First time Home buyers i have questions (not pregnacy related)

Mamato2boysMamato2boys
edited July 2011 in Current Events
ok so hubby and i are house hunting and i just wanna hear some stories or anything about your experience with this big step & decision any pointers or advice? We already know we want a 3bd home, w 2car garage, n a basement, & a big kitchen or atleast a dining room....we know the area we wanna move to but i wanna hear some of your advice as to what to look for and things to consider when buying a home this is a exciting yet scary step to me lol
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Comments

  • KylieMommieKylieMommie
    Imagine kids in the house. When we bought our house we didn't think about kids. Our house is not that kid friendly and we regret it, but can't sell it for what we owe on it.
  • lilbit01_209lilbit01_209
    Most two car garages only fit one car decently unless you get a split one... Inspection is a must! Check water pressures in all bathrooms/showers... Negotiate for seller to pay closing costs. Make sure all emergency stuff are there (fire alarms mainly)... Sounds silly but actually get down and smell the carpet in many places... some sellers will mask animal urine with chems and they come out later. Talk to neighbors about history of house (they have better knowledge of what went on) Check paint job.. (the painter who did ours didnt take lights, wall plugs, or switches off walls or even move the stove when they painted).... hmmm thats all I can think of right now...
  • LittleFaeLittleFae
    Make sure to hire an inspector to go through the house. Even if they,are pricey they can save you so much in the end. Do not take an inspector a seller migjt offer, you never know if they are helping to hide something.

    Buy a home warrenty

    Walk the neighborhood, talk to the neighbors. They might know things about the house/neighborhood that the,seller might be,hiding.

    look to see if,there is an HOA and what their rules/monthly or yearly fees are.
  • jay_bradjay_brad
    Bring a home inspector to inspect house... or a constructor.. that way realitors don't try to BS you ;)
  • lilpeapod913lilpeapod913
    We just bought a house. It was a kind of long and frustrating process but it's July now and after 7 hard working weeks, we are in and everything is put away and it's our home! We settled on a 4 bedroom quad level in a nice quiet neighborhood.

    Things to consider:
    School district
    Neighborhood (drove thru during different parts of the day/week)
    Babysitters? (We live within a close proximity to his parents and my dad)
    Depending on your long tern goals, you may want to consider resell value
    How much work needs to be done

    Hmmm that's all I can think of right now.. good luck! What area do you live in? Here in Michigan, it's completely a buyers market! We got a sweet deal on our house. I love it.. we have a 5-7 year plan here, but I know ill be dad to leave since this is the home our little one will come home to and the home we will come home to as husband and wife :)
  • momof22bemomof22be
    House inspector for sure and if u can get a new or fairly new home if u can't location and safety and look into how much it will take to fix it up and take someone who u can trust like a dad or something those ass holes that try to sell the homes cover up allot of crap that is wrong with it and please be prepared for stress hit it head on and keep ur foot down don't let them walk all over u price wise or any other way please please listen to me when I say bring someone u can trust
  • LittleFaeLittleFae
    Check to see if there are signs of the basement flooding. You can tell by stains,on the wall.

    Knock on the,walls. Ive been in a house and put a hole in the wall when I barely tapped on it. Turns out there had been a leak and there was mold behind the wall
  • Mamato2boysMamato2boys
    well we have to our kids are the main reason we wann buy a house i hate moving so much they need stability and my oldest will start kinder soon i hate living in apts no backyard fun for kids! and crappy neighors!! so far on my list on what to look for i have:
    *nice neighborhood (always a good idea to browse around likely neighborhoods in summer that way you get a feel for the neighborhood as it will be)

    *Kid Friendly--good schools
    *were looking at it from a long point of view :"a house we can grow in"
    *of course i gotta put the physical features of a house aside and find that its not gna give me problems in the long run ex: leaking basement, leaking roof, termites...etc
  • jay_bradjay_brad
    edited July 2011
    Are their stairs in between your bedroom n the laundry room?? Be prepared for a hassle on laundry day..
    is the property on a hill? May have to sacrifice money to get yard mowed if too steep..also consider children's limited ability to play on a hill where as on flat yards they can ;)
    Take a trip around the neighborhood see anyone hanging around that brings suspicion? Don't move there....
    Walk into every house as if you are buying it for your baby... when I say that I mean be very observant and picky picky!! Even if you adore the house do not let it show infront of realitor ... that is unless you want to pay asking price..
  • redhead25redhead25
    edited July 2011
    We had the sellers pay for our home warranty. Check the county assessors website and see what they have the house valued at and u also can see previous owners and how much they bought it for....just so they don't try to rip u off. Make sure ur furniture will fit where u want it.
  • YAYAYAYA
    A yard big enough for the little one/s to play.
    We thought our backyard was night enough and then we started breeding dogs we have 7 now so no room for baby to play when he's able to. So we're looking for a new place already. We only been here for almost 2 years.
  • Mamato2boysMamato2boys
    ive heard so many horror stories and i do not want to be a victim of those types of things if i can avoid i will and i plan on having an inspector and some of the houses weve looked at are soooo nice that u have to ask yourself "whats the catch?" some of these homes are appraised to the value of the upper 100's and are selling for like 80?!?

    @momof22be did you have a bad experience?

