From the Star Ledger:
‘My Lowe’s contractor doesn’t care, and Lowe’s doesn’t either,’ homeowner claims
When CherylAnne and Mike Amendola decided to expand and renovate the kitchen in their Lincoln Park home, they knew it would be a big job.
They decided to turn to Lowe’s.
“My family chose Lowe’s to complete our kitchen project mostly because of their safety guarantee,” CherylAnne Amendola said, noting she felt comfortable with Lowe’s taking on the responsibility of selecting the contractor for the job.
The Butler store said the kitchen, totaling $43,849 for labor and materials, should be completed in about eight weeks, documents show.
But now, more than four months later, the job remains unfinished.
The couple signed the contract on April 18. It included everything from plumbing and electrical to cabinets, flooring and appliances – the whole kitchen, soup to nuts.
…
There were delays from the start, the couple said.A month after they entered into the contract, the couple learned from the town that the company hadn’t yet filed for permits.
The Amendolas said they asked Lowe’s for a timeline, but Lowe’s said it couldn’t get CJS to commit to a schedule, documents show.
“On May 24, CJS told our Lowe’s project manager that they had filed for the permit, but they did not, according to the town,” Amendola said. “After chasing after them for a permit, they finally filed for it on June 4, five days after they demoed our kitchen.”
On June 1, work stopped without reason, Amendola said, and no one returned to the house for more than a month – until July 6.
Frustrated and getting no answers from CJS, Gotay or Lowe’s, Amendola started posting videos on social media to document her experiences. She calls her series of videos, “My Lowe’s contractor doesn’t care, and Lowe’s doesn’t either.”
First
Smart move by Trump calling a press conference then publicly calling the President of Mexico regarding the new trade agreement. Now left leaning media outlets can’t make crap up about the President of Mexico being outraged or Trump saying something insulting to him…making that the focus of the story.
Don’t be surprised if the blog dissapears in the coming days.
I have too much going on, too little time.
13 years was a hell of a run.
What will pumps do all day?
An era comes to an end! Had some great times here!
Anyone fly Frontier Airlines?
All the time..
As to the blog ending, anyone want to take over?
No thank you, Mr. Harbuz
I fly Frontier out of Trenton to save about $200 a ticket compared to Newark. They are ok, seats don’t recline, no-frills flights. The only major issue is if the fight is canceled there is a chance of no reschedule.
You know housing is in trouble when it’s Case-Shiller day and grim has nothing to say.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/home-price-growth-slows-again-case-shiller-says-2018-08-28
Juice. Thanks. That would be a major concern. Trying to find cheap tickets for my daughter for a bachelor rette party in Nashville.
It would be fun if everyone left but we created a bot just to keep Pumps wound up. The bot would randomly use all of the educated posters handles, and Ottoman.
What will pumps do all day?
Well, my daughter just flew to Trenton and back to BNA last week (she lives there). Usually, no problems, except for when we used them for Nashville in April. Return flight was cancelled due to mechanical problems on Sunday. They paid overnight stay in OK hotel, with meals and gave us each vouchers for free round trip flights. They flew us back on Monday even though next flight was scheduled for Tuesday. It fit our bill, as we are retired.
I only live 35 minutes away from TTN, so its a god-send. EWR and PHL feel like hell when I have to fly from those spots. Fly to Florida all the time, going again in two weeks, using them. Have had flights as cheap as $29 each way. They do hit you on the baggage, but hey. Still worth it.
Xo Thanks for the information. I can’t take the chance the flight could be cancelled and she might miss the event.
That would scare me, for the same reason I don’t ever go to Taco Bell. I know it can’t be real meat at those low prices.
Have had flights as cheap as $29 each way.
Thanks Grim. Always enjoyed your insight. I’ll be sure to stop in for a bourbon sometime.
Thanks for the ride Grim!
I learned a lot.
And some of it was useful!
A long standing morning routine will come to an end.
Grim can you let us know when it’s official? I just think it would be a nice way to all to say Adios. Also please provide the address for your joint! Thanks.
I’ve flown TTN on frontier. It’s ok and very cheap, flew to detroit for like $50. The whole family flew for the cost of one united ticket out of Newark. It’s no frills but OK for flights under 3 hours. Trenton airport is really easy to get in and out of despite it being an additional 45 minutes further than Newark from my house you get in and out of that airport really quick.
Boo.
Thanks for all the work Grim. Sorry to see it go, but I blame Pumps and your hooch success. We’ll stop by the bar time-to-time as well. Good luck with everything.
Someone ought to at least make a Facebook group. Set your privacy settings right and you can still participate without anyone really knowing who you are.
This was one of my favorite lurking grounds. While I live much further than most of you, should everyone meet up to discuss their typical stuff or simply count the number of cars in front of Pumpkin’s home? (JK Pumps)
A shame this comes to an end.
Lib the FB idea is great! Not that I have a clue how to set that up! It would be nice to keep it going for those of us who might like an intelligent conversation.
