What Does The Average Foundation Repair Cost

♦ December 3, 2012 ♦ Leave Your Comment

Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION:
On average how much does foundation repair cost?
We have one corner of our house that has already been repaired by the previous owner, but now the grout outside is getting cracks in it again. That’s the only area of the house that has problems. We are going to get professional estimates, but I’d like to hear input from others.
My husband has looked at the foundation from where he can and the slab is NOT cracked, so perhaps it is just cosmetic.

We live on that black land soil which cracks during the summer.
- ANSWER:
  It is not uncommon in Texas for houses to have concrete slab foundations with cracks at the corners. This is not generally associated with an actual cracked slab but is due to stress at the corners. This can be cosmetically repaired if you like for 0 or so per corner but may not last long. You can even make the repairs yourself.
  
  If the foundations is truly cracked and you have walls that are also cracked and/or doors which will not close properly, then might you have more serious problems and need professional help. The average foundation repairs are in the range of ,000 to ,000 depending upon the type of repairs required, how deep they have to dig around your house, the number of pilings they have to place into the ground, etc.
QUESTION:
just to give me an idea, how much can a cracked or sinking foundation cost to repair?
we are looking to buy a cute home, but the foundation is cracked and one wall is sinking…we may think it is worth it depending on repair costs. I just need and average cost nubmer just to have an idea of what we would be getting into.
- ANSWER:
  Wow! That’s just about rebuilding the whole house – think about it! The foundation – just by definition it means the base , in this case, of the house. You are looking at at least 20K maybe on up to 50K depending on the size and the land it’s being erected on – there could be an underlying problem – sinkholes, etc. – Seems like a bad investment unless you tear it down and start over! Remember – you get what you pay for!
QUESTION:
Does anyone know the average cost of repairing the foundation of a 1911 craftsman house (1,549 sqft)?
The house is located in Los Angeles, CA. and I think the house is being held up by a pier and beam foundation. The floor areas are sinking and some doors and windows are starting to stick. Do we go with a contractor or structural engineer? Has anyone used Servicemagic.com?
- ANSWER:
  Usually they’ll just put your home up on jacks…it shouldn’t be that much. We got under my house and did it ourselves. The kitchen floor wasn’t even when we moved it and it bothered me!
QUESTION:
What is the average cost of foundation repair in the DFW area?
Looking for ball park figure for 1600 sq ft house.
- ANSWER:
  I don’t know the average, but I do know it is very expensive. Ranging from 00 to ,000 and more. I’m in Plano.
QUESTION:
What is an average cost for repairing a front porch. It is composed of 2 sandstone slabs & supports a railing?
The concrete connecting the railing has deteriorated as has the concrete sealing it to the house. The slab now shifts when stepped on. The cinder blocks underneath also appear to have sunk.
- ANSWER:
  You shouldn’t pay more than – sqft (demolition your previous concrete is included) to pour the porch. Usually we charge 0 to install 100 blocks. To pour foundation it’s about for liner foot. So if your perimeter is 12′ by 22′ it should be about 0.
QUESTION:
How much lower should you offer from a seller’s asking price?
We’re looking at a home listed for 130,000 in a very rural community. We would really love to get the house of a little less. We also want the sellers to pay some or all of the closing cost. The house is unoccupied at the time. Is there a percent that you can go by. The real state market in the area is overwhelmed with listings and not many people looking to relocate to the area.
- ANSWER:
  There is no general percentage. There is a chance this house is already listed below market to draw interest, with the idea that that is the final number.
  
  Getting the seller to pay closing costs is something you can put in the offer, but you need to be specific with an amount – they vary wildly. And a lot of sellers just want as clean of a deal as possible, so adding 10 requirements could just bog down the offer.
  
  So look at what similar homes are going for in the area. Since it’s rural you may need to look at old data, then reduce that price by the average that real estate is down in your county (which will compensate for the state of the real estate market). Then subtract large immediately necessary repairs (roof, a/c, foundation bracing, septic/well), and you’ll come to a good number.
  
  If you are cash strapped and want them to cover closing costs, add the amount of closing costs to your “good number” from above (so you will be paying “more” for the house).
  
  Keep in mind if this house has been sitting vacant the sellers may have been paying 2 mortgage payments for some time and are even more broke than you. Selling the house may not net them any cash to hand over to you. So it’s possible that any offer with such terms will be immediately turned down.
  
  Hope this helps.
QUESTION:
What is the average cost for a cracked foundation repair?
I just found out that there is an avertical crack in the rear foundation wall under the deck. I’m wondering what the costs are for repairing the crack.
- ANSWER:
  it will vary from company to company. Me and my husband run a masonry company, and honestly it costs waaaaaay less ( depending on the crack) to do it yourself. it really isn’t too hard, your best bet is to buy materials and ask around for tips on doing it yourself (or e-mail me!) at a hardware store!! good luck!
QUESTION:
Is the civil engineering outlook really declining?
I have been reading from sites like bls.gov and it says that civil is expected to grow faster than the average yet I’ve been hearign that due to the economy it’s dying and is already saturated by an overabundance of civil engineers. I need some clarification with strong authority to be sure. Also, is the same happening to environmental engineering?
- ANSWER:
  “Many people have looked for evidence of a current shortage of engineers and they haven’t been able to find any real signs of that evidence,” said Michael Teitelbaum, a demographer for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
  
  William Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering, said starting salaries for engineers seem generally stable — neither rising dramatically, implying a shortage, nor falling, implying an oversupply. Wulf said the U.S. probably has enough engineers in sum, counting 70,000 to 75,000 graduates each year.
  
  A study released in December by Duke University’s School of Engineering reported that the nation “is currently producing a competitive number of engineers, computer science and information technology professionals.”
  
  Schools push engineering programs because they are money makers for the school since it takes more credit hours to get a degree in engineering than other majors.
  
  There is no mass retirement of baby boomers as predicted by the BLS which based most of their “grow faster than the average” prediction on and not on real numbers and statistics.
  
  The Government is not spending any money on infrastructure projects because they have to pay for the war in Iraq and Billions are going over there for rebuilding. The residential market has dried up and the Commercial market is stagnant and people are not wanting to invest in commercial projects since the residential market has gone belly up and interest rates are up and construction costs have sky rocketed.
  
  Companies love to say there is a shortage of engineers all the time because they are lobbying the government to allow more HB-1 visas or allow more high tech jobs to be outsource or done overseas so companies can pay people nothing.
  
  Only crappy companies that have bad work environments, bad benefits and pay their employees crap are the ones that are complaining they can’t find people to fill their positions. The sky is not falling and there is no shortage of engineers in the U.S.
  
  Because of the growing technology out there, Civil Engineers can do more than what they were doing a decade ago so there will be the same or less demand for Civil Engineers in the future then there was a decade ago. Civil Engineering is a stagnating field. This is why the can get away with paying Civil Engineers at lot less than almost every other engineer, it is supply and demand. There are a ton of civil engineers and the demand for them is not that great therefore the salaries are the lowest among all types of engineers.
  
  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
  Also when the BLS states growth in Civil Engineering will be “Spurred by general population growth and the related need to improve the Nation’s infrastructure,” this assumes that Federal, State and Local governments will be spending more money on the Nation’s infrastructure but if you look at the statistics, the Federal, State and Local governments are spending less and less on infrastructure every year. There is a battle in Congress over Billion in needed highway funding that looks like it will get defeated. This funding is for critical repairs on U.S. highways but the government won’t spend money on infrastructure because it is not a “vote getter”. Yet the Congress has no problem dropping 0 million for one B2 Stealth bomber or 5 Billion for the F-35 at 2 million per plane.
QUESTION:
How do u organize ur funds? For a person with average salary.?
I don’t have any loans. I will be having a auto loan soon and also I will be buying a house in near future but don’t have any money for downpayment. How do i start my plans for my future house.Thanks
- ANSWER:
  It looks like you’re asking how to budget your money so that you have enough for house payments and car payments.
  
  The foundation of any budget is good bookkeeping. You need to track your income and your expenses. Set up a budgeting worksheet on Excel, or get Quicken. Quicken will be easier to work with, but it will cost about . I listed the categories to start below. Add or delete categories as needed. Each column in Excel should be one month. Each row should be 1 expense category. Make sure to reconcile your checkbook each month. Failing to reconcile your checkbook is like having a condom, but not using it.
  
  Enter income items with a “+” and expenses with a “-“. The bottom entry called Surplus/Shortage (Spendable income) should be the sum of all the income and all the expenses. If the bottom entry is a “-“, then you need to reduce your expense somewhere
  
  There are some items which are a bit harder to budget. For example, you pay for homeowner’s or renter’s insurance once a year. Take the bill divide it by 12, and add it to your expenses monthly as an accrued item. Some expenses are unpredictable. For example, you know that your car will eventually need an expensive repair, but you don’t know when it will happen. Go through your check register for the last 24 months. Add up all the unexpected items and divide by 24. Then enter that amount on your budget each month.
  
  I suggest you get a book called Bookkeeping for Dummies by Lita Epstein. Please don’t be offended by the name. For Dummies is a publishing company. They contract with top authors who are both experts in their field and have the ability to put concepts in simple English.
  
  INCOME:
  Wages and Bonuses
  Interest Income
  Investment Income
  Miscellaneous Income
  Income Subtotal
  INCOME TAXES WITHHELD:
  Federal Income Tax
  State and Local Income Tax
  Social Security/Medicare Tax
  Income Taxes Subtotal
  Spendable Income
  EXPENSES:
  HOME:
  Mortgage or Rent
  Homeowners/Renters Insurance (actual amount paid)
  Property Taxes (actual amount paid)
  Home Repairs/Maintenance/HOA Dues
  Home Improvements
  UTILITIES:
  Electricity
  Water and Sewer
  Natural Gas or Oil
  Telephone (Land Line, Cell)
  FOOD:
  Groceries
  Eating Out, Lunches, Snacks
  FAMILY OBLIGATIONS:
  Child Support/Alimony
  Day Care, Babysitting
  HEALTH AND MEDICAL:
  Insurance (medical,dental,vision)
  Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses
  Fitness (Yoga,Massage,Gym)
  TRANSPORTATION:
  Car Payments
  Gasoline/Oil
  Auto Repairs/Maintenance/Fees
  Auto Insurance
  Other (tolls, bus, subway, taxi)
  DEBT PAYMENTS:
  Credit Cards
  Student Loans
  Other Loans
  ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATION:
  Cable TV/Videos/Movies
  Computer Expense
  Hobbies
  Subscriptions and Dues
  Vacations
  PETS:
  Food
  Grooming, Boarding, Vet
  CLOTHING:
  INVESTMENTS AND SAVINGS:
  401(K)or IRA
  Stocks/Bonds/Mutual Funds
  College Fund
  Savings
  Emergency Fund
  MISCELLANEOUS:
  Toiletries, Household Products
  Gifts/Donations
  Grooming (Hair, Make-up, Other)
  Miscellaneous Expense
  Total Investments and Expenses
  Surplus/Shortage (Spendable income)
QUESTION:
what is the average cost of a perma jack type home repair?

