Home Buying & Real Estate Thread

[aepps20]

Our build so far. Happy with the progress.

Trusses went up thursday.

That looks awesome my dude. Congratulations to you and your family.

 

[bonde111]

@gatorb807 @chewie thanks for the reply. I was curious about how extensive people get with doing their research on building techniques.

I've done a lot of reading on the different types of framing, foundation, solar heat gain, solar positioning/passive solar, etc. It seems very few builders, & people who want to build a new house think about these things.

Myself, I'm not doing a typical stick frame(2x4 or 2x6) but am doing SIP panels for both the walls and the roof. The foundation will be a thermal mass wall & base. We will be doing geothermal, & possibly solar panels on the roof.


I'm still doing research on windows as far as ratings(U & R values) for different brands.

We are at about 95% done on our design for both the main floor and lower level, and are waiting on the outside elevation from our draftsman. We will meet with our builder very soon to approve the design. We are on track for breaking ground this fall, & hope to be in the new house by the spring/early summer of '16.

 

[capital sb]

I closed on my home last Thursday feels good it was a long building process. Closing was stressful due to NVR Mortgage I would not recommend using them (LO is still requesting signatures after closing smh). I'm almost done unpacking everything And almost all of the window treatments are up. There is so much I want to do in the house (smart themostat, paint, backsplash, decor, etc) just trying to do a little at a time.

 

[aepps20]

I closed on my home last Thursday feels good it was a long building process. Closing was stressful due to NVR Mortgage I would not recommend using them (LO is still requesting signatures after closing smh). I'm almost done unpacking everything And almost all of the window treatments are up. There is so much I want to do in the house (smart themostat, paint, backsplash, decor, etc) just trying to do a little at a time.

Congratulations my dude

 

[superantigen]

I closed on my home last Thursday feels good it was a long building process. Closing was stressful due to NVR Mortgage I would not recommend using them (LO is still requesting signatures after closing smh). I'm almost done unpacking everything And almost all of the window treatments are up. There is so much I want to do in the house (smart themostat, paint, backsplash, decor, etc) just trying to do a little at a time.

Congratulation Beezy...

I'm eager to see how you furnish the space.




...

 

[capital sb]

aepps20 Thanks man.

superantigen Thanks man I will post a few pictures at a time once I complete a room/project .

 

[yeah]

Soon to be homeowner 2 bed 1 bath, here are a few pics. Definitely not my permanent place, my goal is to buy it, build some equity, and sell in 5-7 years before I'm 30 (23 now, american dream right?)



House is older and was occupied by an old lady, so it needs a bit of work. Main thing is the crown molding in the living room, redoing the stairs to the basement and attic (they're just really old,) and redoing the bathroom because the design is dated. Nothing is really wrong with the house outside of the older roof and older plumbing. Eletricity, furance, water heater, etc were all replaced within the last 10 yrs.

Already know a few contractors that I'll be hiring for the complicated things like refinishing the floors, replacing the tub, etc. Probably gonna be doing some of the easier stuff myself (crown molding and dry wall after the tubs replaced mostly.)

Any tips for a young brotha tryna get his house fleeky?

 

[datznasty]

I closed on my home last Thursday feels good it was a long building process. Closing was stressful due to NVR Mortgage I would not recommend using them (LO is still requesting signatures after closing smh). I'm almost done unpacking everything And almost all of the window treatments are up. There is so much I want to do in the house (smart themostat, paint, backsplash, decor, etc) just trying to do a little at a time.

I bought my house about 4 years ago new construction (already built though so I didn't customize it but it was new) with all these plans of modifications I was going to make to it. I haven't done ****. I got a peach tree and a cantaloupe plant in the yard though.

 

[sneaksoy]

I bought my house about 4 years ago new construction (already built though so I didn't customize it but it was new) with all these plans of modifications I was going to make to it. I haven't done ****. I got a peach tree and a cantaloupe plant in the yard though.

Ha I'm starting to toil with making any more fixes/upgrades at my house... Redid my bedroom upstairs, painted a couple rooms, and put all new windows in but now I'm just like tired of upgrading, plus it gets expensive quick

 

[tvobach]

My wife and I are looking at buying our first home in January or February. When should we start going to the bank and discussing a loan? Next month? November?

Also, for first-time home buyers what are the things you must know? The for sure do's and don'ts? Thanks guys.