This blog will be missed for sure. Thanks Grim and all. I feel like I almost grew up on this blog. I found it shortly after I bought a dump in Brigadoon in 2005. The advice on this blog was unbelievable looking back. Back in mid 2008 during divorce discussions, my ex’s lawyer thought Westfield would always command a premium and told her to keep it. I was on this blog and knew better. She paid me out 60k in equity. Insane. She ended up losing another 60k when selling it in 2011. $120k saved right there by staying on this site. You’ve saved people millions, I would imagine. Kicked my rear a little in 2014 to get off fence and buy. This ,on top of great advice regarding how to approach life in general. Invaluable. Thanks
agree – let’s just move to a Facebook group
It’s more collaborative than the blog format.
9:33 Grim it’s been a pleasure.
Please create a FB group.
Grim, it’s been a long time on this blog. You have no idea the amount of wisdom you have passed on to people.
Thanks for the memories, Grim. I started browsing your blog about a month into my new job, was along for the “exciting” ride that was the housing market from 2006 – 2015 when I bought a house of my own. Just started checking in again recently, was amazed you were still running the joint. Best wishes and good luck.
I’ve never been on facebook and I never will be. adios.
Thanks for all of your time and effort Grim! It’s amazing the blog has lasted so long and that is because of all your hard work and effort. Lesser men would have shut it down years ago!
long time lurker as well….please create a FB group that way we can block Pumps and filter out all his nonsense.
Doesn’t a FB page require an Administrator?
Thanks for everything, Grim.
Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2129146347158789/
It’s a closed group for now. Answer the question and I’ll let you in.
Lib I just answered the question. Let me in!!!
Me too!
Nice call. Just looking over some of the old pages before it’s gone.
grim says:
December 30, 2013 at 5:59 pm
IMHO – Rapid rise in mortgage rates will directly result in a significant reduction in the supply of existing homes as owners will be reluctant to sell. Why? Because it means taking on a much higher interest rate. Instead, owners will expand, remodel, etc … anything but sell.
Given the ferociousness of the refi market, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear numbers like 20-25% of the entire US housing stock being in this “locked in” scenario.
Would I trade my sub 4% mortgage for a 6.5% mortgage on a more expensive property? Nah, I’ll just drop a second level on, the payback will be better (Not at all sure what I’d do with 4800 square feet).
Follow on impact will be an increase in the value of the overall existing housing stock as small properties are expanded and remodeled instead of being handed to new owners.
If you thought inventory was low now, you’ll not like this scenario at all.
This is the internet, it will never be gone!
Glad that it’s all recorded data. I’m the fool, but look at the good advice. Now look at fast eddie’s advice below it.
Michael says:
December 30, 2013 at 11:44 am
Eddie, honestly how much lower do you want houses to go. Houses usually go up every year as long as there is inflation. When you have houses go down for 5 years, you have to also account for how much they should have been going up in the equation. What I am getting at and you fail to understand, is that houses really are at a great price right now in haughty nj towns. They have had their huge drop. In 2004 , try to find a house in wood cliff lake or some other haughty north jersey town at 600 or 700 thousand. Ridgewood was selling cap cods for 600,000 back in the bubble. Now you can get houses on the upper side of Ridgewood for 800,000!!! That’s not a deal for you? This house would have been going for 1.4 in 2005. I don’t know why you think it’s going to go lower. Right now in my area of wayne, you can get houses (viscaya/pines lake) for 800,000 that were going for 1.3-1.4 million. Come on Eddie, another 50% drop and ghetto people will be able to move up to nice neighborhoods.
Fast Eddie says:
December 30, 2013 at 11:55 am
Michael,
Flat salaries for 13 years and personally, my property taxes are up 67% over the last 10 years which is DOUBLE the rate of longterm inflation. I’ll use my tax increase as a baseline. Houses went up 87% in our area and dropped approximately 20% from peak. Theoretically, we have another 5% to 7% drop to go but remember, property taxes are going nowhere but up. All this on two incomes. We will drop another 10% to 12% in price over the next 3 to 5 years. By the way, how deep underwater are you?
I miss this daily abuse…lol. Good times.
Spine Snapper says:
December 31, 2013 at 12:41 pm
gary (39)-
Fcuktard Michael thinks you can have wage inflation in the midst of the biggest period of global wage arbitrage in history.
Problem is, Yellen prolly thinks the same thing.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
You can’t go. It will make it so much harder to track down Moana and footrest in the coming SHTF/TEOTWAWKI event.
Seriously, made some good buds here and was able to find an EPL team to hate with a blind passion (Arsenal) now that the Mackems have been relegated again.
Must have Finale GTG. Folks will come from far and wide and buy your vodka.
We have to get Pumpkin to show for the GTG. Can we all agree to a truce and safe passage for him? Oh, we can heap scorn but no fisticuffs. Save that for the Gooners (kidding, gluteus, you insufferable wanker)
In other news (and the reason I came).
