Book recommendations: Recently I have discovered that I really enjoy a certain type of flawed character in television shows. Think Gregory House on House or Dr. Cal Lightman on Lie to Me. Wounded inside with a tough smart exterior that push people away with sarcasm or slight jerkish behaviour. Help me find examples in literature so I can continue my current obsession when I shut the tv off. [more inside]
posted by beautifulcheese on Nov 25, 2009 - 47 answers

So confused! My county thinks we have a condo but we thought we have a single-family home (i.e. a free-standing house on land we own). Then why does my property tax bill show that we've been taxed for the land? [more inside]
posted by ObeyScient on Nov 24, 2009 - 11 answers

What is a good reference for learning to build a house? I need to get a basic grasp of things like building codes and best practices for electrical wiring, plumbing, roofing, etc. [more inside]
posted by bengarland on Nov 22, 2009 - 11 answers

After noticing some small cracks on the interior walls of one room, I went outside and saw several HUGE zig-zag cracks have appeared between the bricks at the back corner of my house. All the indications of a bad case of subsidence. Time to panic; the house is now worthless! What are my options? [more inside]
posted by moorooka on Nov 21, 2009 - 13 answers

Should we take the risk and buy a bigger house now or should we save up a safety net before we buy another house? I am in my early 30s. I live in St. Paul, MN. I have two young boys (4 & 2 yrs - neither is in school yet). I have a good job. However, I am worried that if I lose my job I won't be able to get another at anywhere near the same salary level. Also, We don't have a financial safety net. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 18, 2009 - 12 answers

How can we sell our house, when everyone is scared off by the vacant burned house next door? [more inside]
posted by leahwrenn on Nov 17, 2009 - 9 answers

As a 30-year old who is a part-time grad student and a full-time office worker, are my goals to get control over my life (weight loss, finances, home, work, etc) really unrealistic? Is there a way to just be NORMAL and balanced, or is it really just normal not to really have things together, even as an adult? [more inside]
posted by dumbledore69 on Nov 13, 2009 - 24 answers

Multimedia-filter: Looking for help from HDTV, NAS, Media Servers and Network Gurus' in making my first house totaly awesome. Movies, Televsion, Music, Wifi, Streaming Content and 50mgbt broadband within. [more inside]
posted by Cogentesque on Nov 13, 2009 - 4 answers

It's hard to see our house number from the street. I want to get a sign or post to put at the end of the driveway. Suggestions? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library on Nov 12, 2009 - 22 answers

Say I want to buy some cheap land in the Los Angeles area: where would I find such a listing online? [more inside]
posted by rileyray3000 on Nov 11, 2009 - 14 answers

It's time to settle down. Please help me. [more inside]
posted by st starseed on Nov 9, 2009 - 12 answers

How can I implement a temporary fix for a leaking roof? [more inside]
posted by notashroom on Oct 28, 2009 - 12 answers

Interior/exterior design memory loss: a few months ago I was casually flipping through one of the many interior design magazines on the shelf at Borders and saw an article about an amazing place that I'd love to find more details about. Unfortunately I was distracted and don't remember many details... [more inside]
posted by Beautiful Screaming Lady on Oct 28, 2009 - 0 answers

Looking for a contractor in Madison, WI to get an estimate on a kitchen remodel. [more inside]
posted by echo target on Oct 21, 2009 - 5 answers

Trying to rent a room in a home in New Orleans. What's my problem, and what am I missing? [more inside]
posted by Night_owl on Oct 21, 2009 - 12 answers

Several house structural changes planned but due to finances, work will done as money becomes available (probably spanning 10+ years). Would an architect be interested in this kind of project? How would s/he determine fee? [more inside]
posted by notcomputersavvy06 on Oct 14, 2009 - 6 answers

What should I do with a (relatively) giant back yard? [more inside]
posted by zompus on Oct 13, 2009 - 21 answers

I have been trying to buy a house in the inner-west in Sydney, Australia for several months. Contrary to what's going on in the rest of the world, Oz houses are effing crazy high and have jumped between $20-$100k (esp in my area) in the past year. I have found a good house for a price I can do - but it's on a fairly busy road. Would you want to go to there? [more inside]
posted by mooza on Oct 13, 2009 - 20 answers

What is the best way to clean my window with a hose? [more inside]
posted by Frasermoo on Oct 8, 2009 - 8 answers

So, it's time to paint my 100 year old house in Portland. How to choose colors? Are there any good online resources, in particular image galleries of homes painted specific colors? (i.e., "this 1925 craftsman is painted Benjamin Moore 741 Eggplant, with trim colors 219 Cream Soda and 987 Driftwood Sand") [more inside]
posted by dacoit on Oct 3, 2009 - 16 answers

Finally getting ready to start house shopping and planning soon. I have two questions: is the total monthly mortgage payment really 1% of the costs and how crazy am I for wanting to try for a house in this range? [more inside]
posted by grablife365 on Oct 1, 2009 - 27 answers

Help me sell my house! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 1, 2009 - 15 answers

How does property line encroachment work when the two properties were owned by the same person? [more inside]
posted by zippy on Sep 28, 2009 - 12 answers

