Closing on my Wisconsin home on 11AUG

July 20, 2025, 01:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by newtoSig765:
You're right about all three, expensive repairs. Is it really a boiler, or just an old furnace? I've never even seen a boiler, though I'd believe it in Kenosha or other areas of Wisconsin.

Inspector called it a boiler, looking at the photos it’s just a furnace.

July 20, 2025, 02:21 PM

newtoSig765

Then maybe you should go over the inspector's work before dismissing a home you like?

I spent a very limited amount of time in Real Estate just before 9/11, but I was always impressed by the inspectors that I accompanied. I would think none of them would mistake a furnace for a boiler.

JMO

--------------------------
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
-- H L Mencken

I always prefer reality when I can figure out what it is.
-- JALLEN 10/18/18

July 20, 2025, 04:05 PM

OttoSig

quote:
Originally posted by newtoSig765:
Then maybe you should go over the inspector's work before dismissing a home you like?

I spent a very limited amount of time in Real Estate just before 9/11, but I was always impressed by the inspectors that I accompanied. I would think none of them would mistake a furnace for a boiler.

JMO

I did consider that when reading the report the second time. But there’s pictures of the sagging roof and beam that are pretty cut and dry. The garage roof is one thing, I could probably fix that with some new lumber or something, but I’m no general contractor so that sagging floor beam scares me.

If it was my forever home I may take on the challenges but I’m gonna want to sell this in a couple years.

July 20, 2025, 04:18 PM

ZSMICHAEL

quote:
f and beam

Wisconsin gets plenty of snow and it can be wet and heavy. I would fix that sagging beam ASAP

July 20, 2025, 06:02 PM

trapper189

None of my business, but have you considered renting someplace a whole lot closer to Great Lakes? If being an RDC is really a 5am - 9pm job as SpinZone mentioned on the previous page, then I can’t imagine spending another two hours a day commuting. Also, if you’re only going to be there a few years, renting is a perfectly acceptable solution instead of buying. Your not going to build a ton of equity in two years if you buy a house and there’s a really good chance you’ll lose money after paying the commission when you sell.

We lived in Wisconsin for 10 years before my dad got transferred again. He and my mom sold the house for what they had in it. It was a nice house on an exclusive golf course in an area with arguably the best schools in SE Wisconsin. It would have been a different story had they bought a lake house in the same area. The lake homes tripled in value over that same time frame.

July 20, 2025, 07:47 PM

OttoSig

quote:
Originally posted by trapper189:
None of my business, but have you considered renting someplace a whole lot closer to Great Lakes? If being an RDC is really a 5am - 9pm job as SpinZone mentioned on the previous page, then I can’t imagine spending another two hours a day commuting. Also, if you’re only going to be there a few years, renting is a perfectly acceptable solution instead of buying. Your not going to build a ton of equity in two years if you buy a house and there’s a really good chance you’ll lose money after paying the commission when you sell.

We lived in Wisconsin for 10 years before my dad got transferred again. He and my mom sold the house for what they had in it. It was a nice house on an exclusive golf course in an area with arguably the best schools in SE Wisconsin. It would have been a different story had they bought a lake house in the same area. The lake homes tripled in value over that same time frame.

It’s the laws and the area, everyone I’ve spoken to says Wisconsin is where to be. I’ve worked 12-14 hour shifts for 17 years. I’ll be okay, tired but okay lol.

July 20, 2025, 11:29 PM

SpinZone

Trapper,
I chose to live at the base but many of my partners in crime chose to live in WI. I spent a lot of my free time in WI, it is very close and we would run up there for diner.
It comes down to a personal choice that Ottosig and I discussed via email. There isn’t a right or wrong answer, just what works for you.
The difference between living at the base and in WI is 30 to 45 minutes at most. How much of a commute do most people have?

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July 21, 2025, 04:55 AM

trapper189

That’s not bad. I thought they were further apart, but only I lived in Waukegan for couple of months before moving to Florida a longtime ago.

My 50 minute commute to/from UW-Whitewater was an easy drive except when it snowed. I took 12 credits each summer for two summers and rented an apartment off campus. The rent for the summer was cheaper than gas for my Honda CRX plus the time saved.

The hour plus bumper to bumper traffic between downtown Chicago and the suburbs sucked all of the time.

I switched jobs after a year of that and worked downtown. My boat was a 15 minute walk/water taxi ride from the office. Home was an hour walk along Lake Michigan from the office or a 20 minute ride on the 151/Sheridan bus. My second year in Chicago was much better.

There’s not a right or wrong, but I like closer and that was before I had any family considerations.

July 22, 2025, 09:49 AM

reflex/deflex 64

quote:
Originally posted by OttoSig:
quote:
Originally posted by SigSAC:
How will lake-effect weather affect the commute to work during the winter?

I talked to several people who work up there, they said many folks live and commute from Kenosha, even as far as Milwaukee. I’ll definitely need a new set of tires before winter but I gotta assume if many folks do it then I should be fine. Any steep hills should be doable in 4H.

If you are unfamiliar with winter driving please consider winter tires, hell even if you are, they are far superior in every way. Stopping and turning are under rated by many drivers, till they can’t.

July 22, 2025, 01:47 PM

ZSMICHAEL

Snow tires are over rated. Go to an empty parking lot covered with snow and ice and floor it. You will soon know how to steer into a skid and drive safely. In my many years of living in the Great White North I never ran snow tires. Besides you have to change them out when spring comes. Todays all weather tires are just fine.

July 22, 2025, 05:26 PM

OttoSig

Yeah, 3-peak AT tires will be just fine.

I’m moving forward with the house, after talking to the inspector and some contractors in the area, I’ll be able to make most of the repairs myself. And what I can’t do isn’t enough to pass on the house. The sagging beam price is gonna come out of the asking price and I’ll is tall a footer in the basement, raise the beam, and install a support column, shouldn’t cost more than 3-500$. The rest of the credit on the asking price I’ll use to make some minor repairs.