Friday, December 04, 2009

Home, Sweet Home

I'm back.

As good as it was to see my mom and two brothers, I'm really happy to be home. I worked my tail off in Florida.

After 30 years with Liberty Mutual and only a couple of small claims during that time, my mother's home insurance had been cancelled as of December 15. Liberty Mutual refused to give a reason so I was forced to conclude it was because (1) The house's age, (2) my mother's age, or (3) the fact that we'd cancelled her auto insurance with the company.

No new insurance company would accept her application without a four-point home inspection (air conditioning, electricity, plumbing and roof). I managed to get the inspection done on Monday, interview companies on Tuesday and to contract with a new company on Wednesday.

I also discovered the house has a hot water pipe leak in its foundation (the inspector didn't find it; the lack of hot water cued me to start looking). Major clues were the fact that the thermostat and a heat element had already had to be replaced on a two-year-old water heater. I spent the rest of the week interviewing plumbers. Rather than repairing a single leak in the 48-year-old house (and tearing my mother's bathroom tile up), I opted to repipe the place. In exchange for letting the plumber have the old copper pipes, he's replacing all the faucets, too.

So, it was great to get back to Texas . . . to relax after my working vacation.

I'll be back later today with a new post.

8 comments:

Colleen said...

Welcome home, Maya.

Maria Zannini said...

Glad you're back!

Maybe we can brave the cold and go out this week. I am by my lonesome this week.

Call you tonight.

Maya Reynolds said...

Thanks, Colleen! I'm glad to be home.

Maya Reynolds said...

Hey, Maria: I tried to call you before I left town. Didn't get an answer on your cell and figured you were out-of-town.

Would love to get together with you. CALL ME.

Kristy said...

Insurance companies suck. I could elaborate, but I'm sure I'd be preaching to the choir. =)

Mike Keyton said...

Glad you're back

Maya Reynolds said...

Kristy: Amen, Sistah.

Maya Reynolds said...

Mike: Thanks! Home never looked so good.