60 year old wood and stucco house. Perimeter and pier foundation. Significant subsidance (6-8 inches of drop) interior and exterior cracks. Some doors and windows stick. Would need two sides jacked (?) maybe 15′ to 20′ to the side. This would level the foundation to allow for repair and renovation.
- ANSWER:
  You have not provided nearly enough information for anyone to give you an answer. A “perma jack” contractor is likely to be far more expensive in San Francisco, Ca than one in Birmingham, AL. How many lineal feet of foundation need to be raised? What type of soil do the footers rest on at the present time? Is the foundation poured concrete or concrete block. You get the picture.
  
  Best advice is to have a structural engineer draw up a set of specifications to remedy the problem and then have several contractors bid on the project. You can then make an intelligent buying decision.
  
  Good luck with your problem.
QUESTION:
Why is the crime rate so high in america compared to other countries?
- ANSWER:
  America has a very high crime rate because the government does not care for it’s people. America is a capitalist society which only cares for those who have wealth, and does absolutely nothing for those who are poor and underprivileged. America continues to lie, undereducated, and overwork it’s citizens and likes it this way so that they cannot fight their government for the freedoms they should have. Crime rates are high because there is not enough economic stability to support the cost of living.
  
  The people who rule America and make the most money continue to lie and steal from it’s citizens by bailing themselves out with taxes paid by those same citizens. Those taxes should go toward creating a solid foundation for all of the states in the land. However, it just goes into the pockets of the most fortunate. So this causes suffering in the citizens who feel they have nothing and never will. What is the point of being a good citizen when those who rule can commit crimes and get away with it whenever they feel like it? So crimes will continue to happen and grow. One or two fall guys isn’t going to repair the damage. A crime is a crime, but those in power continue to bend the rules to their whims. Never having to pay for their crimes.
  
  When those who make the law continue to break the law, what’s the incentive for an average citizen to continue to follow the law other than threats of consequence? It’s sad, but I believe America must fall in order to repair itself because it’s never been a honest nation to begin with.
  
  When America was founded it was stolen from those who were natives of the land. So crime is natural there. Also, those settlers also stole people from other lands to build up their America. Crime is rampant in America from the top to the bottom and is never going to change unless the citizens wake up, realize they’ve been mislead, and do something about it. But that’s not likely to happen because most citizens are blind followers of what is taught to them in school. Never questioning the system at all.
QUESTION:
If I am going to grad school in Dallas is it better deal to rent for 2 years or to buy a house?
I heard its cheap there.
- ANSWER:
  On the national average, to rent in Dallas is cheap. On the other hand, property values in and around Dallas tend to get a bit pricy unless you’re willing to purchase a home in an “undesirable” location. Another drawback to purchasing a home in the DFW area is many of the newer homes’ foundations tend to shift causing cracks and expensive repair costs. If you have a little money to invest, buying an older house with the intention of renting out the house later can be quite a lucrative investment for your future no matter where you live.
  
  I would rent first, shop around, and then make up my mind.
QUESTION:
Anyone have experience or info on backyard tennis courts?
I am doing some research for my boss, I’m also looking on the web. There is a lot of room but it would have to be leveled. I don’t know if there are courts that have platform customized so that the ground does not have to be leveled. What’s an average cost for a double court. Can one court be used for basketball, and in line skating? If anyone out there has info or experience I would appreciate your input.
- ANSWER:
  Tell your boss that constructing a tennis court in his backyard is going to cost anywhere from 30K to 60K depending on the quality of the foundation, the landscape and the expertise of the crew building the court. Muti-sport courts can be put in the same as a tennis court, but the surface will not have the grit and texture of a high quality tennis court. The problem with in-line skating is that most wheels will leave marks on the court that are sometimes difficult to remove without damaging the surface of the tennis court. If the court is being used just for recreational purposes, then by all means go ahead and build a muti-sport court. However if there are any serious tournament level tennis players that will be using the court for training purposes, I would recommend against a muti-sport court. As far as building the court on a platform, I know this can be done…but the costs can be considerable when hiring a good archetect/engineer with a specialized background. Obviously you don’t want to hire a cheap construction crew to build a platform that an engineer is going to have to repair after a few years. I would look for private courts in your area and ask the owners if you could have a few minutes to ask them about their experince in the construction of the tennis court.
QUESTION:
Does Walmart treat their workers fairly?
So one day I was in the car with my uncle and my father. They both used to work for the union and I overheard them speaking about how Walmart kinda screws over their employees. Sorry ,but I can’t seem anything they said specifically.
- ANSWER:
  An outsider might think that Walmart treats its employees unfairly, but if you compare it to other retail jobs, it’s not half-bad.
  
  Most retail employees employed part-time in basic positions like cashier, stocking, and sales do not have access to healthcare. All Walmart associates, even part-timers, are eligible for healthcare benefits after one year of employment.
  
  The average wage for Walmart associates well out-paces employees in comparable positions in other companies. Most of these wages start out at least over minimum wage, even for positions like cashiering. At other retail companies, you’ll be lucky to receive anything above minimum.
  
  Raises are given at predictable intervals. The first opportunity for a raise comes at the 90-day evaluation. After that, evaluations and raises are given annually. The results of evaluations determine raises. In many other stores, you can work there for years and never receive a raise unless you are transferred to a higher position, and sometimes not even then.
  
  Breaks are given at frequent, predictable intervals. For an associate working from 9-6, for example, they would receive a 15-minute break around 11, an hour-long lunch at 1, and another 15-minute break at 4. Other stores only give breaks when they are required to, and often they are only 30 minutes, no matter the length of the shift.
  
  Walmart employees support each other. When an associate experiences a problem that they are ill-equipped to handle (for example, a serious illness or catastrophic event), other associates will step up to the plate and do what they can to help. This may include selling hotdogs to raise money, offering to do home repair at no cost, or referring the associate to a program specially-designed to help associates with critical needs. Having this level of support is part of being a member of the Walmart Family.
  
  Yes, Walmart has had many lawsuits brought against it, but it is an extremely large target (no pun intended). What I mean is that if someone is going to complain about a retailer, naturally they’re going to go after the biggest fish in the pond. Some practices at certain stores (not necessarily company-wide) were not fair to employees. These practices, like lower wages for females, inconsistent breaks, and unpaid overtime (as well as hours rolled over into the next week to avoid overtime) are the reason Walmart now has policies regarding when associates take breaks, how overtime is handled, and wage standards. Every company has problems, but the successful ones find ways to work through these problems and satisfactorily solve them so they are not rampant in the future. Walmart was built on Sam Walton’s foundation of Respect for the Individual, and that is still present in our stores today.
QUESTION:
Y/A Republicans How would you solve Poverty in non-Caucasian communities?
Here is your chance Y/A Republican show EVERY one on Y/A that you care about EVERY one.

Y/A Republicans How would you solve Poverty in non-Caucasian communities?
(A Bush Family member-Good points)
- ANSWER:
  Deport illegal immigrants.
  
  Democrats in Congress ignore congressional reports that prove illegal immigrants put minorities out of work. Democrats also removed E-Verify from the stimulus bill. E-Verify makes sure only people legally here in the U.S. can be hired for work. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090213233052AALISd5
  
  1) “Illegal Immigrants Take Jobs from African-Americans”
  http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ca5…
  “Mass Immigration vs. Black America
  Statement of T. Willard Fair ” http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ca50_bilbray/morenews/05142007.shtml
  And in 2007 “Democrat politicians refused to allow an African American man to testify as an expert witness in front of the Democrat controlled immigration committee….Republicans then setup a special committee so the concerns of the man could be addressed”
  
  2) 97% of illegal immigrants taking jobs away from Americans (only 3% work in farming)
  “While 3 percent of unauthorized workers are employed in agriculture, 33 percent have jobs in service industries and substantial shares can be found in construction and extractive occupations (16%) and in production, installation and repair (17%).”Pew Hispanic Center Offers Fuller Portrait of Unauthorized Migrants ”
  pewhispanic.org
  
  3) by: www_minutemanproject_com
  “Latinos entering the country between 2000 and 2004 were hired to fill more than one-third of all new jobs in the United States last year according to the Pew Hispanic Center.”
  http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/11550761.htm
  
  4) Illegal immigrants are not needed to pick vegetables. Growers hire illegal aliens to maximize profits. It is much cheaper to hire illegal aliens than to buy one tomato harvester that can harvest 40 tons of tomatoes an hour.
  Farmers found out it is less expensive to hire foreigners and then have taxpayers pay for foreigners costs to local governments. That dramatically increases profits for farmers.
  http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhB3YMAG8qNUfIc4bu8fxsojzKIX?qid=20070314135822AAI8u2P
  
  5) The price of lettuce will stay the near the same after illegal immigrants are deported. Even if we pay farm workers an hour it would only increase the cost of lettuce by 14 cents.
  “The average “consumer unit” in the U.S. spends a week on fresh fruit and vegetables, less than is spent on alcohol, according to Martin. On a head of lettuce, the farm worker gets about 6 or 7 cents, roughly 1/15th of the retail price. Even a big run-up in the cost of labor can’t hit the consumer very hard.
  http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200603140822.asp
  
  6) ” House Judiciary ranking member Lamar Smith, Republican-Texas, called the decision to remove the E-Verify requirement “outrageous” and “a gross disservice” to U.S. citizens and legal immigrant workers. “It is a simple matter of accountability,” Smith said. “If the goal is to create jobs and stimulate the American economy, then is it too much to ask that the jobs go to U.S. citizens and legal immigrant workers?” Smith pointed to an analysis from the conservative Heritage Foundation that the stimulus bill would create jobs for about 300,000 undocumented workers without the E-Verify requirement.” http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=42050&dcn=todaysnews
  
  Edit: Thank you.
QUESTION:
Average cost to repair sewer break at slab foundation?
- ANSWER:
  I don’t think that there is an average cost. It depends on how deep, and how much trouble it is to get to, and why it broke. If it’s really difficult to get at, you might look into trenchless repair.
  
