Susan in KY Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 DH and I are in the market seriously for the first time. I think we kinda know what we are looking for, but I thought I'd ask.... If you could go back and give your first time home purchasing self advice, what would you say? :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 We were tempted by large lots. We like the yard space (2 acres), but at times it would be nice to have a smaller space to maintain. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Look at the layout of the home more than anything else. Forget carpet colors or wall colors, even kitchen cabinets, those can all be changed. The layout of the home is far more difficult to change. Location is also key. We wanted privacy, so if we had bought in a neighborhood with lots of houses, we would have wanted the end of a cul-de-sac or a lot that didn't back up to another house, etc..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 We love our house. It has one of the flattest driveways in a hilly neighborhood. We are in a culdesac close to the neighborhood playground, tennis courts, and pool. It has a room for everyone and a bonus room. We have a shady backyard but the corner is full sun and perfect for a garden. We are close to the grocery store, library, nature trail, and art center. Our local schools are not so good and as result there are more homeschoolers nearby. It is an older home, and we have maintained it over the last 14 years by painting and repairing and replacing Owning a home is expensive. Taking down trees damaged in a storm is surprisingly expensive. Everything seems expensive these days, so you learn to do a lot on your own. I have enjoyed making our house our home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jen3kids Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Don't be house rich, but life poor.... meaning, don't spend so much on a house that you can't afford to do anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Spend half the amount or less than the bank is willing to give you. The cheaper the better. Also think of houses that are good for older folks since we are going going to be old sooner rather than later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Don't be house rich, but life poor.... meaning, don't spend so much on a house that you can't afford to do anything else. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Location, location, location. Dh wanted a larger house; I wanted the better location. The realtor advised the better location. The house was smaller, but the schools were better, the neighbors were better, people were more invested in the neighborhood, and it sold quickly. That's not to say that location is the *only* consideration, but I would concentrate on being sure I chose a good one. Have FUN!!! Don't fight over stupid things like what color of white paint. I'm just sayin'. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Look at the layout of the home more than anything else. Forget carpet colors or wall colors, even kitchen cabinets, those can all be changed. The layout of the home is far more difficult to change. Location is also key. We wanted privacy, so if we had bought in a neighborhood with lots of houses, we would have wanted the end of a cul-de-sac or a lot that didn't back up to another house, etc..... This is soooo wise. We were shown the outside of a house first--made a great impression. Too bad I didn't trust my gut for the inside. You do not want a bathroom in the very front of the house with a nearly-picture window....:tongue_smilie: Remember the real estate agent may show you several houses, saving the "best", the one he really wants to sell you, for last. By contrast with the others, it will shine. BE CAREFUL. Trust your gut. Berber rugs hide a LOT of stains. Yuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Picture your life 5 and 10 years from now, multiple scenarios. Our house was just okay for the family we had when we bought. We didn't know we'd have 2 more kids, 4 pets, or homeshool. We didn't think about how difficult ( architecturally or financially) it would be to add on. Unless you're TRULY and honestly a handy family, don't settle for kitchens or bathrooms that will annoy you until they're remodeled, or yard projects you can't promise to get to in the first two years. Check every. single. outlet. The one that doesn't work after closing will drive you insane. Note the size of the hot water heater. :glare: Fresh spot of paint on the ceiling probably does indicate a leak! Every additional 5 minutes from your favorite locations adds up to a LOT of time in the course of a year. Admit that the pink bathtub surround will never get replaced. The pink toilet will take YEARS! Assess storage space carefully. Be sure there's at least one spot in the house from which you cannot hear the kids bicker. Let the spouse with the better poker face negotiate price and terms. Use a buyer-only agent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 (edited) We just bought our first home. If you are looking at old and new build homes, look at the old first and then the new build. Location and layout are prime considerations. Research your home inspector before choosing him. Have one ready to go and lined up BEFORE you choose a house. Ideally be with him. Do not get emotionally attached (hard I know). Drive past the house at all hours, weekends, rush hour, weekends. And talk to the neighbors and see who they are....if they are loud. It's important to go past the house at all hours. We've got 2 train tracks that run regularly near us....near enough you can hear it but not so near that it's annoying. It's hard in our area because most homes here can hear the trains because of