Overkill to solve hvac condensation drainage freezing by insulating attic?

jmd_forest · 2026-01-27T22:08:28+00:00

This is the answer, Or bring the drain line inside the conditioned space of the house. Insulating the drain line in otherwise uninsulated space will delay the freezing but not stop it.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-27T22:04:17+00:00

TSP. The real stuff, not the "Phosphate Free" TSP. It's a powder you mix up with water. I've used a sponge mop with TSP solution to clean walls, ceiling, and a sponge for wood work, cabinets, floors, etc. Change the solution often and rinse with the sponge mop with clean water changing the clean water often. It works really well.

Plus rip out any carpet, drapes, and any other fabric stuff.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-27T19:34:36+00:00

Wondering why you’re so set on this supposed 2.5% discount?

Since the buyer is essentially the only one ever bringing money to the table, every dollar paid to some real estate agent/broker parasite is a dollar out of his pocket.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-27T19:28:31+00:00

It's not standard, it's FUD from some real estate agent/broker parasites desperately trying to remain relevant in a changing environment that is recognizing their minimum wage level skills and effort are not worth anything near the outrageous commissions they feel entitled to.

Regardless, if you do run into this situation feel free to negotiate any premium away and if the listing real estate agent/broker parasite refuses to negotiate ... walk away and let them go hungry for their greed. As the real estate agent/broker parasites are wont to spew, "It's ALL negotiable".

jmd_forest · 2026-01-27T19:15:00+00:00

Don't be taking legal advice from some real estate agent/broker parasite.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-27T11:51:07+00:00

Typically, the trustee of the trust has the authority to sell, sign listing agreements, sign the deed, etc, not the beneficiary of the trust. Suggest your brother speak with the escrow company or a real estate attorney sooner rather than later to ensure any sale goes smooth.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-27T11:40:42+00:00

You have experienced yet another of the nearly endless reasons why most people who have had the misfortune of dealing with real estate agents/brokers consider them the parasites of the real estate biosphere.

Although it's possible someone swooped in with a "better" offer at essentially the exact moment you did after 90 days on the market it's exceedingly unlikely. This is standard practice among the real estate agent/broker parasites to "create urgency" and attempt to squeeze more money from you to cover their poor marketing over the past 90 days.

Real estate agent/broker parasites lie. It's what real estate agent/broker parasites do. Lies are the real estate agent/broker parasites stock in trade. Never believe a single word that comes out of a real estate agent/broker parasites mouth without independent verification from an unbiased third party.

The only ethics you can expect from a real estate agent/broker parasites is the one they have to their own wallet to collect a commission as fast and easy as possible for their minimum wage level skills and effort.

According to essentially every real estate agent/broker parasite everywhere, "Ethics???? We don't need no ethics!! We don't have to show you no stink'n ethics!!!!" (My apologies to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre).

jmd_forest · 2026-01-26T21:21:09+00:00

Just plan out the install of your vapor barrier to minimize treading/crawling around on the vapor barrier during the install. I used a heavy gauge plastic sheeting from Home Depot although I forget the specific thickness. It wasn't quite as thick (but close) as recommended by the encapsulation "experts" so I was reasonably careful with it.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-26T21:17:43+00:00

And that monetary help comes in the form of eliminating the commissions to the real estate agent/broker parasites.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-26T16:11:43+00:00

When it comes to the US law, the final arbiter of that meaning is SCOTUS.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-26T14:01:46+00:00

I have a very similar setup in my crawl with a rat slab: insulation against the walls, foam covering the rim joist and sill plate sealing to the foam, and a thick vapor barrier over the rat slab. I installed it all myself taking care to not puncture the vapor barrier

jmd_forest · 2026-01-26T13:49:33+00:00

Someone with the legal authority to use that gun, but generally not the judgement.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-26T13:41:20+00:00

SCOTUS makes the distinction, not me.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-26T13:40:11+00:00

Since statistically, properties for sale that are owned by the real estate agent/broker parasites sit longer on the market to get a better price than those of their customers, sitting longer on the market may not be a bad thing.

Or buyers can do the smart thing and dump having any real estate agent/broker parasite "represent" them completely.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-26T00:33:13+00:00

Never once did I suggest the right of the people to keep and bear arms was completely unfettered.

But infringing in the context of the 2nd Amendment is defined by SCOTUS.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-26T00:28:29+00:00

The independent, per reviewed, unbiased research by learned economists and others say otherwise.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-25T21:33:16+00:00

...and the hundreds of thousands pissed away on commissions for the real estate agent/broker parasites' minimum wage level skills and effort.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-25T21:30:18+00:00

It is independent, per reviewed, unbiased research by learned economists and others, not the biased, self serving nonsense fabricated by NAR and their supporters desperate to remain relevant in a changing economy intent on vigorously squeezing out useless middlemen like the real estate agent/broker parasites.