  Here’s a site that has some videos about trenchless repairs:
  
  http://www.trenchlesssewerlinereplacement.net/index.php
QUESTION:
Create a monthly budget ?
I am trying to create a monthly budget so I would like an estimate of how much everybody spends on a monthly basis.
How much do you spend on Rent/House Payment, Utilities, Food/Groceries, Entertainment/Gifts, Wardobe/Makeup, Savings/Future Planning, Healthcare/Insurance etc.
I’d like to try to strike somewhere in the middle of the american average. So I would appreciate your honesty and candor. Thanks so much
- ANSWER:
  Trying to set a budget based on what other people spend will not work. You need to go back on your check register for about 2 years and enter all the information to determine what YOU spend. This will get you started.
  
  The foundation of any budget is good bookkeeping. You need to track your income and your expenses. Set up a budgeting worksheet on Excel, or get Quicken. Quicken will be easier to work with, but it will cost about .. I listed the categories to start below. Add or delete categories as needed. Each column in Excel should be one month. Make sure to reconcile your checkbook each month. Failing to reconcile your checkbook is like having a condom, but not using it.
  
  There are some items which are a bit harder to budget. For example, you pay for homeowner’s or renter’s insurance once a year. Take the bill divide it by 12, and add it to your expenses monthly as an accrued item. Some expenses are unpredictable. For example, you know that your car will eventually need an expensive repair, but you don’t know when it will happen. Go through your check register for the last 24 months. Add up all the unexpected items and divide by 24. Then enter that amount on your budget each month.
  
  I suggest you get a book called Bookkeeping for Dummies by Lita Epstein. Please don’t be offended by the name. For Dummies is a publishing company. They contract with top authors who are both experts in their field and have the ability to put concepts in simple English.
  
  INCOME:
  Wages and Bonuses
  Interest Income
  Investment Income
  Miscellaneous Income
  Income Subtotal
  INCOME TAXES WITHHELD:
  Federal Income Tax
  State and Local Income Tax
  Social Security/Medicare Tax
  Income Taxes Subtotal
  Spendable Income
  EXPENSES:
  HOME:
  Mortgage or Rent
  Homeowners/Renters Insurance (actual amount paid)
  Property Taxes (actual amount paid)
  Home Repairs/Maintenance/HOA Dues
  Home Improvements
  UTILITIES:
  Electricity
  Water and Sewer
  Natural Gas or Oil
  Telephone (Land Line, Cell)
  FOOD:
  Groceries
  Eating Out, Lunches, Snacks
  FAMILY OBLIGATIONS:
  Child Support/Alimony
  Day Care, Babysitting
  HEALTH AND MEDICAL:
  Insurance (medical,dental,vision)
  Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses
  Fitness (Yoga,Massage,Gym)
  TRANSPORTATION:
  Car Payments
  Gasoline/Oil
  Auto Repairs/Maintenance/Fees
  Auto Insurance
  Other (tolls, bus, subway, taxi)
  DEBT PAYMENTS:
  Credit Cards
  Student Loans
  Other Loans
  ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATION:
  Cable TV/Videos/Movies
  Computer Expense
  Hobbies
  Subscriptions and Dues
  Vacations
  PETS:
  Food
  Grooming, Boarding, Vet
  CLOTHING:
  INVESTMENTS AND SAVINGS:
  401(K)or IRA
  Stocks/Bonds/Mutual Funds
  College Fund
  Savings
  Emergency Fund
  MISCELLANEOUS:
  Toiletries, Household Products
  Gifts/Donations
  Grooming (Hair, Make-up, Other)
  Miscellaneous Expense
  Total Investments and Expenses
  Surplus/Shortage (Spendable income
QUESTION:
the bloated welfare states of France and Sweden have lower corporate rates and generally better corporate tax?
Now that recession-warning lights have begun to blink, Democrats should give tax hikes a rest.
As tax-happy Democrats might have noticed, the stock market resembles a kindergartner on a swing set: half-giddy, half-scared, and hyperactive. Meanwhile, payrolls sagged by 4,000 positions last month. Not since August 2003 has America created no new jobs. Fifty-two economists in September 13’s Wall Street Journal offered a 36-percent average probability of recession by next September, up from 28-percent in August.

Oil hit .93 per-barrel Wednesday — hardly good news. And the tumultuous home-mortgage industry suffered 243,497 foreclosure listings last month, up 115-percent versus August 2006, RealtyTrac.com reports. This mess triggered 12,000 layoffs, just at lender Countrywide Financial Corp. To prevent tight credit from suffocating the economy, the Federal Reserve Board Tuesday hastily administered a 0.5-percent federal-funds-rate reduction.

Amid these worrisome omens and genuine human suffering, the last thing America needs is for congressional Democrats to stuff a pillow over the economy’s face. But they can’t control themselves.

“Through 2012, the Democratic Congress’ new budget raises taxes 7 billion,” the National Taxpayers Union’s Pete Sepp calculates. “If no surpluses appear that year, another 5.5 billion tax hike automatically kicks in.”
This 2.5 billion includes a halving of the per-child tax credit, restoration of the marriage penalty, a 50-percent leap in the low-income tax bracket (10-percent under Republicans; 15-percent under Democrats), and the resurrection of the Death Tax — from 0 to 55-percent.

After August’s tragic Minneapolis bridge collapse, House Transportation chairman James Oberstar (D., Minn.) proposed a “temporary” nickel-a-gallon federal gasoline-tax increase. Never mind that existing gas-tax revenues vanish into narcissistic pork projects rather than urgent infrastructure repairs. Such a tax hike would “cost American motorists an estimated billion over the next three years,” NTU reckons.

Democrats cannot plea that soaring deficits require tax hikes to absorb red ink. Indeed, the federal budget gap narrowed from 3 billion in 2004 to 8 billion today, proving that the best deficit medicine nearly always is to limit taxes and consequently unleash American enterprise. A thinner federal slice of a bigger economic pie usually yields revenues exceeding pre-tax-cut levels.

Federal receipts have zoomed 7-percent this year. “The tax cuts are working exactly as intended,” Heritage Foundation analyst Brian Riedl argues. “Lower tax rates have increased the incentives to work, save, and invest, and as a result, the economy has grown faster than expected.” He adds: “Concerns that the Bush tax cuts would lead to a long-term shortfall of government revenues have proven false …Tax revenues in 2007 are now estimated to be billion above the level projected even before the 2003 tax cuts. In other words, tax revenues are now above their pre-tax cut baseline.”

Democrats cannot deny what happened after President Bush and Capitol Hill Republicans slashed maximum capital-gains taxes from 18 to 15-percent in 2003. Rather than dwindle .37 billion between 2003 and 2006, as the congressional Joint Tax Committee’s antique, static-analysis model wrongly predicted, revenues actually advanced billion.

Foreign economic ministers understand these lessons and are lowering taxes as if Franklin Roosevelt never lived and Ronald Reagan never died.

“Sweden and Russia last year eliminated their estate taxes because they said the tax was economically counterproductive,” economist Stephen Moore wrote in the August 31 Wall Street Journal. “In Germany under Chancellor Angela Merkel, the corporate tax rate has been reduced to less than 30 percent from 39-percent.” Poland recently chopped its business tax from 27-percent to 19.

Even Hanoi gets it! Thanks to corporate-tax relief, “the business environment will become more and more attractive, resulting in increased investment,” Vietnamese tax chief Nguyen Van Ninh told Moore.

While America’s corporate tax levitates at 35-percent, seven European Union nations have lowered business levies this year. The EU-average corporate tax is 24.2-percent.

“Further corporate tax rate cuts are being implemented in Germany, Estonia, Spain, and the United Kingdom, and rate cuts are being discussed in the Czech Republic and France,” observes Cato Institute senior fellow Dan Mitchell. “Even the bloated welfare states of France and Sweden have lower corporate rates and generally better corporate tax systems than America.”

Democrats thus resist global pro-market trends, even among progressive governments long on social solidarity and short on “reckless cowboyism.”

But, for most Democrats, these facts and numbers are irrelevant. Taxes are not about merely funding vital government duties and basic public services. They are meant to punish the wealthy, “correct” personal behavior, and distribute universal largesse. Thus, Democrats itch to raise taxes on highly lucrative private-equity partnerships, from 15 to 35-percent.

True to form, the Democratic Senate voted in August to hike cigarette taxes 156 percent, from 39 cents to per pack. This would ignite a massive explosion in the State Child Health Insurance Program. The Democratic House extended government medicine to kids in families of four earning quadruple the Federal Poverty Line, or ,600 — twice today’s threshold. The House also redefined “child” as an eligible boy or girl …up to age 25.

