Google is the Devil
Re: Google is the Devil
The problem is a little bit more complex than what you note. Each e-mail server has an IP address and each domain name is related to that IP via DNS servers located throughout the world. If you switch hosts/servers, then all those DNS servers around the world will have the wrong information. Fortunately it will self heal, but the host has to update their server first for it to propagate. If you can find a host for your domain, they will take care of all the details needed to change DNS listings. It takes time and there will be some losses and misdirections, but it's not a total disaster. This is the reason you can't have the same domain name on two different servers. The DNS servers won't know where to send your mail.
Re: Google is the Devil
That's what I figured, but from what I understand, not all hosting services for websites also have e-mail.
This is why I'm hesitant on changing my e-mail from Comcast to my domain name and using my hosts e-mail service.
What if I want to change hosts and they don't provide e-mail?
This is why I'm hesitant on changing my e-mail from Comcast to my domain name and using my hosts e-mail service.
What if I want to change hosts and they don't provide e-mail?
Re: Google is the Devil
No problem if your ISP doesn't handle email. There are companies that hosy only email.
Search for "email hosting" on Google. Here is a sample; just one of many https://www.rackspace.com/en-us/email-hosting/webmail
All the activity surrounding email is done on a server. You could actually set up your own server to do your own hosting. You'll need a REAL server with the email software and knowledge of how to set it all up. But, it's that simple. No different really than hosting websites. It's just a matter of being on a physically different server.
Search for "email hosting" on Google. Here is a sample; just one of many https://www.rackspace.com/en-us/email-hosting/webmail
All the activity surrounding email is done on a server. You could actually set up your own server to do your own hosting. You'll need a REAL server with the email software and knowledge of how to set it all up. But, it's that simple. No different really than hosting websites. It's just a matter of being on a physically different server.
Re: Google is the Devil
OK, I think I will just keep my e-mail as @comcast.net since I have no other cable choice here.
I used Ymail for one of my e-mail addresses, but not for professional or business e-mails.
Although my utilities, like water, electric, sewer, are all handled by KUB (Knoxville Utility Board).
LCUB (Lenoir City Utility Board) has run Fiber Optic Cable a couple of years ago from the Turkey Creek and Farragut area (the rich areas) all the way out to Lenoir City, and although designed for use by the Utility Companies, they started adding commercial subscribers in 2018.
This is the Fiber Optic Cable System my neighbor has got on, costing him big bucks to run a fiber optic cable all the way to Chapman Highway.
Now LCUB is saying they are going to take on 13,000 residential subscribers to use their fiber optic system.
They intend to open up their second fiber optic cable to 70,000 residential customers over the next five years as they get fiber optic cable run through certain subdivisions. This probably means those subdivisions not served by cable service.
However, they also stated that there were several subdivisions where private companies or individuals paid to have fiber optic cable run to their business or home. If enough subscribers near these fiber optic cables are interested, LCUB may buy them back from the private owner to open them up for area residences.
AT&T has installed fiber optic cable in two subdivisions south of us, but their rates are higher than we are paying for Comcast, after my frau got them to cut their price down for us old senior citizens for two years, hi hi.
When that two years is up, it will probably go up to higher than it was before.
I used Ymail for one of my e-mail addresses, but not for professional or business e-mails.
Although my utilities, like water, electric, sewer, are all handled by KUB (Knoxville Utility Board).
LCUB (Lenoir City Utility Board) has run Fiber Optic Cable a couple of years ago from the Turkey Creek and Farragut area (the rich areas) all the way out to Lenoir City, and although designed for use by the Utility Companies, they started adding commercial subscribers in 2018.
This is the Fiber Optic Cable System my neighbor has got on, costing him big bucks to run a fiber optic cable all the way to Chapman Highway.
Now LCUB is saying they are going to take on 13,000 residential subscribers to use their fiber optic system.
They intend to open up their second fiber optic cable to 70,000 residential customers over the next five years as they get fiber optic cable run through certain subdivisions. This probably means those subdivisions not served by cable service.
However, they also stated that there were several subdivisions where private companies or individuals paid to have fiber optic cable run to their business or home. If enough subscribers near these fiber optic cables are interested, LCUB may buy them back from the private owner to open them up for area residences.
