Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

I do appreciate that. I had a variable on a three year loan once about 20 years ago. I was sure the interest loan rates would go down and they did, but my interest rate on the loan went up regardless. I paid that thing off within 30 days of getting notice of my rate going up. That was back in the days when interest was running about 15% as well. I learned my lesson for sure. Luckily I had some savings to do so with. I wasn't getting any interest for my savings to speak of so it was a no brainer to get rid of that debt. I just checked some home loan interest rates for refinancing. My bank is right on target for the rate. Plus all these other companies would require so much percentage down to refi. Since I don't have to pay any % down this is a good deal I think.
I'll know more when I go through the papers.

 

[Trish44]

Danz, that would be great if you could refinance, get your interest rate down & the loan term. We did that a couple of years ago & reduced our interest rate to half what it had been plus reduced the loan term to 15 years. My DH really didn't want to refinance, but we needed to do some major things to the house, windows, siding, & heating & cooling, so we had to borrow against the equity to do that at the same time. But in the long run we will come out ahead since those things help the value of the home, plus we don't have to paint the darned thing any more & that's a huge plus. Trying to paint this thing was a huge pain since the front of it is two stories high & really hard to access certain areas to paint. The back wasn't so bad since it is only above ground on one level, but that front was a whole different story. The windows had rotted because they put wood windows in & they were shot & the heat pump & furnace were about to the end of their usable life & not very efficient any more, so it was just time to get some things done here. We have been so very glad we got it all done & we got tax savings for putting in the new heat pump, so that helped too. We could only use one of the things on the taxes, so we chose to use the heat pump. I know our heating & cooling bills have been a lot better since doing the siding, windows, & heating & cooling also, so it is saving us in more than one way.

I think I will venture out & see if I can bring up one or two of those tires from down front tomorrow & see how they will work for nests, I will have to get the lawnmower & cart out to go get them, it's too far to carry or roll them all the way up here.

 

[HEChicken]

Not all variable rates are bad. I did go into a variable rate loan on my previous house. At the time it was offered they were running a special and I had $0 in closing costs. It was a 7-year loan and the rate could not go up more than 2% a year and couldn't go up more than 6% over the life of the loan. When I took it out, even if it went up the whole 6%, it was still a lower rate than on the first house I ever bought. Plus, they had a great deal where any time you wanted to, you could do a "rate renew" (not the same as a refi) where for the cost of a single monthly payment, you could renew the whole deal and start the 7 years all over again. After I'd had it 2-3 years, I did a rate renew and got a much lower interest rate than when I'd started. It lowered my monthly payment to only $275/month - heck, I couldn't rent a studio apartment for that!!! I had that rate for 5 years and it never went up, even though it was a variable rate.

As long as you read all the fine print and know what you are getting into so there are no surprises, you'll be fine.

 

[Frizzled Pink]

@Josie-getting the eggs from WestKnoll Farms (google west knoll farms for looks at her birds)that i saw on byc in the mille cochin thread from a pic that she had of her rooster SHAZAM who is just amazing!

@danz, please have your banker check with a realtor friend of MLS sold properties that would be comparable to yours to see what your local market is doing, so many of the smaller communities have been hit with hard times and the appraiser is stuck trying to find 3 similar properties that have sold in your area within the last 12 months. If foreclosed bank owned properties were sold they were probably sold for less than market but that is the sales price they will have to use to compare. Just don't want you to spend money on an appraisal that may not work for the deal you are trying to make.

