You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan, You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavily by John Wesley and the Methodists.
What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com |
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Theological World View
I ran across an interesting quiz today through a link from http://snarkybastards.com/ . It seems to be quite accurate. Here are my results.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Things are slowing down/Some day I'll own a house.
Everybody is impacted by the housing slowdown. Contractors are out of work, truck sales are slowing, people who bought investment properties last year owe more than their houses are worth now. . .
However, for some things that is good. If you are planning to build something right now, we are getting the plans turned around fairly quickly. At one point we were returning plans within three weeks, which isn't too bad when you consider that several governement agencies other than us look at your project.
My wife and I are excited because if prices keep going the way they are, we might actually be able to afford our first home in a couple years. Maybe. As an inspector it could be a bit difficult because I am going to be very picky about the condition of the house and will probably research it to death. I also have some particular requirements for the layout because I have too many hobbies and my wife is a fantastic cook. Let me dream a bit: it needs a nice, open layout for the kitchen; a living room that will allow for a home theatre layout; and either a big garage or enough property to build one.
Most important are the structural aspects of the house. First, I would never, ever buy a house with a 1-coat stucco exterior. I don't really care for stucco in the first place, but that stuff is terrible. For those who don't know, 1-coat stucco is a system used here in California (I don't know about other places) where a special high-density foam board with wire attached is nailed to the exterior. Then, one 3/8-inch layer of stucco is applied with a thin color topcoat after that. It is much better now than it was when introduced 20 years ago, but it's just too fragile for my taste. The neighbor kids were playing baseball in the street the other day and put a dent in the stucco of the rental house we are in now. I suppose it's better than a window. My favorite siding right now is any of the products by James Hardie Siding.
Speaking of windows, that is the other priority for me. I don't like wasting energy if I can help it, and windows are very good at doing just that. Old-style single-pane windows just don't work anymore, and can be expensive to replace. Most newer homes have double-pane vinyl windows at a minimum, which work well but lack character and style. They are more expensive, but I prefer wood windows with either vinyl or aluminum cladding on the exterior.
Well, that's enough for now. Sorry I don't have any interesting stories for this post. It has been slow, as I mentioned, and as a result many of our more interesting characters have been staying away.
However, for some things that is good. If you are planning to build something right now, we are getting the plans turned around fairly quickly. At one point we were returning plans within three weeks, which isn't too bad when you consider that several governement agencies other than us look at your project.
My wife and I are excited because if prices keep going the way they are, we might actually be able to afford our first home in a couple years. Maybe. As an inspector it could be a bit difficult because I am going to be very picky about the condition of the house and will probably research it to death. I also have some particular requirements for the layout because I have too many hobbies and my wife is a fantastic cook. Let me dream a bit: it needs a nice, open layout for the kitchen; a living room that will allow for a home theatre layout; and either a big garage or enough property to build one.
Most important are the structural aspects of the house. First, I would never, ever buy a house with a 1-coat stucco exterior. I don't really care for stucco in the first place, but that stuff is terrible. For those who don't know, 1-coat stucco is a system used here in California (I don't know about other places) where a special high-density foam board with wire attached is nailed to the exterior. Then, one 3/8-inch layer of stucco is applied with a thin color topcoat after that. It is much better now than it was when introduced 20 years ago, but it's just too fragile for my taste. The neighbor kids were playing baseball in the street the other day and put a dent in the stucco of the rental house we are in now. I suppose it's better than a window. My favorite siding right now is any of the products by James Hardie Siding.
Speaking of windows, that is the other priority for me. I don't like wasting energy if I can help it, and windows are very good at doing just that. Old-style single-pane windows just don't work anymore, and can be expensive to replace. Most newer homes have double-pane vinyl windows at a minimum, which work well but lack character and style. They are more expensive, but I prefer wood windows with either vinyl or aluminum cladding on the exterior.
Well, that's enough for now. Sorry I don't have any interesting stories for this post. It has been slow, as I mentioned, and as a result many of our more interesting characters have been staying away.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Then why did you ask?
People are funny. As mentioned before by Inspector Guy, you probably need a permit for that project you have planned. If you are unsure, just give us a call - we'll be happy to answer your questions, mostly. I say mostly because it can be frustrating when homeowners who don't know a thing about construction ask, "I want to build a garage. Is this plan I drew on a napkin good enough?" Well, it's a start, but have you considered calling a professional? It is tough explaining things like braced walls and foundation design with someone over the phone. Sometimes it's just as difficult explaining it to someone in person.
This post came about from a woman who called asking if she needed a permit for one of those open-sided metal RV carports. Well, yes, technically you do. I need to see the plans from the manufacturer and the foundation design from you. It gets pretty windy here, so I want to make sure the thing won't blow away. Then starts the whining. What if I do this? What about that? But none of the neighbor kids got permits for their carports. That's nice. You asked - I answered. We haven't heard from here since, so I'm assuming it has already been installed.
My jurisdiction isn't very picky about those open metal carports, and we don't have time to go around looking to bust people for them. However, not having a permit increases your liability if anything were to happen. If it flies away in a wind storm and damages something, your insurance probably won't cover it. If it violates a zoning or planning code, the code enforcement people go after those more often than we do. And any time a neighbor calls in to complain, we are obligated to investigate it.
This post came about from a woman who called asking if she needed a permit for one of those open-sided metal RV carports. Well, yes, technically you do. I need to see the plans from the manufacturer and the foundation design from you. It gets pretty windy here, so I want to make sure the thing won't blow away. Then starts the whining. What if I do this? What about that? But none of the neighbor kids got permits for their carports. That's nice. You asked - I answered. We haven't heard from here since, so I'm assuming it has already been installed.
My jurisdiction isn't very picky about those open metal carports, and we don't have time to go around looking to bust people for them. However, not having a permit increases your liability if anything were to happen. If it flies away in a wind storm and damages something, your insurance probably won't cover it. If it violates a zoning or planning code, the code enforcement people go after those more often than we do. And any time a neighbor calls in to complain, we are obligated to investigate it.
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