When I hear "I am going to buy a 24 acre property for $200k" my immediate response is "where is this magical place, and can you actually get Internet there?"
Figuring it out will involve irritating calls to Verizon and Time Warner. The property itself is in two different ZIP codes: 12053 and 12009. According to Verizon, 12009 has FiOS; 12053 doesn't.
Also, there are certain downsides to living that far out in the country. Propane heat is one of those. Also, a driven well and a septic system. No town services at all. Pretty sure there's no trash pickup either, but there's a transfer station.
Propane heat can be offset by using the two woodstoves. So if you're willing to split wood from your magical 24ish acres, you can save money.
I'm thinking about getting one of those Leveraxe things if we go forward with this - make my firewood splitting more efficient.
Also, the house was built in 1726, so who the fuck knows what could be wrong with it. Good thing I'm friends with the president of the Historic Preservation Trades Network, and good thing his specialty is restoration of colonial and pre-colonial timber-framed Dutch architecture.
Well, the confusion is more that it's in two ZIP codes, one that has it and one that doesn't. But yeah, it'd be a site visit to figure out what's available.
Electrical is high on the list of upgrades if needed. I've seen what appear to be GFCI outlets in some photos, which tells me the electric has had some kind of upgrade. Dunno what. That's what electricians are for.
I am well aware of the problem and have been looking for janky wiring in every house. I also know that inspections won't find everything. It's a risk, but all houses involve risks.
Anthony is moving in this week, and I was entertaining myself by looking at nearby apartments. No matter what, I would have to give something up... I either lose thick walls, parking, or a walkable neighborhood (which is the only downside of my current place, but it does give me easy access to a wooded trail and a park). Suburb problems.
Honestly, the fact that I live in one of the only Philly suburbs where a walkable apartment is even a possibility is remarkable in itself. I'm not in a hurry, but now it's in the back of my mind.
Or convince me to buy instead of rent, and abandon walking entirely.
Just choose the option where the negative is a higher price, and all the other problems go away.
We can only afford so much of a monthly payment, but for real... we may end up going with a smaller lot (.4 acres or so) and a house that just works. There are two like that we are seriously considering right now.
So... our old farmhouse was in decent condition but has one big flaw. We thought TWC had service there. Turns out they only currently run to the end of the road, and the people living there now only have satellite. If we can't get decent high speed internet, it's a non-starter.
Just choose the option where the negative is a higher price, and all the other problems go away.
We can only afford so much of a monthly payment, but for real... we may end up going with a smaller lot (.4 acres or so) and a house that just works. There are two like that we are seriously considering right now.
So... our old farmhouse was in decent condition but has one big flaw. We thought TWC had service there. Turns out they only currently run to the end of the road, and the people living there now only have satellite. If we can't get decent high speed internet, it's a non-starter.
So useful Internet service stops about 3k feet from this house - hence satellite. Time Warner has no site survey for the place, because nobody's ever tried to order service there.
So I call up TW and I'm like, "Listen, I don't want a quote or an estimate or anything binding - just ballpark how much it'd cost to run 3k feet of cable and hook up a house."
They won't even talk about it. Not at all.
So I have to buy the fucking house just to figure out if it's even possible.
This is as important and essential as a utility, and apparently I can't figure out anything about the cost until I'm actually there. How fucked up is that?
Really, it's just that Time Warner won't even tell me if they can run the damn cable. I'm totally willing to throw fuckloads of money at them to make it happen - they just need to tell me I need to do it before I throw fuckloads of money at the house.
3 thousand fucking feet away is, like, FiOS. I am not in some untamed jungle in sub-Saharan Africa for fucks's sake.
Even a crappy fiber optic cable with just a few threads could cost like, $0.50 per foot to lay down. Just the physical cable could cost over $1500. that doesn't count the labor, the digging, the extra equipment on both ends, the future maintenance costs, etc. They will literally NEVER profit from you. It's not even worth it to them to think about it for one customer.
In New York City, they won't even consider wiring up an entire apartment building which has FIOS already running into it unless a very large % of the tenants in the building contractually commit to signing up for it.