the proximity to the military bases and such but I wish I would've known about it ahead of time....scared the poo out of me the first time lol eta: go by in a rainstorm and check out the drainage of the streets around your house. Edited November 23, 2011 by jillian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 15 year loan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Oh, another one - don't give in to guilt. I'm the one who wanted to buy. This property reminded dh of his grandmother's home. Since I pushed to move, I gave in to his emotions. We both regret that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandsam Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Take time making your decision - look at many options. Walk through the house, imagine what a day living there would be like. Pretend to use closets, make breakfast, sit in the yard and listen to noice, etc. I bought my first house far too quickly. The yard was the low point in the neighborhood and was always wet. It was unusable. The layout didn't work the best either with 2 bedrooms up and two in the basement. I wish we had taken time to look at other options vs jumping on the first house we found we could afford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Unless you're TRULY and honestly a handy family, don't settle for kitchens or bathrooms that will annoy you until they're remodeled, or yard projects you can't promise to get to in the first two years. :iagree: THIS! I thought we'd be handy, but it turns out neither of us is interested :-/ Also, the size of the closets/ storage can be as important as the size of the rooms. Good sized rooms with minuscule closets will be messy and make you nuts. Do not be impressed with the size of he windows unless they are really good windows. Those old, single pane windows are leaky and cost a fortune to replace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabrett Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Layout is extremely important. Know what layout you want and don't compromise! Close to jobs. It is nice when you or dh can be to work in 5 mins or home quickly for emergencys. It also saves big time when gas prices soar. Personally, Dh and I hate HOA's and will never again live in a community with an HOA. A safe neighborhood. Check online to see how close convicted pedifiles live. See if you can find, online, how often the police is called to your neighborhood and the surrounding area. Ample parking. When company visits or dc are old enough for a car, is there room? I would always go with a bigger house if you can. You never know when you are going to need an extra room. Maybe there is a surprise baby or sick parent who might need a room or you end up needing an office or more storage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Buy a house with several areas where people can congregate. Our house has one open plan area and then the bedrooms and it's annoying. When oldest son's math tutor came over, there was nowhere quiet for them to work. A fireplace is not essential. Now there are all sorts of wall-mounted fireplaces that don't need chimneys that will give you all the ambiance you want. Don't buy a house in the middle of nowhere. You never know when the price of gas will triple. :tongue_smilie: Don't buy a house unless you have enough money for needed maintenance. Even if you buy new, 13 years later, everything is 13 years old LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Unless you're TRULY and honestly a handy family, don't settle for kitchens or bathrooms that will annoy you until they're remodeled, or yard projects you can't promise to get to in the first two years.:iagree: THIS! I thought we'd be handy, but it turns out neither of us is interested :-/ Also, the size of the closets/ storage can be as important as the size of the rooms. Good sized rooms with minuscule closets will be messy and make you nuts. Do not be impressed with the size of he windows unless they are really good windows. Those old, single pane windows are leaky and cost a fortune to replace. \ and FYI if you live in an area where it gets very hot, walls of windows will heat your house. My grandma deals with this in her house, she is in the Houston, TX area and her living room has walls of windows that face the west so she gets the beating afternoon sun. Also check which way the house faces. If you've got little ones (babies/toddlers/preschoolers) or light sleepers you don't want them getting morning sun. Layout is extremely important. Know what layout you want and don't compromise! Close to jobs. It is nice when you or dh can be to work in 5 mins or home quickly for emergencys. It also saves big time when gas prices soar. Personally, Dh and I hate HOA's and will never again live in a community with an HOA. A safe neighborhood. Check online to see how close convicted pedifiles live. See if you can find, online, how often the police is called to your neighborhood and the surrounding area. Ample parking. When company visits or dc are old enough for a car, is there room? I would always go with a bigger house if you can. You never know when you are going to need an extra room. Maybe there is a surprise baby or sick parent who might need a room or you end up needing an office or more storage. Why don't you like HOAs? We love ours, they maintain the pool and the playground in our neighborhood. Also they treat the lakes/ponds and homes that are vacant they maintain the lawns of. ETA: and find out about homestead tax. We can file for a 4% tax instead of 6% for example Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassy Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Don't buy a very old house which needs major work doing on it when you have three very small