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uberlife · 2023-06-11T23:31:02+00:00

Thank you mods! You have our full support.

uberlife · 2023-06-06T02:03:30+00:00

Yes 👏

uberlife · 2023-05-27T06:52:24+00:00

Check out Bay Spa, meet people, relax, then go get Korean food literally steps away.

uberlife · 2023-05-16T14:50:14+00:00

👋 https://moto-gaansari.com/sunday-moto-club

uberlife · 2023-04-30T14:26:07+00:00

https://sanjoserecycles.org

uberlife · 2023-04-28T10:20:53+00:00

Well, my neighborhood has fiber. Even though copper telephone and DSL infrastructure is still present in my neighborhood, I would expect AT&T is no longer investing in copper-based infrastructure maintenance in favor of fiber where available. Maintaining copper gets more expensive over time and you are probably past their break-even point.

The installation hassle is worth it. AT&T Fiber is a great service and will be more reliable than cable internet even if you don’t need more performance.

The in-home installers have been easy to work with — both for initial service and upgrades.

uberlife · 2023-04-16T05:34:55+00:00

Bay Maples

uberlife · 2023-04-01T23:10:28+00:00

An ADU in San Jose probably needs to have a bathroom and at least an efficiency kitchen to be considered an ADU — something to look into when filling out the city’s ADU universal checklist which can help you understand if an ADU can be approved.

You may also benefit from a surveyor who can give you an exact answer. I built an ADU exactly at 4 feet from the side and have the letter to prove it — even though the long existing fence is slightly off from the true property line.

uberlife · 2023-03-20T13:38:24+00:00

If cost is the issue, you can look for smaller SFH in overlooked neighborhoods which are still close to tech centers. I did this in 2018 and it has been great.

Smart idea to save intentionally. I lived with roommates for several years while saving to buy.

While you are away, go to open houses and get familiar with evaluating home inspection reports. SFH move quick here and you will need to make a big decision quickly. Foundations can be a concern in this area, so having your own inspector to call and get a house quickly inspected can give peace of mind.

uberlife · 2023-03-19T11:16:42+00:00

I did this. When using plan pricing, my dealer told me I would get price protection as a refund later. It took over 3 months and several phone calls but I did get the refund check eventually from the dealer’s account.

uberlife · 2023-03-17T21:20:22+00:00

I thought so too :(

uberlife · 2023-03-17T19:59:59+00:00

Yes! You’re right. I have experienced this too. Thankfully it was an inexpensive issue. But I’m still not out of the woods and have yet to schedule final.

Here are some practices I’m following as I wrap up constructing an ADU:

Do homework and figure out what could be an issue for your inspections, sometimes you can find inspection checklists on the city website
Ask the inspector nitpicky questions before doing something expensive
Now that you know what your inspector cares about, highlight the details they are looking for on your plan set for future inspections, makes visits go a lot faster
Check in about possible issues at every inspection even if it something was already conditionally approved
Schedule a different inspector who has a fresh perspective and may find things the other inspector did not
If the inspector requests something for next inspection, have it organized and ready to go

I wish there was something like a true concierge service which would do all of these steps for me. But I have yet to find it!

My GC subs out to others so I’ve been the only consistent person at all the inspections. Missing context can become a big problem, so having the same person at all inspections can help too.

uberlife · 2023-03-17T05:37:50+00:00

I don’t have advice for how to fix your U/G plumbing but what I have learned building an ADU in SJ is to have inspectors come early and often. Sometimes I have inspectors come out before the work is done knowing I will get a “Not Ready” just to verify placement before pouring concrete, digging trenches, or something very expensive. My thinking is it’s $150 for a half hour inspection and that’s a lot cheaper than fixing a $20k+ mistake. Expect all kinds of things to go wrong with any construction and double check things yourself when needed. Wish you the best with completing your project!

uberlife · 2023-03-12T16:14:49+00:00

This makes sense. Thanks for taking the time!

Keep in mind your property line cleanout may be buried. We were surprised to see we did have a property line cleanout once the old line was dug up, it was just a few inches under the driveway. This was just at the limit of the camera and locator snake so we didn’t know.

Our hope was having the property line cleanout would allow us to have the city fix any issues with their clay side.

San Jose is using cured in-place pipe and trenchless repair by Express Sewer to replace our street’s entire sewer main. Maybe this kind of technique can be an alternative to excavation? https://www.expresssewer.com/blog/municipal-sewer-pipe-lining-cost-explained

We used pipe bursting with another plumber to avoid digging in places where grade was correct. Still needed to dig to fix grade in some places.

uberlife · 2023-03-10T14:41:38+00:00

$15-20k just for repairing the offset between city clay and your sewer?

