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House hunting vibes, please! :D
So, DH and I have seen 12 houses so far (and driven by a few others), and last night we started talking seriously about one of the ones we saw at an open house this past Sunday. We kind of realized that maybe we really like this house since we canvassed our parents to see what they think (kind of 'you might be serious if you're "taking 'em to meet the parents"' sort of thing).
I'm in a tizzy waiting to hear back from the realtor; we're not sure what would happen next. We still feel sort of like we're just getting into the swing of the search, but also wouldn't want to let this opportunity pass us by (the house needs work, but it has a lot of land - for this area - decent interior space, and is in a great school district.
Can any of you house hunting veterans tell me how you get from thinking a place is possibly the one to actually committing to it? Can you put a deposit on it to hold for a few days while you get the posse to come out and look?
On top of this I've come down with a nasty cold (and can't really take anything because I'm still breastfeeding), feel like utter crap and can't take a sick day due to a work deadline, so positive vibes and healing vibes would be appreciated!
Ten months: Mr. Giggles!
A10 March Siggy: Next vacation - Maine!
kikijbunny (formerly kikijbird)
Our jbunny born April 17, 2011 at 34w 1d (EDD May 28) due to irritable ute + early dilation
Mommy Blog: And Baby Makes Pi
Pregnancy/Baby Blog: Eggs Over Anxious
BFP chart
Re: House hunting vibes, please! :D
Oh, how exciting! I know nothing about buying a home, but I will definitely keep my fingers crossed for you!
And I'm sending you get better vibes so you can shake that cold!
UGH first off feel better!!
Jon and I decided that there were more positives then negatives and it was MUCH better then the other things we had seen. Keep in mind we were looking in a very small area. We wanted to be in a particular town in a particular area (walking distance to the train). We just felt like we liked the space and that we could take care of it and the work that needed to be done was "doable" with our budget/experience.
Oh, sounds exciting! It's been 8 years since I bought my condo, but since the market was crazy when I bought it I had to jump on it right away. I had been out with my realtor a few times and seen maybe 12-15 properties, and when I saw my place I just "knew" it was the one. I totally loved it (still do, but now I rent it out for someone else to enjoy). I made an offer on it that night and it was accepted the next day. I got lucky because my RE agent and the listing agent were friends, and they got me in to look at it before it hit the MLS - plus they probably could have gotten more for it but the whole thing was so friendly and low-stress, the buyer just took my offer.
IIRC, in New Jersey once you have an accepted offer you go into attorney review - I think that was something like a week? While in attorney review you can back out at any time. This is when you get your home inspection done, so if they find something horrific you can cancel the deal or you can modify the contract to force the sellers to cover any needed repairs. Anyway, my memory is a bit fuzzy but I'm sure a realtor can guide you through the specifics.
I would think in this market you would have a little more time to mull things over but your realtor should be able to guide you.
Good luck!
We just basically put in an offer on our house, and waited for them to accept. We REALLY low-balled them (wanted $168K/we got it for $136K), so we were totally not prepared for them to accept so quickly, but I am so glad they did! I think we did put down $5K, but that is up to the seller if they want something down for holding. Basically, if they accept your offer and have you put some down, they cannot take offers from anyone else (at least in Nebraska) while you are under contract. If you do put something down, that means you have to secure financing by the agreed upon closing date (this will be determined during the contract/offer process), and that is what the "downpayment" is for. That way the seller is not out anything if they take it off the market for the two-three months while you are getting everything ironed out in order to buy it.
Don't feel overwhelmed. Sometimes bumps come along that cause a bit of stress, but it is your real estate agent's job to make things go as smoothly as possible for you! Good luck!!!!
We knew our house was the one after we got home from the visit, told our parents about it, and realized how upset we would be if someone else got the house. We had lost out on one or two before that but I always felt like it was for a reason. I knew that I could picture DH and I in this house and having a family.
The next day we had our realtor submit an offer. It was lower than the sellers would take an I knew that. I knew that bought us a few days of negotiation before any real and final decisions needed to be made.
I would have your realtor call the sellers realtor right away to express interest. You can then find out if they have any offers pending, if any have already fallen through, etc.
And I hope you feel better soon!
@Laurie: It's been on the market about a week now.
I just heard back from our agent; she will contact the buyer's agent and pick her brain - yay!
Thanks for all the advice, very helpful to know all the steps.
I'm bailing from work... more later once I'm home.
Ten months: Mr. Giggles!
