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That's great, lildago. I know that buying and selling a house at the same time is one of the most stressful events a person can go through (it got me temporarily smoking again) and it is a YUUUGE relief to get the old house off of your hands.
And applesauce, all I can say is Yikes! I thought the house prices up here were horrendous.
lildago, congrats on your house crisis! You must be sooooooo relieved and happy--two mortgages. Yikes! Giz, my advice to you is that if you can't afford to buy it on your own (or through your own bank loan), don't go in on a house with your husband since (a) you don't know if you two will get back together and (b) if his credit is that bad, you don't want it to reflect badly on you (once you're on your feet and making more money--which you will one day!). I know it sucks not being able to buy the house of your dreams, but it'll suck even more if you can't enjoy living in your house 'cause you're worrying about how to make ends meet. I've always been a firm believer that if you can't afford it, don't buy it 'cause the problems it'll financially cause aren't worth it.
Just my two cents. (And you never know--whoever buys it may end up doing a lovely job...and then selling it when you're ready to buy it!)
p.s. for those looking for realtors to sell their home, be wary of the ones that promise the highest selling price on your home. They're not necessarily the best realtor to sell that home! That happened with my parents--this realtor promised them the moon and didn't deliver--they couldn't get out of their contract with him for a LONG time. The next realtor literally found them--saw that their house had been on the market for a while and said she could sell it. She ended up selling it for a higher price than what the jerk had promised because she knew of a family that needed a house in that neighborhood NOW. (But otherwise, she said she would've lowered the asking price and sold it, which would've been perfectly acceptable.)
Oh, and to whoever wrote about making sure your house doesn't smell, amen to that! I remember going to look at some really cute houses that smelled like breakfast had just been cooked. Normally I love the smell of food, but it smelled kinda rancid and funky and that just totally turned me off. A nice clean light scent is much better...
That's exactly why my cousins who are visiting from California this week are looking at homes in my new neighborhood. Their little 1300 sq ft house in SoCal is appraised at 600K. Here the new homes start at 1500 sq ft for 130K.Originally Posted by applesauce
The 1000 sq ft 2 bedroom 1 baths here are still selling for 750-850K and even more in the fancy neigborhoods.
Wow, everyone sure has different wants and needs. Me included.
I hope everyone finds exactly what they're looking for.It took me three long years to find something not only where I wanted to live, but what I could afford with the mortgage rates at the time.
Be smart about buying your home. Don't get in over your head or you won't sleep. Figure out what you MUST have, not what you WANT to have. Get your home inspected so you have no surprises! Get pre-approved for your mortgage so you can put down an offer that is already backed. That can beat out someone else putting an offer in at the same time during a hot market. But don't go for the top $ value they approve you for. Nowadays, banks are lending huge mortgages but people forget they won't have the money leftover for their regular expenses. Expect to change your lifestyle if you buy big. You'll have to give up something in order to make those payments. Get the best real estate person you can TRUST with what you want.
I'm very lucky to have bought my 60 year old bungalow 13 years ago. I couldn't afford it now. Prices have almost doubled. I could sell in an hour but can't afford to buy anything else.
I wanted a small bungalow in a very safe neighborhood. I live in the only area in the City that does not have apartments, condos, or commerical property. Which is very nice. Because it's so old there are boulevards with huge trees, squirrels, bunnies, and skunks.
My house is wall-to-wall red oak hardwood floors, (except for the bathroom). It has a huge double garage and woodburning fireplace which was a total bonus! There is lot of work I've done and much more to be done but I have time. No money, but time! And it's only a 5 min. walk to the river valley park system (the longest in North America). It's just under 900 sq.ft. but it's been just fine for me and my kitties.
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Here's something I thought you would enjoy: Average Property as seen by:
Yourself, The Lender, The Buyer, Your Tax Assessor
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