While America’s economy clings from a ledge, Democrats dance on its fingertips. When the donkey party promises “change,” it delivers — good and hard.
- ANSWER:
  that’s funny, what you call “raising taxes” i call “repealing Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy”
  
  isn’t it amazing how we can both be technically correct but that by saying it this or that way one can give it a really good spin?
QUESTION:
accounting questions?
1) Equipment was purchased for ,000. Freight chargers amounted to ,500 and there was a cost of ,000 for building a foundation and installing the equipment. It is estimated that the equipment will have a ,000 salvage value at the end of its 5 year useful life. Depreciation expense each year using the striaght line mehod will be?
a-,700
b-,700
c-,300
d-,000

2) Wine company uses the units of activity method in computing depreciation. A new plant asset is purchased for ,000 that will produce an estimated 100,000 units over its useful life. Estimated salvage valuie at the end of its useful life is ,000. What is the depreciation cost per unit?
a-.20
b-.40
c-$.22
d-$.24

Use this to answer questions 3 and 4.
Neer company sells 2,000 units of its product for 0 each. The selling price includes a one year warranty on parts. It is expected that 3% of the units will be defective and that repair costs will average per unit. In the year of sale warranty contracts are honored on 40 units for a total cost of ,000
3) what amount should neer company report as estimated warranty expense on its income statement for these sales?
a-,000
b-,000
c-,000
d-,000

4) what amount will be reported on neer com,panys balance sheet as estimated warranty liability at year end?
a-,000
b-,000
c-,000
d- it cannot be determined
shut the fuck up faggit either answer the question or dont asshole getting my hopes up seeing a new answer
- ANSWER:
  1) Equipment was purchased for ,000. Freight chargers amounted to ,500 and there was a cost of ,000 for building a foundation and installing the equipment. It is estimated that the equipment will have a ,000 salvage value at the end of its 5 year useful life. Depreciation expense each year using the straight line method will be?
  b-,700 [(,000 + ,500 + ,000 – ,000)/5]
  
  2) Wine company uses the units of activity method in computing depreciation. A new plant asset is purchased for ,000 that will produce an estimated 100,000 units over its useful life. Estimated salvage value at the end of its useful life is ,000. What is the depreciation cost per unit?
  c-[FAQ-ANSWER].22 (,000 – ,000)/100,000)
  
  Use this to answer questions 3 and 4.
  Neer company sells 2,000 units of its product for 0 each. The selling price includes a one year warranty on parts. It is expected that 3% of the units will be defective and that repair costs will average per unit. In the year of sale warranty contracts are honored on 40 units for a total cost of ,000
  3) what amount should neer company report as estimated warranty expense on its income statement for these sales?
  a-,000 (2,000 units x 3% x per unit)
  
  4) what amount will be reported on neer company’s balance sheet as estimated warranty liability at year end?
  c-,000 (,000 – ,000)
QUESTION:
Has anyone played school tycoon?
Reviews please. And also a site that isn’t too expensive where I can buy it.
Alright smart@ss if you have nothing helpful to contribute then why even bother? Do you have nothing better to do?
- ANSWER:
  OMG i loved that game! Okay, here’s an ultra long but great review of the game from Gamestop:
  Just when you thought you’d been the tycoon of everything, along comes School Tycoon. The game puts you in charge of a school’s operations, so you must make concessions between the school’s budget and the students’ education. It’s rather simple for a tycoon game, and there are some noticeable bugs that can be frustrating. However, the game’s simplicity does work well to create an entertaining strategy gaming experience, as long as you’re not looking for a hardcore number-crunching game.
  You’ll be responsible for laying the pathways as well as hiring staff.
  Right from the start, you know School Tycoon is going to be lighthearted. The introduction cinematic is amusing to watch because it features a stressed-out, bumbling principal who boils over the edge and tells you to run the school. You apparently take him up on the offer, so you can either solve 24 challenges or build a school from the ground up in a sandbox mode. The challenge mode is divided into eight beginner, eight intermediate, and eight difficult scenarios where you’ll have to do everything from merely getting 30 students into your school to earning 0,000 within a certain time frame. The beginner challenges will only take you about an hour to finish in total, while even one difficult challenge can take you several hours to solve. If you want to start from scratch, you can play the instant action mode. This sandbox mode has no objectives, so you can just build and build to your heart’s content.
  You can construct all sorts of classrooms, from those used for mathematics to those used for English. There are about 10 different subjects that your students can learn. You start off with a small, portable classroom that will seat just a few students. Later on, you can build medium and then deluxe versions of classrooms for each subject, and these upgraded classrooms can house more students and can better educate them. However, academics aren’t the only part of a student’s life because he or she also needs to keep fit. You’ll first build a basic gymnasium and field, but soon you’ll unlock other athletic structures, like tennis courts, basketball courts, and football fields.
  You do have to hire teachers for each of these buildings or else your students won’t learn a thing. A teacher has three traits: fun, strict, and skill. The first will affect students’ morale; the second will affect students’ levels of discipline; and the third will affect students’ academic and athletic abilities. Teachers’ wages are based on how high these three traits are. You’ll need to hire low-quality teachers at the start of your career because you won’t be able to afford better ones. You’ll notice that the teachers’ salaries represent the highest cost of your school. But once you have a solid foundation, you can start to hire more-expensive teachers. If you don’t like the selection of teachers available, you can just close the menu and reopen it to get a new set of teachers to choose from. It may be a simple way to approach the situation, but at least you won’t be stuck with someone you don’t want. Your school is ranked on several averages, including the three listed above. Better teachers are the best way to influence your scores.
  Students will quickly get bored with your school, unless you provide them with a nice environment and good entertainment. You can pretty up your campus with trees, shrubbery, statues, and pathways, and you actually have a wide assortment of each to choose from, so even you won’t get bored easily. You do have to maintain these frills though, because each item will degrade over time and may even catch on fire. Maintenance crews repair buildings, janitors sweep pathways, and landscapers keep trees healthy. They incur an extra cost though, because they are hired help. You also can–and should–build entertainment structures, like arcades, halfpipes, and miniature golf courses, to keep your students active outside of class. Both landscapes and entertainment will drive up your student body’s morale and will keep students enrolled.
  You want to keep your students enrolled because, presumably, they affect your income. Part of the game’s simplicity results from its budget. You can see your costs, but you never see where income is derived from. The manual is no help either. You have no idea if your new pizza joint is providing you with income from lunch sales. (It would be nice to be able to charge a little more per slice to give you a slight income boost in a pinch.) The budget also seems to change often, so even though it says you will earn ,000, you may actually earn less if a student happens to leave right before the next cycle. The charts also aren’t very detailed, so don’t expect any rewarding information beyond simple line charts.
  There are several issues in the game that can get frustrating. First, when you reload a saved game, everythis reset. You can no longer track stats from your earlier play session. What’s even more detrimental is that somehow your budget gets wacky. You can save the game with ,000 in the bank, but when you load it, you’ll find yourself ,000 in debt. It becomes a real problem when you can’t earn enough to get yourself in the black after three days. The game will declare you bankrupt, and then it’s game over. Also, the game’s disasters tend to strike with frightening frequency. Even one disaster can get you fired. For instance, just by losing all your decorations, your students may end up leaving. You can’t save often and load to avoid these disasters because of the aforementioned problem, so you really must leave your game session up to fate. You also can’t put out fires, so an outbreak of them can also spell your doom.
  Something’s definitely wrong with morale if students are playing checkers by themselves.
  School Tycoon doesn’t have cutting-edge graphics or sound, but it is a pleasant game to play. The environments and buildings are bright and colorful. You can easily design your school so that nothing is even close to repetitive. There are a wide variety of students, so you also won’t see dozens of clones being taught in your classrooms. You can rotate and zoom in to get different views of your campus, if you need to see something from a different angle. You also won’t get bored from the music or sounds. There are appropriate classroom sounds, from bells to friends chatting after bumping into each other.
  It’s easy to just roll one’s eyes at the thought of another tycoon game, but it’s not fair to dismiss School Tycoon for its name. It may not be the most complex tycoon game in existence, and it may have some unfortunate bugs, but its various gameplay elements work. There is a fair amount of micromanagement required in choosing the right teachers and constructing the right buildings, but it doesn’t reach a point that makes the game unbearable. So if you’re looking for a management game that won’t overwhelm you with details and spreadsheets, School Tycoon should be right up your alley.*You can get the game from my sources*
QUESTION:
PLEASE help me with this impossible project!!!! PLEASE :)?
Must be done in C++

BACKGROUND: Each of the traditional engineering disciplines relies on a particular area of natural science for its foundation. Industrial Engineering, however, incorporates the knowledge of the social sciences into designing improvements in human-machine systems. Industrial engineers are responsible for designing, installing, and evaluating machines and systems and also for monitoring their interface with people to improve overall productivity. One of the areas an Industrial engineer may specialize in is operations research. This area involves the applications of analytical techniques and mathematical models to phenomena such as inventory control, simulation, decision theory, and queuing theory to optimize the total systems necessary for the production of goods.

DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM: A large manufacturing plant has many identical machines, all of which are subject to failure at random times. Technicians are hired to patrol and service the machines. Determining the appropriate number of technicians to hire depends on the following considerations:

** Good technicians are expensive but can complete the service faster. We will consider two types of technicians; using fast, experienced, but expensive technicians and using slower, less qualified, but less expensive technicians.

** A technician can work on only one machine at a time, so if we have more machines down than we have technicians, then machines may have to wait for repair. This will result in productivity loss to the company (which translates to money lost – a cost).

** Too many technicians will ensure that when a machine goes down, it will be serviced immediately however, it may result in excessive idle time for the many technicians – then we’re paying people to do nothing!

So, in conclusion, we must decide how many technicians to hire and which type to hire (fast or slow).

The following information will be known:

F=failure rate of machines R=number of technicians hired
T=traffic intensity = F/U N=total number of machines

W=hourly wage of technician ($/hr) L=cost of inoperative machines ($/hr)

U=repair rate of technicians (note that this is lower for faster technicians)

The basic problem is to minimize total cost. The total cost includes the cost of the technicians plus the cost of having machines down:

Cost=(#techs)(wage)+(#machines down)(cost of machine being down)

Using our notation above, we have:

COST = R*W + Md*L

Md is the average number of machines down at any one time. This depends on how many technicians are working. We must find Md to figure out the cost. Unfortunately, finding Md is the most difficult part! We must calculate the probability of different numbers of machines being down and then we can find the average number.

To find Md:

Let n=the number of machines down. Queuing theory lets us calculate probability using:

P(n+1)=probability that n+1 machines are down

P(n)=probability that n machines are down.

If n<R then P(n+1)=T*((N-n)/(n+1))*P(n)

If R<=n<=N then P(n+1)=T*((N-n)/R)*P(n)

For example, if N=50 (we have 50 machines in the shop), R=5 (we have 5 technicians), and T=.05 (traffic intensity), then using the equations above, we get:

P(1)=T*N*P(0) =2.5P(0)

P(2)=.5*T*(N-1)*P(1) =1.225P(1) =3.063P(0)

P(3)=.33*T*(N-2)*P(2) =.792P(2) =.970P(1) =2.43P(0)

.