A10 March Siggy: Next vacation - Maine!
kikijbunny (formerly kikijbird)
Our jbunny born April 17, 2011 at 34w 1d (EDD May 28) due to irritable ute + early dilation
Mommy Blog: And Baby Makes Pi
Pregnancy/Baby Blog: Eggs Over Anxious
BFP chart
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10/11: Dx PCOS, 2000mg Metformin
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April Nesties March siggy challenge: Next Vacation, Anguilla!!
@Lori: I think we are a little commitment-phobic at this point, because we've only had a cursory look at the place during the open house (though it is amazing how many details I remember), and a little concerned it might be a money pit. So glad there is such a thing as attorney review!
DH's dad was a contractor way back when, so we are going to try to see if we can get him to come look at the place with us. But it was reassuring to hear that in general, the parents who have seen pictures and heard our description are favorable towards the house.
I think that when we were there we kind of mentally wrote it off due to its being a short sale and needing some TLC. But then later as we talked, we wondered just how much TLC it needed. And it's price is a little lower than other listings we've considered, so maybe we'd have a little monetary leeway to take care of things.
@Breannie: I hear ya, I am excited at the prospect of getting this house, but do wonder which way it's meant to go.
I'll keep y'all posted on what we find out! Now, on to a much-needed nap (now that I'm done with lunch and pumping lol!
PS. @Laurie... never say die! That house near you came up in conversation before we saw this house... seems there's still some interest on the part of my mother's friends to show us the house at least. So we'll see, lol!
Ten months: Mr. Giggles!
A10 March Siggy: Next vacation - Maine!
kikijbunny (formerly kikijbird)
Our jbunny born April 17, 2011 at 34w 1d (EDD May 28) due to irritable ute + early dilation
Mommy Blog: And Baby Makes Pi
Pregnancy/Baby Blog: Eggs Over Anxious
BFP chart
lol
Well if you've only been to an open house I'd for sure go in and take another look. After a year in our house.....look for cracks in walls, ceilings, foundation, tiles, grout. Those can be money suckers. See if you can look at a roof we were lucky there was a "low" roof and we could see that it looked ok. Also check windows see if they feel cold or drafty. Check for any signs of water (likely you won't be able to change that) Check the dates on the hot water heater and furnace. Also check the electric panel and see how old/new that is. Those are your big money suckers. Anything else would be a little more cosmetic. Also make sure there are a good amount of outlets to plug things into (lol we wish we had more) And if you have 2 zone heating system thats great!!
Great advice above from Laurie! I agree, check out the "bones" of the house, not the stuff that's easily and cheaply changed.
Tons of good vibes heading your way, so exciting
Vibes --- You've got 'em!!!!
We looked at a bunch of houses; most of them were foreclosures and needed a lot of work, which was what made us walk away. It definitely helped having a hubby who works in the building industry. He knows when to walk away from a money pit!
Our house was move-in ready, for sale by an older woman who was recently widowed. They had only lived here 8 years when her husband got sick and passed away. The roof was a year old, the furnace a year old, carpet was 3 years old, windows & dryer were brand new. All appliances and garage items (trash cans, hoses, tools etc.) were staying since she was moving into a seniors' apartment complex. She kept this place in tip top shape and the minute we walked up to the porch we had a good feeling. As soon as we came inside and looked around we knew this was "the one." We put our offer in right away; because she was askng such a reasonable amount we didn't even lowball her. She accepted and we knocked away another couple hoping to look later that day.
Whoa, this is a whirlwind... our agent got back to us and said there is another offer on the house coming in tomorrow... yikes, so if we want to try for it, we have to move fast! Don't even have the weekend to mull it over.
Ten months: Mr. Giggles!
A10 March Siggy: Next vacation - Maine!
kikijbunny (formerly kikijbird)
Our jbunny born April 17, 2011 at 34w 1d (EDD May 28) due to irritable ute + early dilation
Mommy Blog: And Baby Makes Pi
Pregnancy/Baby Blog: Eggs Over Anxious
BFP chart
We will try, and I'll definitely keep you all posted!
Ten months: Mr. Giggles!
A10 March Siggy: Next vacation - Maine!
kikijbunny (formerly kikijbird)
Our jbunny born April 17, 2011 at 34w 1d (EDD May 28) due to irritable ute + early dilation
Mommy Blog: And Baby Makes Pi
Pregnancy/Baby Blog: Eggs Over Anxious
BFP chart