Brick houses. Never lived in one. Considering it. Advice?

[guroo270]

[QUOTE=highangle;4572452]If you plan on buying for eventual resale, as in making improvements, be sure you're not the most expensive home in the neighborhood when it goes back on the market.

Well, it's a pretty strange area price wise. There's a comparable much shittier one on the same street. It looks awful. There's a few blocks of houses like these vintage and looks wise, but they are all bigger and go for more money, sometimes double even though they look about the same. But in the surrounding neighborhood (you could almost say that all of Ocean Springs is a neighborhood) the houses within half a mile for $659k.

If the other homes in the neighborhood are of similar vintage and level of improvement, I wouldn't expect the neighborhood to support much new $$ down the road, particularly in the white flight South. There is $$ to be made (or lost) in homes this cheap though. Particularly if the neighborhood works for you.
Similar vintage, but this one is in about as good of shape as it could be from what I've seen on inter web pictures.

What's the status of Keesler AFB? A bustling base in the area may add liquidity to a neighborhood with military and other financing options, for example.
No clue about the AFB. I've only visited for 3 days and over a weekend and didn't hear any jets

Have I used the word "Neighborhood" enough?

Good note about buy the worst house in a good neighborhood and not the best house in a bad neighborhood, but well aware of that one.

[guroo270]

The fuck you want with Mississippi?

Absolutely nothing, but my job is taking me there, and my job kinda kicks ass. I could probably name 46 or more states I'd rather live in, but at least, like I said, it's probably the nicest part of a shitty state. Not tons of money right now, but I'm in a very good spot to potentially make buttloads of money in what would essentially be my dream job if the cards fall right. Even if that doesn't happen though, it's a sweet gig.

Plus, everyone on here lives in Denver, Jackson Hole, Billings, or SLC. So cliché.

[irul&ublo]

I could talk your ear off about the building science of brick veneer walls and load bearing masonry walls in Hot-Humid climates

I bet you are lots of fun at parties


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Jesse]

Just posting to say that 80k for a decent house is amazing to me. Makes me want to look into rental properties. Where I live real estate has been increasing 10-18% a year and 1 million buys you a shitty tear down in a undesirable neighborhood. To put 80 k on perspective, an 80 year old house just sold here for 800k OVER asking price.
I'm really just here to vent as I'm beginning to try and enter the market, but it is kind of insane. ... I think I'm just jealous.

[Flounder]

Are your concerns about buying a brick house or just buying this house? I'm in a brick house but in Vermont so as BZ points out, I'm dealing with moisture traveling in the opposite direction. From a technical standpoint I think BZ covers things nicely.

From a practical standpoint as someone living in a brick house, we like it. No need to paint anything but the trim. Like any house the issue is how well it was built. Ours was built in the 40's by a mason as his personal house. It's built well and have some nice detailing. It's brick veneer and it's quite air tight. Even though there is crap for insulation in the walls, it does well in the winter.

The issue to consider for renovations is making changes to the exterior. Moving or changing masonry openings is more difficult than a stick built house. Not impossible but it is difficult to get bricks and mortar to match the existing. I'm not a fan of painted brick but that's when the brick is a more classic style and color. Painting would cover any issues of changing masonry openings but leads to more maintenance. The painter has to make sure they don't block any weep holes and prep properly.

Good luck

[Caucasian Asian]

Just posting to say that 80k for a decent house is amazing to me. Makes me want to look into rental properties. Where I live real estate has been increasing 10-18% a year and 1 million buys you a shitty tear down in a undesirable neighborhood. To put 80 k on perspective, an 80 year old house just sold here for 800k OVER asking price.

Yeah, while the market here isn't as silly as it is in the lower mainland, 80k is a down payment in most neighborhoods here.

[::: :::]

To put 80 k on perspective, an 80 year old house just sold here for 800k OVER asking price..

Yeah, while the market here isn't as silly as it is in the lower mainland, 80k is a down payment in most neighborhoods here.

but isn't that like$2-3k US?