children, unless you plan to live somewhere else while the work is being done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caedmyn Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Look at the layout of the home more than anything else. Forget carpet colors or wall colors, even kitchen cabinets, those can all be changed. The layout of the home is far more difficult to change. Location is also key. We wanted privacy, so if we had bought in a neighborhood with lots of houses, we would have wanted the end of a cul-de-sac or a lot that didn't back up to another house, etc..... Yes and yes. I would NOT buy a house with all the bedrooms in the basement again (not with young children who need naps and wake at the slightest sound from upstairs even with fans on). I also wish I had listened to my instincts that this house is further from town than I'm happy with. It's only 8 miles, but 15-20 minutes to get anywhere, which is just a hassle to me since I grew up in a place where it took less than 10 minutes to get anywhere in town. I'm not looking forward to having to drive to town on winter roads every single day at least once a day to pick DD up from school. Pay attention to the dogs in the neighbor's yards. There's nothing worse than living by a house with a dog that barks constantly (especially if the house is in an area where there aren't laws on barking dogs, and especially if the houses are close together). If you find a house you think you want, see if you can ask the current owners what the neighbors (and their dogs) are like. There's nothing like living two houses from the neighborhood drunk who sits on his steps and cusses at the kids walking by, or screams at his family all the time. Fortunately the dogs and the drunk were problems in a previous home and not our current one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Don't do it. But if are really set on doing it : - know the neighborhood and hoa rules - have experienced realtor that points out good and bad of the property- like no slanting driveways toward the house(avoids flooding) - shop around for a mortgage -buy only if you can do normal loan -- don't do the arm or 80/20 mess - price out yard service, bug/termite service and a few common repairs b/c you need to be aware of the cost and have money set aside for stuff like this. Our bug service of 37/mo was worth it when the termites appeared b/c the treatment would have thousands! - price out paint and curtains and light fixtures b/c you will want to change things to make it your own We never really understood the costs and have had bad luck buying houses. I would say don't do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Don't buy a corner lot. I love my house, but it is on the corner. Shoveling snow is a major pia because we have twice as much sidewalk to clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Ask to see their energy bills. If you see mouse poison in the closet, ask yourself why it is there. Look at storage space. How will the house affect your lifestyle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Look at the layout of the home more than anything else. Forget carpet colors or wall colors, even kitchen cabinets, those can all be changed. The layout of the home is far more difficult to change. Location is also key. We wanted privacy, so if we had bought in a neighborhood with lots of houses, we would have wanted the end of a cul-de-sac or a lot that didn't back up to another house, etc..... :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Wow, such great advice here! I'll see if I can add a few more. Electrical outlets. Check the walls for at least one per wall. Our first house was very old and I was forever running extension cords and using power strips. It was a pain! With today's interest rates, and if there's any possible way to swing it, I would look at a 15 year loan. We're also not HOA people. I know some people love them, but we had no idea how much power they had until we seriously looked at a house that had one. We wouldn't have been able to park our truck, with our business logo on the side, in the driveway :glare:. Sorry, my house, *my* rules. Sun exposure. Look at the house at all times of day. You don't want a house that constantly has sun beating on it OR one that gets little to no sun exposure. Bathrooms. Our first house had a bathroom right off the kitchen :tongue_smilie:. You don't want that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Be careful of skylights too. We had three, and two of them developed leaks. We ended up having all of them taken out, and it made a real difference in our electric bills! We hadn't realized how much hotter they made the house in the summer or how much heat was lost through them in the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I wish we'd offered about $5k less than we did. But it was a seller's market back then and we were afraid they'd turn our offer down. And they might have. People were snatching up houses within hours of them being on the market--I am not kidding. I wish I'd realized that our street is used by a lot of people to cut through to the schools and to cut through to another neighborhood. And they like to zoooom down my street. If possible, I wish I had sat on the street for a whole day to see what traffic was really like. Of course, I love the house so much, I'd have probably bought it anyway... I also wish the house was closer to the center of town. I live in a small town surrounded by farmland and we like to walk to the stores instead of driving whenever possible. However, my street is the very last residential street until you hit farms, so I'm farthest from the businesses in town, so we don't always have the time/ability to walk to everything. However, the