Quick question mold

[help4MH]

Thanks Greg. Any input really helps.
Barbara

[Yanita]

HI Barbara,

Sounds like you might be getting yourself worked up again. Some of these questions have already been answered.

There is no way anyone on site can say yes you do have a leak or no you don't. This is something that would have to looked for by a repair person, either a plumber or a handyman. As I said before, making an access panel is not hard, but will require billable time.

In one of your post you mentioned that once the water is turned off the meter stops running, if you have used hot water the tank will need to refill and may make the dripping noise that you here.

Whether it be Berber carpet or any brand, if you have had a leak for 2 years, small or otherwise you would know it. Sometimes I suppose you can just look under the home to see if there is a leak. If the leak is bad enough it will cause a bulge in the underbelly area that is retaining the water.

Slicing the belly to check for a water leak does not end with that slice. Insulation will have to removed to follow the lines and then the re installation of insulation and then the repair of the belly. Everything comes with a price. Again, I ask you to wait until your manual gets to you and then you will have a better understanding of how your home is assembled and how it will need to be repaired.

State assistance, personally I am not familiar with those agencies. Maybe begin with your local Social Services Office. Sorry I can not offer much help in this area.

LOL, no, you can not expect any service person to do a service without payment. Once you open the underbelly material it is always advisable to repair immediately. Yes, bugs, critters and moisture will have access to your home without that barrier in place.

Again, you will be better off to calm down, wait for the manual, read it and understand it, then and only then call a repair person. When you get one you should be able to clearly identify all of what you want done, but I caution about expecting them to do more than what you can afford to pay. Each time you talk to a service person and you add another thing to the list, it will cost you money!

Take a deep breath and relax, all these issues have been going on for 2 to 10 years. As we said before, your home is not going to collapse, but you may if you do not calm down.

Take care of yourself!

Yanita

[JD]

Hi Barbara,

You could look at the document at the link below. I am not sure who you would call exactly, but for most cities it is the Community Development Agency. From what I can see, most of Scotts Valley's available resources are used in business development. But the document below contains this text

Quoted text-----
Silent Second Mortgage Program/First Time Homebuyers The City implemented a “silent second mortgage” program for first-time home buyers (see text box on previous page for definition) in November, 1997. Qualified buyers may receive a second mortgage of up to $60,000 for the purchase of a conventional home and up to $30,000 for buying a mobile home located within the City limits. The second mortgage is called “silent” because no payments are made on it until the house is resold or refinanced.
State Law limits the amount a family can pay for housing, utilities, taxes and insurance at up to 40% of annual income. A loan to value ratio of 95%/5% is required. Therefore to use this program, applicants must provide a minimum 5% down payment. Of the required down payment, a maximum of 2% of the housing unit sales price may be gifted funds (example: if the sales price is $400,000, the minimum down payment would be $20,000; of this amount a maximum of $8,000 could be gifted funds). The Agency also shares in the equity value of the home at the time it is sold, in lieu of charging interest on the silent second loan.-----Quoted text

You could start by asking questions at the number at the top of the document and refer them to the document.

Hope this helps

JD

[help4MH]

Yanita,
I LOVE your quote at the end of your posts. It's sooo true. Thank you for the advice, and I'm going to heed it.

Working w/ people, life and death issues, as a RN , I have no problems. I excel in that field. This, I'm out of my leaque...
Thank you all.
Barbara

[Yanita]

LOL,

Grab a bat, get on the plate and start playing ball. Where you are going to have a hard time getting a contractor, handyman or any repair person, is when you start panicking.

Now, please, I am sorry if this is blunt and have no intentions to hurt your feelings, but I have told you before, when you show that you are anxious and speak of poor health, can't lose your home, can't work, and want extra things done for little or no money this alone will be enough to send a contractor, handyman or repair person away from you, and not returning your calls.

Make a list of what you want/need done to your home. Go through slowly with whomever is going to do the work. That is the list you must adhere to, and not expect anything more. Again, wait for the manual, read it, read again, and then ask what you do not understand. This manual is very simple and basically for all make, models and years of homes. It will show you how your home is constructed, names of pieces, and how the proper repairs should be done, that alone will give you an advantage to make sure your home is being serviced properly.

Good luck,

Yanita

Oh yeah, I got a alot of little signatures, thought I would change from my original one. Thanks.

[JD]

Barbara,

I hope you can use Yanita's advice. The very next thing that needs to happen is a hands-on inspection. A qualified contractor can tell you what will correct the symptoms your home is showing. It is possible that the source of the problem is undetectable, at least to the person looking. Every person has their limits. But they should be able to tell you if your home is in any immediate danger of suffering serious damage.

The main thing is to not stress or become anxious. The first thing that needs to happen is the inspection. Until then, nothing else matters. No opinions from this site and no amount of worry will change your home's condition. Once you know what needs to be done, then the next step is to correct the problem.

If your floors are not wavy, bumpy or soft and you see no signs of moisture at the bottom of the wall, then you are probably not in an emergency situation. The slight bulge you see and the wall stud that is not lined up, are already that way and could be fixed or left to be repaired at a more convenient time.

I hope this helps,

JD

[help4MH]

Hi,
Just wanted to thank you for all your input. I don't mind constructive advice. It's true. So thank you. The "Contractor" did not show up today. I called him , no answer. I will wait 'till Tuesday. Thanks for the book, I really appreciate it. That was nice.
Will keep you informed.
Barbara

[Yanita]

Hey Barbara,

Well you have a long weekend to view the manual with. Not sure how active the site will be during a long holiday, but certainly check in, ask your questions and sooner or latter someone will get back with you.

Please keep us informed of your situation, educate yourself on your home and the rest of it will come easy.

Sorry that the contractor did not show up, kind of sounds like what happens on the East coast as well. MH repair persons/handyman/contractors are a breed amongst themselves. They are in demand, and seldom are there many that are not busy.

This thread is getting real long, so at this time I am going to lock it, please start a new thread when you have more questions.

Take care,

Yanita