 204 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:28.720 to have that worry. That's a kind of a different conversation. 205 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:31.480 But let me just very quickly explain the heat pump. 206 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:34.120 The heat pump is really not about the AC. A 207 00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:37.200 heat pump question is whether you're going to buy an 208 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:39.679 AC unit that is also a heat pump and that 209 00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:45.919 replaces not the air conditioner, but it replaces your gas 210 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:51.480 fired furnace. A heat pump AC doesn't need the gas 211 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:54.240 fired furnace anymore because of what it is. It's like 212 00:11:54.279 --> 00:11:58.120 an air conditioner that can also be turned in put 213 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:01.679 in reverse. So during the hot summer months, the air 214 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:05.720 conditioner is pulling hot air out of the house, pulling 215 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:08.799 heat out of the house and distributing it outside. During 216 00:12:08.840 --> 00:12:12.120 the cold months. A heat pump unit, the same machinery 217 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:16.360 works in the opposite direction and it pumps warm air 218 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:19.840 into the house. And that's why I'm saying, when it 219 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:22.679 comes to a heat pump unit, the question is do 220 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:24.919 you want the gas furnace anymore? Do we need the 221 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:27.559 gas furnit, do we need a fossil fuel burning gas 222 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:31.039 furnace anymore? Or can the whole thing work efficiently and 223 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:36.440 effectively off of a heat pump slash AC unit that's 224 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:40.039 the biggest And it's all electric, correct, it's all electric. Yeah, 225 00:12:40.120 --> 00:12:43.320 it's all electric, and so natural gas doesn't enter into 226 00:12:43.399 --> 00:12:43.960 it anymore. 227 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.320 Okay, And are they a lot more expensive? 228 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:51.519 They are more expensive than just a standard unit. But 229 00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:54.759 your unit is now, if it's twenty years old, you're 230 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:56.799 at the age where you're also going to have to 231 00:12:56.799 --> 00:13:00.480 be replacing the furnace, and so the I think it's 232 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:03.559 probably cost wise going to be a wash across the board. 233 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:07.080 Either you get your less expensive air conditioner that only 234 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:11.440 does cooling, plus a new gas furnace unit to mate 235 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:15.120 with it, or you eliminate the new gas furnace unit 236 00:13:15.159 --> 00:13:18.360 and you get an air conditioner that also can operate 237 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:21.879 as a heater, and so the cost is pretty much 238 00:13:21.879 --> 00:13:25.639 a wash across the board. Sandy. So here's my advice again, 239 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:32.840 talk to two three at least vetted, well reputed, well 240 00:13:32.919 --> 00:13:38.080 reputed HVAC contractors about your specific situation. I think you'll 241 00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:44.200 find that they'll probably be inclining you toward the heat 242 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:47.639 pump and not discouraging you away from it. They don't really, 243 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:49.879 they don't have problem. I don't know what do you. 244 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:53.799 I think what he meant was problems with maintaining your 245 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:57.000 old unit a heat a new heat pump HVAC unit. 246 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:00.519 They're very, very very reliable. There is really as you 247 00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:03.679 are conditioning you is because they are essentially you're air 248 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:06.720 conditioning you. It's just one that has a reverse gear 249 00:14:06.759 --> 00:14:09.639 to it. Essentially it's a metaphor. But that's the way 250 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:12.159 it works. Sandy. Thank you for your question. I've got 251 00:14:12.200 --> 00:14:14.919 to go. We're up against a break. Good luck with that. 252 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:18.960 But again, again, like I harp on so often, get 253 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:21.720 two or three opinions, educate yourself. Don't just go with 254 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:24.919 the one guy who said the one thing. Okay, make 255 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:26.639 sure it all proves out. 256 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:30.960 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on Demand from 257 00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:33.039 KFI AM sixty. 258 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:37.559 Home. This is the place where every weekend we talk 259 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:41.399 about turning your ordinary house into an extraordinary home. No 260 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:45.519 better way to do that than to understand how great 261 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:48.799 architecture and great design is truly theater. And I'm using 262 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:51.200 that as a metaphor and analogy for you so you 263 00:14:51.240 --> 00:14:55.279 can sink your teeth into understanding how to evaluate the 264 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:58.440 spaces around your house that just aren't giving you everything 265 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:00.559 you want them to give you. Get back to that 266 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:03.559 conversation just a bit. But we're in the middle hour 267 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:06.080 here of the program, which means we're taking calls, which 268 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:09.279 means you set the agenda for what we're talking about. 