library recently moved it's location to being practically at the end of my street, so it all worked out in the end! So.... #1--offer low at first. #2--check out how much traffic is really on your street. #3--if you like to walk in town, make sure you're not too far away from all the businesses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabrett Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Why don't you like HOAs? We love ours, they maintain the pool and the playground in our neighborhood. Also they treat the lakes/ponds and homes that are vacant they maintain the lawns of. The rules in our previous HOA were unexceptable. Many people who lived in our neighborhood were in construction. The HOA did not want any towing trailers or signs on cars or trucks in the driveway. You couldn't park them beside your house either. They wanted all that kind of stuff in the garage. This caused many people in our neighborhood problems as to where to park their truck or needed equipment for work. We also weren't allowed to park on the side of the streets which caused additional parking problems for families with teens with cars. If you had a boat or camper, you couldn't park it in the driveway or beside your house. The rules were causing the people to drive around the backs of their house to try and park/hide their work equipment and recreational vehicles. If this were an upscale neighborhood, I could understand. We were living on the main land before you reached Hilton Head Island and the neighborhoods were trying to mimic the rules for there upscale neighborhoods. But our neighborhood was more for the type of people who maintained the neighborhoods of Hilton Head. The HOA did maintain all the appropriate things, but the price went way up when the community closed and the builders left. The builders were hiding the real cost of how much was needed to maintain the community so people would have more incentive to buy a house. The dues were going up the max every time our covenant allowed because there wasn't enough money to pay the upkeep. The HOA was constantly sending us and our neighbors fines saying our house needed power washing even when it had been done in the past 6 months. I think our HOA was in such desperate need of money, they were on a constant 'fine' spree. When people started loosing their homes and not paying the dues, the 'fine' speed just got worse. I don't like HOA's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Sun exposure. Look at the house at all times of day. You don't want a house that constantly has sun beating on it OR one that gets little to no sun exposure. Oh! This one is very important to me. My MIL has a house that gets sun in only ONE window in the entire house. ALL of the other windows never directly face the sun. Her house always feels gloomy and cold to me. I love bright sunshine in the windows. All of my rooms get it at some point during the day, except the living room. And the living room is my least favorite room because of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I would pat myself on the back for saving the huge downpayment that we did and for buying a house that was reasonable for our income. In hindsight I would have worked for one more year because it would have made a HUGE difference for our finances. We should have painted the entire interior and had lights installed in the closets before moving in. Do a thorough check on the neighborhood schools, even though you're homeschooling now. People are shocked when they move into our neighborhood and discover the local public school has a very high low income population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 First check out the zoning or HOA rules. They can vary greatly just across the street from each other. You want to know not only what YOU can do but also what your neighbors could do. Right now one of our neighbors is NOT happy that when we bought this place this summer we cut down 3 acres of trees and put in horse pasture and a barn. It is very cute and we keep it very picked up but he was counting on those trees (the ones on our property) for HIS privacy. We wanted a place we could have our horses and chickens, etc. but you might want to be in a place where your neighbors can't do this. Don't over buy. Try to stay as low as possible as things will be more expensive than you thought. Check out the tax rates---again they can vary greatly depending on what side of the city/township, etc. line you are on. Check cost of utilities--esp. heat if you are in a cold area. Propane here cost $$$$ compared to natural gas. For us, we thought about handicapped accessibility. Our new house is not ideal but we can get my mom in her electric wheelchair in the house, in the bathroom, and in the main living areas of the home. As other said paint, flooring, etc. can be changed in time but layout is harder to change. Try to think of "living" in your house. My big thoughts were coming in with an arm full of groceries and how that would work (one house had the garage in the lower level and you had to walk all over though most of the downstairs then up the steps and through the living room to get to the kitchen) as well as laundry. I LOVE my main floor laundry. As in my above comments, don't count on the neighbor's trees, fence, etc. for your privacy as they can cut trees, remove the fence, someone could build on that vacant lot next to or behind you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Don't be house rich, but life poor.... meaning, don't spend so much on a house that you can't afford to do anything else. Spend half the amount or less than the bank is willing to give you. The cheaper the better. Also think of houses that are good for older folks since we are going going to be old sooner