Pix2Brix

Construction & Weather

Alison Moore Smith — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:35:35 +0000

When we finally closed the construction loan last November, I was sure we had missed the good-weather window and would be sitting around in our rental house watching the snow fall for a number of months.

To my surprise, even the famous Utah snow doesn’t completely stop the building process. In fact, to this point the construction delays have been almost entirely due to material/labor issues — which occurred during an almost entirely dry month, of course — and only a few days have been because of bad weather.

With careful planning and judicious use of blankets, tarps, and heaters, construction has only been stopped during actual storms, which aren’t that frequent.

The weather forecast said it was going to snow again today. So far, it’s been sunny with only a few clouds and no water from the sky. Cross your fingers. The more sun we have the faster we can get this house finished.Similar Posts:

Floor Trusses Installed

Alison Moore Smith — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:39:58 +0000

There’s nothing better than driving up to the building site to see a raft of cars and a buzz of activity. Today the crew started installing the main floor trusses. We’re going to be pouring cement for the main floor surface, so these trusses are substantial.

Belinda and I went to the house for a while to watch them lift the large beams across the wall expanses and attach into the brackets on the outer walls. The rooms are clearly identifiable within the confined spaces now. We’re having great fun walking around, imagining the furniture and where we will be living and playing.

It was supposed to snow tomorrow. Ugh. Hoping they can get the house ready for the next cement pour — before the next precipitation downpour.Similar Posts:

Don’t Get Cheated on Your Next Auto Repair

Alison Moore Smith — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:41:16 +0000

Auto repair is a sticky business. Most of us don’t know what we’re looking for and can get easily scammed. Haven’t we all seen the undercover recordings of unseemly auto repairmen cutting wires and breaking parts — just so they can fix them later?

With all the auto recalls and problems lately, thousands of people are looking for a reputable company. Where do you turn? If, for example, you want to get your Toyota Corolla serviced, where can you get reliable service and an honest assessment and price?

When looking for an honest auto repair shop with whom to do business, the best advice is to get references from people you trust. Positive word-of-mouth is the best indicator of quality service.

If you’re looking for a simple repair, like a water pump replacement, ask your your friends and work associates if they’ve had similar work and whether or not they were pleased with the service.

Even negative reviews are worthwhile. At least you’ll know which shops to avoid!

Don’t forget to look online for local shops to compare. You could search for “Chicago auto repair” — if you live in that area — and get an instant list of places to check out. Consider independent review sites that allow locals to review and vote on their favorite (and least favorite!) businesses.

Getting an auto repair doesn’t have to be a headache — and it doesn’t have to break the bank — even if you don’t know your way under the hood. Just get lots of feedback from how others have been treated and you’ll be on your way to getting a thorough and cost-effective repair.Similar Posts:

Interior Basement Walls Framed

Alison Moore Smith — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:29:31 +0000

Yesterday the crew was out in force (love to see that!) framing up the interior walls in the basement. Seeing each room take shape makes it easier to visualize how everything fits in — and the kids can walk around in their own rooms for the first time.

The walkout basement will include a large theater/recreation/exercise room with kitchenette, guest bath, dream laundry room, playroon, utility room, mudroom, large storage room, and four bedrooms complete with two jack-and-jill bathrooms.

This view shows the back side of the house. Two bedrooms and the bath between them are in view, with windows to the back yard.Similar Posts:

Second Cement Pour in Walls

Alison Moore Smith — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:48:18 +0000

The aerated concrete panels we are using to build our home are not a common system, so few crews are familiar with the materials and method. Aaron Eames, the manufacturer has spend the past month working on the first two levels and training Brad and his crew in the techniques invovled.

With the training completed, today Brad’s crew stepped in take over the project.

With the walls twice as high as the first cement pour, the crew poured cement into the second series of lightweight concrete panels. The work seemed to go smoothly and efficiently. No known blow-outs!

Eames will need to come back to rasp the blocks and get them ready for exterior finishing. But his part of the construction is mostly complete.

We’re hopeful that with the permanent crew in place, the construction progress will speed up.

The next step will be framing the interior walls in the basement, followed by the pouring of the main floor. I can’t wait to get that next step underway.

Similar Posts:

2010 Housing Stimulus Tax Credits

Alison Moore Smith — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:24:11 +0000

You’ve probably heard about some of the Housing Stimulus that has been created in recent months. The proper role of government in such efforts is worthy of discussion. But in this post I’d like to outline the specifics of the tax credits so you can figure out if they apply to you.

First-Time Homebuyers

What is a “first time homebuyer”? According to the government, it’s not necessarily someone who has never purchased a home. In government-speak (in this case, as least) it’s someone who hasn’t owned a home for three years. (We sold our old home in January of 2007 and closed on the new one in November 2009. Missed that window.)

To qualify your home must cost $800,000 or less and have a binding contract by April 30, 2010. You can’t make more than $125,000 if you’re single or $225,000 if you’re married.

Bottom line: $8,000 credit.

Current Qualifying Homebuyers

What is a “current qualifying home buyer”? According to the government, it’s someone who is or has moved out of a house that they owned consecutively for five of the past eight years. (We moved in our last home in July of 2003 and sold it in January of 2007. Missed that window.)

