Daniel Bretzke's Q&A

I don't think a slightly different color will be a big deal... but make sure the transition is logical.   Is the question about quality based upon the installation, the finishing, or the product itself?  If the installation is at fault, check  with different installers to see if it the same material can be installed differently.  I have seen instances where a floor product installed poorly, makes the quality look bad.If you like the look stick with it.  If you don't think it will hold up in the heavy traffic areas of the condo, go with a similar color but a more durable wood. 

It depends on where they were found, how long they have been there, and what damage they have done.  If you find one nest in a wall, then more than likely there are other nests either in the walls or in the ground nearby the house. First:  You need to hire a professional to exterminate them.  Second:  You need to find the food source, ie wet or dead wood nearby, and get rid of it.  Make sure your down spouts are hooked up,  Remove old stumps in the ground.  Remove any wood laying around or under the house.Third: Remove the path they used to get into your house. Again look for wood contact to the ground. Fourth: Hire a contractor to give an bid on repairing the damage.  I once had a nest in one wall.  I had it sprayed.  It appeared that they went a way.  I decided that the siding needed to be replaced, as there was damaged areas.  When the siding was removed, they found three more active nests, and in one area extensive damage was done to support beams.  With the siding removed, I was able to easily fix the damage.  Additional spraying, a good vapor barrier, and new concrete Hardee plank siding fixed the problem. 

With a 100 year old row house, there are probably some other systems that need updating such as the electrical.  If a new roof has not been installed in the last twenty years, you may want to evaluate the structure of the roof.  Adding insulation may change the way the roof is ventilated, thus in the short term save money on energy but due to trapping of moisture in the roof structure, you may cause damage to the structure of the roof.

It will increase the value to you, as you will be able to pay less in energy costs.  It may not increase the value of the home by the cost of the windows, as most homes now have energy efficient windows, and houses that do not have them, may be worth less on the market.   Houses depreciate in value, if you do not update, they become worth less. 

I think that the green roof is a great idea.  Perhaps your neighbor is concerned about how much maintenance the green roof will have.  Green roofs are not "mowed", thus they look untidy.  You may want to discuss with your neighbor your maintenance plans.  Ie seasona  wild flowers, or herbs or just good old grass on your green roof. 

It may work, but.... water systems are not usually designed to be drained, as they operate under pressure.  To assure you have drained all the water, you would need to drain the water from each faucet at each sink etc.  Another way is to use air pressure to replace the water with air.  What you have done is prevented damage to the house  by a broken pipe while you are away. Good job.    Be careful when you turn the system back on, as there may be damage from freezing .

Take a look at the other side of the wall.  If the tub surround backs up to a closet, it is a lot easier tor remove sheet rock on closet wall than a tub surround.  I had all the plumbing in an apartment building replaced.  They were able to do a lot of the work with out removing cabinets, or tub surrounds by working from the other side of the wall.

For this you will need to contact a real estate agent or an appraiser.

It is far easier to pay a little extra each month, than once a year.  Time is on your side, as you pay less interest as you pay down your loan.  I have set up my payments always to pay a little extra each month.  It does''t seem like much, but over time it adds up. 

Do you mean,  How do you get the value as is shown in Zillow, for your home?  Zillow is collects information about the market.  Zillow does not look at your home. To realize value as is shown in Zillow, make your home appealing to a buyer.  Clean up the yard, clear out the clutter, repaint, fix broken items.  This is part of the process of selling a house.  If you do this, and then market the home, then you will have a chance of selling close to the estimated amount zillow shows.