Now I'm Upset

[Wolf mom]

This hits home to everyone here that owns a home, and I'm reeling from the consequences!

One of the items in the 300 page, 3 AM drop-in addition to the "climate"/"cap & trade" bill that is now going before the Senate states that before you can sell your home, a government official" will be entering your home to inspect that it is "energy efficient". If it is not up to the to be announced new country wide code, you will have to bring it up to code - or you can't sell it!

Part of the "energy effeciency" will be based on - you guessed it - California's building code!

So you say: I'll be able to weasel around this...but wait, if the buyer needs financing - and the government has it's finger in most banks including Fannie & Freddie - how will I do this?? Oh, I have to report my sale to the IRS....Golly gee. What now?

How many bought fixer-upper's as that's what they could afford? How many have most of their monies tied up in their homes? What about modular & double-wides? A lot of older folks think their home is their bank to be sold to finance a nursing home stay. Anyone here got a family member like that? Who is thinking about selling, but has no money to retrofit?

Ya know, if this bill passes the senate - we're all (except those working for big bucks & can retrofit before they sell) are sunk. And lots more houses will be bank owned.

Please somebody tell me the above isn't true......

I talk to a lot of elderly & the general consensus is that if things keep going as it is, they'll outlive their money.

[farmmom]

I live in an older home - built in 1954. It would really be difficult to bring it up to strict codes!! Of course, I'm not planning on selling, but that's not something I can guarantee!

[AngieM2]

My parents have a mobile home on a solid base, it's not going anywhere.

The buyers just got told today that the bank will not loan on it as it manufactured not modular...

I think who ever thought this up needs to ahve a better thought. We don't want to be California.

[Bonnie L]

That is NOT going to be pretty in the years to come. That's what dh & I figured - we'd live here until we couldn't. As it is an older log cabin that has been modernized bit by bit, there is no way it's up to anybody's code.

Guess we'll be staying here until we die. No old folk's home for us, even if we need it.

[arabian knight]

Originally Posted by Bonnie L

That is NOT going to be pretty in the years to come. That's what dh & I figured - we'd live here until we couldn't. As it is an older log cabin that has been modernized bit by bit, there is no way it's up to anybody's code.

Guess we'll be staying here until we die. No old folk's home for us, even if we need it.

Agreed and Yes it IS in the bill and was talked about as I watched Cspan the day they were voting on it~! So YES you will have to have the house Inspected and brought up to some EPA Code that is yet to be set, and if it isn't then YOU Must at Your expense bring it "up to code" before you will be able to sell it~!.
Which maybe a CA. standard of energy savings plan, where they in CA can also monitor and CHANCE your Thermostat at will, if not kept within limits~!

[Shygal]

Originally Posted by AngieM2

My parents have a mobile home on a solid base, it's not going anywhere.

The buyers just got told today that the bank will not loan on it as it manufactured not modular...

I think who ever thought this up needs to ahve a better thought. We don't want to be California.

That has nothing to do with this bill. That has been the case for a long time now, banks will not do mortgages on mobile homes if they are a certain age, not on a permanent foundation, etc, there are all kinds of rules for it and that has been so for a long time.

Its VERY difficult to get a mortgage for a mobile home.

[AngieM2]

But it is on a permanant bricked foundation.

But, it may or may not have to do with this bill.

[Tallgirl98]

Wow! And as of right now, I'm in the process of buying a farm house built in 1881! It should be up to the person buying the home wether or not they want to spend extra money on heating and cooling, not "Big Brother"! sheesh!

[Wendy]

Gee, we're updating ours, but we aren't putting in AC. I wonder if we would be penalized for that??

[Windy in Kansas]

This comes as a surprise? With the powers that be coming out that they will be bulldozing cities where is the surprise that they will go after individual residences.

Perhaps some reverse mortgages are in order and let the government have them that way--, i.e. not your problem.

We either have to make sure the Senate blocks this or in my case sell rapidly.

I can understand forcing new construction to be at a certain level of energy efficiency, but not mandatory retrofits.

Meanwhile back at the ranch house we are going to go after light bulbs and make them energy efficient. Duh, why not just turn some off? Kind of like those lighting up Vegas, rural intersections, etc. I've said all along there is no energy crisis if the lights are still on in Vegas.

[Shygal]

Originally Posted by AngieM2

But it is on a permanant bricked foundation.

But, it may or may not have to do with this bill.