AT&T has installed fiber optic cable in two subdivisions south of us, but their rates are higher than we are paying for Comcast, after my frau got them to cut their price down for us old senior citizens for two years, hi hi.
When that two years is up, it will probably go up to higher than it was before.
Re: Google is the Devil
The obvious advantage to web mail is that you don't have to be concerned about who is hosting your service. You do have to be concerned that they will stay in business. LOL I think there are enough big names out there for you not to have to worry about them going out of business and taking your mail with them. Cable companies who host e-mail are probably just as secure as Microsoft or Google but you end up paying through the nose for cable. When I left Chicago my wife and I were heavily into the ISP e-mail system: Earthlink. I dropped everything when we moved except the e-mail. I kept that for six months to assure a smooth transition. They charged something like $10/mo just for the e-mail service which isn't bad but they literally are doing nothing but flipping a switch on their server to give me that service. It turns out Earthlink services the area I live in and I could have stayed with them. But Spectrum has a better reputation if not a better network, so we went with them. We don't use Spectrum's e-mail at all. It's all web mail for us now.
Re: Google is the Devil
The advantage of web mail is you can read it from any computer anywhere.
The disadvantage is you do not have a copy on your own computer for later reference.
You can save the list of e-mails to your computer from web mail, but not many people bother.
Of course, most e-mail is not important enough to save.
But when you run a business or do other things, you may need to refer back to an e-mail from years ago.
I have had to on many occasions. Like customers who only order once every two or three years and say I agreed to send them a free bottle after they bought 25 or something like that.
Normally, if I said something like that, it would be flagged in my accounting program under their name and updated with each order. I do send vendors who buy by the case a free case for every 500th bottle they order. Some have squawked after I changed from 4 cartons to a case to 2 cartons to a case, since I only send them one free case, which they see has half a case, hi hi. The free case is to cover things like returns, samples, in-house use, etc. and we get very few returns after the formula was perfected for overseas users.
The disadvantage is you do not have a copy on your own computer for later reference.
You can save the list of e-mails to your computer from web mail, but not many people bother.
Of course, most e-mail is not important enough to save.
But when you run a business or do other things, you may need to refer back to an e-mail from years ago.
I have had to on many occasions. Like customers who only order once every two or three years and say I agreed to send them a free bottle after they bought 25 or something like that.
Normally, if I said something like that, it would be flagged in my accounting program under their name and updated with each order. I do send vendors who buy by the case a free case for every 500th bottle they order. Some have squawked after I changed from 4 cartons to a case to 2 cartons to a case, since I only send them one free case, which they see has half a case, hi hi. The free case is to cover things like returns, samples, in-house use, etc. and we get very few returns after the formula was perfected for overseas users.
Re: Google is the Devil
There are a number of e-mail clients such as Thunderbird, but you are right about people not wanting to bother. A business would bother for obvious reasons. I even found an archiving program for e-mails. It simply copies the mail from whatever service I specify and creates an archive on my computer. I saved some mail from people who are no longer with us using this methods. I'd guess the bulk of e-mail being sent these days involves tablets and smartphones. Neither one of those devices are built for saving anything locally, least of all e-mail.
I think you have the right idea sending free goodies to your best customers. It not only makes sense but also promotes good will. I'd suppose there is software to keep track of your business clients.
I think you have the right idea sending free goodies to your best customers. It not only makes sense but also promotes good will. I'd suppose there is software to keep track of your business clients.
Re: Google is the Devil
I have every e-mail (that was not junk) saved from the first days I switched to Eudora.
From before then, I have some saved as plain text files.
They are separated from personal and business correspondence though.
I used QuickBooks all the years I was on Windows, but after moving to Linux I use GNU/Cash which is only slightly better than Quicken when I first started using it. Now it is as robust as QuickBooks ever was, but works more like the old Cougar Mountain Accounting packages I used to use. I only use GNU/Cash for accounting, and spreadsheets for most everything else. I have several folders for different types of things, but I have them all linked to a program called FreeMind that I use for many things. Keeping track of the work in the books I'm writing is in FreeMind also. FreeMind is basically only a Directory, but better than Kabikaboo.