To qualify your home must cost $800,000 or less and have a binding contract by April 30, 2010. You can’t make more than $125,000 if you’re single or $225,000 if you’re married.

Bottom line: $6,500 credit.

Do You Qualify?

The basics are pretty simple although — as with all bureaucratic issues — there is fine print to read. If you think these might apply to you, check with your mortgage broker and your accountant.Similar Posts:

The Perfect Television Service

Alison Moore Smith — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:27:43 +0000

Disclaimer: there is no such thing. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let me share my satellite/cable experience of the past few years.

The major contenders in my area are DIRECT TV and Dish Network (both satellite providers), Utopia (fiber optic broadband), Qwest (DSL), and Comcast (cable).

The choices can be overwhelming and confusing. My husband has a PhD in electrical engineering, so what’s Greek to me is simple English to him. But without being a techno-geek, you may not understand the distinctions at all. In my opinion, for most of us it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we consider the features that are important to us and the associated costs in getting those features. Here’s my non-technical take on the services listed above.

DSL and Cable

We have not used either Qwest or Comcast, so I cannot assess their performance.

Satellite

Dish Network Satellite

For a number of years in Florida we used Dish Network as our satellite provider. It was our first experience with satellite and when we moved to Utah in 2001 we kept Dish. We were very happy with the cost and the options. Most importantly, we really like the service. The programs were clear and sharp. Changing channels was quick and seamless. The DVR worked well and was fairly intuitive.

The one drawback? Dish Network doesn’t carry the MountainWest Sports Network (The Mountain”). Now, we’re not huge sports fans, so normally this wouldn’t be a big deal. But our alma mater, BYU, happens to have signed an exclusive contract with The Mountain to broadcast all non-network games. And missing a single BYU football game is like having your liver cut out with no anesthesia. And that’s a serious drawback.

Direct TV Satellite

When we moved Eagle Mountain to the American Fork rental home, we choose Direct TV satellite. They cost a bit more, changing channels is a dizzying experience with mixed feeds of multiple channels for a number of seconds, and the DVR system took some getting used to. Direct TV carries the The Mountain. And that was their trump card.

Fiber Optic Broadband

Currently in our rental house we use Utopia, provided by PrimeTime Communications. We get a package deal with television, internet, and voice over IP. The internet part is great and fast. The VoIP is moderately good. The television is probably the worst we’ve had in the past two decades. And since we’re talking TV, here are the details:

Glitchy broadcast of shows with blips and burps and stutters throughout the show
Very basic remote functions, not elegantly implemented.
Cumbersome DVR interface, that makes it a major headache, for example, to delete the 4,324 episodes of Dora the Explorer that you six-year-old recorded.
Offers The Mountain
Good price on package deal

The Verdict

We are still looking at options. If we were just considering features, I’d still go with DIRECTTV. If Dish finally, ever took the plunge and contracted with The Mountain, I’d go with them in a heartbeat. But Utopia hangs on in contention due to both offering The Mountain and having a really good price.

We’re watching what these companies do in the next few months before deciding what service to use in the new house.

What are your experiences, both good and bad, with television service companies?Similar Posts:

Best Toys Roundup

Alison Moore Smith — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:04:03 +0000

Over the past many months I’ve share with you our all-time favorite toys. These aren’t sales pitches, they are (as always) my absolutely from-the-heart, honest opinions after 22+ years of mothering and 22+ years of buying toys — some that were hits and some that were a waste of money and space! Here’s a consolidated list of our favorite toys.

As I write this, two of my kids are upstairs playing with the train and action figures I wrote about. And that is pretty much the status in our home whenever the kids are awake. Just add to the list below a box of old dress-ups and playhouse stuff, a handful of toy weapons (I can hear the light sabers going, too), and a good dose of imagination, and you’ve got an amazing playroom setup.

Here is a one-stop post for the best toys for endless hours of fun and creativity and the biggest bang for your toy buck.

Let us know what other toy categories you like most and why!Similar Posts:

Best Toys: 60 Educational Family Games

Alison Moore Smith — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:38:04 +0000

We love board and card games. Unlike most video games, they provide a great venue to interact with your children (and other adults) and many of them are truly educational. They may teach vocabulary, math, geography, music, and lots of critical thinking.

We have scheduled a couple of hours every week specifically for game playing. The kid really look forward to it (and so do I).

Below are some of our favorite educational games as well as those contributed by attendees of my speaking engagements. My personal top 10 favorites as of today (very hard to choose) are bolded (and are subject to change next week).

Please add your own favorite games in the comments. You can never have too many games!

Best Educational Family Games

More Educational Family Games

Additional recommendations from reader comments.

Play a game with your family tonight!Similar Posts:

First Cement Pour In Walls

Alison Moore Smith — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:14:25 +0000

With the walls five block high, yesterday the crew poured cement into the hollow spaces in the aerated concrete panels. The result will be cement pillars surrounded by fibrous, insulated forms.

Eames went home for Valentine’s Day weekend. He intended to stay until Wednesday. Brad prompted him to come back Monday to use the crew that’s in place to get this house built.Similar Posts: