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Help us decide between 2 homes


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#1 out in the prairie 10min North of town. Short acre with some fruit trees and raspberry bushes. Open zoning...goat, chickens, 1 horse, etc. Huge fixer upper. Our loan allows us to add 20k for fixing up, but it would still need work and isn't going to be a cute farm house just a late 70s ranch. Nice neighborhood. Next door neighbor has some questionable friends that were there briefly once. Seems to have lots of mosquitoes. Fishing only reservoir around the corner. 15min away from dh work. 2000sq ft. Some sort of water problem in the basement, but it might just need some concrete around the perimeter fixed to drain away from the house.

 

#2 in a small town, but 25min away from dh work. Seller has done lots of upgrades, brand new kitchen and hardwood floors. Another ugly 70s house, but this one is a bi-level. 2300sq ft Parks, library, grocery, lake near by that allows boating and swimming and a nice walk way around. will cost about $100 less monthly for the mortgage. It was struck by a tornado recently so will have a new roof, rain gutters and paint of our choice before move in. The tornado knocked down all the trees and the owners really didn't do any other landscaping.

 

We have been looking for over 4mos and have had 8 contracts written. For one reason or another other houses haven't worked out. It has been an emotional roller coaster and I am just plain brain dead and exhausted. We hoped to get into something at the end of spring to have the summer to settle in, but at this point I will do well to get unpacked before school starts. In the long run the acre will most likely be a more valuable property, but we also don't want to buy the money pit. Any ideas??? Advice??? I know this is a very personal decision, but I thought I would put it out there.

 

TIA

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I would keep looking. You should wait and find something you fall in love with. If you move into a house you really don't like.....you will hate it!

 

Keep looking...and don't put a time frame on it....take your time and you will find something you really like. :)

 

Tammy

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Tammy, you are so right!!! Unfortunately, we are at the end of our deadline for finding a home. If we don't get one in the next week we have to wait another 6mos to look again. It is a special loan through the USDA Rural Development Program and they typically run out of funds at the end of July and won't have any more until after the election. Interest rates might be up and with this loan the mortgage will be $200 to $300 less per month than we pay in rent right now.

 

Waiting is a choice, we just need to figure out how to make the expensive rent work until we can get in to the program again.

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I'd wait, too, but if I HAD to choose, I'd go with the second option in a heartbeat!!!

 

Questionable friends, the potential for a neighborhood full of roosters :D, the smell of goat carp, a mosquito-filled yard---Eeewww.

 

Go for the small town, the nicer house, the new roof.

 

Ba-bump. Ba-bump.

(That's the heartbeat.)

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Since you asked for advice ;) here is my humble opinion:

 

Are you willing to wait another 6 months and look then when you can redo your loan situation? If so, I would say wait and find the house you love.

 

If not, then I would by all means go with house #2, no question about it.

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In theory, I'd love the land. In reality, we don't want all the upkeep. Our house right now is in the city, close to the library, ect. And though it would have never been something I looked for before, and I'd love a more rural area, if we ever move I definately want to be within walking distance of everything.

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I would keep looking. You should wait and find something you fall in love with. If you move into a house you really don't like.....you will hate it!

 

Keep looking...and don't put a time frame on it....take your time and you will find something you really like. :)

 

Tammy

:iagree: This is a place where you want to live long term, correct? To wait for the RIGHT home would be your best option.

 

Are you moving to get your hubby closer to work? If not, can you look further out? Usually there are GEMS in your price range the further away from the populated areas you get. My husband drives almost 45 miles to work but he comes home to his haven, totally secluded, lots of acreage, dream home. We want to make some changes to fit OUR style, but we're very happy where we are. It's worth the commute.

 

When we bought our home, we intended to STAY here until we were too old to keep up with it.

 

UNLESS we relocate to a better climate. This CA girl is ALWAYS open to moving to a nicer climate. NH's summer is TOO SHORT.

 

Denise

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I would go with house #2 as well. If it has already been hit by a tornado, what are the odds of that happening again...?:lol: Right?

 

But seriously, #2 house sounds like a better deal.

 

Actually, true story, there was a house, in a nice newer sub, that was hit by lightning 3 times in the few short years it had existed. lol I never heard what happened (when I saw it it was burned out for the 3rd time) I imagine they had a hard time selling.

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I would run away from any home with water in the basement problems.
I agree---if there are problems now, who knows what will need to be done to fix it? It could be a little thing, but often those turn into very BIG and very expensive fix-its! Plus, these days especially, you don't wanna be messin' with mosquitos!

 

DH used to have a 30 minute commute. His office moved, and now it takes about 8 minutes, which is nice! Except for the gas prices, that commute isn't TOO bad.

 

I vote House #2!

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