You would not believe the number of documents that go along with an order, or the amount of things one has to keep track of. There are numerous inventory items besides all the paperwork involved with a order.
From before then, I have some saved as plain text files.
They are separated from personal and business correspondence though.
I used QuickBooks all the years I was on Windows, but after moving to Linux I use GNU/Cash which is only slightly better than Quicken when I first started using it. Now it is as robust as QuickBooks ever was, but works more like the old Cougar Mountain Accounting packages I used to use. I only use GNU/Cash for accounting, and spreadsheets for most everything else. I have several folders for different types of things, but I have them all linked to a program called FreeMind that I use for many things. Keeping track of the work in the books I'm writing is in FreeMind also. FreeMind is basically only a Directory, but better than Kabikaboo.
You would not believe the number of documents that go along with an order, or the amount of things one has to keep track of. There are numerous inventory items besides all the paperwork involved with a order.
Re: Google is the Devil
A lot of the personal correspondence I had with relatives who have passed is sitting in the closet. Since I would invariably respond with a printed out letter from my computer, I have those in digital format too. I can honestly say that after nearly two decades of collecting such correspondence I've never gone back to read any of it. I don't know why I keep it other than to have some material representation of souls long departed. My kids will find it all and toss it into the shredder when I'm gone.
Business documents are quite another thing. Keeping it all organized and available has got to be time consuming if not an actual nightmare. Think that's why people hire accounts and accounting firms, not to mention lawyers.
Business documents are quite another thing. Keeping it all organized and available has got to be time consuming if not an actual nightmare. Think that's why people hire accounts and accounting firms, not to mention lawyers.
Re: Google is the Devil
From one of the businesses I owned. I had over 100 white boxes with egg-crate partitions. I threw away the egg-crates but kept all the boxes to use for filing my accounting records, receipts, tax forms, and old bank statements.
I have them going all the way back to 1977, hi hi, out in my storage sheds.
At one time I used the half-height bank boxes, exactly 10 of them. When 1976 rolled around, the 1966 box was emptied and reused for 1976 receipts. It was in 1977 when I started using my white boxes, and they fit on a long shelf about eye level in the basement. The ten big boxes were on a bottom shelf. Rather than throwing away the stuff in the white boxes, with all that room on the shelf, I just added a new box each year, until they were eventually stacked up three deep. After the first flood, all the big boxes near the floor got drowned, and being so old, I didn't even bother to open them, just tossed them away. But everything from 1977 forward was high and dry.
If you recall, I lost almost all of my diaries in those two floods, and having the receipts from 1977 forward, I began going through all of those boxes one at a time as memory joggers and the receipts gave me exact dates. So I was able to rebuild a lot of what I lost. They really were a great memory jogger!
I did lose some family heirloom receipts I had acquired when we were cleaning out a warehouse on the family business property. Some of those receipts dated back to 1890, but most were in the 1903 to 1939 range. Receipts for trucks the florist purchased, when they built additions on to the greenhouse, what repairs they had made. Not all the receipts meant much, but some of them were for major items that were still on the property when I was growing up. All but a couple of these were totally lost in the floods. Ones I had in picture frames hanging high were saved. Framed because they were unique and told a story.
I have them going all the way back to 1977, hi hi, out in my storage sheds.
At one time I used the half-height bank boxes, exactly 10 of them. When 1976 rolled around, the 1966 box was emptied and reused for 1976 receipts. It was in 1977 when I started using my white boxes, and they fit on a long shelf about eye level in the basement. The ten big boxes were on a bottom shelf. Rather than throwing away the stuff in the white boxes, with all that room on the shelf, I just added a new box each year, until they were eventually stacked up three deep. After the first flood, all the big boxes near the floor got drowned, and being so old, I didn't even bother to open them, just tossed them away. But everything from 1977 forward was high and dry.
If you recall, I lost almost all of my diaries in those two floods, and having the receipts from 1977 forward, I began going through all of those boxes one at a time as memory joggers and the receipts gave me exact dates. So I was able to rebuild a lot of what I lost. They really were a great memory jogger!