.

.

P(6)=T*(N-5)/R*P(5) =.450P(5) =.298P(0)

Ok, so we need to find P(0), then we can use this to find the rest.

a. Set P(0)=1

b. Calculate the probabilities for all n, up to N, using P(0)=1 (do what we just did above but P(0) will be equal to 1).

c. Sum all the probabilities up to N.

d. Multiply each n*P(n)

e. Sum all n*P(n)

f. Finally, Md=(sum of n*P(n))/(sum of P(n)), that is Md=(step e)/(step c)

Now that we know Md, we just calculate the cost using the formula for total cost on the first page.

DETAILS: We will consider two types of technicians (fast and slow) and two types of machines (good and poor). This means we have four possible combinations:

1) fast technician and good machines

2) fast technician and poor machines

3) slow technician and good machines

4) slow technician and poor machines

This means that for each case above, we are trying to find R – the number of technicians we should hire.

Here’s a quick algorithm for solving the problem:

1. The user will input the following data:

Number of machines, cost of inoperable machines, maximum number of technicians,

Failure rate for good machine, failure rate for poor machine, hourly wage for fast tech,

Hourly wage for slow tech, repair rate for fast tech, repair rate for slow tech

For each case (ie. fast and good
- ANSWER:
  What kind of help are you asking for?
  
  There’s an awful lot there.
  
  I suggest you start with reading the material in detail, making sure you fully understand what the problem is that you need to solve.
  
  The teacher is giving you the algorithms, and lots of hints about how to go about figuring the math. So, you have a large portion of the work done for you already.
  
  All you need to do is *understand* the problem and solution that are given to you. Then just write the program to make the computer do that.
  
  Deep breaths… you can do this. Read. Read again. Understand it. If there’s a paragraph you just can’t understand, post it here, and I’m sure someone will help explain it to you.
  
  If you have trouble writing the C++, then ask a question when you get stuck or when it doesn’t do what you think it should.
  
  Doing this will get you through this project. You can do it yourself. You really can.
QUESTION:
ROUGHLY how much do you think it would cost to renovate our house?
So I know this is kind of hard question to answer unless you’ve seen it… but I’ll give it a try anyways lol. So we really want to renovate our house rather than move, but we’re not sure if our foundation can hold a second level. Out house was built in ’48 so it’s pretty old. We have two pretty big cracks in our foundation, so if we were to stabalize the foundation, on average how much would that cost? Our house is only 934sq ft by the way. And also if we were to add a second level, how much would that cost to do? Like I said I know it’s hard to tell someone how much something will cost unless you’ve seen it but I’d just like some opinions, or maybe some people have had this done and can tell me roughly how much it cost them 🙂 Thanks!
- ANSWER:
  I made a video about this – listed below.
  
  The best answer for this truly is to have a contractor examine the situation. Most likely, it would be two different types of contractors. One being the foundation repair contractor, and one being a remodeling/additions contractor. As mentioned, most contractors give free estimates – so get a few opinions.
  
  For the foundation repair issues, the cost varies drastically, completely based on what the source of the problem is. The cracks may be something simple as shrinkage cracks in concrete, which are relatively inexpensive to repair. Depending if the cracks run vertically or horizontally can indicate different types of problems also, with varying costs ranges. The first may be a sign of foundation settlement. In other words, the foundation is sinking into the ground causing stress and cracks.
  
  If the cracks run horizontally – that typically is from lateral pressure. The soil, as it expands and contracts from moisture content, will put pressure on the wall – causing it to crack, buckle, and potentially collapse.
  
  Once again, the best answer is to get a foundation repair contractor to examine it. Once this problem has been dealt with, then pursue your second story addition options. DO NOT add a second level before addressing the foundation problems. Adding more weight to a home that can’t support the current weight is a bad idea.
QUESTION:
question about ponds. pond liner?
pond liners are kind of expensive. has anyone used other material to line ponds? a sheet of average plastic?
- ANSWER:
  Pond liner is pond liner for a reason. It’s made to line ponds. Average plastic is made to cover stuff on a temporary basis.
  
  There are three materials used for the pond trade and one red-headed stepchild. The three are:
  1 45mil fish-safe EPDM. There are other brands, at lower cost, but FIrestone is the king of the hill and the workhorse of the industry. In 17 years we’ve bought about half a square mile of it – 20% for DIY projects – the rest for our own ponds and waterproofing work. ZERO problems.
  
  2 Other types of EPDM – I’ve seen it in various thicknesses, 60 mil being the thickest I can recall. Tetra used to, and still may make a 60 mil product. It is wonderful, but really stiff – and expensive!
  There are other makes of ‘fish safe EPDM’ but the lack of a brand and the meager savings aren’t worth it. Your liner is the foundation of your pond. It’s like building your house. Do you order concrete and have it done right., or use river bottom (rocks and sand) , mix it in small batches in a wheelbarrow and pour it in your spare time? You have one chance to do it right
  
  3 PVC – for years EPDM was really pricey and PVC sheet ruled. It loses plasticizers over time and becomes brittle. The Depot sells a black PVC for ponds which may be better than the older stuff, but who knows? I have not been called out to repair one . . . yet. I’d stay away, with the proven quality of FIrestone 45 mil.
  
  4 Roofing EPDM. The step-child. Its cheaper than fish-safe, but contains chemicals to control mold, fungus and other stuff a roof deals with. Stay away. These chems also control fish – in a sad way.
  
  There you go – Good Luck
QUESTION:
Nine motorcycle questions asked by an ignoramus (me). Help please?
Hey hey, I’m a 19 year old college student and I don’t have money or patience to buy and maintain a car. So I was thinking about buying a motorcycle, since I’ve heard that they’re easy to maintain and they tend to sip gasoline along with generally having smaller price tags. Just had a few questions about them, please excuse my ignorance.

1. Is it true they have great gas mileage? What’s an average gas mileage?
2. Is it true that they’re generally easier to maintain? How often do they need professional help assuming the owner is a common idiot with a few tools and a model-specific maintenance manual?
3. How often are motorcycles stolen/burglarized? Is it more or less often then four wheel motor vehicles?
4. How often are motorcycles vandalized compared to four wheel motor vehicles?
5. What’s the process of getting a permit and then a license in the United States if I don’t know anyone else who drives a motorcycle? (if you can answer, specifically New York State)
6. Is insurance for motorcycles more or less costly than insurance for four wheel vehicles?
7. Do motorcyclists tend to get into more accidents? Is there a good example of how “safe” they are? (I understand that if you get into an accident you’re likely to get badly injured, I mean ‘safe’ in terms of the vehicle’s ability to avoid collisions or other serious accidents and its tendency to be involved in accidents)
8. How do you judge a “good” motorcycle? What sort of rig can you get for what sort of price? How do I know if I’m getting swindled if I’m buying used?
9. Lastly (just for kicks) in your opinion, who (brand) sells the best motorcycles? (best meaning the most reliable, the longest lasting, easiest to maintain and of course style)
- ANSWER:
  1. Yes, motorcycles consistantly get much better mileage than most cars. there is no average, but my 600 shadow got 50mpg and my 06 victory kingpin gets about 36mpg. It all depends on the size of the motor and the actions of your right wrist.
  
  2. If you do your own wrenching, they are relatively cheap to maintain. There is less to go wrong, but there is more maintenence required. Plan on new tires atleast every 10k miles, oil changes every 3-5k, and cosmetic damage from dropping your first bike a few times.
  
  3. Sport bikes are stolen at a much higher rate than cruisers. Learner bikes are generally not stolen much. Check with your insurance company for real stats.
  
  4. As far as I am concerned, unless you have a pissed off ex or pissed of the wrong person, all vandalism towards bikes is random and quite rare.
  
  5. For your age, take the motorcycle safety foundation course. Im almost positive it is required in new york. This will earn you your motorcycle endorsement and make your insurance cheaper.
  
  6. Insurance on bikes is like insurance on everything, your age, experience (or lack thereof), driving record, and bike determine what your insurance company charges you. Ill put it this way, my 2007 Honda shadow 600 ( a fantastic learner bike) was 0 per year for full coverage for a 23 year old male with 0 experience and a few speeding tickets. My 05 kawi zx6r, a race bike for the street, cost around 2 grand per year to insure. If money is an issue, stay away from anything that even looks like a sport bike. Cruisers are the way to go, and they tend to last longer than crotchrockets.
  
  7. Your safety on the bike depends on your ability as a rider, comes only with experience, and your willingness to ride defensively and sanely. Invest in good gear. If this is your only method of transportation, that means a good helmet, a quality cold weather jacket, and warm weather jacket, good boots, and gloves. If you want stats, google the Hurt study, it is the most famous and respected study about motorcycle safety and accident prevention. Taking the MSF class will greatly help your level of awareness and will give you some good tools to ride safely.
  
  8. I cant tell you if you are getting swindled over the internet. Find a friend or family member who knows about motorcycles to go with you when you go to buy a bike. Experience is the best judge. Generally, you want to look for a clean title, good rubber, few scrapes, straight handlebars, low mileage, and maintenence records. I do not buy a used bike that doesnt have records. You may pay a little more, but 9 times out of ten the guy that keeps records on his bike has really taken care of it.
  
  9. I have owned a honda shadow 600, kawi ninja 250, kawi ninja zx6r, harley vrod, harley fatboy, and currently ride a victory kingpin. In my opinion, victory makes the best bike that I have owned, and there is no bike on the market, outside of a honda vtr just for fun, to accompany my KP, that i would consider buying other than another victory, the cross country. However, for a beginner, there IS NO BETTER OPTION THAN THE HONDA SHADOW. Either the 600 or 750 will be perfect. They are cheap to buy, cheap to insure, cheap to repair, and extremely reliable.
  