Friend/client got a visit from a field auditor for the NJ Div of Taxation. They literally came by unannounced and wanted to see the books. Friend wasn’t home.
I looked up the investigator and saw that while she is holding down her NJDoTax job, she is running for city council in East Orange. Interestingly, one of her linkedins says she lives in Livingston.
Let me in now Lib!!!
Ha ha.
He who controls the spice controls the universe!
Are you trying to get me killed? Lol
Comrade Nom Deplume, Peacemaker says:
August 28, 2018 at 2:17 pm
We have to get Pumpkin to show for the GTG. Can we all agree to a truce and safe passage for him? Oh, we can heap scorn but no fisticuffs. Save that for the Gooners (kidding, gluteus, you insufferable wanker)
Nom anyone involved with taxation at any level in NJ is basically a mobster in all but name…..
Lib answered question! Let em IN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re61B8sKQWk
Grim, Thanks for the Ride!
Congrats to all your success !
Notice how at least 40% of the comments today relate directly to this person you all claim to disdain and ignore. I was right all along. It’s you idiots who will have no life if he goes away.
Juice Box says:
August 28, 2018 at 9:42 am
What will pumps do all day?
23 Laauwe in Wayne is now under $ 1 million. That’s a cool half mill less than Grim said it was worth. Clearly, he’s the next coming of EF Hutton.
“Grim, it’s been a long time on this blog. You have no idea the amount of wisdom you have passed on to people.”
Probably the wisest thing written on this blog in months. Years.
D-FENS says:
August 28, 2018 at 12:38 pm
I’ve never been on facebook and I never will be. adios
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPbjPOgRtyA
Grim, This blog helped motivated to stay in my rental for almost 5 years during the RE bust of ~2007. I was also at the first meet up with Clot and others. Good times.
Why FB of all places? Why not a more private whatsapp group?
It’ll be sad to see this go. Is there anything that can change your mind?
*helped me stay motivated
Damn, you guys are going to force me to activate facebook………unbelieveable lol
Grim, many thanks for all the years. I’m still so technologically disabled I have never been able to search well on the blog so while I don’t know the date of my original post I know it’s been a while…all good
Strongly second a blowout GTG at Silk City.
Stu, it’ll take me to September sometime to resurrect my rarely used facebook account I presume. I’ll reach out then.
If there is a GTG post it here before it goes down!
Guess I’ll need to find another go-to blog. Thanks for all your efforts Grim!
leftwing,
Just make a fake account. It will help hide your identity as well.
I could care less about revealing my identity, plus I stay away from Madden tournaments.
GTG
GTG
GTG
GTG
GTG
Come on people, I can’t hear you.
Is that peak-to-peak coverage or should we refer to it as full trough?
13 years was a hell of a run.
Let’s have it at his house. Fair warning: the on street parking is very dangerous.
We have to get Pumpkin to show for the GTG.
Ottoman,
Why do you visit this blog?
When you shut it down. Close out comments, but leave it active for a few months so anyone that wants to search old comments can reread as their convenience.
^^^The Donate button is still active. I’ve used it.
If everybody donates $25 and Pumpkin donates $1,000 we should all be square.
Ooohhhhh … come on Grim! You can’t close this place down. Don’t do it brother. Lots of good bits of advice (well…from most). Didn’t get around to posting much bu checked in often. Kept me in check when many a people would talk nonsense. Thanks for mammaries!
Why FB? Don’t know how to use to care to create an account. (Any seller that asked me sign up via FB – I immediately moved on.) Can’t we can migrate to something else other than FB?
Grim – please post your distillery info so that I can secretly stop by ;)
Hold the phone. Everybody except Pumps donate $25 and maybe grim can figure out a way to preserve the site as read-only with all Pumpkin comments removed. Who wouldn’t pay for that? I’ve ponied up.
Money talks, bullshit walks.
Ooohhhhh … come on Grim! You can’t close this place down.
Other than bitcoin (or crypto) … is there a way to donate anonymously?
Maybe just leave a BIG tip at the distillery.
Yes we need the name of the distillery.
I had to leave fscebook: predatory MILFs .
Where will I post about the strange comps and trend I find while doing research on foreclosure?
Had a property I came across today in Wayne that sold in 2014 for $650,000. Currently at $649,900 and no takers. Colonial built in 1996. Hideous decorating but reasonable condition.
What a long, strange trip it’s been. No FB for me. Will miss you all. See you at Silk City Distillery.
Lib I pulled my FB request I have to figure out to join without my personal information displayed. Chgo has a good point. When I figure it out I will be back.
We could always move to blogger(google) site….
Just make a fake account like the Russians do.
Too much moderation would be needed. Blogs all get botted to death.
Can we at least have JJ’s posts enshrined somewhere?
…and here we have the ephemeral nature of the room…
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lib, invite only blogger site…all posters need to be registered. We could leave read opened.
As long as everyone has a google account we can make it work
Where is the FB question?