So we've been looking for a house for the last few weeks. It will be our first. We may be better off financially in a year, but we've been putting off getting a house for two years now and we are tired of waiting. It was right then not to buy since we had no down payment saved and the market was so crazy that we would have been stuck with a shoebox sized condo. Anyways, the market is good, we have a decent down payment set aside, and we both are ready to get out of apartments.
People mention that house hunting is stressful, but I always assumed that it was because they were also trying to sell a house at the same time as buying. I don't even know how that works. Frankly we're having a hard enough time with the schedule we have, what with our lease running out in a few months.
The thing that makes house hunting stressful (at least when it's your first home) is that unless you are a trust fund baby, independently wealthy, or just really lucky you have to sacrifice some serious stuff to find an affordable house. For instance:
We found an awesome house in a great location only to learn that it has a sinkhole problem. Not a gamble either of us want to take.
We found a home in a fantastic location, but it needs some serious updating and TLC. A financial commitment we aren't sure we can make.
We find a dream house that looks like those homes you see on TV, but it is in the middle on nowhere and would require at least an hour commute to work everyday. Not a sacrifice I am willing to make.
We now are looking at 4 other places brought to us by a new realtor. I'm not positive about the location of these, but from the map I think they are okay neighborhoods. The homes look okay. A few updates and TLC needed but nothing major. One is a non-evac zone home (a big consideration when you live near the coast in hurricane prone FL), so that is a plus. None however are perfect.....and sadly that is the true stressor in looking for a home. That you will have to settle for something less than what you really want. It's especially frustrating when what you really want is not that much.
I'm not looking for a show home here, but just a comfortable house with a little room to grow that is in a safe neighborhood with nice neighbors and doesn't need a total overhaul. I don't think that's really too much to ask for.
Pressed Against Humanity
41 minutes ago
1 comment:
Yeah, househunting is a giant pain in the ass. I really need to get that list of stuff finished and over to you. I don't know how much it will help in the current situation, but it might.
THe thing to remember is that no house is perfect. Even when you walk in to someone's house and you think it's perfect, they will disagree with you. Everyone finds things about their houses that they don't like, sometimes not for a year or more after they move in.
All you're really looking for is a house that is in a good or rising neighborhood where you can feel safe. I wouldn't worry too much about schools because you're not even knocked up yet so you've got at least 6 years before you would be sending anyone to school and who knows where life will take you by then? You want to stay out of crappy school districts for resale's sake, but don't worry about them being fabulous.
You want something that is structurally sound, doesn't need a new roof or bathrooms to be functional. You can live in a house with un-fabulous bathrooms while you save up to fix them as long as everything works. Trust me. You cannot live in a house that needs a new roof while saving up for a new roof because you will spend all of your money on buckets.
You can do it! It is totally stressful though. It really is true, that when you find the right house you will know it. Both of you. It's like the dress, it just works that way.
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