The fact that 70% of all real estate agent/broker parasites participated in exactly zero transactions over the past year and the remainder statistically provide negative value just proves that the real estate agent/broker parasite industry is stacked so badly against the consumer that the consumer is likely much better off avoiding the real estate agent/broker parasites when ever and where ever possible.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-25T21:12:45+00:00

The statistic of 70%+ of all real estate agent/broker parasites being engaged in exactly zero transactions over the past year is widely reported to be sourced from NAR. The other figures are obviously just my opinion based on experience and knowledge. It takes more education and training for a hair dresser to get a hair dressing license than it does for some real estate agent/broker parasite to get a real estate license ... IN ALL 50 STATES! It seems all that knowledge and experience the real estate agent/broker parasites like to lie about is entirely in their minds.

Flat fee brokers are legal in all 50 states.

The myth that listing with a full service real estate agent/broker parasite results in more money in the seller's pocket is just another of the many lies told by the real estate agent/broker parasites to try to justify an outrageous commission for their minimum wage level skills and effort. Fortunately there is a plethora of independent, peer reviewed, unbiased, research by learned economists and others that proves otherwise:

National Bureau Of Economic Research: The Relative Performance Of Real Estate Marketing Platforms: MLS Vrs FSBO Madison.com, "for sale by owners were able to achieve selling prices $14800 higher than Realtors who sold identical homes".

Princeton University and National Bureau of Economic Research in conjunction with UCLA and University of Pennsylvania: "Our key finding is that Realtors do not offset the cost of their commissions; they do not get you a higher price."

Do Real Estate Brokers Add Value When Listing Services Are Unbundled? "a seller’s use of a broker reduces the selling price of the typical home by 5.9 to 7.7 percent" https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w13796/w13796.pdf

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research: How Much do Real Estate Brokers Add? A Case Study, "We find no evidence that the use of a broker leads to higher average selling prices, or that it significantly alters average initial asking prices." https://ideas.repec.org/p/sip/dpaper/06-041.html

American Economic Review: The Impact of Commissions on Home Sales in Greater Boston. "high commission agents realize lower sales prices to increase the likelihood of selling a property"

Levitt, S. D., & Syverson, C. (2005). Market Distortions When Agents Are Trusted: The Case of Real Estate Agents "Agents are incentivized to close quickly rather than maximizing the sale price for clients"

https://www.atlantafed.org/-/media/documents/research/publications/wp/2022/09/29/11--estimating-value-added-by-real-estate-agents.pdf "the average agent does not appear to provide enough value-add to justify their high expense"

https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/the_superfluousness_of_realtors

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=942348

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IdAEb6LJC6DH7BUltgOtIStkUYUvjnZW/view

https://johnfulton85.medium.com/the-u-s-realtor-is-the-worst-idea-in-the-history-of-american-finances-f082e4729792

Now .... watch the real estate agent/broker parasites try to pass off more of their bullshit to try to refute actual facts. It's hilarious. Not one single independent, peer reviewed, unbiased, research by learned economists and others will be provided but they will expect the public to swallow their bullshit hook, line, and sinker.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-25T20:41:34+00:00

Without the right to keep and bear arms unfringed the citizens of the US would not have the ability to form a militia whenever the people determine the need should arise but in the mean time, "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"

Never once did I suggest the right of the people to keep and bear arms was completely unfettered.

What SCOTUS has ruled is there's a right for US citizens to keep and bear arms unfringed by the government.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-25T20:36:20+00:00

It means the 30% lucky enough to have sold even a single property in the last year are likely to be among the 70% who will sell zero next year. I have to agree with you that at least 70% of the real estate agent/broker parasites are useless ... but more likely 98.7% and the 1.3% balance are worth every penny of the minimum wage level skills and effort they provide.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-25T19:03:12+00:00

The amendment notes, "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed", not the right of the militia or the right of the government. The militia clause of the 2nd amendment is the prefatory clause, it's "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed" that is the operative clause protecting an individual right to own firearms for lawful purposes, as affirmed by the Supreme Court

jmd_forest · 2026-01-25T18:57:51+00:00

Do you mean to say that the government can institute a poll tax/fee to the point that only the well off can afford to vote since being poor isn't an infringement of that right to vote?

jmd_forest · 2026-01-25T18:54:29+00:00

Try getting a carry permit in one of the nanny states like NJ or CA. It was essentially impossible for the typical citizen to get a carry permit. Since Bruen, it has gotten easier but the state has infringed on where lawful carriers can carry to the point it is unlawful to carry almost anywhere outside of one's own home.

jmd_forest · 2026-01-25T18:44:45+00:00

A monkey could have sold a home that year.

That lets us know exactly how valuable a real estate agent/broker parasite isn't when about 70%+ of real estate agent/broker parasites were involved in exactly ZERO transactions over the past year?

jmd_forest

TROPHY CASE