Our New Home!!

[AngieDoogles]

Brendon and I saw the house that we want today. The problem is, the landlord is willing to either rent or sell it to us (or lease to own, though I'm not sure how that would work :confused:). This is a tough decision for us. We know the pros and cons of renting vs. buying, but it's so difficult to make such a huge commitment, especially since we are both still in college.

It's SO nice compared to what we are used to! It is brick, has 2 bedrooms, and is 1300 sq ft, which is fine since it's just the two of us (and Marty) for now. It has a really nice open floor plan. If you walk in through the kitchen door, you can see the whole length of the house to the opposite wall of the living room (and it's HUGE). There isn't a wall separating these common living spaces, only a bar...which is really nice for entertaining. There's a nice sized laundry room, two bedrooms, two full baths, and everything is new from the doors, to the paint, to the light fixtures, to the electrical wires and plumbing. The guys who are working on it completely gutted it to the bare minimum (basically the walls) and started fresh. Also, there is a fenced in front yard and a back yard that would be completely fenced in if we added a gate. In the back there is a playplace/storage "thing" that's really nice (like a miniature house!). We haven't decided what we would do with it, but there are two decent sized rooms and a front porch. Whoever built it went all out, lol.

Anyway, I was excited so I just wanted to tell someone! I'm so glad you guys are here to listen to my random jabbering. lol!

We should hear back from the bank on Monday about our loan, then we'll decide if we are buying or renting. Wish us luck! I sure am nervous!! :o

[Mandy]

That IS exciting!!! The house sounds really lovely :thumbup:
Good luck on your decision, and remember, whatever is meant to be, will happen ;)

[Janet]

It sounds wonderful for a first home. One thing you might want to check is, in the future....is there plenty of room to add a third bedroom? I'm not sure about your area, but if someday you decided to move and sell this one, 3 bedroom homes go for so much more money.

I know when we built our house back in '74, we built it with two bedrooms, BUT we built it so that if the need arised we could add a 3rd bedroom easily without having to tear up much of the rest of the house. Just something to think about.

[DianaB]

Ok, the MOM in me is going to come out here (sorry) but this is something that I would say to my kids.

Please go over your figures and please make sure that you have enough money to still enjoy life. You're still in college and the last thing that you want is to be so tied down with debt while you're still in school that you can't have some fun. I'm very happy for you to be getting a home and I don't mean to be a spoil sport but, as I said, I would be giving this speech to my own children.

If you've already checked and double-checked then go for it!!!

[AngieDoogles]

It sounds wonderful for a first home. One thing you might want to check is, in the future....is there plenty of room to add a third bedroom? I'm not sure about your area, but if someday you decided to move and sell this one, 3 bedroom homes go for so much more money.

I know when we built our house back in '74, we built it with two bedrooms, BUT we built it so that if the need arised we could add a 3rd bedroom easily without having to tear up much of the rest of the house. Just something to think about.

That's a good point. I'll have to look into it. We're lucky that we are buying in a pretty pricey neighborhood so our home's value is only going to increase over time, especially if we are able to make changes like that. Thanks!

[Chandra Amaya]

Ang (big sister coming out), Try to have an electrician & plumber check it out for you before buying or RTO esp. The outside & interior could look great but if the just fixed it up to "look pretty" to sell, you don't want to invest money into it. We do have an electrician/ plummer in the family (even though we don't talk to that side much. I think this would be a good reason to.) If you don't know of anyone else to check those things out & Martin was or is both an electrican & plummer I believe. So you can ask mom or if you don't feel comfortable trying to reach him I will try if you want me to. Sorry I just know you would be devasted if you did buy then found problems like those.

[AngieDoogles]

Ang (big sister coming out), Try to have an electrician & plumber check it out for you before buying or RTO esp. The outside & interior could look great but if the just fixed it up to "look pretty" to sell, you don't want to invest money into it. We do have an electrician/ plummer in the family (even though we don't talk to that side much. I think this would be a good reason to.) If you don't know of anyone else to check those things out & Martin was or is both an electrican & plummer I believe. So you can ask mom or if you don't feel comfortable trying to reach him I will try if you want me to. Sorry I just know you would be devasted if you did buy then found problems like those.