    @lilbit01_209 ewww smell the carpet? im such a germafobe i think i would actually want to replace all carpet especially if it had pets bc hubby is allergic to some animals
  • lilbit01_209lilbit01_209
    @Mamato2boys Well calculate that into your mental calculator... carpet can be pricey... and the seller most likely will not replace it at all.
    One thing I HATE in our house is that our bedroom, bathroom, and walk-in closet are all one carpet... I hate the carpet in the bathroom...
    Dont settle for a small pantry either... :D
  • momof22bemomof22be
    Yes the lady said we can get u in for $500 plus closing cost and it all looked good from the outside and inside but under it was horrible leaking pipes leaking water heater spraypainted sink and tub one bedroom was a carport convert and was beetle ridden and we way ovetpaid could not sell and it went to short sale we lost allot we paid 100 grand 8 years ago and short sold it for 80000 we just paid it off and now we live in a good home that was kept up by the previous owners in a good neborhood it is like 15 years old and I love it here good luck Hun I really hope u get one like this the first time and not the seccond my little sisters friend got a brand new home but it is the only one and in a very bad neborhood she is scared to go outside but she doesn't have to worry about her house breaking down just do all the math
  • lucyloo288lucyloo288
    Don't settle! If there is anything you don't like about the house, really give it thought before signing anything.. have a lawyer look over all of the paper work..

    We just bought a house, and we both regret it. We let family and friends pressure us into not passing up this deal, but we def settled for something we didn't want and got ourselves into a project too big to finish before baby gets here (as we had planned).
  • littlelaydeelittlelaydee
    If it's a foreclosure make sure to call the city and county to see if there are any outstanding fines for lawncare or garbage removal bc those can become yours.
  • new_baby_in_octnew_baby_in_oct
    Im a realtor. Make sure you find a good realtor that is going to spend time with you and talk you through every step. Dont just call the number on the sign. Get somebody to do the work for you. Thats what we are here for. If you call the agent on the sign, keep in mind that they are already working for the sellers and won't have your best interest in mind. It's a great time to buy, as the market is still depressed. Thats why you will see properties selling/appraising for under their value. I dont know exactly where you are located, but some markets got hit worse than others. Make sure you have a good inspector and consider tests such as well/septic and radon. Note to you: many sellers are paying closing costs, which usually come out of pocket from buyers. Dont be afraid to ask for that. Also, talk to more than one lender (preferably 3-4 for your own benefit). Look at the neighborhood and school systems, very important when kids are involved. If you want to chat, feel free to inbox me.
  • mama_underpantsmama_underpants
    Taxes!!!! The house cld be affordable, but taxes not. Here in michigan I was able to afford a huge house bc the taxes are the cheapest anywhere around! :)
  • vtmamajujuvtmamajuju
    Here's something not too many people talk about. Everyone knows your mortgage will fluctuate due to taxes and insurance, BUT we had no idea HOW MUCH!! We've owned our house 2 yrs. Taxes and insurance flew sky high for us this year. We are paying $300 more a month and currently have an $850 escrow deficit. When you buy, plan on your mortgage going up in a few years.
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  • Mamato2boysMamato2boys
    @everyone thanks ladies!! :)

    @new_baby_in_oct thanks i will definently be swingin by ur page with questions if you dont mind! i live in Illinois and planning on moving to the plano area they have great schools and id be close to family still
  • new_baby_in_octnew_baby_in_oct
    @Mamato2boys Yes, feel free to ask away! I have 2 boys too. A 5 yr old and one on the way! :)
  • Mama_busy_beeMama_busy_bee
    Im a broker
    ....my advice...rent to own almost always a bad idea...have a good realtor (you dont pay them the seller does so why not!) Always get an inspection and home warranty. Never call name on the sign....
  • Mama_busy_beeMama_busy_bee
    @new_baby_in_oct agree with all you said...i just saw that :)
  • agoodloeagoodloe
    Go get preapproved sellers and agents take you more serious and you can work to get a better price easier
  • Mama_busy_beeMama_busy_bee
    Thats also correct. :) i personally woukd avoid shortsale homes unless your in no hurry. Have a realtor find homes for you after you have a loan approved.
  • romeike89romeike89
    We bought our 1st house a year ago,and we r pretty young and naive. Make sure they stick to the contract. If thy agree to leave the appliances, hold them to it. Also make sure that u stick to your move in day and dont get pushed around by the "grace period". our seller refused to leave, and even asked if she could rent a room, then finally left and broke in later and stole every appliance. She was like 70 years old, so dont ket age fool u either. I was pissed
  • Mamato2boysMamato2boys
    omg @romeike89 how did she manage to do it all? i bet she had help....i would be very upset if that happened to me....did she return the appliances or how did you know she took them?
  • romeike89romeike89
    she came with about 4 trucks and her family. I knew because my house is directly across the street from the highschool i worked at lol in a very small town. I had the day off because we got the keys and had gone to get new locks, cleaners, etc. And that is when she came. And no, we never got them back. By the time we realized we could sue her, we had already purchased everything new. Lol it was a night mare. Not to mention that she tore the house apart, put nails and glass all over my driveway, and litterely shit all over the bathroom. I laugh now, but i cried for 3 days straight
  • musicmommamusicmomma
    Make sure to ask how old the roof is and how well the plumbing works. We got screwed on our plumbing with our first home.
    Also take into account how many trees are around the house. We thought it was so great at first with all the shade but then the roots of the trees were growing into the pipes below ground causing g the plbing to be all jacked up. And the limbs falling from the trees were not good for the roof.
    I agree with what everyone else has said too. Good luck!!!!!!
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