Installing geo thermal in an old house with boiler? [more inside]
posted by idyllhands on Sep 28, 2009 - 8 answers

Looking for suggestions on how to deal with the situation where one spouse wants to stay in the house, while the other spouse could use the money from selling the house. [more inside]
posted by leticia on Sep 25, 2009 - 16 answers

The Frontier House - what is Mark doing now? [more inside]
posted by Glendale on Sep 20, 2009 - 4 answers

I need a referral to a plumber in Minneapolis who can do a good job replacing my 1930 toilet. Also need a roof repair, sidewalk, and tree removal. [more inside]
posted by Juicylicious on Sep 20, 2009 - 9 answers

Can we afford this house in California (just an example)? What "rules of thumb" or other measures should I use to determine what is "affordable"? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 20, 2009 - 17 answers

I'm in the UK and, for Halloween, will be putting together what the Americans might call a "spook house". I'm looking for suggestions on great effects / props / installations to create truly classy, creepy illusions such as the ones described here - but I'm struggling to find other similar sites. Secondly I'm seeking ideas for smaller scale sideshows or games - anything icky that a small group of people can watch or participate in around a table. What have you seen or done that I could re-create this Halloween?
posted by skylar on Sep 19, 2009 - 11 answers

We live in San Diego. We have 140k in cash after an inheritance, a mobile home we can't afford, crappy jobs, and have never had this much money ever. How do we best invest this money? [more inside]
posted by veritas on Sep 11, 2009 - 35 answers

Buying my first house: Who benefits from the over appraisal? [more inside]
posted by will wait 4 tanjents on Sep 6, 2009 - 18 answers

If you don't have a linen closet, where do you keep your towels and sheets? [more inside]
posted by pinky on Aug 30, 2009 - 34 answers

Looking for old 90's mac/pc game involving a green haunted house... [more inside]
posted by frankie_stubbs on Aug 30, 2009 - 9 answers

Does Contract for Deed ever work? [more inside]
posted by ian1977 on Aug 25, 2009 - 3 answers

Fallen tree filter: Who's responsible and does home owner's insurance factor in? [more inside]
posted by MaryDellamorte on Aug 20, 2009 - 17 answers

I'll be spending this coming weekend removing possibly several layers of painted-over wallpaper from 70-year-old plaster walls in my new house. Got any tips, tricks, secrets, or advice? [more inside]
posted by nitsuj on Aug 9, 2009 - 18 answers

I've got some doubts about our current SoCal real estate agent. At first, there didn't seem to be a problem. But recent events have made me wonder if we're wasting his time. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 8, 2009 - 15 answers

[Dickens-filter] Did John Jarndyce know that Esther was really Lady Dedlock's daughter? And if not, who did he think she was? [more inside]
posted by puckish on Aug 8, 2009 - 8 answers

Flood recovery - What all do I need to be concerned with after my house flooded? [more inside]
posted by MysticMCJ on Aug 5, 2009 - 16 answers

Old house hacks wanted! Please suggest some cheap ways to improve life in a crappy college house. [more inside]
posted by ecmendenhall on Jul 30, 2009 - 19 answers

We are looking at buying my wife's grandmother's home from her before she goes into a senior living facility. What sort of implications could arise for her if we can all come to an agrement on us purchasing the home? Would the house still be considered an asset of hers if it was sold to us at less than fair-market-value? [more inside]
posted by ganzhimself on Jul 29, 2009 - 8 answers

I feel like I am constantly swinging back and forth in how I feel about buying a house in different locations. How can I make a decision? [more inside]
posted by AnnaRat on Jul 28, 2009 - 9 answers

Best websites to help brainstorm on house architecture and interior design [more inside]
posted by lapsang on Jul 28, 2009 - 4 answers

What are some interior fixtures unique to houses in different parts of the world? [more inside]
posted by atrazine on Jul 27, 2009 - 33 answers

LaptopSetUpFilter: Between my wife and I, we have two laptops that spend unequal amounts of time in different rooms. We can't seem to figure out a system where laptops and cords and everything else get strung around between two rooms. Advice/personal experiences requested. [more inside]
posted by SNWidget on Jul 23, 2009 - 21 answers

Why is gloss or semi-gloss paint recommended for exterior house trim? [more inside]
posted by muirne81 on Jul 20, 2009 - 8 answers

Our neighbor wants to hire my husband to act as a sort of general contractor to oversee some repairs on our neighbor's house. Before we say yes to this, what questions should we ask? [more inside]
posted by Ladybug Parade on Jul 20, 2009 - 14 answers

Are there any good blogs or books specifically about the design of rowhouses or other long, narrow spaces? [more inside]
posted by electroboy on Jul 16, 2009 - 7 answers

We've recently moved into a house which has a formal dining room and a smaller room for family meals off of the kitchen. What should we call that room? Breakfast room or nook or whatever sounds lame, and we aren't breakfast people. We have impressionable kids, so whatever we choose will be stuck with our family forever, possibly for generations. Help us, AskMe!
posted by blahblahblah on Jul 12, 2009 - 42 answers

Why do I feel so weird about owning this home? [more inside]
posted by gocubbies on Jul 8, 2009 - 53 answers