 

[datznasty]

Now man. It's a long process, or arduous anyways. So much paperwork. Just get everything in ASAP and find out how much you qualify for, how much you can afford then you will be a more confident shopper. Honestly, at that point, you don't even need an agent. Just jump on trulia or realtor or any of these other aggregator sites, might save a percent or two off the price by negating the buyer's agent commission

 

[yeah]

My wife and I are looking at buying our first home in January or February. When should we start going to the bank and discussing a loan? Next month? November?

Also, for first-time home buyers what are the things you must know? The for sure do's and don'ts? Thanks guys.

About to close on my first next month. Some things that helped me along the way:

- Like datznasty said, you should start on the mortgage stuff right now. Ask for the maximum amount that your banker thinks you can comfortably qualify for. I've had to adjust my loan application 3 times because I thought I knew what I wanted, then I actually saw what was on the market and realized I needed to have a higher loan amount to work with. That said, don't think you have to buy a $500K house if you're approved for a $500K loan.

- Your wife will be in on the process, so make sure you are both ON THE SAME PAGE when it comes to your first home. Just trust me. Figure out what type of square footage, number of rooms, neighborhood, etc before finding an agent if you decide to get one.

- If you will be asking for any kind of assistance, get started on your application now. My city offers up to $7500 in down payment and costing costs if you attend a day long class, for example. There are a ton of programs that offer assistance for first time home buyers, so spend some time and research whats available to you. Any money you save now will be less you have to pay back later.

- Find an inspector you trust. Not sure about the regulations in your area, but here there is no formal license that people need to earn to call themselves a home inspector. Literally anyone can be one in my city. One of the homes I made an offer on had an inspection done years ago that they tried to pass off as current. We got a second opinion and found out that the foundation was in such bad shape that it'd have to be replaced, which is at least a $40K job. If we hadn't got that second opinion, I might have had to take those costs on by myself.

A few other Do's: Take a home improvement 101 class so you have some understanding of what any potential contractors will be doing. Understand the different types of mortgage loans (conventional, FHA, FHA 203K, etc) and figure out what works best for you. Prepare to see a lot of houses. Learn how to spot evidence of water damage, foundation settling, spalling walls, etc. Selling agents will try to stretch the truth/lie, so verify everything...even check to make sure permits were pulled for any recent work done on the house.

A few Don'ts: Don't assume everything is good with a house whether its 10 months or 100 years old, newer houses have issues too. Don't go into the process without having a good idea of exactly what you want, with examples of past listings if possible. Don't feel pressured to buy a house. You have the ability to walk away, even after the purchase agreement is signed. Better to lose $1000 in earnest money than to buy a house you hate.

 

[capital sb]

Yeah pretty much covered everything, but I would also add that you should try to gather all of the basic documents before starting the process.

-Last 2-3 years of Tax Returns

-Last 2-3 years of W2's

-Employment Verification (last 2 pay stubs)

These are just the basics that are required for every loan app to get the ball rolling.

 

[capital sb]

Put up my ecobee 3 and a ceiling fan in my master bedroom today . Really liking the ecobee 3 so far, glad I chose it over the Nest. I set up 3 additional sensors throughout the house (master bedroom, guest room, and basement) and now the temperature is the same no matter what floor I'm on. The basement used to be freezing and upstairs was hot.

 

[Brownstone]

Love that fan man

 

[capital sb]

 
Love that fan man

Thanks man it was an impulse buy when I was in Lowes saw it was on clearance and I had a 10% off entire purchase movers coupon.

Came to about $75 regular price $140. The remote that it comes with is pretty cool crazy how many features it has.

 

[dam itz lou]

Beautiful home Beezy

 

[NewWave90]

Anyone down with pay off the home early accountability association.

 

[aepps20]

We finally received permits to start building our home. It took the builder almost 5 months but at least they are going to break ground soon. Ugh this process has been a nightmare.

 

[capital sb]

Beautiful home Beezy

Thanks man !

 

[crcballer55]

Anyone down with pay off the home early accountability association.

Is that one of the bi-weekly payment companies?

 

[NewWave90]

No its just the will that we (us in the thread) will pay the mortgage off early before the maturity date.

 

[NewWave90]

WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THIS.

 

[capital sb]

I will most likely pay off my mortgage, 5-7 years early. I will have to weight out my options when the time comes.

 

[yanky]

Congrats on the house Beezy! Those hardwood floors are gorgeous and the kitchen is nice and open!