Thanks all for the welcome

 

[HEChicken]

Danz, that would be great if you could refinance, get your interest rate down & the loan term. We did that a couple of years ago & reduced our interest rate to half what it had been plus reduced the loan term to 15 years. My DH really didn't want to refinance, but we needed to do some major things to the house, windows, siding, & heating & cooling, so we had to borrow against the equity to do that at the same time. But in the long run we will come out ahead since those things help the value of the home, plus we don't have to paint the darned thing any more & that's a huge plus. Trying to paint this thing was a huge pain since the front of it is two stories high & really hard to access certain areas to paint. The back wasn't so bad since it is only above ground on one level, but that front was a whole different story. The windows had rotted because they put wood windows in & they were shot & the heat pump & furnace were about to the end of their usable life & not very efficient any more, so it was just time to get some things done here. We have been so very glad we got it all done & we got tax savings for putting in the new heat pump, so that helped too. We could only use one of the things on the taxes, so we chose to use the heat pump. I know our heating & cooling bills have been a lot better since doing the siding, windows, & heating & cooling also, so it is saving us in more than one way.

I think I will venture out & see if I can bring up one or two of those tires from down front tomorrow & see how they will work for nests, I will have to get the lawnmower & cart out to go get them, it's too far to carry or roll them all the way up here.

Trish, are you happy with your heat pump? I about died when I opened our last electric bill - it was about 5 times higher than any bill we ever had at our old house, and we didn't have a heat pump there. I know they are supposed to be really efficient and ours is supposedly a brand new, high efficiency unit, but that electric bill tells another story as far as I'm concerned. DH says if we didn't use the heat pump, we'd use a lot more propane running the furnace but I'm thinking propane must be cheaper than running the electric heat pump. So I guess I'm not a real happy camper where our heat is concerned. I did tell him I know when the meter reader comes and this month, I'm switching it over to run on propane all the time for one month, just to prove to him how much that darned heat pump is actually costing us, but in reality it will be hard to tell the real difference since we don't get a gas bill every month to compare. What I do know is I prepaid for our propane tank to be filled so if we run the heat on propane it will lower our electric bill and won't add anything to any other bill, other than reducing the amount of propane that is in the tank, if that makes sense.

 

[Trish44]

HEChicken, we are on all electric here, so I have nothing to compare to with the propane. I know propane has gone up a lot since I had to buy it when I lived in Derby, so I'm personally glad we don't have it. Also, here in Winfield they have their own electric company, so I don't know how the rates compare to other places either. All I know is that since we did the replacement windows all throughout the house, the new siding with foam behind it, & the new heat pump/furnace that the bills have been lower.

 

[sharol]

We got a new heat pump/he air conditioner in 2008 in the middle of the summer. All was well until we started using the heater in the fall. It seemed to work fine, but it was actually blowing warm air (heat pumps are never really warm). Since we mostly heat with the wood burning Earth Stove, we didn't think much about it until March when it was too warm to build fires and we were using the heat pump again. Something didn't feel right (not like the one I had years ago), so I checked and the compressor outside wasn't running when it was supposed to be (and the bills were high). Turns out the thermostat had never worked correctly on the heating side of the system. The furnace guy installed a new thermostat and all has been well since.

You might want to have the system checked. Remember that heat pumps aren't effective below about 30 degrees, though, so you are using the alternative heating coils in the furnace during times when it is as cold as it was the last month. If the air feels warm coming out of the register, you are using the coils inside and not the more efficient heat pump. If that happens when it is above 30 degrees or so, there might actually be something wrong with it.

Good luck with it.

Trish, are you happy with your heat pump? I about died when I opened our last electric bill - it was about 5 times higher than any bill we ever had at our old house, and we didn't have a heat pump there. I know they are supposed to be really efficient and ours is supposedly a brand new, high efficiency unit, but that electric bill tells another story as far as I'm concerned. DH says if we didn't use the heat pump, we'd use a lot more propane running the furnace but I'm thinking propane must be cheaper than running the electric heat pump. So I guess I'm not a real happy camper where our heat is concerned. I did tell him I know when the meter reader comes and this month, I'm switching it over to run on propane all the time for one month, just to prove to him how much that darned heat pump is actually costing us, but in reality it will be hard to tell the real difference since we don't get a gas bill every month to compare. What I do know is I prepaid for our propane tank to be filled so if we run the heat on propane it will lower our electric bill and won't add anything to any other bill, other than reducing the amount of propane that is in the tank, if that makes sense.