I did lose some family heirloom receipts I had acquired when we were cleaning out a warehouse on the family business property. Some of those receipts dated back to 1890, but most were in the 1903 to 1939 range. Receipts for trucks the florist purchased, when they built additions on to the greenhouse, what repairs they had made. Not all the receipts meant much, but some of them were for major items that were still on the property when I was growing up. All but a couple of these were totally lost in the floods. Ones I had in picture frames hanging high were saved. Framed because they were unique and told a story.
Re: Google is the Devil
While I never operated a business I did keep all family financial records in plastic storage bins. The vague notion of keeping them for tax purposes is what motivated me. But, unless I was doing something illegal and expected to be audited by the government, I only was required to keep three years of tax records. It might have been more at one time but currently I believe it's only the past three years. They don't do much auditing these days so that maybe even that is unnecessary. Eventually I compromised. I now only keep ten years worth of records except for anything that had to do with selling and buying of houses. Those documents I consider to be permanent. A lot of things became fireplace fuel and shredder output when I had to move to a new house. I now only have one plastic bin in the basement and a small fireproof safe to document my financial life. 
Re: Google is the Devil
I didn't know it changed, it was always 7 years during all the years I was in business, however, they can go back to 14 years if they find something. Not sure if they can go further back than 14 years except for specific items. Heck, you buy a house you live in for 50 years, you better have the deed when you go to sell it.
I used to be in real estate, bought and sold a lot of houses. I still have most of the paperwork. And I was audited in 2003 about houses I bought in 1981 and sold in 1990 and 1992. Plus houses I sold in 2001 purchased in the later '80s. I didn't have to worry about the IRS because everything was handled by Title Companies and I had Title Insurance, plus the contract we agreed to. Actually, what they audited me for was for not claiming the loss I could have claimed. However, I had nothing to offset the loss against at the time, so decided to save it and use it later, and that is what they came after me for. However, I was on the up and up and it was perfectly legal eagle.
Speaking of which, many moons ago, like in the middle '70s, the IRS audited me 7 years in a row. It got to the point I LOVED getting Audited, because every single time, after they reworked my return, they owed me more money, and since it was an audit they did, they had to pay up, hi hi. It wasn't much, but I was not audited again for close to three decades.
Same thing happened to my brother, they thought they had him and did a big five year audit. All of his records were in order, and he brought every single big file box with him, so he had it all right there if they asked about anything.
He said I should have seen the auditors eyes when he came in with two 2-wheel dollies filled with large file boxes.
He came out smelling like a rose to, they owed him in excess of ten grand, for deductions they disallowed, but it was discovered they were OK and should not have been disallowed in the first place. Sure made his day!
He didn't fair so well on a later audit though, ended up owing like 5 grand over the sale of a building, because the next building he bought was a lot cheaper so he had excess from the sale of the previous building. They got him that time, hi hi.
I used to be in real estate, bought and sold a lot of houses. I still have most of the paperwork. And I was audited in 2003 about houses I bought in 1981 and sold in 1990 and 1992. Plus houses I sold in 2001 purchased in the later '80s. I didn't have to worry about the IRS because everything was handled by Title Companies and I had Title Insurance, plus the contract we agreed to. Actually, what they audited me for was for not claiming the loss I could have claimed. However, I had nothing to offset the loss against at the time, so decided to save it and use it later, and that is what they came after me for. However, I was on the up and up and it was perfectly legal eagle.
Speaking of which, many moons ago, like in the middle '70s, the IRS audited me 7 years in a row. It got to the point I LOVED getting Audited, because every single time, after they reworked my return, they owed me more money, and since it was an audit they did, they had to pay up, hi hi. It wasn't much, but I was not audited again for close to three decades.
Same thing happened to my brother, they thought they had him and did a big five year audit. All of his records were in order, and he brought every single big file box with him, so he had it all right there if they asked about anything.
He said I should have seen the auditors eyes when he came in with two 2-wheel dollies filled with large file boxes.
He came out smelling like a rose to, they owed him in excess of ten grand, for deductions they disallowed, but it was discovered they were OK and should not have been disallowed in the first place. Sure made his day!
He didn't fair so well on a later audit though, ended up owing like 5 grand over the sale of a building, because the next building he bought was a lot cheaper so he had excess from the sale of the previous building. They got him that time, hi hi.
