Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Texas > San Antonio
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 02-11-2009, 08:35 PM
 
4,796 posts, read 15,297,228 times
Reputation: 2735

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by Senorina2009 View Post
I'm looking to buy a house that will be flipped, therefore I need the blueprints on such property, how can I have acces to them?
While I understand that it would be helpful to have the blueprints, you don't have to have them to remodel...that is if you're experienced with remodeling or have a licensed contractor to do the work. If this is a house you plan on flipping, that generally is mostly cosmetic with little to no structural changes because flipping implies you want a quick turn around.

My other question is that you're asking for blueprints for "property"....are you meaning the actual structure or house? Or are you wanting a "plat" of the property or land?

If it's a custom home, where the original owner was part of the contract, the owner may have original plans....but generally, with newer homes (50 years old or younger)...most homes may not have them for tract subdivisions.

If this house is older or of some historical importance, you might try the San Antonio Builders Association archives, or the San Antonio Chapter of the AIA. I wouldn't bother if it was a spec house or part of a planned tract development within the last 40-50 years.

Good luck with your search!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 03-16-2010, 08:30 PM
 
2 posts, read 18,069 times
Reputation: 10
Ray Ellison is the builder. Not easy to flip these houses.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-16-2010, 09:54 PM
 
4,796 posts, read 15,297,228 times
Reputation: 2735
Quote:
Originally Posted by RonniT View Post
Ray Ellison is the builder. Not easy to flip these houses.
That's not necessarily true. The original builder has nothing to do with "flipping" a property. If the buyer can get the house at a bargain price, make substantial changes at a reasonable selling price that set it above the comps, they may be able to make a successful transaction.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-17-2010, 11:24 AM
 
Location: McLean, VA
790 posts, read 1,872,798 times
Reputation: 557
I'm curious as to why you need the blueprints? I've flipped houses before and never needed the blueprints.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-17-2010, 03:47 PM
 
Location: New Braunfels, TX
7,104 posts, read 11,738,487 times
Reputation: 7988
Wondering the same thing - any contractor worth their salt can do whatever needs doin' without having to have blueprints.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-17-2010, 05:49 PM
 
4,295 posts, read 7,159,621 times
Reputation: 3435
Quote:
Originally Posted by austindoxie1972 View Post
I'm curious as to why you need the blueprints? I've flipped houses before and never needed the blueprints.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasRedneck View Post
Wondering the same thing - any contractor worth their salt can do whatever needs doin' without having to have blueprints.
Unless you are only doing minor renovations - things like paint and new carpet - you will probably need to obtain a permit, and to get that permit, you need to submit a set of plans that documents any demolition and new work in the affected portion of the house. If the entire house is being renovated, then the plans need to show the entire house. If you are doing electrical work, you also need an electrical plan. Plumbing work too? You'll also need plumbing plans.

If you have the original plans for the house, this can make the process a little bit easier. They would document the existing state of the house (assuming there haven't been previous major renovations), and could serve as a basis for the new plans. If the original plans are not available (which is probably almost always the case), the property owner, contractor, or designer will need to measure and survey the structure and start from scratch.

Unless you are just trying to facilitate the development of new plans, or trying to match materials specified during the original construction, I don't see much need for the original blueprints. I've been told the City of San Antonio Development Services Department doesn't keep building plans more than 20 years old.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-31-2010, 08:20 PM
 
2 posts, read 18,069 times
Reputation: 10
I am in the process of selling my "Sunrise" home to a buyer with FHA funding and it is really appalling the number of "code" violations the inspector wrote up on my home which was in relatively good condition (compared to the other homes in that area that were built at the same time). I "thought I had a good house until the inspector got thru with it!"
The first homes were built during a time when Sunrise was considered county in 1986. It was annexed a couple of years after I bought my home. I live on one of the nicer streets. There are homes in that subdivision that are literally falling apart. The original siding on most homes is disintigrating. Take time to drive thru some of the streets other than Summer Fest or Mystic Sunrise and you will see what homes look like that aren't taken care of. There are some homes that have been kept up and also, some homes that were built about 10 years later in that very same subdivision.