  Thank you for asking a great question. This is the first of a while that was an actually thought out question and not just a which bike should i get. I sincerely hope you get trained, get a bike, and start riding. Good luck and I hope I helped.
QUESTION:
I’m 18 & give my mom 0 a month for my portion of the rent/utilities/food. Would it be cheaper to move out?
To sum it up, I give my mom 0 for the household and all I ask for is 0 to 0 of my own money to spend per month on whatever I want or need and that includes any fun activities. I’ve gotten 0 from her each month for the last 2 months and it makes me feel like I’m the bad guy for taking MY money and spending it. The last 2 months, we’ve went broke within a week of each of her pays (she normally gets paid 2x a month) and I think it’s because she gets the better quality and higher priced things with what she chooses to get, like the highest quality/speed of Internet and she had to have cable with DVR and the phone with free long distance and caller ID. I have two other options; pay 0 for rent with a roommate who is pretty reliable and according to her no other actual bills (though I might throw 0 every now & then in for bills) besides my own groceries and toiletries OR I could pay between 0-0 in rent for my own place and pay all of the bills, buy my own groceries & any other household things that I need for myself. Obviously if I were choosing based on what was the cheapest, I would go with my first option. But I am a little hesitant because this woman owns the home (still paying it off) and it’s not up to code (someone who didn’t have car insurance ran into her home and she didn’t have house insurance and the damage was so bad that the house moved off of the foundation but she’s made all of the affordable repairs that she could) but it’s not dirty or anything like that. I think I’d choose the cheap rent IF and only if I would be able to afford a place of my own in case something bad happens. Based on your “bills” experience, what would be the average cost for a smaller sized 1 bedroom apartment for basic phone, electric, water, heat etc? Don’t average in TV or Internet or any item considered more than necessary. Would it be cheaper to move out on my own?
- ANSWER:
QUESTION:
Cement patio and steps estimate …?
I am looking at putting a bid on a new house and I need to have some idea as to how much it would cost to repair/replace a patio and 10 steps that have buckled due to slow erosion.
Patio is 15×15 ft, 4″ thick
Steps are 4 ft wide, 8″ rise and 10″ deep
Steps go down from this patio to another larger patio that has no damage.
there is no retaining wall at present, and I am thinking that one should be put in place … rebar/mesh on patio and retaining wall – any thoughts here?
Erosion process appears to be very slow, the buckling occuring over the course of 12-15 years. Yet, I am thinking that stabilizing the area a bit will also protect the foundation of the house which currently does NOT show any cracks.
Would appreciate it if you could help me think thru this job and come up with a cost estimate that includes Materials and Labor.
I live in St Louis, MO.
Thanks
- ANSWER:
  Terrain is the key issue on this estimate.
  Can a backhoe/concrete truck easily get to this old slab patio?
  Option # 1 *Easy access
  Bust out existing slab/steps and truck away
  Backhoe/Truck/Operator/Laborer 1 day $ 1,500
  Prep/Compact Fill for slab & Form Patio Mat/Lab. $ 400
  Form new steps Carpenter/laborer 32 man hrs. $ 800
  Materials to form steps .00
  Concrete for slab $ 350
  Concrete for steps 0
  Pour and Finish slab and steps 2 finishers or 1 finisher and 1 helper total 16 man hrs. 0
  Clean up labor 0
  Total 95.00 *add overhead/Profit = 0
  Grand Total $ 4645.00
  
  Option #2 Difficult Access
  base bid $ 4645.00
  add to wheel or buggy concrete 0
  Carry lumber/demo materials to area or wheel barrow in.
  add 0
  Grand Total 95 and up.
  
  Retaining walls if poured concrete 10″ thick with vertical and horizontal rebar on 24″ wide x 12″ thick keyed footing x 4′ high and 50′ long or less *easy terrain – per lineal foot
  50′ or more – per lineal foot. In other words a 50′ long wall 4′ high would have an estimated cost of $ 2,000
  a 100′ wall average would be 50.
  Add more labor for hard to get to site up to 25% more cost.
  Additional site work may be needed to backfill and regrade around the work area. Finish grade,seeding,would all be at additional costs.
  *Labor to form steps is very time consuming, so is the finishing of concrete steps. Faces of steps (risers) forms must be pulled after concrete sets up a while, water tends to be a problem so the steps must be poured with a higher slump ( stiffness) it really is an art to watch a good cement finisher work on a set of steps.
  Good Luck
QUESTION:
After 15 years at my job, i realized its sucking the life out of me and i hate it. Should i leave?
Ive been in the same job for 15 years (im 45 now), i started at the bottom and worked my way up to the General Manager, i took the business’ numbers from k a month (average) to over 5k a month (average). The ideas i implemented turned the whole business around and made it the highest grossing business of its kind in the area. My work ethics are great, im never late, i take one vacation a year (they only give me 1 weeks vacation after 15 years of full time work). Im leary to say too much about what i do for a living because i know some of my co-workers read the “Yahoo Answers” section. I can tell you this, its in the bar & grill industry. I don’t smoke or drink or do drugs of any kind. The problem is that im miserable, there’s no place to go from here and im not appreciated for my efforts. I deal with all the liquor and beer reps, i do most of the repairs to save the company money, i put on, set up and do all the promotions so there’s no outsourcing of costs in that area, i design the online ads myself including writing the codes. There’s more to what i do, but that gives you an idea. I have been thinking about leaving for over a year, i’ve paid down my debt to nothing more than a 0 mortgage payment (plus your normal phone, tv, gas, etc..), no car payments, no credit card debt at all. I’ve saved just over k, i have no children but i do have a wife who supports my leaving if i decide too. Im just worried that with this economy, i could be out of work for a long time and the k would go fast. What do you do when your miserable, you hate your job, you do not get the respect you deserve and you just want to go? Please reply and give me some insight, include some information about yourself such as your age and other info that will help me understand that you really understand my situation. Thanks so very much.
- ANSWER:
  Well there are jobs but they are not paying as much as to live life comfortably. With the increased value of commodities and lower returns of the investment, it is really hard to live in the job market. I believe self employment is the only way to make a comfortable living. I know few sites which offer good opportunities to be self employed. They have lots of ideas and in different fields of making money on the web. Advertising on the web is the key to success and if you want to explore the opportunities then you will find many. Here are few options:
  1. Try some of these sites as I have found real cool opportunities online. They are netpayinjobs.com, justmoneyinc.com, moneyontheweb.com are few.
  2. Join affiliate programs like this website offers, anywho.ws (affiliate link is at the left hand bottom) which gives you money every time whenever someone click or do search on your domain.
  3. If you have little money then invest with http://bit.ly/6Gm9BW to earn 1% to 2% interest on your investment EVERY DAY! and also earn 6% commission for referrals.
  
  In this era, one has to be innovative and self employed to live life peacefully. I won’t suggest to give up your current profession but we got to take make few extra efforts to establish the foundation towards the financial freedom.
  
  Hope you find this information useful. Good Luck to you all.
QUESTION:
Typical rates for underground leak detection service & water line maps filed by builder?
Hi Answers crew. I want to get an idea of the average cost/hourly rate of underground water pipe leak detection services, location would be the N.W. part of country (Western WA.) for a fairly straight forward residential property with no more than 40 feet of line to be located and checked.

If I choose to not have it professionally located I am wondering if the builder of this development/house would have had to file a water line map with the city or county planning office back in 1977? If I have a map I can then dig dig dig and attempt to locate the leak and then repair.
- ANSWER:
  There’s a company called “American Leak Detection” that is franchised throughout the United States. The employees are well trained professionals whose sole purpose is to do exactly what you are looking for. They detect leaks. They don’t fix them, so no conficlt of interest here–they find them and then go on their merry way.
  
  Most homeowners are a little shocked at their fees, but they are extremely thorough and stand behind their investigation with a written garauntee. The last two people I knew of that used them were charged 5 and 0. They check not only the building structure of a property, but also all water lines whether marked by the city or a builder, or not. In our two neighbor’s homes, they were charged by the property site size and the time spent there was in the hours. Even though the property owners were asked to be in attendance as the leak detection was being done, the jobs were followed up with written reports and diagrams of where the leaks were found.
  
