You spend a month looking at houses online, hundreds of them…
You narrow the number down to what you can really afford, and one or two that you want to see just for the hell of it…
Spend the money for a plane ticket, rent-a-wreck, take vacation and start looking…
Looked at probably 10 houses in the area. Since I’m going VA, some of those fell out due to obvious cracks/etc. that I know VA would not pass. Some fell out due to condition/location (e.g. across the street from a park). Made an offer on one, at the top end of what I wanted to spend.
Went back and finally got in the back yard, found some damage to a window, and some roof damage over the patio. We put an addendum in that the seller would be responsible to fix, the seller came back and said they would only fix $350 worth of damage… That wouldn’t even fix the WINDOW!!!
Cancelled that offer, and back to square one. Running out of time…
Called on a For Sale By Owner house that we’d seen while we were running pillar to post looking at houses earlier… Put an offer on it, they accepted, and we’re going to close in early Oct.
Bonus factor- It’s almost $50K cheaper, in MUCH better shape, and in a nicer area. Two block walk to a little lake, and a nice front porch…
Thanks to friends giving me all the info for all the ‘little’ things that go along with getting a new place. Phone, insurance, taxes, licenses, internet, etc.
With VA disability and homestead, my taxes will be around $1200 a year vice $5000 a year and insurance will be in the $400/yr range!!!
Am I gone yet???
Our home is across the street from a public park. There are down sides (extra traffic from both people and vehicles, trash from people who do not take the time to dispose of it in provided trash cans), but there are also some advantages.
The sodium lights lit all night provide extra security, scares off potential burglars). Basketball courts, slides, swings – nice for when Grandkids come to visit and its across the street. Want an impromptu picnic – take your fixings and cross the street, no time involved. No buildings – extra wind provided if located so.
Mixed bag. We’ve lived there for nearly 20 years and we’re okay with it.
You must be moving to non-urban Texas!!!
When we left Houston and headed west, suddenly, housing was affordable and insurance (car and house) were WAY cheaper. I pay about the same for taxes, insurance is a bit higher, but probably variations in the market….
Welcome home NFO!!!!!
And also get the trees checked for health, and for branches that overhang the house. If the trees are elderly then consider having them taken out and replaced with shade and windblock plantings that will not put your house and your safety at risk during high winds and storms.
Good luck!
Jim;
May we assume the new abode has a dedicated reloading room with an armored closet for firearm storage. Hopefully a large basement for a 30 ft pellet pistol range and a large garage.
Best of luck with the new home.
If you run into recalcitrant sellers on this one, simply remind them that oil is at $40 and falling. Buyers anywhere west of I-35 are going to be pretty thin on the ground.
You definitely have the upper hand in this market.
Nice looking spread there pardoner. I hope you enjoy your new digs. Any land with it and how far to the range?
Our house was not even in the same room as the radar when we went hunting. I drove the real state lady mad trying to get the best withing our budget till she got mad and gave us a list of houses with the wrong characteristics in an effort to leave her alone and she did manage that. After seeing the last house in the listing, we kept driving around because we saw the lake and fell in love with it. We saw a house with the “For Sale By Owner” which was not only right on the frigging lake but was in our budget.
Enjoy your new place!
You are a brave man.
Fantastic porch! Enjoy. Can’t wait to share a cup of coffee with you on it.
Congrats! Looks very much like the house I grew up in – may it provide much enjoyment and relaxation (when needed).
Nice looking home! And a front porch…bonus!! We? Did you find yourself a lady friend?
Be sure to inquire into whether or not there is a HOA and if membership is required.
Pops has gone round and round with his.
That being said, I’ve lived either in a barracks, dorm, fraternity house, BOQ, or work supplied apartments my whole adult life; so as Household Six puts it, I’m not entirely house broken
Good things come to those who work…
gfa
j.r.- Lived across from a park once, never again… 🙁
STx- Thanks! Looking forward to it!
John- They are ‘new growth’, and trimmed so that no limbs overhang. Good point though!
Roger- No basement, but the rest, oh yeah! 🙂
David- Agreed!
CP- 1/2 acre, one range is a mile away, another is three miles away. 🙂
Miguel- LOL, bout what I did! 😀
WSF- Or stupid… TBD 🙂
Jenn- We can do that!
Rev- Thanks!
Fargo- Yep, I like porches… Lady friend? YGTBSM… That is even harder!!!
SPE- No HOA!!! And I don’t think any military guy is really housebroken… LOL
gfa- Yeah, but I’m tired of that…
Buying the house sucks.
Moving into the house sucks.
Getting things arranged is annoying.
But it’s worth it once you have your stuff together and you’ve turned it from a house into a home…how far is it from the nearest range?
Awesome, how could you not love a place with shade trees, a porch big enough to share, and a deer mount by the front door to hang your hat on…
BTDT when I was married the first time!
We were lucky then, as we had a very good realtor, who knew not only what we were looking for and what we could afford, but also what types of properties that wouldn’t be suitable for us.
Wound up with a fixer that we put a ton of BS&T into, but we split a very nice profit during the divorce.
This time, my wife already owned a house when I met her, so no brainer!
But now that we’re planning on moving out of Kommifornia, we’re going through the whole process again.
At least it’s a lot easier this time.
LL- All true, but it’s not my first rodeo with this… sigh One range is about a mile away! 🙂
Dammit- True! 🙂
drjim- Yep! And glad to hear y’all are getting out of there!
Good on ya.
Do they do basements out there?
I love my ranch home.
Nice and cool, barely run the AC.
Ed- Nope, no basement.
One less thing to worry about.
Congrats on getting the offer accepted. Keeping fingers crossed that nothing disrupts the closing date for you!!
Enjoy your move to your new life 🙂
Suz
Those are fabulous trees. Shumard Oak? If so, they should be good for another 30 years or more.
Do you have enough sun in the back yard for a pecan tree or two?
Looks nice. Got shade and a nice front porch for sitting. Looks like someone has already done a lot of the “make this place low maintenance” stuff, which you’ll appreciate. Owning a home can turn into a big and expensive hobby if you let it. And a half-acre of grass is plenty to justify a small riding mower to ride so you can have a nice think every week or so.
That porch looks inviting. Hope this works out for you soon and without to much trouble.
As I said before: Jealous! And nice job finding one that close to TWO ranges!
Outstanding!
Nice porch.
Enjoy your new home
All- Thanks for the comments!
Posted from my iPhone.