Re: Google is the Devil
The IRS publishes bulletins about everything tax related. The trick is to find the right bulletin among the thousands they offer. One year I decided to look into how many years worth of records I was obligated to retain. You could be right about the 7 year figure being in force at one point, but when I got the bulletin it clearly stated individual returns need only be retained for 3 years. They also said there is no limit on what can be audited and if I did anything illegal, then I'd have to show my paperwork for as far back as they are auditing. To me it was a Catch-22 because I'd not know I did anything illegal until it was too late and the records were destroyed. I don't think there is any limit on how far back the IRS can go.
By the time we bought this house a lot of the laws changed. My greatest concern was that capital gains thing your brother ran into. I knew a certain amount of profit on the sale of a house was excluded, but I didn't know how much. Thus I hired a professional tax company to do my taxes that year. Because the houses up in the Chicago area were so drastically over priced I made quite a profit. There is no house in all of O'Fallon going for the high price I sold my old house. I think the exemption is/was $100k and we profited somewhat less than that. Thus no taxes were due on the sale of my old house. The fact that it was done in a different state complicated the issue and I didn't want to tackle the tax forms unassisted. The down side is I paid for two tax forms to be filed because the two states required different paperwork. It was worth not having the headache. LOL
By the time we bought this house a lot of the laws changed. My greatest concern was that capital gains thing your brother ran into. I knew a certain amount of profit on the sale of a house was excluded, but I didn't know how much. Thus I hired a professional tax company to do my taxes that year. Because the houses up in the Chicago area were so drastically over priced I made quite a profit. There is no house in all of O'Fallon going for the high price I sold my old house. I think the exemption is/was $100k and we profited somewhat less than that. Thus no taxes were due on the sale of my old house. The fact that it was done in a different state complicated the issue and I didn't want to tackle the tax forms unassisted. The down side is I paid for two tax forms to be filed because the two states required different paperwork. It was worth not having the headache. LOL
Re: Google is the Devil
Ha Ha, you didn't catch it did you. Individual Returns must be retained for 3 years, this has nothing to do with your receipts or accounting records. Besides, they have a copy of your return anyhow, hi hi.
I know if they find something, they can go back for 7 years from that point they found. Which if it was your 7 year point already they can go back another 7 making it 14 years back. If they find another mistake further back, they can go back another 7 years from that point. But I've never heard of them going back more than 14 years with anyone.
However, some receipts they can ask for going back 100 years or more. Again, like the deed to a house or business building.
There used to be jokes about a guy going all the way back to the time the earth was created and the IRS still wanted more proof, hi hi.
Some day, if I ever have the original deed out for this house I live in, you won't believe what all it says in it that is now highly illegal. Such as I cannot sell the property to a Black, Indian, or other foreign person who is not white.
By the way, this original deed is STILL the active deed for this property. Amazing eh!
It's all in the way I handled the legal requirements to get it into my frau's name. The deed itself was never altered from original. Only the recorded names have changed, nothing more. Where there's a Will, there's relatives!
I know if they find something, they can go back for 7 years from that point they found. Which if it was your 7 year point already they can go back another 7 making it 14 years back. If they find another mistake further back, they can go back another 7 years from that point. But I've never heard of them going back more than 14 years with anyone.
However, some receipts they can ask for going back 100 years or more. Again, like the deed to a house or business building.
There used to be jokes about a guy going all the way back to the time the earth was created and the IRS still wanted more proof, hi hi.
Some day, if I ever have the original deed out for this house I live in, you won't believe what all it says in it that is now highly illegal. Such as I cannot sell the property to a Black, Indian, or other foreign person who is not white.
By the way, this original deed is STILL the active deed for this property. Amazing eh!
It's all in the way I handled the legal requirements to get it into my frau's name. The deed itself was never altered from original. Only the recorded names have changed, nothing more. Where there's a Will, there's relatives!
Re: Google is the Devil
You are correct about my recollection of the tax forms. I don't recall if the bulletin stated anything about receipts and backup documentation. It probably did, but I could just as well have made an assumption. The thing is, I still had that bulletin a few years ago before we moved. Should I happen to run across it again, I'm certain to look at it again and see what if anything is said about receipts.