Well, they actually redid all of that stuff because it wasn't up to date. We are definitely going to have an inspection before we buy, but I'm sure everything will be fine since they've put so much work into it. We're meeting with the real estate agent on Monday. I'll keep you posted.

Also, Janet...I was out at the property again today and there is definitely enough room to add on to the back if we choose to do so! :) My mom made the same suggestion, lol. A 3 br, 2 bath would be worth lots more than a 2 br, 2 bath so that is in the plan EVENTUALLY. :)

Thanks for all of the advice ladies!

[rivermom]

Angie - this is such exciting news! If you do decide to become a home owner remember that the bank should set you up with a person qualified and licenced to do a home inspection. This will save you peace of mind and possibly $$ if something doesn't work correctly after you purchase and move in. Even though most is new in the house it doesn't mean the work has been done correctly or is to code. I cannot stress enough about first having a "home inspection".


The bank after going through your paperwork will be honest about your debt to income ratio to insure you qualify to safely make the payments for this home. Due to the recent amount of bankruptcys in our country, banks have been left out to dry because persons buying homes can now not keep up with their payments, etc. And the homes are left to foreclosure.

So banks are getting stricter and wiser on their pre-qualifing for home loans.

Another thought, is I do NOT recommend you getting a variable rate mortgage. So often people say "well we will for sure make more money down the road when that payment goes up". Only to find that this is not always the case and they have to place their loved home into foreclosure.

If you can, lock into a interest rate and do a 15 or 30 year mortgage. Then later down the road if the rates drop you can refinance and save thousands in money.

This is a HUGE step in your life and I am so very thrilled for you. Do send us pics if you can and keep us posted on how all the process is going. :thumbup:

[Tink]

How exciting for you!

I used to be a Realtor, so just a small word of caution...

Housing prices go up and down routinely. They've been going up for years, and are starting to head back down. PLEASE don't count on the value rising over time, because it's very possible that won't happen in the next 5 - 10 yrs. As interest rates rise, real estate values go down. It's a simple fact of economics that can either make or break you!

[AngieDoogles]

Thanks so much for all of the advice. It really helps to talk to people who have purchased before! I will keep all of this in mind as we are making our decisions.

And we will definitely be having an inspector look at the property before we decide anything. :)

Again, thanks! You guys are awesome!

[AngieDoogles]

So we are waiting on the official contract to be written up, and then we are waiting on the inspection...if everything goes well, we will start moving in May 1st, which is finals week, but that's okay!

From now on, we are choosing everything that goes in the house! Since they are remodeling anyway, the owner is letting us (within reason) choose the light fixtures, cabinets, doorknobs, flooring, vanities, etc. It will be an exciting month...I'm sure he'll be calling us almost every day asking us questions about what we want! But I don't mind, lol!

We are SOOO excited!!! :D

[Chandra Amaya]

So we are waiting on the official contract to be written up, and then we are waiting on the inspection...if everything goes well, we will start moving in May 1st, which is finals week, but that's okay!

From now on, we are choosing everything that goes in the house! Since they are remodeling anyway, the owner is letting us (within reason) choose the light fixtures, cabinets, doorknobs, flooring, vanities, etc. It will be an exciting month...I'm sure he'll be calling us almost every day asking us questions about what we want! But I don't mind, lol!

We are SOOO excited!!! :D
Wow very nice. You are almost getting a custom house :D Congrats to you both. So when's the house warming party?:p

[AngieDoogles]

Wow very nice. You are almost getting a custom house :D Congrats to you both. So when's the house warming party?:p

We're thinking mid-May, to give us time to unpack and such. :) We're really excited to show it off to everyone!

[Chandra Amaya]

We're thinking mid-May, to give us time to unpack and such. :) We're really excited to show it off to everyone!
Do you need anything in particular? Like another bathroom set since where are are now only has one, any type of furniture or washer?

[AngieDoogles]

Ok, the MOM in me is going to come out here (sorry) but this is something that I would say to my kids.

Please go over your figures and please make sure that you have enough money to still enjoy life. You're still in college and the last thing that you want is to be so tied down with debt while you're still in school that you can't have some fun. I'm very happy for you to be getting a home and I don't mean to be a spoil sport but, as I said, I would be giving this speech to my own children.

If you've already checked and double-checked then go for it!!!

