asicengineer Some people are worried about leaks into the basement and I suppose that this could happen, but at our house we have a pool right up against the foundation and yes our basement has flooded, but never from the pool. It has flooded from a hurricane, from a broken pipe, and from a laundry incident which is why we have tile and cheapo area rugs down there so damage is minimal. It is a basement after all. As far as the pool goes, our contractor put in a layer of pink foam to separate it thermally and physically from the foundation and of course made sure that any rain or snow overflow would be on the side of the pool away from the house. Actually in that way the pool acts as an exposed 'french drain' that prevents any water from touching the foundation, even during the hurricane.

Frank Organ Olson Kundig Architects have asked me to point out that the first image in this ideabook attributed to Garret Cord Werner is of Pavilion House, a project of theirs. Garret Cord Werner was the interior designer for the project and not the architect.

Judith Collins Thanks so much - very helpful!

custom-tiles.com Helpful hint on tile/grout joint effect on tile installations - your 12x12 tile is probably NOT really 12x12, so if you want to figure accurately enough to size the installation including grout width: know that 'nominal' size (e.g., 12x12) is not the ACTUAL size. Ask or check written specifications for the actual size, try to find out what the average variance of tile size from this figure is. Tumbled tile typically varies the most due to the rounding and chipping at the edges. Tiles with larger variances from the 'average size' require a wider grout line to aid the installer in making adjustments to align the tiles.

marsia Ok, I will, but things take me forever - we are in the middle of a remodel and I am trying to whip the gardens into shape, but it is a lot of work as they are on a steep hill and are washing down hill. But I will post when I get something done enough to take good pictures! Thanks for the encouragement!

Becky Harris Doesn't matter how long it takes! Just check back in whenever :) Good luck!

mimola My husband and I live in upstate NY. We had always talked about owning a second home in FL and in 2009 when the RE market tanked, we decided we should see what we could find, although we were 8 or so years from retirement. We found a town on the Gulf Coast that we loved (Dunedin) and looked at all kinds of real estate - condos, single family houses, etc. Decided we were not the 55+ community types, wanted a yard, but didn't like the idea of having a single family home sitting empty for part of the year. Our realtor came up with the idea of a duplex where we could rent out one unit, thereby having someone living on the property and helping to pay the mortgage, while we could keep the other unit for ourselves. We found a 3 BR ranch in a desirable neighborhood and excellent condition that had an attached mother-in-law 1 BR apartment in back and took the plunge. So far, It has been wonderful! We get down there for getaways when we can and eventually we'll become snowbirds, taking the main house for ourselves and using the apartment for visiting family or friends, or renting it out short term or long term if we need or want the income. I agree with every single recommendation in the article and as I read it, was relieved to realize we had done those things. Here's my advice (much of it echoing the article and previous comments) if you are interested in doing something similar: 1) Educate yourself as much as possible. "Real Estate Investing for Dummies" and "The Second Homeowner's Handbook" a well as other resources exposed us to many important points we wouldn't have thought of on our own. 2) Be absolutely positive that you're buying in a desirable neighborhood. 3) Unless you live nearby and are handy with time, money, and skills, buy a property that needs little to no work. 4) Be able to pay the mortgage even if the property goes unrented. 5) Interview property managers extensively. Check their experience and references, talk in depth about how they will search for and qualify tenants, and go with someone you really trust and communicate well with. We could not do this without our terrific property manager. We've had two tenants so far, both excellent, and each time the property rented within a few days of being advertised. We have an in-depth lease, reviewed by the property manager's legal counsel. Think of things that could happen and cover them in the lease. That's a lot better than trying to deal with problems later. Our lease even includes such things as who parks where when the apartment is occupied and the fact that both parties get to pick fruit from the citrus trees. 6) As the article said, build a professional team. While the house had been totally refurbished just prior to our buying it, the apartment needed work and we didn't know anyone in the area (this was before we hired the property mgr) so we used Angie's List to find an excellent contractor, plumber, electrician, etc. 7) Maintain a friendly but business-like relationship with your tenants. Even though we live side by side when we are in town, they are the year-round tenants and we respect that. I.e. when we are there we don't act like we own the place (even though we do.) It's their home. By the same token, even though they know our names and could easily get our contact info, all communication about the property such as maintenance issues or other requests go through the property manager. Five years ago I wouldn't have dreamed that we'd be second home owners and landlords, but I'm thrilled that we are and that it's gone so well.

Megan Koopman By the age of 30 I owned 5 rental homes, all single family residents and all in Phoenix, AZ. The best thing about Arizona is that it is a landlord state. What that means, courts will normally rule in favor of landlords vs renters. Most of the laws are written to benefit landlord, within reason. California is not a landlord state. Check the laws for your state before buying or converting rentals. We had a rough real estate market the last few years with most of our properties dropping at least 50% in value, however rental income during this time fluctuated either not that all or $100/month. My trick for being a landlord for 10 years, buy new homes (less than 5years old), low maintenance places, 12 month leases, and be very picky on the renters. Times are hard like last year when 2 rentals rent vacant and we still had to pay mortgage for 2 months without the income. It is always a business for me. I have become friends with several of my tenants but if they were 5 days late on rent, I still sent them eviction notices. If you give people ANY wiggle room, they will use you and take advantage of this. Be stern, they will appreciate it if they are good people. I had to hire a property manager as I recently moved out of state. That's much nicer on us. We have mortgages on all properties which will be paid off by our tenants over the 30 year term with little money out of our pocket, we will own all our houses out right and be ready to retire! Anyone can do it that thinks like a business person.

embracegrace We have US Floors Marcas Areia planks and I am SO happy with them. I will never go back to hardwood. The hardwood in our old house always looked dirty, showed spots, collected dust like crazy, and was LOUD. We've had our cork for a little over a year, and it has survived a big water spill (our kitchen sink exploded all over the floor) and many pricks of my seam ripper and knife as I've dropped them on the floor. Countless dishes have been saved because of the soft, quiet, resilient cork. I'm sure it depends on the brand, because I would NEVER have hardwood based on my experience with it in our old house, and will sing the praises of cork all day long due to our experience now.

katharinep We are planning to use cork tiles in our exercise room that has a southern exposure. I'm concerned about fading. Any suggestions how to avoid this problem?