The very first house we bought was over fifty years old when we purchased it. The deed was like a history book, as you pointed out. It wasn't until we saw that deed that we learned the house was physically moved from it's original location to the lot on which it sat when we bought it. I think if I knew in advance that it was moved that way I may not have wanted to buy it. Then again, I'd have to clear that with my wife first.
The very first house we bought was over fifty years old when we purchased it. The deed was like a history book, as you pointed out. It wasn't until we saw that deed that we learned the house was physically moved from it's original location to the lot on which it sat when we bought it. I think if I knew in advance that it was moved that way I may not have wanted to buy it. Then again, I'd have to clear that with my wife first.
Re: Google is the Devil
Hmm, by law I think they were supposed to disclose the fact it was moved.
I too bought a house that was slated to be moved. Got it for super cheap since they were going to raze it.
I had a company come out and do all the necessary measurements to pour me a new foundation on a lot I bought.
This house had like a 4 foot high crawl space, and I had a full basement made for it.
They only had to move it across the highway, and down the outer road about a mile and a quarter.
Having it moved was surprisingly much cheaper than I thought it would be.
It could have easily cost a lot more if they couldn't tear out the old foundation to pick it up.
And since they did not have to go under any utility lines, that too cut the price down a little more.
They are the ones who handled the foundation work and did not leave and end of the foundation open, so I had no idea how they were going to get it onto the foundation, after I saw how they knocked out the other foundation to pick it up.
But when they got to the new site, they just placed a row of steel rollers across the top of the foundation, and then backed the truck up to the foundation and slid the big beams onto the steel rollers.
Scared the bejesus out of me too, because I thought for sure once they had it rolling it would run right off the other end of the foundation. It didn't, they had lined it up perfectly front and back, and inched the last foot into place.
Then they went inside the basement with jacks and lifted the house up about 2 inches is all, off the beams. Then rolled the beams off the end of the foundation. With everything out of the way, and the house now about a foot above the foundation, they painted the top of the foundation with some white goo, have no idea what it was, but smelled like butyl rubber. Then they lowered the house down onto the foundation, checked a few things inside, then they were gone.
Not a single crack anywhere inside.
Next came doing the plumbing, basement outlets, and a few other wiring chores before we had it inspected. Passed so the electric and water were turned on. Bought a furnace than ran on propane and a huge tank which I had filled since winter was coming. I hired someone to do fix and add to the ductwork, and run the fuel lines from the propane tank.
Love that house. However, talk about a stupid ass county. They changed their mind about where they were going to put the new highway lanes in, and never put the lanes in the location I moved the house from, now they were putting them right where I had the house placed.
On the bright side, I basically doubled my money after all that work. Since the foundation was brand new, the house was considered brand new also, and the appraiser who knew the whole story already, decided to get back at the highway department and appraised the house super high, hi hi. So, I came out like a rose on that one.
My wife at the time was really pissed though, because of all the work she put into it so we could move in.
I too bought a house that was slated to be moved. Got it for super cheap since they were going to raze it.
I had a company come out and do all the necessary measurements to pour me a new foundation on a lot I bought.
This house had like a 4 foot high crawl space, and I had a full basement made for it.
They only had to move it across the highway, and down the outer road about a mile and a quarter.
Having it moved was surprisingly much cheaper than I thought it would be.
It could have easily cost a lot more if they couldn't tear out the old foundation to pick it up.
And since they did not have to go under any utility lines, that too cut the price down a little more.
They are the ones who handled the foundation work and did not leave and end of the foundation open, so I had no idea how they were going to get it onto the foundation, after I saw how they knocked out the other foundation to pick it up.
But when they got to the new site, they just placed a row of steel rollers across the top of the foundation, and then backed the truck up to the foundation and slid the big beams onto the steel rollers.
Scared the bejesus out of me too, because I thought for sure once they had it rolling it would run right off the other end of the foundation. It didn't, they had lined it up perfectly front and back, and inched the last foot into place.
Then they went inside the basement with jacks and lifted the house up about 2 inches is all, off the beams. Then rolled the beams off the end of the foundation. With everything out of the way, and the house now about a foot above the foundation, they painted the top of the foundation with some white goo, have no idea what it was, but smelled like butyl rubber. Then they lowered the house down onto the foundation, checked a few things inside, then they were gone.