[guroo270]

Are your concerns about buying a brick house or just buying this house? I'm in a brick house but in Vermont so as BZ points out, I'm dealing with moisture traveling in the opposite direction. From a technical standpoint I think BZ covers things nicely.

From a practical standpoint as someone living in a brick house, we like it. No need to paint anything but the trim. Like any house the issue is how well it was built. Ours was built in the 40's by a mason as his personal house. It's built well and have some nice detailing. It's brick veneer and it's quite air tight. Even though there is crap for insulation in the walls, it does well in the winter.

The issue to consider for renovations is making changes to the exterior. Moving or changing masonry openings is more difficult than a stick built house. Not impossible but it is difficult to get bricks and mortar to match the existing. I'm not a fan of painted brick but that's when the brick is a more classic style and color. Painting would cover any issues of changing masonry openings but leads to more maintenance. The painter has to make sure they don't block any weep holes and prep properly.

Good luck

My concerns are multiple. One being the potential remodel of making Windows bigger and what that's like compared to other construction which is why I brought up skylights as an option for more light.
Another is what to look for as far as moisture is concerned as I think every single home in the area has/had some form of water damage from Katrina. BZ addressed that. Along those lines, just signs of major issues and what they could look like and potential problems like having the grade coming up too high on the building, etc.

On another note I'm actually renting a house here in TN that was 6 feet underwater during Nashville's huge flood, and there are some...interesting things going on in here even though it's completely remodeled that I know to look for now, but may not have seen before.

I'm also just concerned about the whole thing. I know it's chump change for most people, but if I'm there for a short period, and I'm all the sudden down $20k, I'll be pissed.

I'm concerned that the house was on the market in '09 for 115k and now it's $84k, but does that mean it really IS the right time, all buy low style? Can't go lower right?

I'm concerned that if you look at the number of houses for sale in the area, it's shocking. But I grew up in San Jose and my parents just bought a house in Willow Glen for $110k over asking in cash.

Something that's comforting is that as far as non-condemned properties go, this is about as cheap as you can get in there, and there are $359k and $650k house around the corner. This is basically the cheapest you can get in the area. That makes me feel good.

[Timberridge]

If a big bad wolf ever tries to huff and puff and blow your house down, you can be confident that it still will be standing.

[guroo270]

The biggest baddest wolf already came through I fucking hope. BTW, what's up with your avatar? Is that some sort of if you and Obama had a baby cg image? Just curious.

[Mazderati]

Rob Lobama.

[goldenshowers]

For only $80k!! That's a steal flood damage or not. I wish Canadian housing prices were that affordable…..I would own a mansion.

Here's what $80k gets in my neck of the woods...http://www.remaxgolden.com/dev08/gol...-listings.html

[neckdeep]

On another note I'm actually renting a house here in TN that was 6 feet underwater during Nashville's huge flood, and there are some...interesting things going on in here even though it's completely remodeled that I know to look for now, but may not have seen before.
.

That is something to think about in the South. So many neighborhoods are built in floodplains for these tiny little creeks that rarely get noticed....until it rains 12 inches. Then everyone stands around gobsmacked at the sight of filthy water up to the knob on the front door. Never, ever buy a house in the South unless its at least 10 feet above the top of the nearest creek.

[that dude who did that thing]

Buy the dam house. It's $80k. If we converted that to restaurant terms it would be like deciding whether you should really spend the extra $8 to have an appetizer, to go along with your $30 steak.

The price in 2009 is irrelevant as that marked the end of a bubble that affected even Mississippi. check the comps, hire an inspector, and if all that checks out, buy the thing. I've lost money on real estate and I've made money on real estate, never a whole lot of either, and either way it's neither the end nor the start of the world. Like I said above, if it's cheaper than renting, at this price, you're overthinking it.

[guroo270]

That is something to think about in the South. So many neighborhoods are built in floodplains for these tiny little creeks that rarely get noticed....until it rains 12 inches. Then everyone stands around gobsmacked at the sight of filthy water up to the knob on the front door. Never, ever buy a house in the South unless its at least 10 feet above the top of the nearest creek.