Fighting a TELCO is the most losing battle possible. You're just fucked. Don't waste precious time in your life on that nonsense.
Your best bet is to think of a different solution. For example, buy all the 3000' of land between you and the FIOS. Get the FIOS installed in a small shed. Then run your own outdoor ethernet cable back to your house.
Your best bet is to think of a different solution. For example, buy all the 3000' of land between you and the FIOS. Get the FIOS installed in a small shed. Then run your own outdoor ethernet cable back to your house.
The longest you can run an Ethernet cable is around 300'. So you're about ten times too far out for that...
You could run copper. You would just need some equipment on either end that Isn't just regular old Ethernet cards. I think copper prices are still high these days. Fiber might be cheaper, even if the equipment on the ends of it is more expensive.
The...the phone company hires the same contractors you would.
For less money, because they provide steady work.
You think they have Joe Schmo lineman dig and lay that fiber?
Sure, but that contractor is very happy to lay cable just about anywhere. If the phone company doesn't want to hire them, though, you can always get them to do it yourself. They'll probably do an even better job if their relationship is with you and not the evil telco.
Short of regulation requiring the telco/ISP to provide you service, they will never in a million years run cable anywhere there isn't guaranteed profit.
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Also, there are certain downsides to living that far out in the country. Propane heat is one of those. Also, a driven well and a septic system. No town services at all. Pretty sure there's no trash pickup either, but there's a transfer station.
Propane heat can be offset by using the two woodstoves. So if you're willing to split wood from your magical 24ish acres, you can save money.
I'm thinking about getting one of those Leveraxe things if we go forward with this - make my firewood splitting more efficient.
Also, the house was built in 1726, so who the fuck knows what could be wrong with it. Good thing I'm friends with the president of the Historic Preservation Trades Network, and good thing his specialty is restoration of colonial and pre-colonial timber-framed Dutch architecture.
Electrical is high on the list of upgrades if needed. I've seen what appear to be GFCI outlets in some photos, which tells me the electric has had some kind of upgrade. Dunno what. That's what electricians are for.
The GFCI could also be fake. I've seen that in the real world.
Honestly, the fact that I live in one of the only Philly suburbs where a walkable apartment is even a possibility is remarkable in itself. I'm not in a hurry, but now it's in the back of my mind.
Or convince me to buy instead of rent, and abandon walking entirely.
Current apartment
Walkable building 1
Walkable building 2
So... our old farmhouse was in decent condition but has one big flaw. We thought TWC had service there. Turns out they only currently run to the end of the road, and the people living there now only have satellite. If we can't get decent high speed internet, it's a non-starter.
So useful Internet service stops about 3k feet from this house - hence satellite. Time Warner has no site survey for the place, because nobody's ever tried to order service there.
So I call up TW and I'm like, "Listen, I don't want a quote or an estimate or anything binding - just ballpark how much it'd cost to run 3k feet of cable and hook up a house."
They won't even talk about it. Not at all.
So I have to buy the fucking house just to figure out if it's even possible.
This is as important and essential as a utility, and apparently I can't figure out anything about the cost until I'm actually there. How fucked up is that?
Fuck living in the country.
3 thousand fucking feet away is, like, FiOS. I am not in some untamed jungle in sub-Saharan Africa for fucks's sake.
In New York City, they won't even consider wiring up an entire apartment building which has FIOS already running into it unless a very large % of the tenants in the building contractually commit to signing up for it.
Fighting a TELCO is the most losing battle possible. You're just fucked. Don't waste precious time in your life on that nonsense.
Your best bet is to think of a different solution. For example, buy all the 3000' of land between you and the FIOS. Get the FIOS installed in a small shed. Then run your own outdoor ethernet cable back to your house.
Also, laying/pulling/terminating it is super hard, requiring specialized equipment.
http://ecmweb.com/content/setting-your-fiber-optic-cable-pull
For less money, because they provide steady work.
You think they have Joe Schmo lineman dig and lay that fiber?
That lot is shaped kind of weird shape. You may want to see who owns the land behind you.
Anyway, now we have 2 really good options in Glenville... a couple acres each. We're going to see them tomorrow.