That doesnt matter, banks will rarely lend on a mobile home without all kinds of stipulations, if they even will, and they will not, period, if its a certain age. You have more luck if its a double wide, but if its single wide you pretty much ahve to pay cash. This has been in place for over 20 years at least

Most people have to go through a mortgage company that specializes in mobile homes.

[lonelytree]

Buying a mobile home is financial suicide. Light it off.

The "powers that be" have no understanding of what they are doing. Shutting down the housing industry because people cannot afford to sell their homes is not a good idea. If you lost 25% of your homes value in the last year and it needs $50K to bring it up to code, you might as well throw the keys over your shoulder.

[Wisconsin Ann]

I've been trying to figure out why they're using California codes on things, California thinking, California whatever...when California is bankrupt. OOPS! Let's see...we'll follow all the things that California does for it's policies and decisions on energy because it obviously hasn't caused any hardship there.....

I'm just hoping someone in the Senate stands up and defeats the thing. send it back to the House and say "nope. sorry. WE had time to read this and it ain't goin' NOwhere"...until it gets some more thought.

Some of it seems to be well thought out, but man...they just try to cram so MUCH into one bill. Stop working on EVERYTHING at once, and break it down into smaller, manageable pieces, fer cryin' out loud.

[Yvonne's hubby]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin Ann

I've been trying to figure out why they're using California codes on things, California thinking, California whatever...when California is bankrupt. OOPS! Let's see...we'll follow all the things that California does for it's policies and decisions on energy because it obviously hasn't caused any hardship there.....

I'm just hoping someone in the Senate stands up and defeats the thing. send it back to the House and say "nope. sorry. WE had time to read this and it ain't goin' NOwhere"...until it gets some more thought.

Some of it seems to be well thought out, but man...they just try to cram so MUCH into one bill. Stop working on EVERYTHING at once, and break it down into smaller, manageable pieces, fer cryin' out loud.

We use California codes because their weather and energy patterns are so much like those in every other state. Since its hot there in the summer, they are just like florida, and since it never rains there, they are just like Arizona, and since many of the people there make no sense whatsoever, they are just like DC............

Maybe, just maybe each state should decide these kind of issues for themselves, and let the federal government work on things like providing national defense and running the post office.

Theres a TEA party coming near you this weekend, make plans to attend if you wish to have your voice heard, and your ideas seriously entertained.

[AngieM2]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin Ann

I've been trying to figure out why they're using California codes on things, California thinking, California whatever...when California is bankrupt. OOPS! Let's see...we'll follow all the things that California does for it's policies and decisions on energy because it obviously hasn't caused any hardship there.....

I'm just hoping someone in the Senate stands up and defeats the thing. send it back to the House and say "nope. sorry. WE had time to read this and it ain't goin' NOwhere"...until it gets some more thought.

Some of it seems to be well thought out, but man...they just try to cram so MUCH into one bill. Stop working on EVERYTHING at once, and break it down into smaller, manageable pieces, fer cryin' out loud.

Ann, I totally agree with you. I think I might even like and agree with some of the bills being rammed through IF they were not being rammed through and the elected representatives had time to read, digest and consider BEFORE voting for or against it.

[uyk7]

Guess we could always sell the land with buildings on it, not a house.


.

[Lazy J]

We all need to contact our senators to push them to vote NO on the Senate version of this bill. It is another way for the Elite, know it all, I am better than yous on Capital Hill to further push our country into the abyss.

[Jennifer L.]

I don't see that it's a big problem: If you have to spend 10K getting your house fixed up, it simply goes on the market for 10K more. That's the way everything works.

Jennifer

[Cindy in NY]

Originally Posted by Lazy J

We all need to contact our senators to push them to vote NO on the Senate version of this bill. It is another way for the Elite, know it all, I am better than yous on Capital Hill to further push our country into the abyss.

I have been trying to get through to the email addresses for our two senators or to the main senate website and nothing is working. Do you think these sites have all crashed due to folks emailing them to stop this nonsense?

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by Jennifer L.

I don't see that it's a big problem: If you have to spend 10K getting your house fixed up, it simply goes on the market for 10K more. That's the way everything works.

Jennifer

It's a HUGE problem for people in low income areas with older homes. People don't HAVE 10K, and if they did, their home isn't going to sell for 10K more.

And what about little old widow women who have to get a reverse mortgage because of their medical bills? Under this bill, they won't be able to do that.

This will hurt banks, too. They will get stuck with a lot of homes that will cost more to get them up to code than they are worth.