About Dallas' Lake Highlands

I’m on a tear and I admit it!

I’m tired of people allowing major repairs and renovations to their homes without a city or county building permit.

A few months ago, I realized that a 1,500 or so square foot addition was being built on the back side of a nice home in my neighborhood. It was hardly visible from the street.

There was no one living there. It had been bought as a short sale by a professional “flipper.”

One evening after the workers had left, I looked to see how the construction was coming. I saw major code violations, and that’s when I realized that there was no building permit posted.

Being the busy body that I am, I called the city building department. The fellow looked the address up, and said, “They have a permit for the dumpster that’s in the street. I don’t see any need to check for a building permit.”

So that meant that all of the work -- ESPECIALLY the framing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC -- was probably being done by handymen and workers without required licensing.

Recently, I have watched a number of roofs in our area as they are being replaced because of major hail damage. Out of all of them, I’ve only seen one building permit posted.

Roofing is tricky business. If you don’t do it right, the chance of failure and extensive damage from the weather is extraordinary.

One roofer was installing a new deck over the rafters. He and his crew were nailing the deck upside down!

Others were not correctly felting the valleys. Almost all were shorting the number/type of nails the manufacturer requires for each shingle. Others were not overlapping shingles correctly.

One time, about eight years ago, when Patty and I were looking at houses to pick our new Dallas residence, we saw a garage conversion that had electrical outlets totally wired with lamp cord! We wouldn’t have bought the home anyway, but if memory serves me, the asking price was more than $300,000!

A house ready, willing and able to have a major fire, and on top of that, the outlets were not grounded.

So what liability transfers to real estate agents and brokers who knowingly handle the marketing of such properties?

BILL CHERRY, REAL ESTATE BROKER

Dallas – Park Cities
Since 1964

214 503-8563

ZATO - THAI CUISINE & SUSI BAR

9090 Skillman, Suite 190 A (Audelia at Skillman)
214 341-5321

To the left side of Tom Thumb Grocery

Hours: Lunch 11 to 2:30
Dinner 5 to 9:30
Saturday and Sunday Noon to 9

Patty and I recently discovered a new Thai restaurant that has opened in Lake Highlands in a shopping center that residents are familiar with -- Zato is just to the side of the big Tom Thumb Grocery Store

Small and intimate, but modern and pristine, the waitstaff and the chef are very talented and attentive.

I have ordered the same thing every time we've been there. It's called Pad Num Prig Paow. It can be ordered with either beef or chicken. I've always selected chicken. The meat is stir fried with baby corn, sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, jalapeno, sweet onion and fresh basil in Thai chili paste.

The price is $9.95 at dinner and $7.95 at lunch.

Try Zato and let me know what you think!

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

Dallas - Lake Highlands

Since 1964

214 503-8563

2nd Saturday White Rock Market - Dallas Texas

SATURDAY, JULY 9TH

10AM TO NOON

Our own Kelye Robertson will be performing with her band, Whisky Bent Saturday, July 9th from 10AM to noon in front of the Elle office during the 2nd Saturday White Rock Market. Please, join us!

Yesterday I wrote a blog...it was a challange to you professionals. The information is below. Here's the house.

What Would You Adivse the Owner to Do?

I've been thinking about doing this for a long time. Now I'm threatening to do it. In fact, I'm making up my mind right now. I'm going to do it.

And it'll involve you!

You see, almost always I take the same route from Patty's and my house to the grocery store. And for almost the entire way, there are homes, one after another, down the streets.

Nice homes.

Probably worth between $185,000 and $350,000. All are brick, the yards are well maintained, and I've never seen the hated tell-tale sign of a lousy neighborhood --- a car or truck on blocks in the yard or on the driveway.

There is a house on one corner that has been actively For Sale for nearly two years. The listing has rolled from one agent to another, all with well-known franchise offices....your Re/Max, your Century 21, your Ebby Halliday.

No one has been able to sell it. In between agencies, the owner has put his own sign in the yard. But within a couple of weeks, his sign has gone down, replaced by a Realtor's. And unless I've missed something, the appearance of the home has never changed.

Here are the basic facts: The subject house was originally listed for about $220,000 and the last reduction was to about $180,000. That equates to $100/sq ft. The interior was totally remodeled including new central air unit, etc.

I believe I know why this house hasn't sold, and it isn't price. And I believe it can be corrected.

I'm asking you to give your professional opinon. What do you think needs to be done by the owner for the house to sell? I think this will be a fun exercise.

And so you'll know, I don't have any intention of soliciting the listing because it is not in an area or price range that I specialize in. And I won't tell you the address or anything other than what is postged here.

This is going to be just for funzees.

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - THE PARK CITIES

Since 1964

214 503-8563

Took our Sears canister vacuum cleaner to the repair shop near our house. The off-and-on-speed switch in the handle was bad.

The owner told me that it wasn't like my mother's old Hoover. "Vacuum cleaners today are made in Korea and China and other far off places," he said. "They aren't made to last more than a couple of years. In fact after a couple of years, we can't even get parts for them."

I said, "Well, what's wrong with wiring around the switch so that the thing is always on, and then putting a switch on the cord to turn it on and off?"

"Won't work," he said. "There are a couple of computer chips in the tube and several sets of wires that go from the tube to the motor."

I'm looking at his demonstration, and I see only two terminals on the base of the tube, and I surmise that they are the wires that control the "hot" side. And I also surmise that contrary to what the guy is trying to tell me, there are no computer chips and no extra sets of wires in the tube.

I surmise that the switch is a rheostat that controls the speed of the motor as well as turns it off and on, and it is attached to the two wires that are attached to the two terminals at the base of the tube.

I don't say anything.

"Either use it like it is, or go buy another canister vacuum from Wal-Mart, Sears or Target," he instructs.

"Thanks," I said. I took the machine home, removed the cover from the switch, cut the two wires apart and connected them with a wire nut. I put a switch on the cord. The vacuum cleaner works like a charm.

Other than drive time to and fro, and the conversation, it took me less than fifteen minutes to repair the vacuum cleaner, a repair that the pro said wouldn't work.

I wonder how many times that we as Realtors make parallel mistakes with our customers?

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Since 1964

214 503-8563