 

[JosieChick]

Oh, poor kitty. Sounds like she is doing ok though! I imagine we will keep Linus as a barn cat if nothing else but he is such a love bug. We already have a huge crew of kitties in the house and DH has vetoed anymore house cats. I am hoping I can find someone looking for a house cat. He was untouchable when he first showed up. I had to set a live trap to get him neutered so I can't believe how sweet he is now. Poor thing must have just been terrified getting dumped out here. There was another grey kitty with him that I think was probably his brother that disappeared about a week and half after they appeared. Makes me sad that people just drop them off, why not take them to the shelter where at least they have a chance to find a home and not become dinner for a coyote or get hit by a car.

Josie, I'm so sorry to hear about Lucie's leg problems, I totally understand the dilemma. We have a cat that was given to us by my hairdresser, who I have known for over 15 years. She had a previous broken leg when she had her & it was a bad break. We had her for several years when she decided we think one night to jump out the window on the 2nd floor down to the first floor. We have windows in the walls that open from the 2nd floor so you can see out into the open floorplan on the first floor, it's weird, but that's how this house is. Anyway, one night we heard a noise & things falling, but couldn't see what it was. The next day we found our cat Opal with a horrible broken leg that just hung there & my friend said that is how it was the first time too. She had surgery but the bone didn't heal properly & we couldn't afford another surgery on top of that one, the option was to either keep her in a crate for 8 weeks or put her down. We kept her in a crate with a big splint on for 8 weeks & the bone finally healed enough for her to walk, but she has a crooked leg. She can walk & run on it & scares me every time she jumps off something, but at least she is alive. You just have to do what you feel is right & can afford, sometimes it's a hard decision. I wish I could take the kitty, but we have these two in the house already & two little dogs. Outside we already have 8 that stay out there all the time, they are our mousers.

My heart is way too big as well. DH gives me a hard time because when they hang around I can't help feeding them. I just feel so badly for them especially when water and food is so hard to find and he was obviously a pet cat at some point so he really doesn't have the smarts to fend for himself out here. We have feral cats around but they are lean, mean hunting machines and they know how to survive in the woods.

Welcome Frizzled pink. I live outside of Waverly and my grandparents lived in Williamsburg when I was a kid. I spent a lot of time there with them in the summer.
Josie, I would love to take the cat but I just can't. I am currently discussing another cat that has been kicked out from being a house cat and needs a home desperately. My heart is way too big. I'm in trouble with DH anyway because of all the animals. And I know if I got another cat he would end up in the house. I can't go through loosing any more house pets. Yet this other cat is going to be dispatched to a barn with a bunch of sick cats if it doesn't find a home. I wouldn't care if we had one out at the barn but DH won't leave them outside.
We had a big old main coon Tom cat show up here shortly after we moved in. I tamed him and took him to be neutered as well. He was an awesome cat that stayed outside and was just huge. He still liked to go hunting though so after several months he disappeared. I am sure the coyotes got him. I hope someone decides to give Linus a home.
OH that news sucks about Lucy. What a disappointment after spending all this time and money to try to get her fixed. I am so sorry that she isn't doing better.
Trish the tires might work if you build the straw on the inside up high enough. In fact it sounds about the right size for a nest. Or you could cut them in half and make two nests out of one tire. We cut some to weight down the tarp when I get feed and we did it with a grinder. It'd probably be just easier to fill them with straw though....especially if they are steel belted. That's an excellent idea. The hen will hollow out a little area in the middle to lay. How old are your peahens?
My guineas lay on the ground. They just have some straw on a dirt floor in their house and they normally pick a corner to lay in. But sometimes they just drop them out in the pen. They do tend to like a low darker corner though. The guineas normally start laying in late March or so. Mine started a later last year than the year before. I don't know if the climate had something to do with that or not. They pretty much lay all summer then if it doesn't get too hot.
Sharol, I would never do a variable rate on a home loan. The only disadvantage I see to refinancing is that paying less interest means less tax deduction. But really why should I pay twice as long when I am paying for a house? I'd rather apply my money toward principal than interest. I'll do some more checking and see what the current rate is running elsewhere before I sign any papers.

