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Be careful about sq. footage stated in a house. Here in the mountains, most often a 3000sq ft house has about half below grade level, i.e. in the basement.
I have been in probably 50+ houses where there is a finished basement (lower level) and they all smelled musty or they had one or two dehumidifiers running.
IMO, the construction of basements here in WNC is poor; mostly concrete block and everywhere there is a seam, there is the potential for leakage. I have not yet seen any new construction with concrete block foundations wrapped in a product similar to Superseal Dimpled Membrane to protect from dampness. In fact in the below grade spaces not finished, the dirt is covered with plastic with no rat slab.
Sorry for the wandering, but the point is in no other state other than NC can you count below grade heated space as living space and if you go to the bank to do a refi, they will value the finished below grade space around $25 per sq ft., and the below grade space will be musty.
You're, again, off base there MLHM5. Most homes in Western NC have crawl spaces, not basements. Unless they are on sloped land and 2 sides of the lower level have sliders, windows, doors, etc. Deep basements such as some in Carriage Park -- which by the way is the subject of this topic -- are sealed off and there are several formed cement basements in Carriage Park as well as several very deep crawl spaces sealed per building specs and inspected by the City and County inspectors. There is also an abundance of homes in Carriage on fairly flat lots, believe it or not. Much depends on the contractor; there are some homes that I've viewed there in CPark that failed inspections, but maybe only 5 to 7 failed with an unscrupulous builder who no longer builds in there. And only a few that high radon results. Radon is not a death sentence for crying out loud, most homes found with over 4.0 or more picocuries find that radon mitigation solves the problem quite nicely. You can have an 8.0 reading one day, and next week have a 3.5 reading according to the inspectors.
As for other areas in Western NC, types of basements will vary because of the terrain. If one builds a home in a lowland, wet area, yes there will be dampness. But you're pretty dumb if you allow someone to build a home in a lowland, or if you buy in a shotgun subdivision with cookie cutter homes 15 ft. apart. There aren't any reputable builders I know of that would put their name on a substandard home. If a basement is damp, there is moisture getting in, not enough venting, poor air flow. That can happen anywhere. I know of some pretty damp basements in Kenmure too; maybe you're bitter because you have one of those; or you have overpriced your property and it is languishing on the market. You are very bitter about the entire area here; I don't know why you bother to stay here.
As for radon, yes, there is radon in the mountains. There is radon in just about every state in the USA. Home inspectors include a radon inspection whenever and wherever they inspect. Mold inspections are also becoming prevalent. Doesn't mean every house has mold, nor every house has radon. Well water should also be tested for radon.
I've sold property in 5 states; 3 in the northeast with abutting borders; and 1 other state here that borders NC. For approx. 28 years combined.
You're, again, off base there MLHM5. Most homes in Western NC have crawl spaces, not basements. Unless they are on sloped land and 2 sides of the lower level have sliders, windows, doors, etc. Deep basements such as some in Carriage Park -- which by the way is the subject of this topic -- are sealed off and there are several formed cement basements in Carriage Park as well as several very deep crawl spaces sealed per building specs and inspected by the City and County inspectors. There is also an abundance of homes in Carriage on fairly flat lots, believe it or not. Much depends on the contractor; there are some homes that I've viewed there in CPark that failed inspections, but maybe only 5 to 7 failed with an unscrupulous builder who no longer builds in there. And only a few that high radon results. Radon is not a death sentence for crying out loud, most homes found with over 4.0 or more picocuries find that radon mitigation solves the problem quite nicely. You can have an 8.0 reading one day, and next week have a 3.5 reading according to the inspectors.
As for other areas in Western NC, types of basements will vary because of the terrain. If one builds a home in a lowland, wet area, yes there will be dampness. But you're pretty dumb if you allow someone to build a home in a lowland, or if you buy in a shotgun subdivision with cookie cutter homes 15 ft. apart. There aren't any reputable builders I know of that would put their name on a substandard home. If a basement is damp, there is moisture getting in, not enough venting, poor air flow. That can happen anywhere. I know of some pretty damp basements in Kenmure too; maybe you're bitter because you have one of those; or you have overpriced your property and it is languishing on the market. You are very bitter about the entire area here; I don't know why you bother to stay here.
As for radon, yes, there is radon in the mountains. There is radon in just about every state in the USA. Home inspectors include a radon inspection whenever and wherever they inspect. Mold inspections are also becoming prevalent. Doesn't mean every house has mold, nor every house has radon. Well water should also be tested for radon.
I've sold property in 5 states; 3 in the northeast with abutting borders; and 1 other state here that borders NC. For approx. 28 years combined.
I dont think I'm uninformed. Like I said, I have friends in the business. I have never said anything bad about developers or builders in WNC. All I said is that I dont know that its busy enough there for most to make a good living (or what they should) due to it not being a high growth area.
That's all. I dont think what you said about me was fair at all.
But back to the original topic, Carriage Park is very nice.
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