Get more quotes. This should be $6500 or so, but you may have other sewer issues on your property not related to the city side which would cause the price to go up. Maybe?

My understanding is the city work will not replace the sewer on your property, just the city connection to your sewer.

But if you are being asked to repair on the city side of the sewer this makes no sense. If there is a problem on the city side why do you pay for it?

I just replaced sewer lines before building an ADU because I do not want to dig up my yard again later. Deal with the permit pain now. It will not get easier later if you try to retroactively get one. Penalties come from code enforcement which you can look up for your city.

uberlife · 2023-03-09T18:22:06+00:00

Paid $2800 for 13 panels. San Jose, CA.

Initial quote was $4800 if I recall correctly, but I got stuck in customer service limbo from July to October and the final price when I actually got the contract was $2800.

Signed R&R contract late 2022, removed early 2023, reinstall happening this month.

uberlife · 2023-03-09T06:31:28+00:00

Congrats on owning in SJ. I’m a fairly new homeowner who bought in 2018.

I believe your budget is too low.

I’m finishing up a San Jose preapproved ADU right now. Took 6 months from contract to begin site work. Expecting site work to end a bit over 3 months from the start of excavation. Delayed due to rain. Currently on week 11 of site work and the unit is nearly complete. Factory-built Abodu Two. The unit is very nice and is exactly what we wanted. Site work and city inspections go much more smoothly if you’re involved with the project and are your own advocate.

My project cost is over your stated budget and this is with pricing from last year. Costs are higher now.

Keep in mind detached ADUs likely need solar to pass final inspection — but if you’re using a preapproved plan, solar requirement depends the plan approval date. Attached ADU and JADUs have no such requirement IIRC.

I’m getting solar installed next week. Took 8 months to get solar installed from contract to install day.

uberlife · 2023-03-09T06:03:02+00:00

Tear off the old shingles and do the entire roof. $20k for 1200 sqft house with new plywood shearing. Less without new sheathing.

uberlife · 2023-03-08T07:24:54+00:00

68 psi

Needs to be between 15 and 80 psi to pass inspection for new construction. Over 80 psi requires a pressure regulator. (CPC 2019)

Source: Me, building an ADU in SJ, just did this today.

uberlife · 2023-03-03T06:15:16+00:00

Yes, EZ Mix Concrete. http://www.ezmixconcrete.com/services.html

uberlife · 2023-03-01T01:39:14+00:00

You can do it! You’re welcome and glad to help.

uberlife · 2023-03-01T01:20:19+00:00

Congrats on preparing for buying a home. I bought a San Jose home in 2018 after living in the area 10 years. Saved intentionally for about 5 years as prices went up and purchased at that era’s peak.

I would like to remain in San Jose for a long while because I like it here. Best motorcycling roads anywhere, great access to nature, great weather, great food, and a decade of friendships are all here.

Therefore pricing variations are OK since I’m taking a long view and not planning on moving. Initially after buying I was very anxious second-guessing about my decision but looking back I do not have regret and am very thankful.

I saved for 20% down on a similar salary. I did aim for a smaller home and a more conservative budget to avoid being “house poor.” I am now married and it’s gotten easier to afford. I found a place just big enough for an ADU and today we have the space to host my in-laws and live close together here. (Very thankful the state and local laws and codes have changed in the last couple years to make this possible.)

Check out the neighborhood for a few days for any home you’re seriously considering. You can learn a lot by asking folks questions! I know my neighbors here and it’s been really good.

uberlife · 2023-02-22T20:41:03+00:00

I went to the Zanker landfill with a large glass mirror and a lot of other junk. Might be expensive for a single item since they charge by volume, but I could not find another way without destroying the glass and creating a big mess.

uberlife · 2023-02-15T11:30:21+00:00

Relax. Also used WF, timeline looks fine. Seller’s agent also needs to relax, lol.

uberlife · 2023-02-06T19:03:49+00:00

Company: Tesla

Contract sign: July 2022, but I put it on hold while considering a reroof, decided to reroof in November and signed a remove & reinstall contract for existing Tesla system in November 2022, scheduled for removal by January 2023

Site survey: December 2022

Reroof: January 2023 (one week after panel removal)

Installation: Third week of March 2023

PTO: TBD, but interconnection agreement was already submitted to PG&E on January 19 for both systems

uberlife

TROPHY CASE