I have had a punch list of noncompliant codes on workmanship that is disgusting and expensive. Such as wiring, breaker switches, framing, electrical outlets, shifting foundations (on mucky caliche) and an a/c hot and water heater stacked in a closet and on and on. I have spent thousands of dollars to get it compliant for sale. Like I said my home was in good condition compared to those around me. I will be lucky if I break even on the sale because of all the homes in the area the sold cheap just to get out from under the cost of remodeling or because they are bank repo's.

So, that is a little history of this subdivision. Most all of the people I knew are gone and if you want to invest in these properties....expect to uncover a lot of stuff you didn't expect. The homes are attractive at first view and I loved my home while I lived there. The neighborhood needs a facelift and everyone who attempts to do it should be praised.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-31-2010, 08:27 PM
RGJ
 
1,903 posts, read 4,706,223 times
Reputation: 855
Quote:
Originally Posted by RonniT View Post
I am in the process of selling my "Sunrise" home to a buyer with FHA funding and it is really appalling the number of "code" violations the inspector wrote up on my home which was in relatively good condition (compared to the other homes in that area that were built at the same time). I "thought I had a good house until the inspector got thru with it!"
The first homes were built during a time when Sunrise was considered county in 1986. It was annexed a couple of years after I bought my home. I live on one of the nicer streets. There are homes in that subdivision that are literally falling apart. The original siding on most homes is disintigrating. Take time to drive thru some of the streets other than Summer Fest or Mystic Sunrise and you will see what homes look like that aren't taken care of. There are some homes that have been kept up and also, some homes that were built about 10 years later in that very same subdivision.

I have had a punch list of noncompliant codes on workmanship that is disgusting and expensive. Such as wiring, breaker switches, framing, electrical outlets, shifting foundations (on mucky caliche) and an a/c hot and water heater stacked in a closet and on and on. I have spent thousands of dollars to get it compliant for sale. Like I said my home was in good condition compared to those around me. I will be lucky if I break even on the sale because of all the homes in the area the sold cheap just to get out from under the cost of remodeling or because they are bank repo's.

So, that is a little history of this subdivision. Most all of the people I knew are gone and if you want to invest in these properties....expect to uncover a lot of stuff you didn't expect. The homes are attractive at first view and I loved my home while I lived there. The neighborhood needs a facelift and everyone who attempts to do it should be praised.
And Sunrise is a Rayco subdivision.

Last edited by RGJ; 03-31-2010 at 08:28 PM.. Reason: clarification
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-04-2011, 04:27 PM
 
Location: Texas
5,717 posts, read 18,763,719 times
Reputation: 11222
Moderator cut: orphaned

Quote:
I have had a punch list of noncompliant codes on workmanship that is disgusting and expensive. Such as wiring, breaker switches, framing, electrical outlets, shifting foundations (on mucky caliche) and an a/c hot and water heater stacked in a closet and on and on. I have spent thousands of dollars to get it compliant for sale. Like I said my home was in good condition compared to those around me. I will be lucky if I break even on the sale because of all the homes in the area the sold cheap just to get out from under the cost of remodeling or because they are bank repo's.
While I'm sure this poster isn't around anymore, this is a lie. No inspector can MAKE you bring a house into compliance. It's called Grandfather Clause. If the house was accepted by any inspection agency, FHA, VA, independent, Bank, almost anybody, it's considered code compliant as of that time of close. It is NOT a requirement ever to bring the house up to current standards. The only exception I'm aware of is the much older homes that have knob and tube wiring. And that's a nationally recognized safety hazard as there is no insulation on wiring. I haven't seen any of that in probably 30 years but I'm sure there are a few houses left somewhere that have it. Still, code doesn't require it, CPS requires it. In regards to the caliche soil, most is a PI of 17 or less, some of the most stable materials around. It's used as fill on foundations and is acceptable for all types of foundations including Government slabs.

Last edited by BstYet2Be; 11-04-2011 at 06:49 PM.. Reason: Orphaned - the post referred to has been removed.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Texas > San Antonio
Similar Threads
View detailed profiles of:

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top