I'm sorry Diana, I just saw this post for the first time today. I don't know how I missed it before!! I wasn't trying to ignore your advice... :)

A little background on my hubby and I so that you guys don't think we are just jumping into this: We have been married for 3 years. This whole time we have been saving EVERY little bit we can so that we would have enough for a down payment when it came time to buy a house. For the past 2.5 years, we have lived in the crappiest apartment you could imagine. Horrible landlords who don't do anything, no w/d hookups, the loudest neighbors in the world...etc. We did this because the rent was cheap and we would much rather spend a few years in a less than ideal situation if it means that we will have our own home when we graduate. We've tried SO hard to be smart with our money and feel that we are completely ready for this step. I only have 3 semesters and a field study left in my undergrad and then one year (three semester including summer) of grad school. I get a ton of scholarship money each semester that is sufficient to live off of. By buying a home now, we feel that we are investing in our future and would much rather do this than simply throw our money away for the next 2-3 years and THEN start saving for the future. We feel that it is the best option for our financial security.

I really do appreciate your concern and I know that it only means you don't want us to make a mistake, but we really have put a lot of thought into it. We're excited! :)

We are going back to the property either Friday or Monday to do a few things, so I'll try to take some pictures. They'll definitely be the before pictures, with piles of tile in the middle of the floor and lots of equipment and tools and such, but I'll post after pictures later for comparison.

[AngieDoogles]

Do you need anything in particular? Like another bathroom set since where are are now only has one, any type of furniture or washer?

I don't want you to buy us anything. You have four kids and a hubby to take care of! :) We'll be fine. But it would be great if you could make it to the party!

[Chandra Amaya]

I don't want you to buy us anything. You have four kids and a hubby to take care of! :) We'll be fine. But it would be great if you could make it to the party!
Stop worrying LITTLE sister (who's taller than me :( ). We are doing ok right now. He is getting good hours & a pay raise :D . We have to be careful & still budget but since
:thumbup: :thumbup: :D We both stopped smoking :thumbup: :thumbup: :cool:
That means on top of his hour increase & raise we have $180 more a check check (biweekly). Of course I can't get the washer but I could keep an eye out for good deals. any ideas on you decor or themes for any rooms?

Does anyone have any ideas for a 9 yr old boy's "Racing" room? We do live in an apartment & can't change paint but it looks so bare. I have a racing border, racing pictures, clock & a "car mirror" (the baby "so we can check on the kids" small kind) with his own set of fuzzy dice on it. We are getting him two video rockers to put infront of this mirror so he has the "interior of a car" in his room.

[AngieDoogles]

Stop worrying LITTLE sister (who's taller than me :( ). We are doing ok right now. He is getting good hours & a pay raise :D . We have to be careful & still budget but since
:thumbup: :thumbup: :D We both stopped smoking :thumbup: :cool:
That means on top of his hour increase & raise we have $180 more a check check (biweekly). Of course I can't get the washer but I could keep an eye out for good deals. any ideas on you decor or themes for any rooms?

Does anyone have any ideas for a 9 yr old boy's "Racing" room? We do live in an apartment & can't change paint but it looks so bare. I have a racing border, racing pictures, clock & a "car mirror" (the baby "so we can check on the kids" small kind) with his own set of fuzzy dice on it. We are getting him two video rockers to put infront of this mirror so he has the "interior of a car" in his room.

Wow! I didn't realize cigarettes were $90 a week!! That's crazy! Anyway, I'm glad you guys are quitting...it's so much healthier and less expensive and a good example for the young'uns. :)

We are just going to keep the same decorations and furniture we have for now. We'll buy the things we need a little at a time until we have everything we want. Well, except the washer/dryer...we'll get that asap! lol! I don't know what we'll do with the other bathroom yet. I'm leaning towards putting all of our current decorations in the main bathroom and just leaving ours kind of bare until we settle in a bit and see how our finances look. That way if we have guests over they get to use the "pretty" bathroom. :) Mom is going to get our uncle that works with her to measure and install blinds from her company so they'll be professional and nice. That'll probably be neutral though. For now, the kitchen and living room are painted two tone with sage on the bottom (1/3) and a nice light beige on the top (2/3) with chair rail separating it. The bedrooms are a medium beige and so is the laundry room. Basically, it's all pretty neutral and will be easy to work with. We didn't want to do anything too crazy with the paint in case we get different furniture in the future.