269 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:12.039 And let's go to one of our directors right now. 270 00:15:12.600 --> 00:15:15.399 I want to talk to Beth. Hey, Beth, welcome home, 271 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:17.360 Thank you, Dian. 272 00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:22.039 So the question is what is the bare minimum that 273 00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:25.759 we need to do to keep a property alive, if 274 00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:27.879 you will, because the property is going to be closed, 275 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:31.639 has been closed for about eight months, then it will 276 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:34.039 be closed for a little while until one of the 277 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:38.600 owners passed away. They were moved to a senior living 278 00:15:38.679 --> 00:15:42.320 assisted living, and it doesn't exist to sell the house 279 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:45.000 because they are going to pay huge capital gain taxes, 280 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:48.120 so we're going to wait until one dies. They don't 281 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:51.519 need the money. So but I'm nervous that the house 282 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:54.440 is just closed and is deteriorating. 283 00:15:55.200 --> 00:15:58.360 Ah Okay, well it's a good question, the really good question, Beth. 284 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:02.679 I'm not sure anybody's asked me that in that way before. So, 285 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:08.240 first of all, where is the house as far as Okay, 286 00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:11.759 so you're here in southern California. So the reason I 287 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:15.039 asked that is because there are different requirements for doing 288 00:16:15.080 --> 00:16:19.559 this for different homes across the country. Obviously, when it 289 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:23.799 comes to areas that get severe and freezing winters, there 290 00:16:23.799 --> 00:16:27.120 are things. There's additional things i'd say that have to 291 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:32.120 be added to the maintenance of an empty house, including 292 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:36.360 not just not just putting in bleeder valves so that 293 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:42.679 the pipes don't freeze, and water plumbing, but also I 294 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:47.600 would suggest at least running the bare minimum amount of 295 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:50.240 heat and cooling in the house to keep it a 296 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:53.799 moderate temperature. But here in southern California that's not as 297 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:56.600 as critical unless you're out in the desert area where 298 00:16:56.600 --> 00:17:00.000 the temperature shifts to extremes. If you're in an extreme 299 00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:03.039 temperature environment, one of the best ways to take care 300 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:07.839 of an unoccupied house is to keep the temperature within 301 00:17:08.119 --> 00:17:12.160 a moderate mid range. And that, you know, not a 302 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:14.720 lot of people think about that. That a neglected home, 303 00:17:14.839 --> 00:17:19.720 meaning a house that just doesn't have anybody living in it, 304 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:23.680 goes through more temperature extremes, and as a result, the 305 00:17:23.799 --> 00:17:28.359 expansion of materials during hot weather, the contraction of materials 306 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:35.480 during cold weather can cause cracking in walls to start 307 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:37.799 to peel off walls. All of that kind of stuff 308 00:17:37.960 --> 00:17:41.640 in Hinton Beach not so much an issue, right, very 309 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:48.880 very temperate. Your main concern there will be letting, making 310 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:53.240 sure that somebody's dropping by and flushing toilets and running 311 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:56.279 water in all of the sinks. Okay. And here's why. 312 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:00.559 There's this little thing underneath every sink and in every 313 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:03.880 drain in the house called the pea trap. Okay. It's 314 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:06.720 that way, not because we're peeing in it, because it's 315 00:18:06.759 --> 00:18:10.720 shaped like the letter P. And that pea trap holds 316 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:13.400 water in it. It holds water. It's sitting there. It 317 00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:17.079 traps water. Okay, it's a trap for water. That water 318 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:20.680 that's in the pea trap is what's keeping sewer gases 319 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:24.640 from coming up out of the sewer and into the 320 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:29.359 air inside the house. Okay, that's why the houses that 321 00:18:29.400 --> 00:18:31.880 have been not lived in for a long time, and 322 00:18:32.039 --> 00:18:35.640 realtors who have not been doing their due diligence as 323 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:38.240 they're showing the house to keep this going. That's why 324 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:40.039 you'll open up a door and you're like, oh, that's 325 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:43.119 an odd smell in this house. And sometimes it's bad 326 00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:45.799 enough that it can start to permeate walls and things 327 00:18:45.880 --> 00:18:49.319 like that. We don't want that to happen. So the 328 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:52.519 key is the reason that happens is because if those 329 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:56.559 sinks aren't being used, and that new water isn't being 330 00:18:56.559 --> 00:18:58.920 put down into the pea trap, if the shower isn't 331 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:02.799 being used at the isn't being used, then the water 332 00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:05.480 in the pea trap starts to evaporate out. And when 333 00:19:05.480 --> 