thanks.

Getting closer:

Wait a minute…?

Holy ****! Look at that!

BY Michael CannellTue Mar 10, 2009 at 5:19 PM

Does the downturn spell the beginning of the end for suburbia? Some experts say yesterday’s cul-de-sac is tomorrow’s ghost town.

The downturn has accomplished what a generation of designers and planners could not: it has turned back the tide of suburban sprawl. In the wake of the foreclosure crisis many new subdivisions are left half built and more established suburbs face abandonment. Cul-de-sac neighborhoods once filled with the sound of backyard barbecues and playing children are falling silent. Communities like Elk Grove, Calif., and Windy Ridge, N.C., are slowly turning into ghost towns with overgrown lawns, vacant strip malls and squatters camping in empty homes. In Cleveland alone, one of every 13 houses is now vacant, according to an article published Sunday in The New York Times magazine.

The demand for suburban homes may never recover, given the long-term prospects of energy costs for commuting and heating, and the prohibitive inefficiencies of low-density construction. The whole suburban idea was founded on disposable spending and the promise of cheap gas. Without them, it may wither. A study by the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech predicts that by 2025 there will be as many as 22 million unwanted large-lot homes in suburban areas.

The suburb has been a costly experiment. Thirty-five percent of the nation’s wealth has been invested in building a drivable suburban landscape, according to Christopher Leinberger, an urban planning professor at the University of Michigan and visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. James Howard Kunstler, author of “The Geography of Nowhere,” has been saying for years that we can no longer afford suburbs. “If Americans think they’ve been grifted by Goldman Sachs and Bernie Madoff, wait until they find out what a swindle the so-called ‘American Dream’ of suburban life turns out to be,” he wrote on his blog this week.

So what’s to become of all those leafy subdivisions with their Palladian detailing and tasteful signage? Already low or middle-income families priced out of cities and better neighborhoods are moving into McMansions divided for multi-family use. Alison Arieff, who blogs for The New York Times, visited one such tract mansion that was split into four units, or “quartets,” each with its own entrance, which is not unlike what happened to many stately homes in the 1930s. The difference, of course, is that the 1930s homes held up because they were made with solid materials, and today’s spec homes are all hollow doors, plastic columns and faux stone facades.

There is also speculation that subdivision homes could be dismantled and sold for scrap now that a mini-industry for repurposed lumber and other materials has evolved over the last few years. Around the periphery of these discussions is the specter of the suburb as a ghost town patrolled by squatters and looters, as if Mad Max had come to the cul-de-sac.

If the suburb is a big loser in mortgage crisis episode, then who is the winner? Not surprisingly, the New Urbanists, a group of planners, developers and architects devoted to building walkable towns based on traditional designs, have interpreted the downturn as vindication of their plans for mixed-use communities where people can stroll from their homes to schools and restaurants.

Richard Florida, a Toronto business professor and author of “Who’s Your City?: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life,” argues that dense and diverse cities with “accelerated rates of urban metabolism” are the communities most likely to innovate their way through economic crisis. In an article published in this month’s issue of The Atlantic, he posits that New York is at a relative advantage, despite losing a chunk of its financial engine, because the jostling proximity of architects, fashion designers, software writers and other creative types will reenergize its economy.

The 22 colors are really only variations of three, but I choose the one that I can almost like, figuring what have I got to lose. I mean the countertops were butcher block replica formica from god knows what era AND worn away in many areas. Big draw back is that it takes three days to dry. Well, hubby was out of town for the weekend, so I went for it. Friday night I cleared and cleaned the counters and did a little test in an inconspicous area. Surprised by the fact that it didn’t look heinous and feeling encouraged, I taped everything up and painted the counters.

I have to say that I am truly amazed by what a difference this stuff made. It looks like brand new formica up close and from a distance, some kind of stone. It was really easy and only $22. It turned out so well that I was inspired the paint the kitchen and ceiling, declutter and re do what is on the counter and where it sits. Dry time was actually only 24 hrs or less. I’m giving it 4.5 stars. Would give it 5 if there were more color choices. It’s a nice interim fix .

Many research shown vinyl windows will last about 20 years. Others begin to experience problems in 10 years.

Vinyl window from the experts

From my own experience 3 vinyl windows failed in 4 years.

1. Condensation trapped between dual glazed glass.
2. Lower leaf did not stay up (defective springs)
3. Bottom track warped inward prevented leaf from sliding in. I could not lock the window as a result because the latch were offset. I used an old trick with a stick to lock the window.

When I sold my home I applied heat to the vinyl to fool the home inspector. Once the window is opened the leaf would not slide back in. The inspector never got to the defective window because I placed bulky awkward drapery and lampshade in front of it.

My question is, now that we’re preparing our home to rent it out, should I just leave the plumbing as is? Or should I have a valve put back in so that tenants would have an easier time managing water shut off?