The house I'm in now that flooded up to 6 feet believe it or not is about 30 ft above the creek that flooded it. Imagine that.

[alfajores]

Doing demolition on homes in Louisiana, i can tell you that brick was the way to go. We tore out everything but the 2x4s and brick and the house dried and was rebuilt. They also hold up to tornados better and flooding. Not as great with earthquakes. One big tremor could crumble your masonry and require huge repairs.

[gretch6364]

What do you want to know?

Is it load bearing masonry or veneer?

I could talk your ear off about the building science of brick veneer walls and load bearing masonry walls in Hot-Humid climates (Ocean Springs Mississippi is in climate zone 2A).

I am curious what your thoughts are on brick veneer. About to sign docs on a 1926 brick bungalow in Denver. House is great except for garage, which is more of a shed. Planning to tear it down and put up a large 1 stall with a small workspace and want to match the house. I was thinking I would have the foundation poured and build a stick frame and roof and then brick veneer. Doing it from scratch, I can build so that frame sites inside the foundation enough so the cement board is resting on the lip of the foundation. Any experience with this type of build would be great to hear.

Also, if anyone knows any good cement guys on the front range, that would be good too! thank you.

[::: :::]

I am curious what your thoughts are on brick veneer. About to sign docs on a 1926 brick bungalow in Denver. House is great except for garage, which is more of a shed. Planning to tear it down and put up a large 1 stall with a small workspace and want to match the house. I was thinking I would have the foundation poured and build a stick frame and roof and then brick veneer. Doing it from scratch, I can build so that frame sites inside the foundation enough so the cement board is resting on the lip of the foundation. Any experience with this type of build would be great to hear.

Also, if anyone knows any good cement guys on the front range, that would be good too! thank you.

this book has drawings that might be helpful:
http://www.amazon.com/Builders-Guide.../dp/156158374X

maybe find it at your library?

[Below Zero]

I am curious what your thoughts are on brick veneer...

The book acinpdx recommended is highly recommended.

Brick veneer is great (just don't use thin brick veneer, aka "stick-on" brick). Just need to make sure it's detailed correctly. Just a couple words you have incorrect. "Cement board" is not used as exterior sheathing. Typical exterior sheathings are gypsum sheathing (not recommended), oriented strand board (OSB), or exterior rigid insulation. Not sure what you mean by "...frame sites [sic] inside the foundation enough so that cement board is resting on the lip of foundation." When you build a brick veneer wall, you have the brick veneer sit on a brick ledge; although brick veneer is not "load bearing", the brick veneer need to support the weight of itself on the foundation. For some reason I think you may be thinking of "stick-on" brick; not a fan. For just a garage of shed, build it cheaper by provided a brick veneer wainscot (basically brick on the bottom 3'-0" to 4'-0" of the wall) with fiber-cement siding above.

Also, there's no such thing as a "cement" guy. It's called concrete. Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine.

[gretch6364]

Thank you for the response. My building vernacular is obviously off. What I meant was the framing would be set inside the edge of the footer to provide the support lip that you mentioned. Reality is, my old man is retiring in March and he has built several houses, just finishing a gorgeous 4K sq ft place for my sister...so he said he would come out and help build the garage if I do the heavy lifting.

The cement thing may have come from growing up in western pa...all kind of oddities in the language there. Grandpa drove a "concrete truck" for 40 years. I will need someone to pour a slab with about 2 to 3 feet of side wall on the back and one side (raised yard). I probably also need some kind of consultant to tell me what pattern and color to buy to match the house. It is a scratched face and is not just a straight red brick.

[::: :::]

I probably also need some kind of consultant to tell me what pattern and color to buy to match the house. It is a scratched face and is not just a straight red brick.

Take picture to your local mason's supply to help source the matching brick. Even if they don't sell the brick itself, they might be able to point you towards a source. (Don't be too surprised if it's not made anymore)