rather than later. Location, location, location. Dh wanted a larger house; I wanted the better location. The realtor advised the better location. The house was smaller, but the schools were better, the neighbors were better, people were more invested in the neighborhood, and it sold quickly. That's not to say that location is the *only* consideration, but I would concentrate on being sure I chose a good one. Have FUN!!! Don't fight over stupid things like what color of white paint. I'm just sayin'. :glare: 15 year loan Take time making your decision - look at many options. Walk through the house, imagine what a day living there would be like. Pretend to use closets, make breakfast, sit in the yard and listen to noice, etc. I bought my first house far too quickly. The yard was the low point in the neighborhood and was always wet. It was unusable. The layout didn't work the best either with 2 bedrooms up and two in the basement. I wish we had taken time to look at other options vs jumping on the first house we found we could afford. Unless you're TRULY and honestly a handy family, don't settle for kitchens or bathrooms that will annoy you until they're remodeled, or yard projects you can't promise to get to in the first two years.:iagree: THIS! I thought we'd be handy, but it turns out neither of us is interested :-/ Also, the size of the closets/ storage can be as important as the size of the rooms. Good sized rooms with minuscule closets will be messy and make you nuts. Do not be impressed with the size of he windows unless they are really good windows. Those old, single pane windows are leaky and cost a fortune to replace. Layout is extremely important. Know what layout you want and don't compromise! Close to jobs. It is nice when you or dh can be to work in 5 mins or home quickly for emergencys. It also saves big time when gas prices soar. Personally, Dh and I hate HOA's and will never again live in a community with an HOA. A safe neighborhood. Check online to see how close convicted pedifiles live. See if you can find, online, how often the police is called to your neighborhood and the surrounding area. Ample parking. When company visits or dc are old enough for a car, is there room? I would always go with a bigger house if you can. You never know when you are going to need an extra room. Maybe there is a surprise baby or sick parent who might need a room or you end up needing an office or more storage. Buy a house with several areas where people can congregate. Our house has one open plan area and then the bedrooms and it's annoying. When oldest son's math tutor came over, there was nowhere quiet for them to work. A fireplace is not essential. Now there are all sorts of wall-mounted fireplaces that don't need chimneys that will give you all the ambiance you want. Don't buy a house in the middle of nowhere. You never know when the price of gas will triple. :tongue_smilie: Don't buy a house unless you have enough money for needed maintenance. Even if you buy new, 13 years later, everything is 13 years old LOL. Don't buy a very old house which needs major work doing on it when you have three very small children, unless you plan to live somewhere else while the work is being done. Wow, such great advice here! I'll see if I can add a few more. Electrical outlets. Check the walls for at least one per wall. Our first house was very old and I was forever running extension cords and using power strips. It was a pain! With today's interest rates, and if there's any possible way to swing it, I would look at a 15 year loan. We're also not HOA people. I know some people love them, but we had no idea how much power they had until we seriously looked at a house that had one. We wouldn't have been able to park our truck, with our business logo on the side, in the driveway . Sorry, my house, *my* rules. Sun exposure. Look at the house at all times of day. You don't want a house that constantly has sun beating on it OR one that gets little to no sun exposure. Bathrooms. Our first house had a bathroom right off the kitchen :tongue_smilie:. You don't want that. Be careful of skylights too. We had three, and two of them developed leaks. We ended up having all of them taken out, and it made a real difference in our electric bills! We hadn't realized how much hotter they made the house in the summer or how much heat was lost through them in the winter. I wish we'd offered about $5k less than we did. But it was a seller's market back then and we were afraid they'd turn our offer down. And they might have. People were snatching up houses within hours of them being on the market--I am not kidding. I wish I'd realized that our street is used by a lot of people to cut through to the schools and to cut through to another neighborhood. And they like to zoooom down my street. If possible, I wish I had sat on the street for a whole day to see what traffic was really like. Of course, I love the house so much, I'd have probably bought it anyway... I also wish the house was closer to the center of town. I live in a small town surrounded by farmland and we like to walk to the stores instead of driving whenever possible. However, my street is the very last residential street until you hit farms, so I'm farthest from the businesses in town, so we don't always have the time/ability to walk to everything. However, the library recently moved it's location to being practically at the end of my street, so it all worked out in the end! So.... #1--offer low at first. #2--check out how much traffic is really on your street. #3--if you like to walk in town, make sure you're not too far away from all the businesses. Oh! This one is very important to me. My MIL has a house that gets sun in only ONE window in the entire house. ALL of the other