[KeithO]

Mods- this is far off topic and if you feel this is inappropriate, feel free to remove this thread.

I am posting this here because I know that there are alot of intelligent, experienced people on this site beyond playing with f-bodies...

My wife and I signed paperwork for an offer on a house yesterday. The offer is contingent on us selling our house (open house is today!) and I don't know if this will work out. Even so I am thinking ahead.

The house was built in 1900 and is a frame construction. The siding, windows, electrical service, and plumbing was all replaced within the last 5 years. In that same timeframe, the extensive woodwork and stained glass was all restored to a high standard. The first time we visited the house, my wife's reaction was "I love this house but it is too nice for us, we'd ruin it". We have an 11-year-old and a very active 3-year-old. I understand her sentiment all too well.

(As an aside, the bonus here is that the house is about 15 miles from Beaver Run Motorsports Complex and has a 3-car detached garage that has an inside height tall enough for a lift. What a coincidence! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rotf.gif) )

Anyway, I don't know diddley about houses and the offer we have is additionally contingent upon a clean home inspection by a professional home inspector.

Is anyone here knowledgeable about homes and specifically old ones? If so, do you have any advice for me? Is anyone aware of any websites that might specialize in houses like this?

I know that this house is my wife's dream house. I just don't want her waking up from one of those dreams where you show up for school in your pajamas. Hahaha.

[LT4Firehawk]

Our last house, which we still own and use as a rental property, was built in 1941. Here's some things I'd thoroughly check (or have an inspector check):

Roof: It should only be one layer, and preferably should be preferably less than 7 years old. If it has more than one layer, it'll be hard (or impossible) to get insurance on the house, leading to you having to pay for a new roof immediately. Of course, a leaky roof can also lead to water damage in the walls as well, so you really need to make sure the roof is in good shape.

Electrical: Unless they have completely updated the electrical, you could run into issues down the road. Ours had the electrical updated for much of the house in the last 20 years or so, and is in pretty good shape. Even the part that wasn't updated never gave us too much trouble, but there wasn't anything too major on the old wiring.

Windows: Even if the windows have been replaced, I'd still have someone check the walls/sills around them. With a house that old, it's very possible that there have been leaks and substantial water damage around the windows. Even if the windows have been replaced and look good, there could still be water damage in the walls that was just covered up and not repaired.

Plumbing: If all the plumbing was upgraded you should be ok. Just keep in mind that if there are any original pipes, they'll need to be replaced at some point.

Heat/AC: Has the house been upgraded to central heat/air? If not, you'll probably want to at some point, which will be big bucks. Whether it has or not, keep in mind that old house leak like a screen door, so your heating/cooling budget will need to be much larger than a newer house of equivalent size. Of course, if the house has wood floors and a crawlspace this will somewhat mitigate in the summer as these things will help keep the house cooler.

Anyway, don't be afraid of getting an old house, just keep in mind they usually take more maintenance. Sounds like the one you are looking at has had a lot of work done, though so it shouldn't be as bad.