  I hope this helps. I’m sure that other good companies are out there. Check with foundation repair companies for other referals since they often include leak detection as a before and after service along with foundation repairs and could advise you of reputable services. Good luck
QUESTION:
Building new house, log siding vs. brick?
My husband and I are building a 1600 sq ft 1.5 story with a loft in Oklahoma. Were debating between log siding and brick. Can anyone help with the average pricing of brick? While I know the down sides of log, we love the look. Though if the cost will be similar for brick, then that’s probably the way we will go.
This house will be in the country, and I am slightly considering the energy saving as well. Stucco is out of the question. We got a bid for Red Cedar (,000) and stained Knotty Pine (,000). And from what I can figure, to brick should be close to ,000. Does that sound right?
- ANSWER:
  Unless you have money to throw away, I wouldn’t consider either of these sidings! Log is very impractical..termites are a constant battle! Acrylicized stucco is great for the money, vinyl siding is very straight forward. (Don’t even think about aluminum siding in your area…hail can ruin it in an instant!) And, the foundations for brick siding must be beefed up before you build! Stucco can be made to look exactly like brick IF you have good installers. Many houses in Florida look exactly like brick, even up close, but it is stucco. And, I like the look of stucco anyway…easy to repair if damaged, holds paint very well. But in freeze -thaw areas, must be acrylicised to prevent water freezing and causing to shale.
  I would also consider resale value (someday, you are going to sell this house)…logs will be a turn-off to many, Brick will not get you one cent in return! It is expected that all houses be sided with something…and brick is no different than any other siding as far as return of dollars.
QUESTION:
Half-Life Question.?
All of the isotopes of radon have half-lives shorter than four days, yet radon is still found in nature. Explain why all the radon has not yet already decayed.
- ANSWER:
  radon is formed from the decay of other materials see th attached link: * The risk of environmental radon levels is not higher now than in the past, when residential exposures were not considered to be a significant health hazard. It has now been raised from a nominal natural background contributor to human exposures to the prime contributor based on a new way of calculating dose, and not on increased exposures in the home due to tighter more energy efficient houses, or new information on radiation dose and/or biologic risk.
  * The great majority of the radiation dose is not from radon itself, but from the short-lived alpha particle-emitting radon daughters, most notably Po-218 (radioactive T1/2=3 minutes), and Po-214 (radioactive T1/2=0.164 milliseconds), along with beta particles from Bi-214 (T1/2=19.7 minutes). [T1/2 is physical half-life].
  * Measurement of radon in homes is simple and relatively inexpensive and may be accomplished by various means. Cannisters remain the method of choice for use by the average homeowner.
  * There is no way to avoid radiation exposures completely, much of which comes from the natural environment as well as from radioactivity in our own bodies.
  * Radon gas can penetrate houses from many sources in many fashions. It is not possible to radon-proof a home, but it is possible to reduce its level. The most important contributor to indoor radon is the soil from which radon can be drawn through large and small subsurface gaps in the house foundation. Houses that are in direct contact with the ground will have higher radon levels than houses with an air space under the dwelling. Radon levels in the upper floors of a multi-story building are lower than on the ground floor. If one lives in a high radon area, it is prudent to determine the level in the home and to take appropriate action if the level is found to be high, i.e. greater than 4-8 pCi/liter (NCRP recommended level is 8 pCi/liter, the EPA recommended level is 4 pCi/liter). [pCi is the activity of the substance and is equal to 10-12 Ci or 2.2 radioacitve emission per minute].
  * The shape of the dose response curves for miners exposed to alpha-emitting particles in the work-place is consistent with current biologic knowledge. It is linear in the low dose range and saturates in the high dose range. No detectable increase in lung cancer frequency is seen in the lowest exposed US miners, i.e. those with exposures <120 wlm, the relevant dose interval for most homes. in most cases, however, it is not possible to exclude a positive correlation due to wide uncertainty ranges on both the dose (x) and effect (y) axes. [wlm is a unit of expsoure to radon, working level month and is defined below]
  * Evidence for a health effect from radon exposure is based upon data gathered from epidemiologic studies of miners, and animal studies. Extensive radiobiologic data predict a linear dose response curve in the low dose region due to poor biological repair mechanisms for the high density of ionizing events that alpha particles create. If this is the mechanism that underlies lung cancer induction, there is reason to believe that there will be some degree of increased lung cancer risk even from low level environmental radon exposures. However, no compelling evidence for increased lung cancer risk has yet been demonstrated from "acceptable" levels (<4-8 pci/liter). increased lung cancer risk is primarily in cigarette smokers, and abatement of that risk can best be accomplished by changes in smoking status.
  * Mitigation of radon in the home can be accomplished by a variety of means. The level to which remediation should be directed is under dispute, to the extent that some groups even suggest the level should be maintained at less than or equal to 0.2 pCi/liter (the average outdoor level). The societal cost of testing and mitigation at the EPA recommended level (4 pCi/liter) is 44.5 billion dollars (1991 dollars), and rises to 101.2 billion dollars if the action level is set at 2 pCi/liter. At the NCRP action level, 8 pCi/liter, the cost is estimated at approx. 15 billion dollars.
  
  Radon, Rn-222 (T 1/2= 3.82 days), is a daughter product of radium, Ra-226, which in turn is derived from the longer-lived antecedent, U-238. Thoron, Rn-220 (T 1/2 = 56 seconds) is a daughter of thorium, Th-232, which is present in larger amount in the earth's crust than radon. Because of thoron's short half-life, it is essentially all gone before it leaves the ground, and is of no significant radiobiologic consequence. These radionuclide series are present in slowly decreasing amounts in the environment (geologic time scale), due to radioactive decay of their parents, which has been known and understood since the end of the last century.
  
  Widely varying radon levels exist in different regions related to geological circumstances. New concern regarding radon exposures is traceable to the discovery that there are more houses with high radon levels than previously realized and to the use of a new method of expressing and summing doses from partial body exposures, such as the lung dose from radon daughters (7-16). This method of expressing dose was promulgated by the ICRP and the NCRP based on defined weighting factors which make it possible to sum partial body doses and thereby estimate a total body dose which would have a quantifiable risk. This quantity is defined as the Effective Dose (ED) (16). Thus, the previously estimated partial body environmental radon dose to the tracheobronchial epithelium (TBE) (2500 mrem/year.) was not included in whole body dose calculations because that exposure was limited to a small fraction of the body.
  
  The new method of calculation multiplies the 2500 mrem/year. dose to the TBE by a weighting factor (WF) which allows the dose to the TBE to be included in the ED from environmental radiation exposure Different WFs have been proposed, including 0.12 (EPA), 0.08 ( NCRP) and (NAS-NRC BEIR V), and 0.06 (ICRP). These WFs raise the radon contribution to the whole body from 0 mrem to 300, 200, and 150 mrem respectively. NCRP quotes an uncertainty of +/- 50% in these numbers. Based on these estimates, radon in equilibrium with its daughters delivers 2 times more dose than previously accepted as the total dose received from all sources of natural background exposure (approx. 100 mrem/year on the average in the United States). Thus, it is not surprising that adoption of the effective dose notion by many radiation protection groups (including the NCRP and the EPA in the United States), has led to increased concern regarding the potential health effects of radon. It should be noted that lung cancer risk coefficients from radon are not increased. There are no new cases of lung cancer that led to the increased dose estimate. In fact, the new estimates of radiation dose, imply a lower risk coefficient. That is, when the same number of lung cancer cases that occur are attributed to the higher doses (ED), the risk per unit exposure is decreased. The effective dose concept is discussed at greater length in NCRP Reports #93 (17) and #100 (18) , and ICRP #60 (7).
  TABLE 1
QUESTION:
Mac or PC?
Why?
- ANSWER:
  Mac
  
  Here are my reasons:
  
  1) The Mac OS X is built on a UNIX foundation which ensures security and resists crashes. So, in other words, a Mac will not become infected with viruses and it’s very unlikely that Mac will ever crash.
  
  2) Macs last longer than PCs. While the average PC will last about five years, running at a decent speed but still slower than when purchased, a Mac will run for 10 years at the same speed as when you got it (as long as you got a decent-sized hard drive).
  
  3) In the long run, Macs end up costing less. Due to the fact that Macs don’t get viruses, you end up saving money by not having to spend money on anti-virus software and all the updates every so often. Also, since a Mac will most likely not crash, you probably won’t ever have to get it repaired.
  
  4) Macs can now run both Windows XP and Vista. You can’t say PCs can run Mac OS X Leopard, can you? No–you can’t.
  
  5) Every Mac comes with iLife which is a suite of applications including GarageBand, iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD and more. PCs, on the other hand, basically come with a calculator and a pre-installed viruses known as Windows.
  
  6) Overall, Macs are just easier to use. In fact, Macs just work better.
  
  Not enough reasons? Well, check out the included links for proof as well as hundreds more reasons why Macs are better than PCs.
QUESTION:
How to be a commercial property landlord?
Ok, so I have two rental properties (single family homes) and thought about venturing into the apartment options. I found a 5 unit apartment complex that is above a retail space (approx 3700 square feet or retail space). I figure I could break even on payments if the 5 units were rented, so the biggie would be getting the retail space rented. I’ve never leased a retail space. What are the pitfalls, and what should I know about going down this road? I guess I’m more worried about insurance issues and hidden expenses that a novice wouldn’t think about until the bills came. Any resources, books, tapes, etc. that would help out? I think I don’t know enough about this to know what questions to ask and that should be a reason to RUN from this opportunity, but maybe after getting this knowledge, I’d be better equipped to make a decision in the future. Any help from commercial real estate landlords is very appreciated. Thank you so much!!!
- ANSWER:
  As landlord of a commercial property, you’re faced with a challenging task, but it can be a profitable task, if done correctly. If you own an office building, retail strip, hotel, restaurant space or warehouse, you may want to save the fee paid to a property management company and manage the building yourself. There are many details to consider, but once you understand the basics, you’ll have a good foundation from which to run your commercial property.
  
  Instructions
  
  Calculate the rent per square foot for your building. Look at ads for space in your area, and visit these properties to compare them to your own. Call listing agents to ask for the average price of similar buildings. Review current leases to determine if they are at market value.
  
  Add the triple net (NNN) and common area maintenance (CAM) fees to the cost of the lease. NNN is an additional expense where the tenants pay their portion of the property taxes, insurance and CAM, such as elevators, hallways and parking lots. CAM is calculated by dividing the tenant’s space by the total amount of leased space available.
  
  Prepare a lease agreement, with the help of a real estate attorney. Your contract should include details such as cost per square foot, total rent, term (length) of the lease, NNN and CAM, who is responsible for which repairs, who pays for any remodeling before move-in and the percent of rent increases per year — if any.
  
  Advertise any vacancies that you have in your property. If you know that a tenant will be moving out at the end of the lease, advertise for new lessees 12 months before the expiration. Placing a professionally made sign in front, and an ad in the local newspaper, should yield inquiries. Also, advertise on websites, such as LeaseMLS, to reach a wider market (see “Resources”). In addition, mail flayers to tenants in buildings around yours. They may want to move, once their lease expires.
  
  Require that all companies interested in leasing space complete an application. Review these carefully, and check the credit and background of each business, along with the principals of the company, using a service such as Abika (see “Resources”).
  
  Meet with the new tenant to sign the lease agreement. Ask for a personal guarantee from the tenant, which consists of a form that allows the landlord to collect from the tenant’s personal assets if the business is unable to pay the lease.
  
  Use rental management software, such as Rent Is Easy, to keep track of rent payments, lease expiration, expenses and deposits (see “Resources”), especially if you have many spaces in your building.
  