windows never directly face the sun. Her house always feels gloomy and cold to me. I love bright sunshine in the windows. All of my rooms get it at some point during the day, except the living room. And the living room is my least favorite room because of it. I would pat myself on the back for saving the huge downpayment that we did and for buying a house that was reasonable for our income. In hindsight I would have worked for one more year because it would have made a HUGE difference for our finances. We should have painted the entire interior and had lights installed in the closets before moving in. Do a thorough check on the neighborhood schools, even though you're homeschooling now. People are shocked when they move into our neighborhood and discover the local public school has a very high low income population. :iagree::iagree::iagree:THE BEST suggestions I have ever read!!!!! These people know their business! DH and I are getting ready to purchase our 7th house and it will be my 15th house -- ALL the best suggestions are here. And, I will add this one as far as negotiating a price -- you are never going to see the sellers again after settlement unless they are going to ove next door or something odd like that. DO NOT BE CONCERNED about pi**ing them off with a lowball offer. Even in a seller's market, dh and I could have probably saved some $$$ but we were afraid to make the sellers angry so we offered asking price. DO NOT MAKE THAT MISTAKE. oh, and trust your instincts. You don't have to settle -- you may have to compromise, but don't settle.;) Heed that HOA advice -- really -- when you buy into a difficult/stringent HOA you also will probably one day have to sell in that same HOA. SPEND LESS THAN THE BANK SAYS YOU CAN! Don't put yourself in a situation where you find yourself down the road saying: Wow, we could do that if our mortgage was less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgialee Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Don't get so excited about a house that you overlook things you'll later regret. We *almost* bought a house that I realize now we would have ended up hating. God was watching out for us on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Sun exposure. Look at the house at all times of day. You don't want a house that constantly has sun beating on it OR one that gets little to no sun exposure. See, some do like full sun exposure....we have a full southern exposure all day - the entire southern side of our home is floor to ceiling windows overlooking our lake...it was one of the selling features of the home and hasn't ever been a problem since all the windows are UV coated (so nothing inside fades) and passive solar (designed to maximize heat gain in the winter and minimize it in the summer). All day our house is bright and sunny - it's great...and for times when we're in the family room and want some shade, we just lower the blinds that are set inside the windows (so no dusting or banging around of them)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandymom Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Buy with the next buyer in mind.... Always think about selling the house when you buy, even if you don't think you will be selling it anytime soon. The last house we bought had a smaller kitchen and a stop sign in front of the house. It had an amazing back yard with a pool and was huge, but when it came time to sell it, no one wanted the smaller kitchen or the stop sign (even though they were no big deal to us). Our house was on the market for almost a year at a very competitive price when others around us were selling in days. We had tons of showings and those were the two things mentioned over and over. Also, look at the previous owner's utility bills, esp on older houses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Look at the layout of the home more than anything else. Forget carpet colors or wall colors, even kitchen cabinets, those can all be changed. The layout of the home is far more difficult to change. Location is also key. We wanted privacy, so if we had bought in a neighborhood with lots of houses, we would have wanted the end of a cul-de-sac or a lot that didn't back up to another house, etc..... :iagree:Well said! Make a list of "musts" and "wishes" but know that you must be reasonable within your price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 (edited) Learn how to inspect a house for flaws yourself; don't rely solely on an inspector to do that for you. You can check out books and magazines at your library that will teach you what to look for. Spend your time examining the house. While the seller or real estate agent is present, ask to examine plumbing in sinks and areas you don't easily see. Never take the homeowner's or real estate agent's advice as being the truth. You are making a huge purchase. Don't feel rushed or pressured to move too quickly. Don't deal with people who make you feel this way. Fixing foundations, roofs, electrical and plumbing can be very expensive and disruptive. Other potential problems to check out: lead, asbestos, and radon. ALWAYS get these tests done by a professional before agreeing to purchase a home. ALWAYS. The homeowner's and real estate's word is not enough. Test before you buy. This will run you some money, but it's much easier to back out than to remedy, and if you discover the problem, you can negotiate the seller down. Do you want to deal with the hassle of correcting these problems, though? Know what problems plague the area where the home is located. In my suburb, most homes flood. Ours is one of the few that doesn't. We turned down about six homes due to the flood damage that the homeowners (unsuccessfully) tried to hide. Investigate crime and potential