Does anyone else watch that show HGTV?
Well, that will be us in another few months, Lord willing.
Josh will graduate from B-school in early May, and we'll be off to the next adventure. After 3+ years of apartment living, we'd like to purchase a place of our own at the next stop.
But wait, didn't we JUST move in? Our time in Bloomington has FLOWN by and I can hardly believe we're already nearing the home stretch. We've loved it here.
Anyway, now that a job offer is on the table (woo hoo!) it is time for us to start the process of learning about buying a house. Josh still has at least one interview to go, so we don't know for sure about a location. However, we should have a pretty good idea by Christmas, and we may as well start to learn about the process.
And let me just take this opportunity to say thank you Lord for a job offer, especially in this economic climate. It is a huge blessing that we know has come directly from the hand of God.
So, Internet, because I know most of you 1) own homes and 2) probably learned a thing or two doing it, what advice do you have for first-timers like us? Non-negotiable features (two full bathrooms ranks very high on my list)? Financing pitfalls? Any and all advice - leave it here.
12 comments:
Ooh congrats on a job offer? Are you coming to Cincy???
If you buy a remodel, take pictures before you start! Where is Josh's offer?
Congrats on the job offer!!!! I want to hear all about it! Oh and I do watch Property Virgins. When I went to visit my family I got hooked on HGTV. My parents are in the process of building a house so they love to watch that channel.
Unless you're moving somewhere you're already familiar, I'd highly recommend biting the bullet and renting for another year. It's a lot easier to look after you know the area and know where you want to be, than coming in cold and just guessing.
Call Sally Baird. She has all kinds of good real estate advice.
Hi Jessica! Congrats on the official offer! That must feel great! My favorite house hunting website is trulia.com. I was an ADDICT! And I would say look at a LOT of houses before you buy, and you'll know which is the right one.
Ooh columbus! They have an amazing outdoor mall :)
congrats on the job offer! that is so great.
I think the most important thing is trusting your instinct. I think you'll "know" when the house is right for you...likewise...you'll feel it when it just isn't right.
I'll have 100 other things to say on this as it gets closer...
On a seperate/similar note, trying to make this decision is IMPOSSIBLE!
LK
Determine ahead of time how much you truly can afford to pay each month for your mortgage, insurance and property taxes based on your budget. Don't just assume that you can afford whatever the lender says you can afford. They are hopefully much more cautious about that now though.
Make a list of must-haves, would-like-to-haves, and absolutely-don't-wants. Things like, number of bedrooms/bathrooms/garage stalls/drawers and cabinets in the kitchen. Carefully consider the kitchen counter space and how it's laid out. There are about a million more things to consider! Be sure to have fun. House hunting can be stressful but it can also be fun checking out different homes and getting ideas for your own. You can always buy my house...but I bet Josh's job offer isn't in the GR area.
I totally agree with what Jeremy said. Don't buy until you know the area! Make sure you buy in a good public school district in case you have kids sooner than you expect (what happened to us). And know that there are non-shady ways to get out of PMI even if you don't have the full 20% down payment. Oh and a lot of times companies will pay closing costs if the job offer includes a relocation package, as long as you buy within the first year of moving, so check into that with whichever company Josh finally settles on. I could go on, but I'm sure it might get overwhelming. LOL.
I wish I could remember all the things I wish I knew when buying our first house. Get one of the "Dummy" books and do some reading. That really helped us to understand the types of mortgages, etc. Find a good realtor...the sellers pay your realtor at closing, so you can't go wrong having a realtor when you are the buyer.
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