Oh fun!!! Are you getting mille fleur frizzled cochins? I can't remember now. Frizzled milles are on my wish list for this year. I have a black mottled hen from Amy. She has really sweet birds, that little hen is the most social, chatty thing!

@Josie-getting the eggs from WestKnoll Farms (google west knoll farms for looks at her birds)that i saw on byc in the mille cochin thread from a pic that she had of her rooster SHAZAM who is just amazing!

@danz, please have your banker check with a realtor friend of MLS sold properties that would be comparable to yours to see what your local market is doing, so many of the smaller communities have been hit with hard times and the appraiser is stuck trying to find 3 similar properties that have sold in your area within the last 12 months. If foreclosed bank owned properties were sold they were probably sold for less than market but that is the sales price they will have to use to compare. Just don't want you to spend money on an appraisal that may not work for the deal you are trying to make.

Thanks all for the welcome

Our house is all electric and our bill is atrocious this time of year. Makes me want to cry when I open it. Plus we have all the heated water bowls and the horse tank heater running this time of year too. I just had the propane tank filled down at the house in Towanda and I was surprised at the price. I didn't think it was too bad at all and I was bracing for a really ugly number because the tank is pretty low. Can't wait to be neighbors soon! Will be fun to live close to one of the BYC friends.

We were out at the house this weekend and it is soooo quiet out there. I love it. Cows and corn fields make the best neighbors!

Trish, are you happy with your heat pump? I about died when I opened our last electric bill - it was about 5 times higher than any bill we ever had at our old house, and we didn't have a heat pump there. I know they are supposed to be really efficient and ours is supposedly a brand new, high efficiency unit, but that electric bill tells another story as far as I'm concerned. DH says if we didn't use the heat pump, we'd use a lot more propane running the furnace but I'm thinking propane must be cheaper than running the electric heat pump. So I guess I'm not a real happy camper where our heat is concerned. I did tell him I know when the meter reader comes and this month, I'm switching it over to run on propane all the time for one month, just to prove to him how much that darned heat pump is actually costing us, but in reality it will be hard to tell the real difference since we don't get a gas bill every month to compare. What I do know is I prepaid for our propane tank to be filled so if we run the heat on propane it will lower our electric bill and won't add anything to any other bill, other than reducing the amount of propane that is in the tank, if that makes sense.

 

[HEChicken]

We got a new heat pump/he air conditioner in 2008 in the middle of the summer. All was well until we started using the heater in the fall. It seemed to work fine, but it was actually blowing warm air (heat pumps are never really warm). Since we mostly heat with the wood burning Earth Stove, we didn't think much about it until March when it was too warm to build fires and we were using the heat pump again. Something didn't feel right (not like the one I had years ago), so I checked and the compressor outside wasn't running when it was supposed to be (and the bills were high). Turns out the thermostat had never worked correctly on the heating side of the system. The furnace guy installed a new thermostat and all has been well since.

You might want to have the system checked. Remember that heat pumps aren't effective below about 30 degrees, though, so you are using the alternative heating coils in the furnace during times when it is as cold as it was the last month. If the air feels warm coming out of the register, you are using the coils inside and not the more efficient heat pump. If that happens when it is above 30 degrees or so, there might actually be something wrong with it.

Thanks! Ours is set so that the heat pump runs if the temp is above 30 and the furnace kicks in when it gets below 30. So far that seems to be working fine - I can hear the furnace "light" in the middle of the night when it is below 30 and know that at least we are using propane then. As you say, when the heat pump itself is running, the air coming out of the vents feels pretty cool. So I thin it is running as it should - I'm just not convinced a heat pump is actually an efficient way to heat a house.