  Keep the lines of communication open with your tenants. Ask them if there’s anything they need from you. Not hearing from tenants doesn’t mean that they’re content. You may be able to retain more lessees by regularly touching base.
QUESTION:
What is a Waiting Line model?
In facility planning
- ANSWER:
  One of the most important managerial applications of random processes is the prediction of congestion is
  a system, as measured by delays caused by waiting in line for a service. Customers arriving at a bank, a
  checkout counter in a clothing store, a theater ticket office, a fast food drive-through, a supermarket
  checkout, etc. may perceive that they are wasting their time when they have to wait in line for service.
  Repeated and excessive delays may ultimately influence the customers’ shopping preferences.
  The customers do not have to be physically present at a place of business to be waiting in line. Waiting
  lines (also called queues) can form when people use the telephone to call a business to place a catalogue
  order or request customer support for problems they are having with computer equipment or software. It
  doesn’t matter to the customers whether “elevator music” is played while waiting on hold, with frequent
  interruptions to assure them that their call is important. If the wait is too long, the customer may “balk,”
  which means leave the system entirely, in this case by hanging up the telephone.
  Many people today do business online over the Internet. Here, a long waiting line is apparent when the
  computer responds slowly because the server is overloaded. The order may be lost during checkout, or
  the customer may choose to log off and try again later. Sometimes the customer may decide that the
  shopping mall is better, after all, and this results in lost business for the electronic retailer.
  Sometimes the “customers” come from within the organization itself. Computers or other equipment that
  break down must wait for a technician to finish repairing other items that are already queued up for
  service. Delivery vehicles may have to wait to use a loading dock. Products on an assembly line may be
  delayed while they are in a bin waiting for the next manufacturing operation.
  Organizations design their waiting line systems by considering the consequences of having a customer
  wait in line or balk, versus the costs of providing more service capacity. Queuing theory, which was first
  developed in the early part of the last century, provides a wide variety of analytical models that can be
  implemented in a spreadsheet to facilitate decision making in this context. The experience of LL.Bean
  ®
  in applying queuing theory to their catalogue order operations is described in the reference at the end of
  this chapter
  1
  .
  Foundations of Waiting Line Models
  Even if a service system has the capacity to provide service at a faster rate than the rate at which
  customers arrive, waiting lines can still form if the arrival and service processes are random. Open the
  file Qsim.xls or QingText.xls in Excel to demonstrate this. As shown below, there are cells where you
  can enter the average arrival rate, λ, and the average service rate, µ. You can also change the time that
  the clock will run in the simulation. Imagine that this is a small airport with a single runway during a
  period of time when aircraft arrive at an average rate of 6 per hour and can land at an average rate of 8 per
  hour. If we could depend on the aircraft arriving exactly on schedule every 10 minutes (1/6 of an hour)
  and that each aircraft would land in exactly 7.5 minutes (1/8 of an hour), there would be no waiting lines.
  Indeed, there would be a 2.5-minute slack period between successive landings when the runway was not
  being used at all. However, in reality, these aircraft do not arrive on a precise schedule of evenly spaced
  10-minute intervals, even though they arrive at an average rate of 6 per hour. Some aircraft take longer to
  land than others, even though the average time for all of them is 7.5 minutes. Click the “Run the Clock”
  button repeatedly to see what happens when the arrival and service processes are random.
QUESTION:
Buying a house.. I NEED advice!?
I am in the process of purchasing a home that in 2005 sold for 1,500, now its a foreclosure and they accepted my offer at ,000 (cash). The people who lived there were real creepy and screwed the house up ( had 5 dogs ) and the house has an animal odor, I planned on spending ,000 to re model the house which needs carpet ripped out ( i want to replace with wood ) paint in every room, carpet in the 3 bedrooms and new kitchen cabinets.. Does this sound like a good idea to do or does it seem like to much?!
Yes, does it seem like ,000 in work is to much? The reason I am questioning my family thinks its a horrible idea like a “big waste” but I think its a great investment.
Oh and do you think ,000 is enough.. haha
- ANSWER:
  Since you say that the house was really messed up by the former owners, I would not close the deal before having an inspector examine it thoroughly, to make sure the only repairs you need to to in the house are purely cosmetic.
  
  Home inspectors have the expertise to look for and find problems in places you wouldn’t even think of looking. Roofing, plumbing, heating, electricity, foundation drainage and structural integrity, moisture and mold issues, termites, etc…
  
  In 2005, houses were unrealistically overpriced as the market was then more stable than it is now, so it might sound like a good deal when you compare what they paid and what you are going to pay, but what you should be looking at is, how much could you sell it for right now, if it were in tip top shape.
  
  My bet is, you wouldn’t get that 1,500 for it.
  
  Now assuming you’ve done your homework, got an inspector and he says that all the house needs is new cabinets, flooring and a coat of painting. You might be able to get things done with ,000 if you are willing to tackle some of the work yourself and if you do not chose high end finishes.
  
  The kitchen cabinets will be probably the most expensive repair. Consider resurfacing them instead. New veneers and knobs, new doors or even a coat of paint over the old ones can update the look of the cabinets.
  
  Hardwood floor can also get pretty expensive, but you can shop around for savaged wood floors, or try laminates, bamboo or cork.
  
  I am adding the link to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report, which will tell you how much typical remodeling jobs cost in each US state and how much money they add to the property value.
  
  The national average for a minor kitchen remodeling on that report is around $ 21,000 and you will be recovering about 79% of that cost.
QUESTION:
What is the material use to make a water bed?
What is this material? DO you have a link/website i can go to? the material should be durable right?
- ANSWER:
  Construction
  Waterbeds primarily consist of two types, hard-sided beds and soft-sided beds.
  
  A hard-sided waterbed consists of a water-containing mattress inside a rectangular frame of wood resting on a plywood deck which sit on a platform. Platforms may incorporate drawer systems for storage. Frames may be decorative, with elaborate headboards or tall posts.
  
  A soft-sided waterbed consists of a water-containing mattress inside of a rectangular frame of sturdy foam, zippered inside of a fabric casing, which sits on a platform. The effect is to look like a conventional bed and is designed to fit into existing bedroom furniture. The platform usually looks like a conventional foundation or box spring, and sits atop a stronger than normal metal frame.
  
  Early waterbed mattresses and many inexpensive modern mattresses have only one water chamber. These mattresses are commonly described in the industry as “free flow” mattresses. When disturbed significant wave-action could be felt. They needed some time to stabilize after a disturbance. Later types employed wave-reducing methods, including fiber batting and interconnected water chambers. More expensive “waveless” modern waterbeds have a mixture of air and water chambers, usually interconnected.
  
  Water beds are normally heated. Temperature is controlled via a thermostat and set to personal preference, but is most commonly average skin temperature, 86 degrees Fahrenheit. A typical heating pad consumes 150–400 watts of power. Depending on insulation, bedding, temperature, use and other things, electricity usage may vary significantly. The annual electricity cost may be USD 100–500. Average UK cost in 2003 was £43.80 per annum for a waterbed heater’s electricity usage.
  
  Waterbeds are usually constructed from vinyl or similar material. They can be repaired with nearly any vinyl repair kit.
QUESTION:
Any suggestions for first time home buyers?
My husband and I are serious about buying our first home in 2008. We have had some credit problems in the past (when we were in our late teens-early 20’s) but we have fixed all but 2 of them; together these 2 debts total approx k but we are paying them down gradually. Unfortunately, we don’t have too much money for a down payment but we’re still saving. We’d like to get pre-approved before we do any “hard-core house shopping”. Ideally, we’d like a “fixer-upper” but nothing too major.

Where’s the best place to start looking for pre-approvals?

Are there things that we should look for when applying for a pre-approval? Things to avoid?

Any general suggestions/warnings/ideas/experiences, etc. that you can offer?

Thanks!
Thanks everyone! All great answers and a lot of info I had no idea about! Hopefully we can find the best deal for us!!

Unfortunately Sadeeq, I know for sure that it is impossible in my area to rent a home/apt/condo, etc for 1/3 of the price of a mortgage… average monthly rental in my area is between 00-1400mo, depending on amenities.
- ANSWER:
  I have lots of suggestions…I have purchased 3 homes so far and every time I learn something new. It seems you are on the right track trying to pay off old debts, that looks good on paper when you get ready to get pre-approved. If you or your husband were part in the military or children of military personell, USAA is great for mortgages, banking, car/home insurance, investments, etc.
  
  If not try to go through banks that belong to Lending Tree, where several banks compete to do business with YOU. They are going to try to offer you the best type of loan. Whatever you do, PLEASE get a fixed rate loan. Most of the people that have lost their homes in the last 3 yrs were on an adjustable rate loan. Read on the difference…so you are informed when you begin dealing with banks. The better informed the better equipped you are. Do not be affraid of 30 yr mortgages. It doesn’t mean that you will be in the home for 30 yrs, but interest rates tend to be lower, thus making monthly payments easier, especially if you are getting a fixer upper.
  
  When it comes to buying the house, have an inspector do a threrral inspection. Interview these inspectors to make sure that they have extensive experience and training. The cheapest inspection will cost you MOST later. When the inspector goes through the house you and your husband should go with him while he conducts his inspection. He should be able to provide you with a written report within two weeks after inspection. Also check with the Better Bus Bureau to make sure this inspector or company does not have any complaints. So far I have had two great inspectors in my last two purchases, they came from a friend who had recently purchased her home and was very satisfied with the work done. Pilar to Post is a great company, check if they have it in your state.
  
  Although a house might be for sale and there is an asking price, it doesn’t mean that you have to pay that price. NEGOTIATE!!! Especially after the inspection, based on what the inspector finds, you are able to negotiate the price down for repairs or ask for repairs. Find our from your realtor how long has the house been on sale. The longer the house sits the more ammunition you can use to drive the price down toward your advantage.
  
  Because the slump in the housing market, this is the BEST time to purchase a home, it is a buyers market!!! Educate yourselves on home buying, there are lots of information out there. Talk to each other and agree on what you want and don’t want. Buying a home is stressful, so is moving, but if you and your husband communicate, you will make the right choices. Also check on first time home buyers programs in your state/city. There are great programs in different states.
  
  Make sure that whatever home you decide that you move in to at least a 50% larger space what you currently have. You do not want to run out of space within a few months after moving. Ask owners for the disclosure, this is a document that states lead paint, termite infestation, etc. Also ask if the house have had a fire in recent years, when was the fire place was cleaned last, choose a home with cuircut breaker system, that the HVAC and water heater are less than 7 yrs old. The HVAC could be as old as 10, but the water heater should not, because they last about 10 yrs on average. The water heater should be 40 gal or more. Also make sure that there are no cracks on the foundation as this is a very costly expense to repair and after all you are going to sell your home eventually, but you want to make a profit.
  
  Sorry, lots of info!!! Please read, take time to be informed and educated, that is most important that having a good credit report or anything else. A home is the most expensisve purchase you will make in your life, therefore make it a smart one.
  
  Should you want to further reach me, please e-mail me at zari_sanchez@yahoo.com.
  
  Good luck, BEST wishes.

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