Not a single crack anywhere inside.
Next came doing the plumbing, basement outlets, and a few other wiring chores before we had it inspected. Passed so the electric and water were turned on. Bought a furnace than ran on propane and a huge tank which I had filled since winter was coming. I hired someone to do fix and add to the ductwork, and run the fuel lines from the propane tank.
Love that house. However, talk about a stupid ass county. They changed their mind about where they were going to put the new highway lanes in, and never put the lanes in the location I moved the house from, now they were putting them right where I had the house placed.
On the bright side, I basically doubled my money after all that work. Since the foundation was brand new, the house was considered brand new also, and the appraiser who knew the whole story already, decided to get back at the highway department and appraised the house super high, hi hi. So, I came out like a rose on that one.
My wife at the time was really pissed though, because of all the work she put into it so we could move in.
Re: Google is the Devil
We saw the deed before we closed on the house, but it was too late to cancel and start over. Reluctant as I was it turned out not to be too bad of a deal. The foundation, however, was something I've not seen up to that point in time. The foundation was poured to just below ground level and then cinder blocks placed on top of that. I think there may have been four layers, maybe five, but in any case I never saw anything like it up to that time. Eventually the blocks leaked due to a severely cold winter one year. The steel I-beam that ran across the center of the house poked an inch or two into the cinder blocks. That made a hole the size of the beam in the wall of blocks. I can only figure that the blocks shrunk during the cold weather and the I-beam did not. Never figured they would shrink that much but it did get down to about -27F.
Re: Google is the Devil
Interesting, of all the houses I bought and renovated in and around St. Louis, I never hit one with a cinder or concrete block foundation. Old inner city houses had stone foundations and full basements. But all the ones in the county were poured concrete foundations with footers.
Down here in TN, all they use is concrete blocks over the footers, and most houses don't have a basement, but most do have a crawl space. Rare to find a slab floor here, but they were common back home.
Speaking of the old houses I renovated. There were a few I did that I did not trust the foundation walls much anymore. Sure they were tuckpointed to look nice, but you and I know, the mortar behind the new turned to sand 50 years ago.
In fact some of those stone walls had slight bulges in them because of that.
Had one house where the bulge was enough, we installed a large steel reinforcing plate, with a threaded shaft running through the wall to 8 feet out in the yard, where we dug down and placed a dead-man for the rod to bolt to.
Once in place, the shaft and all metal is coated with a 3M coating to prevent it from rusting.
After the above work was done, we would install concrete forms in the basement up to the bottom of the floor joists, then have a concrete company who can pump concrete, run a hose in a basement window and fill up between the stone wall and concrete forms. Normally this required installing several anchors in the old wall, and filling to 4 to 6 inches in thickness. It didn't cost much more to go the 6 inch route so this is what I usually had done.
The benefit of doing this was that we didn't have to worry about the condition of the ends of the floor joists, since they would now be sitting on new concrete.
At the time, my cost for having this done was 5 to 7 grand, but raised the value of the house by around 15 grand, especially if we had a new floor poured at the same time.
Women always look at the bathroom and kitchen, men seem to look at the basement and garage, so you know where we put most of the money for renovation work into, hi hi.
Down here in TN, all they use is concrete blocks over the footers, and most houses don't have a basement, but most do have a crawl space. Rare to find a slab floor here, but they were common back home.
Speaking of the old houses I renovated. There were a few I did that I did not trust the foundation walls much anymore. Sure they were tuckpointed to look nice, but you and I know, the mortar behind the new turned to sand 50 years ago.
In fact some of those stone walls had slight bulges in them because of that.
Had one house where the bulge was enough, we installed a large steel reinforcing plate, with a threaded shaft running through the wall to 8 feet out in the yard, where we dug down and placed a dead-man for the rod to bolt to.
Once in place, the shaft and all metal is coated with a 3M coating to prevent it from rusting.
After the above work was done, we would install concrete forms in the basement up to the bottom of the floor joists, then have a concrete company who can pump concrete, run a hose in a basement window and fill up between the stone wall and concrete forms. Normally this required installing several anchors in the old wall, and filling to 4 to 6 inches in thickness. It didn't cost much more to go the 6 inch route so this is what I usually had done.
