Ryan and I will be heading down to Gainesville next week to find a home. We are super excited and almost equally stressed. We almost bought a condo before starting medical school. There was a tragic fire in the condo above ours and luckily we were able to back out of the sale. The blessing ended up being that the housing market continued to crash and we got a 3-bedroom apartment in student housing. For all of those student housing friends past and present who know the beauty of student housing in all its glory, yes, I still hold to my belief that student housing is a huge blessing. This why I don't blog.... I start rambling.
Back to the point of my post.... which is that we are off to chase that american dream of buying our own home, with our 3 kids and a *dog*. As we set off to take this next step in our life, I thought I would open up the forum (to the couple of people who still check our blog) and ask those of you seasoned home buyers for your advise. I am willing to hear what you have to say even if its "don't buy a house".
We'll keep you all updated, so check back soon!
10 comments:
I'm so excited for you guys! My biggest piece of advice for a young mom buying a house is...
Get a house that has the laundry room on the main floor!! Sometimes it seems like a great idea to have it near the bedrooms and not have to haul it up and down stairs, but it's a pain in the rear to have to sort and fold it in bedrooms. We all know that laundry doesn't get folded when kids are awake...it happens at naptime or bedtime and usually in front of Dr. Phil or American Idol! ;-)
Just my 2 cents...take it for what it's worth.
Make sure you get the wow factor. When I first walked into our house it was empty with nothing in it, but I could start picturing where I was going to put the couch, hang a picture and what color I wanted the walls painted. First off you and Ryan need to make a list of what you HAVE to have, and the it would be really nice to have. When you walk into the house that is meant to be yours you'll know it, its a feeling you get. Kinda like trying on wedding dresses, and engagement rings. I'm so excited for you both!!!!!
Annette and Ryan,
I'm a realtor in Fort Collins, but I'd be happy to help you with some advice.
First, get a good realtor. I'd be happy to help you find one in your area. You need to be able to trust them and they need to be able to trust you.
Second, your Realtor can set you up with, or you can shop for your own lender so you can get prequalified or preapproved for a loan. With that, you can know exactly how much house you can afford. Also, when you present an offer, you'll be taken more seriously by the seller knowing that the loan won't fall through.
Lastly, you've got kids and I'm sure schools are a concern. If it is your top priority, then get the kids in a good school and let the other needs go. You can overlook imperfections, or fix little things, but you can't get back some lost years in a bad school.
Anyways, I'd like to help you in any way that I can. Getting set up with a good realtor first is key, and I'd be happy to recommend one to you in your area. Just let me know what you might need. I'd be happy to help with any questions you've got.
I definitely think its a great time to buy a house, especially if you need some more space and have a little bit of money in the bank to make it happen. Best of luck. Let me know how I can help!
Hope all is well!
Jared Reimer
JaredReimer@ReimerRE.com
970.222.1049
I don't know how long your residency is, but only being here for three years was definitely a factor in whether or not we bought a home during residency. Because the economy is so scary right now it's risky. I've heard you have to be in your home a good 5 years to make it worth buying, so take that into consideration. My parents bought a home during residency and weren't able to sell it, but still needed to move on so they paid mortgages in Chicago and Seattle for two years until it sold (which was not only hard financially but they couldn't be in Chicago to help sell it and it sat empty many states away).
We loved the idea of finding a home but when it came down to actually buying, we couldn't find a home we absolutely LOVED and was worth the stress. We did end up finding a rental we absolutely loved, though. Talk to Julie and Jenny. They both bought homes they are so excited about and seem happy with their choice to buy. Maybe even rent to begin with, month to month, so you can live in the area and really find something you love if you really want to buy, rather than flying out for a weekend and buying something just because you only have two days to find something. I know it's a pain to move twice, but I'd rather do that than buy a home I end up hating and can't get out of. Anywho, those were all our thoughts when we were house hunting. Good luck!
I agree with Jenny don't buy a home you don't love! This was really hard for me- I was so excited to get out of student housing that I just wanted a house- any house! Luckily, Scottie is a lot smarter and was able to keep my perspective and we were able to get a home we love in a really great neighborhood :)
I agree with getting a realtor. They know the ins and outs of an area which is really helpful as well. They can also help you know more in (I would check out citydata.com too) Realtors can help with info on re-sale if you do need to sell in a few more years.
I would look into schools- if they have an open school district and you can put your kids into any school (even if it's not the one in your area) then that's something you can be more flexible with and focus more on just the house.
Simmons are in the area I would talk to them and get their perspective. Not sure if you were in Shoreline with the Sudweeks but they are moving out there too!
Can't wait to see what you decide! It's stressful, but fun at the same time :) Good luck!
My advice is to move as close to Grandma Jo and Pappy as possible!!! Now on the serious side.... schools, good neighborhood and good church ward are what I think are important. You will make your HOUSE be a HOME no matter what it looks like.
Oh, DO BUY! The market is so great for you right now! We love our fenced in back yard, and easily cleaned tile floors and our garage.
DO NOT THINK that you'll be able to fix-up or finish anything while your kids are so young and your hubby will be gone. I think it's amazing when people can do home projects, maybe you guys are the type, but unless you're totally into that... expect that it's NOT gonna happen.
Do call the bishop of your prospective new ward and ask about ward boundaries and children. Your realtor legally can't tell you if it's a good neighborhood, call the bishop!
Do a sex offender check on the address too before you sign. It's easy and can give you so much peace of mind.
You already know to check the schools, our realtor checked houses ONLY in the school boundaries we wanted, it's nice when they do the footwork for you.
Also, buy UNDER what they say you can afford. You'll be happy for the extra $ in your pocket for new drapes, or pillows or that piece of furnature you've been needing.
May 2 cents are to make a list of the things you have to have, like a double sink in the master 3-4+ bathrooms, a backyard. Then make a list of the things you would like but could live without. That way your more focused on the things you need and if you get a few of the things you want its a great bonus.
Stay at the lower end of your budget if you can. Every year your mortgage will go up because of taxes and you don't want to be stretching you pennies each month.
And it's amazing what a little elbow grease and paint an do to a place. Good luck and keep us posted.
Hey! Absolutely love owning a home! We are actually having fun fixing ours up even more. When I saw this kitchen, I knew I wanted this house, and am so glad we got it. It was a little more than we were planning to spend, but we are so glad we did it. Jared loves having a happy wife, need I say more?
Our realtor was really good. He knew we wanted a good school district and no busy streets. We also asked for no split levels, and really wanted four bedrooms. Our house has all four bedrooms on the main floor, and I love that. The basement rocks, too, because in the wintertime, the kids can ripstick and ride bikes down there, but I guess you won't be needing to worry about a winter :)
The kids are demanding attention, but I think you will do awesome in a house because you'll decorate it so well, that the next buyers will fall in love with it quick! A vacant house is a lot harder to sell anyway. Houses that are kept up and don't need much or any work also sell fast, we've noticed. The ones that needed some fixing up take longer.
Anyway, kids are demanding attention, so good luck!
Gee...I agree with everyone! Laundry room on the main level means it gets done faster, because you don't forget you've got a load in when you can hear it or walk past it. I just wish my "laundry closet" was a laundry room. :) I like closet space and definately more than one bathroom! If you like to cook, you're going to want a great kitchen. I personally wouldn't buy a house on a corner lot. (fencing issues) Garage that can fit two cars...al the way in! lol I'd also see if there are young kids in the neighborhood so the kiddos have friends. (already landscaped..that can get expensive!)Good school and ward....yep, I agree with everyone else. lol
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