Our house is all electric and our bill is atrocious this time of year. Makes me want to cry when I open it. Plus we have all the heated water bowls and the horse tank heater running this time of year too. I just had the propane tank filled down at the house in Towanda and I was surprised at the price. I didn't think it was too bad at all and I was bracing for a really ugly number because the tank is pretty low. Can't wait to be neighbors soon! Will be fun to live close to one of the BYC friends.

We were out at the house this weekend and it is soooo quiet out there. I love it. Cows and corn fields make the best neighbors!

Yay - can't wait until we are neighbors!

 

[mommahen10]

Wichita Kidd, thanks for the video link. I opened it but will wait to watch it when I don't have to have the volume off.

Cubbysan, if I didn't have to be quiet I'd have been LOL! That's so funny about your dd not letting you say the word chickens or duck. My kids just call me the crazy chicken lady, my 17 yo dd works at a grocery store and she tells people I sell eggs although I haven't had any to sell in quite a while. This flu going around, it has seemed quite brutal. I'm sorry you had little one sick too.

Danz, we've been experiencing the same problems lately with the internet and we've been thinking the same thing. One of my ds said we should get dial-up again. Now that's slow.
OH NO!!!! Now the peacock too!!! That's terrible! I'm with Maidenwolf, I think the trailer sounds awesome as a chicken house. That's great news about the refinance, we have ours on a 15 year too. I have the pay off date written on the wall and counting down.

Hawkeye, I'm so sorry that you've been so sick and the kids too. I hope you get to feeling better soon.

Mstng, is your family getting better yet?

Trish, my barred rocks have been just the opposite. They're more quiet and will sit back and watch the others. I just saw my old hen peck at another for the first time ever just a few days ago and it surprised me.

HEChicken, don't you hate that? I mean they're so pretty and you think about how much you'll enjoy having that handsome roo around and then BAM! It's all over. Sorry Cyrus rubbed off on him. I did enjoy your story though. I do not know what to tell you about Ned, sounds like he has a bit of learning to do.

Karen, are you feeling any better? Your kids sound so sweet, you are right, that's so awesome that they are getting along.

Michelle, we just buy whatever seeds we feel like from about anywhere for our garden. I can a lot too. We do tomatoes, salsa, apples, jellies, pickles, sweet potatoes and about anything else I can find. We like to freeze our corn, green beans, and carrots.

OUCH Lizzy! I hope your boo boos heal quickly. That's no fun at all. Your story about bouncing made me smile.

Maidenwolf, I'm loving the pics. How many chickens do you have now? Better not blink, soon there will be too many to count when you get that new incubator.

OMGosh! I'm so sorry to hear about Sunflowerparrot's pup. I will keep them in my prayers.

Josie, you crack me up. I wonder how long it takes those boys to figure it out. Toby is still hiding behind the pullets like he's a chicken or something. My dh said he was going to take the hen that he calls a bad name, something along the lines of a floozy and put her in there with him just to see if he would catch on. He didn't put her in there. I didn't realize how small he was until he grew. He's so big and fluffy, he's really beautiful. Looks like you have the balls rolling getting things done and in order. I'm so sorry to hear about Lucie, poor dog has gone through so much for so long now. Do you know the odds for Lucie if they redo her leg? How likely is it to be a success if they do it again? If the odds aren't in her favor it may be less of a strain to have the leg removed so she can heal and get on with her life. I'm so sorry you are having to deal with such decisions. Your kitty is precious, but my dh and I agreed to no inside pets from the beginning. More like I agreed to it, but my dd is allergic to cats anyway so it doesn't matter. I'm lucky to keep chicks inside for a little while.

Welcome Frizzled Pink. I know right where Williamsburg is. Dh and I were just talking about the next time we go that way that's where we are eating, it's been a long time since we've been there.