The benefit of doing this was that we didn't have to worry about the condition of the ends of the floor joists, since they would now be sitting on new concrete.
At the time, my cost for having this done was 5 to 7 grand, but raised the value of the house by around 15 grand, especially if we had a new floor poured at the same time.
Women always look at the bathroom and kitchen, men seem to look at the basement and garage, so you know where we put most of the money for renovation work into, hi hi.
Re: Google is the Devil
The house we sold to come down here had a newly renovated kitchen and bathroom. The basement was unfinished and the garage floor was cracked. We knew where to put the renovation money. LOL Turned out that the place sold the first week it was on the market. Nearly got the asking price too. I was totally shocked at what we got for that place. We got about 800 sq ft more down here and had nearly 100 grand left over. Of course this place is not all brick, but still Chicago real estate is way over priced.
My buddy in Franklin, TN, tells me the same story. No basements in most of the houses. However, his house is built into the side of a hill and he technically has one. I guess there isn't much dirt down there either. It's all rocks which make it hard to excavate.
When they poured the foundation to my old house they used wooden frames. It looked pretty normal to me but as they begin pouring, one corner of the foundation framing blew apart. All the concrete that was already poured flowed to that leaking corner. They had one hell of a time stopping the flow. The good news is that corner has a footing that is about three feet wide. LOL
My buddy in Franklin, TN, tells me the same story. No basements in most of the houses. However, his house is built into the side of a hill and he technically has one. I guess there isn't much dirt down there either. It's all rocks which make it hard to excavate.
When they poured the foundation to my old house they used wooden frames. It looked pretty normal to me but as they begin pouring, one corner of the foundation framing blew apart. All the concrete that was already poured flowed to that leaking corner. They had one hell of a time stopping the flow. The good news is that corner has a footing that is about three feet wide. LOL
Re: Google is the Devil
Another uncle who lived way out in the boonies where they didn't even have water lines.
Each house built in that subdivision had a concrete cistern built under the front porch, which was also concrete.
Most of the houses in that subdivision were basically the same design, but with different trim on the fronts.
After they got water piped in, he didn't want that cistern area to go to waste, so he cut a door from the basement into it.
I assume something similar to what happened with your basement had happened here, because on the inside of the cistern at one corner, the bottom of the wall looked like it was pushed in by about 2 feet and also had a puddle on the floor.
He dug down outside to see no the wall was not pushed in, apparently the form came loose when they were pouring the walls and they just left it that way, being inside the cistern where nobody would see it.
He was still able to turn it into the root cellar, which was his goal. Mostly just to store canned goods though.
This same uncle also had a sickly wife, who although sick her entire life, continued to live.
Put him in the poorhouse also. They got a divorce for financial reasons so she could get the help she needed.
My wife and I thought about that, but I stuck it out anyhow.
Several folks said I should have filed bankruptcy instead of selling everything I owned to pay off my debts.
But I'm not like that. I paid what I owed and came out debt free. What a wonderful feeling!
Each house built in that subdivision had a concrete cistern built under the front porch, which was also concrete.
Most of the houses in that subdivision were basically the same design, but with different trim on the fronts.
After they got water piped in, he didn't want that cistern area to go to waste, so he cut a door from the basement into it.
I assume something similar to what happened with your basement had happened here, because on the inside of the cistern at one corner, the bottom of the wall looked like it was pushed in by about 2 feet and also had a puddle on the floor.
He dug down outside to see no the wall was not pushed in, apparently the form came loose when they were pouring the walls and they just left it that way, being inside the cistern where nobody would see it.
He was still able to turn it into the root cellar, which was his goal. Mostly just to store canned goods though.
This same uncle also had a sickly wife, who although sick her entire life, continued to live.
Put him in the poorhouse also. They got a divorce for financial reasons so she could get the help she needed.
My wife and I thought about that, but I stuck it out anyhow.
Several folks said I should have filed bankruptcy instead of selling everything I owned to pay off my debts.
But I'm not like that. I paid what I owed and came out debt free. What a wonderful feeling!