Maybe you could hang a checkered flag somewhere in his room? Sorry, I can't really think of anything else right now... :confused:

[Mandy]

Stop worrying LITTLE sister (who's taller than me :( ). We are doing ok right now. He is getting good hours & a pay raise :D . We have to be careful & still budget but since
:thumbup: :thumbup: :D We both stopped smoking :thumbup: :thumbup: :cool:
That means on top of his hour increase & raise we have $180 more a check check (biweekly). Of course I can't get the washer but I could keep an eye out for good deals. any ideas on you decor or themes for any rooms?

Does anyone have any ideas for a 9 yr old boy's "Racing" room? We do live in an apartment & can't change paint but it looks so bare. I have a racing border, racing pictures, clock & a "car mirror" (the baby "so we can check on the kids" small kind) with his own set of fuzzy dice on it. We are getting him two video rockers to put infront of this mirror so he has the "interior of a car" in his room.

Maybe you can give him a racing car cover for hes bed. Do they have the beds in racing car shape over there?
Racing car wall paper, and cut out some cool cars to stick on the walls?
I remember when my son was small, he wanted one of those so badly.

[Mandy]

Wow! I didn't realize cigarettes were $90 a week!! That's crazy! Anyway, I'm glad you guys are quitting...it's so much healthier and less expensive and a good example for the young'uns. :)

We are just going to keep the same decorations and furniture we have for now. We'll buy the things we need a little at a time until we have everything we want. Well, except the washer/dryer...we'll get that asap! lol! I don't know what we'll do with the other bathroom yet. I'm leaning towards putting all of our current decorations in the main bathroom and just leaving ours kind of bare until we settle in a bit and see how our finances look. That way if we have guests over they get to use the "pretty" bathroom. :) Mom is going to get our uncle that works with her to measure and install blinds from her company so they'll be professional and nice. That'll probably be neutral though. For now, the kitchen and living room are painted two tone with sage on the bottom (1/3) and a nice light beige on the top (2/3) with chair rail separating it. The bedrooms are a medium beige and so is the laundry room. Basically, it's all pretty neutral and will be easy to work with. We didn't want to do anything too crazy with the paint in case we get different furniture in the future.

Maybe you could hang a checkered flag somewhere in his room? Sorry, I can't really think of anything else right now... :confused:


You are so sweet to make the guest bathroom all pretty for visitors, and leaving yours till later, that is very thoughtful.
I agree, neutral colors are easiest to work with, until you decide on different furnite, or other things. I love those colors.

[AngieDoogles]

You are so sweet to make the guest bathroom all pretty for visitors, and leaving yours till later, that is very thoughtful.
I agree, neutral colors are easiest to work with, until you decide on different furnite, or other things. I love those colors.

Thanks. We're pretty happy with the colors. At least for now. If we ever need to change in the future we can. (Coming from someone who has lived in apartments her whole life, being able to change colors whenever I want really is exciting!)

As for the bathrooms, I have to admit that it wasn't a completely altruistic decision to decorate the main bathroom instead of the master bathroom. I want people to think our new house is pretty. :o

[Chandra Amaya]

Maybe you can give him a racing car cover for hes bed. Do they have the beds in racing car shape over there?
Racing car wall paper, and cut out some cool cars to stick on the walls?
I remember when my son was small, he wanted one of those so badly.
oh I forgot he does have racing sheets, comforter & curtains. cutting out wall paper is a cool idea though thanks so much =)

[Chandra Amaya]

Thanks. We're pretty happy with the colors. At least for now. If we ever need to change in the future we can. (Coming from someone who has lived in apartments her whole life, being able to change colors whenever I want really is exciting!)

As for the bathrooms, I have to admit that it wasn't a completely altruistic decision to decorate the main bathroom instead of the master bathroom. I want people to think our new house is pretty. :o
It takes a little time to get it all together but you will & you will love it. It will be yours, your design & how you want it. No better feeling than that. I love decorating but mine is still a work in progress. LOL I'll get it done about the time we get bills paid off & decide to buy a house. oh well good excuse for a change :D :thumbup:

[AngieDoogles]

Did I mention that we won't be sharing walls with anyone anymore??? Grr...Our neighbors are being loud again tonight and it makes me even more grateful that we won't have shared walls when we move.

Is it May yet?? Please?