neighbors. Do Google searches galore. Do not fall in love with sugar coating or landscaping. Try to find the bigger problems lurking beneath the veneer. ETA: Read about the drywall that is causing so many problems in newer homes today and make sure yours doesn't have that. Don't assume that because a home is newer it won't have major problems. They certainly can. Edited November 23, 2011 by MBM more info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 DH and I bought our first home about six years ago.....we'd watched a lot of friends and family make some mistakes in their buying over the years, so before we started we had our list of things we'd avoid doing! We based our maximum price on what we knew we wanted to pay, not what the bank said we could afford....that translated to our looking at homes about half the price of what the bank said we qualified to borrow. We came to our max based on our mortgage payments (principle, interest and property taxes) being no more than 20% of DH's TAKE HOME pay.....that left us with enough to save for retirement, pay off student loans in full years early, have a good budget to save for a rainy day too AND actually pay the mortgage off in 15 years instead of 30 (we did take a 30 year so we have wiggle room if we need it since there is always a risk DH may not get a paycheck since he owns his practice and pays himself last). Our realtor really thought we were nuts and tried really hard to convince us that not only should we borrow more, that we were limiting our selection by limiting our budget. Umm, no.... Neither of us want to move again, so instead of buying a home that we could sell later and trade-up for another, we looked until we found a home we knew we'd be happy living in for the next 15 years (from when we purchased) since our goal is DH retiring around 60....at that point the house should be paid in full, so we can either sell it or stay - we just don't know yet since we really do love our house! Before we started shopping we had a list of "must haves" "nice to have" and "no way" items and stuck with it, no compromises since we knew we wanted a home we'd want to stay in long term. Surprisingly, it didn't take long to find our home, but it was, at times, a bit difficult getting the realtor to understand he was wasting time showing us stuff that lacked must haves or had no ways - he figured we'd just compromise. We took my dad's advice to go check county records to see the valuation and taxes and ask how they figured that out compared to selling prices in the area. We also took his advice to offer less than asking price, but not insult the seller.....we did that, the seller countered with a reasonable offer and we came to a mutually agreeable price, about 4% less than asking. DH and I were, however, prepared to pay asking price since we did like the home - but if you don't ask if they'll accept less, you just won't know! Biggest piece of advice we got from my sister (a contract attorney) was to have very strong contingencies in our offer....namely that our contract was contingent on DH receiving his license in the state we were moving, that we were able to get a mortgage at a specific interest rate (or lower) and that the home was acceptable to us based on inspections for radon, structure, water quality, home systems and mold. The "acceptable to us" was apparently important since any report returned that we didn't find acceptable gave us an out of the contract - basically we could void the contract without having to negotiate with the owners or accept them repairing if we didn't want to - the way it was worded, it was left to us whether we'd proceed or not once the inspections were done. Again, our realtor tried to convince us such contingencies would be unacceptable to a seller - yet, we persisted and the sellers accepted them (quite to the shock of our realtor). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 :iagree::iagree::iagree:THE BEST suggestions I have ever read!!!!! These people know their business! DH and I are getting ready to purchase our 7th house and it will be my 15th house -- ALL the best suggestions are here. And, I will add this one as far as negotiating a price -- you are never going to see the sellers again after settlement unless they are going to ove next door or something odd like that. DO NOT BE CONCERNED about pi**ing them off with a lowball offer. Even in a seller's market, dh and I could have probably saved some $$$ but we were afraid to make the sellers angry so we offered asking price. DO NOT MAKE THAT MISTAKE. oh, and trust your instincts. You don't have to settle -- you may have to compromise, but don't settle.;) Heed that HOA advice -- really -- when you buy into a difficult/stringent HOA you also will probably one day have to sell in that same HOA. SPEND LESS THAN THE BANK SAYS YOU CAN! Don't put yourself in a situation where you find yourself down the road saying: Wow, we could do that if our mortgage was less. :iagree: I will tell you about two lowball offers. Dh always negotiates on our housing; he is a merchant by trade. He offered 20% less than asking price on our house. They came down over 10%. I would have taken that and run. Dh went up 2.5% and asked them to throw in the pool table.:glare: (I didn't want the pool table.) I was horrified. I was worried they would get mad and not deal with us. They met his price. My sister and her Dh were selling their house. They had gotten a good deal on their house a year before and were trying to break even. You couldn't even begin to build that house for what they were asking. A guy came and offered around $75,000 less than asking price. He was arrogant. He was verbally abusive. It is a long and funny story, but he eventually paid more than their asking price. The