Electrical systems with aluminum are more prone to problems
Many builders used aluminum wiring systems in their homes in the 1960s and ’70s. Many of those older systems pose serious risks.
Q. We are buying a home, so we followed your advice by making our offer contingent on getting a satisfactory report issued by a professional home inspector. The report suggests the home is in pretty good shape overall, but notes that it has “an aluminum wiring system that should be replaced with traditional copper wiring.” Is this really necessary? We have since checked all the electrical outlets in the home, and they all work fine.
A. Some developers of homes that were built in the 1960s and ’70s used aluminum wiring systems rather than copper in order to trim their construction costs. But some of those earlier systems have since been found to be more prone to developing loose connections, overheating and even starting a fire.
Some builders still install aluminum systems today, but now they use improved materials and better installation techniques.
You have some options. The addition of copper connectors, called “pigtails,” at all of the home’s receptacles and on circuit breakers could make the system safer. Completely replacing the aluminum with copper wiring would be even better, but almost certainly would cost at least a few thousand dollars.
Hire a professional electrician to inspect the system, make recommendations and give you a written quote for the job. You then could ask the seller to pay for the repairs or lower the sale price to reflect the cost.
If the seller won’t agree to do either one, the inspection contingency that you wisely included in your original purchase would allow you to cancel the deal and get your deposit back.
Q. I moved in with my mom when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2009. She passed away two years ago and left the property, 50/50, to my brother and me. The mortgage was paid off a decade ago, but my brother has allowed me to stay in the home as long as I paid for the insurance and property taxes myself. Now he wants to sell, but I don’t. Can he force me to move out?
A. Unfortunately, yes. Depending on how you and your sibling hold title to the property, he can either ask a judge to order that the home be sold and the proceeds be split evenly, or at least sell his half-interest to someone else — in which case you could find yourself living with a total stranger.
Perhaps you can work out an arrangement that calls for you to pay a modest amount of monthly rent to your brother in order to keep the house.
An alternative would be to have the house appraised to determine its current value, and then offer to pay half that amount to purchase your brother’s 50-percent interest. Your letter states that your mother paid off the original loan long ago, so you obviously have enough equity to get a new mortgage and use the cash to complete the transaction. It would be wise to consult a real estate attorney so the deal can be structured appropriately.
Q. I have been blind since birth, but I can function as well as any person who can see. A top-floor unit in the two-story apartment complex I live in recently became available, and I would like to rent it, because living in my downstairs unit subjects me to too much noise. When I asked the landlord to let me switch, she refused because there is no elevator and “walking up and down the stairs would pose too much risk” both for me and for the property’s owner. Isn’t this a violation of my fair-housing rights?
A. Yes. Refusing to rent the top-floor unit to you merely because you are blind is a clear violation of the federal Fair Housing Act, which bans discrimination against people with disabilities when it comes to renting an apartment or buying a home. The act also prohibits discrimination based on a person’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex or familial status.
Contact your local fair-housing agency for help. Hopefully, the issue can quickly be resolved after a representative from the group calls or writes your landlord to explain the law. If not, you should file a formal complaint with the local agency and perhaps even the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A friend could help you complete HUD’s online complaint form at www.hud.gov, or you could file over the phone by calling (800) 669-9777.
Real estate trivia: Upgrading or adding a bathroom is the most common major project launched by homeowners, according to a survey conducted by remodeling and design website houzz.com, followed by kitchen renovations and the installation of new flooring or ceilings.
Correction: In a recent article about the Streamlined Modification Initiative, we provided an incorrect phone number for Freddie Mac. The correct phone number to call is (800) FREDDIE.
Ÿ For the booklet “Straight Talk About Living Trusts,” send $4 and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to David Myers/Trust, P.O. Box 4405, Culver City, CA 90231-4405.
© 2013, Cowles Syndicate Inc.