00:19:08.079 it evaporates out, there's a point where it drops down 334 00:19:08.119 --> 00:19:11.960 and it's no longer blocking the sewer gases and those 335 00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:16.880 elements are inside the house. So as something as simple 336 00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:20.720 as getting by the house every week or so and 337 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:25.000 just spending five minutes turning on faucets, turning on the shower, 338 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:28.599 letting it run for about thirty seconds, turning them off, 339 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:31.279 and going your merry way is going to keep the 340 00:19:31.319 --> 00:19:36.200 house smelling normal. And apart from that, there's not a 341 00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:39.440 whole lot at eight ten months a year, not a 342 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:41.240 whole lot you've got to do on the inside of 343 00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:44.839 a house obviously, keep things watered on the outside, and 344 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:45.920 you know, and let it be. 345 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:50.240 How about the heater. Should I turn the heater onto 346 00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:51.720 you could? 347 00:19:52.039 --> 00:19:54.839 I mean you can always, you know, run the heater 348 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:57.480 just to keep dust from building up in the ducts 349 00:19:57.519 --> 00:19:59.880 and or on the heater element. Sometimes you know that 350 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:03.039 the first time you run the heater after you know, 351 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:06.559 long summer, it's you're like, smells like burning dust. Well 352 00:20:06.599 --> 00:20:09.559 it kind of is, right, It can't hurt to do 353 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:13.079 that for a couple of minutes. Same with the air conditioner, 354 00:20:13.319 --> 00:20:16.400 just to keep things limber and moving along. But again 355 00:20:17.559 --> 00:20:19.440 not in the same way of trying to keep the 356 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:22.559 house at a certain temperature, just to keep everything, you know, 357 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:23.400 moving along. 358 00:20:24.759 --> 00:20:27.440 Okay, great, well that that gives me a piece of mind. 359 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:29.680 Thank you. I really appreciate the insight. 360 00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:33.640 You're very very welcome, Beth, and good luck on just 361 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:39.160 keeping that house in good maintenance while nobody's inside. All right, y'all, 362 00:20:39.279 --> 00:20:41.079 more of your calls when we return. 363 00:20:42.039 --> 00:20:45.359 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 364 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:46.960 KFI AM six forty. 365 00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:51.599 I want to go back to the phones. I want 366 00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:57.359 to talk to Peter. Hey, Peter, welcome home, Good morning. 367 00:20:57.400 --> 00:21:04.039 Being Dean. I have a second house up in the 368 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:09.480 mountains in a high very high risk fire area, and 369 00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:15.160 I've been kind of researching the type of roof I 370 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:18.559 want to put gotta the roof has been on the 371 00:21:18.599 --> 00:21:21.799 house now for about thirty five years. But I understand 372 00:21:22.200 --> 00:21:27.960 metal roofs are the best fireproof roofs, and they come 373 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:31.799 in all sorts of types. I guess, uh, they got 374 00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:39.039 metal shake roofs, metal slate roofs, commercial panels, metal shingles, 375 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:45.839 and I currently have a normal shingle roof on the house. Now, 376 00:21:46.839 --> 00:21:49.440 I kind of want your opinion on a metal roof. 377 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:54.920 I understand that they can rust, they they're they're they're heavier, 378 00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:59.079 might have to have some some work done with the 379 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:06.440 uh with a wood underneath, but I don't know whether 380 00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:09.519 it's you know by words you go to a shingle roof. 381 00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:14.960 They have fireproof shingle roofs that go of course with 382 00:22:15.079 --> 00:22:19.799 the vanguard bench also, But I just need your your 383 00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:23.440 opinion on a metal metal roofs. 384 00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:27.599 Sure, uh, I say, when you say you've got normal shingles, 385 00:22:27.599 --> 00:22:29.400 do you mean you've got wood shingles on the house 386 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:29.839 right now? 387 00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:34.079 No? No, not would Uh. I don't know what the 388 00:22:35.079 --> 00:22:37.400 what they're made out of, but their shape. 389 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:41.400 Some kind of Okay. So so here's the thing. I'm 390 00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:43.920 gonna throw a curveball at you, but but it's a 391 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:46.519 very accurate one. I wanted to take me very seriously 392 00:22:46.519 --> 00:22:50.920 when I say this, because people ask me all the time, uh, hey, Dean, 393 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:53.359 what kind of roof should we put up there to 394 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:56.680 make sure the house is as fire safe as possible? 395 00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:59.960 And my answer is always this. It's like, I don't 396 00:23:00.119 --> 00:23:04.559 any roof that you want up there, because there isn't 397 00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:10.200 a single roof in the state of California that the 398 00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:14.279 State of California will approve that isn't a class A 399 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:19.440 fire rated roofing material. And that means everything asphalt composition 400 00:23:20.039 --> 00:23:24.599 to metal roofs, to Spanish tile, to slate roofs, to 401 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:28.039