moral of the story is that if the owners want to sell at a lower price they will. If they don't, they won't. The owners don't have to like you to sell their house to you (I do realize that some people won't sell to someone they dislike, but most people just want to sell their house.) The money Dh saved us might make the difference on whether or not we have a down payment for our next home. We don't have a choice on whether or not we want to transfer. We need to pay as little as possible each time we buy. If a house costs more that we feel comfortable spending we can pay less or buy a different house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Don't get discouraged. We looked at around 30 houses over 6 months and I was really starting to get anxious. Fall was creeping up, I didn't want to spend another winter with my folks. But our Realtor had us make up a list of our Must Haves and our Wants before we started looking so we were focused on our goals. The house we wound up buying has almost everything single thing on the list and we got it for a steal. Stay patient, don't get discouraged and don't settle. It's a buyer's market and you're going to have to live there for the rest of your life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Make sure everything is fixed BEFORE you move in. It's hard to get it fixed after you're already in the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Again, like others have said, think of what you really NEED and don't over buy. The more house you have, the more you have to maintain, heat/cool, repair, and pay taxes on. Also, fancy yards are great IF you like to do that stuff but again, the more landscaping you have the more you have to maintain it. Our current house is honestly more house than we need---1900 sq. feet plus semi finished basement. The thing we ran into though was that our target area (same township we had lived in until our house was taken for a highway project) had very very very little in the way of places for sale with at least 5 acres--what we needed to keep our horses and little hobby farm going. While it is great ot have have the pond with waterfall, nice landscaping---including roses that are still blooming, etc. it is more work to keep it up. The house though was well within our budget to pay cash and have enough for all of the updates/repairs, etc. We are very happy here but honestly, if there had been more choices with a bit smaller house that still had enough land, we would have been happy there too. Just think through how YOU live and what you need. Maybe you do need a guest room as you have lots of out of town company that come frequently but don't buy a house for a guest room that might be used 1 or 2 nights a year. I would give up a guest room for a main floor laundry or bigger pantry but other people need a school room or ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Know what problems plague the area where the home is located. In my suburb, most homes flood. Ours is one of the few that doesn't. We turned down about six homes due to the flood damage that the homeowners (unsuccessfully) tried to hide. . Ditto. I have asthma so a dry house was critical. We went home shopping during a wet summer and there was no hiding anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 A water test is good to do too, if for some reason it's not required for your loan. I would get MUCH less house than you're approved for. Our initial mortgage was at the upper end of comfortable but our insurance and taxes have gone up significantly and now we're UNcomfortable! HOA's are the devil. I won't ever EVER live in one again. Even when they're good they're bad. Go and sit at the location at all hours of the day, listen for crazy neighbors or traffic. Consider different times of year, will that steep hill be a bobsled run in the winter? Consider what YOU need in a house. We choose to live in remote locations because when things get tough we can dig deep and garden and raise chickens and cows. Someone who is more urban wouldn't want to have to travel 20 miles for their eggs. Taxes, future growth potential, population changes, look to the future trend of the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 We looked for a year before buying our current house. We didn't even contact a realtor until we knew exactly what we wanted, and we ended up buying the first house he showed us. We picked the area very carefully and got a floorplan that we are 95% happy with. We will probably move when the kids fly the coop, but that is the only reason I'd move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Wow, these are great! I am so glad I asked! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Be sure there's at least one spot in the house from which you cannot hear the kids bicker. I like our house. It's use. I also managed to pick it out in less then 2 hours of house shopping. (My dh was working in a new area 90 minute drive from our house. So I made plans with a agent and went out to buy a house one day, and came back with a house. :) ) I seriously don't really mind the fact the bathroom really needs to be replaced. (55 year old bathroom previously owned by tall drunk men with bad aim.) But Sound does travel really well in this house. I admit it's less then 1000 square feet. But no matter where you are you can here the other people - with the exception of kids making mischief in a bedroom. I can hear the people on the sidewalk outside talking even when the windows and doors are closed... Mind you I wouldn't trade it for another house. But if only I could convince my dh to wear ear plugs when he has a nap or is working from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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