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May. 31st, 2006 12:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
geminigirlIt's a lot of waiting right now. Waiting for the home inspection to be scheduled, waiting to confirm the funding (we had approved funding, but it sucked, and so we kept looking to see if we could find something better, and somehow ended up eligible for an FHA loan which could lower our downpayment if we wanted to, and gives us a nice, comfortable interest rate.) Wait for everything.
I know that some of you have experience buying homes. If you have suggestions about things to ask during the home inspection, or while shopping for homeowner's insurance, I'd love to hear them. And please feel free to point others who might know at this post. (The house, in case it matters was built in 1997, we'll be having a mold inspection and a termite inspection along with the home inspection.)
I do need to do some shopping. We're looking for mirrors for the two bathrooms (and of course I don't know what size we need-one for the master bathroom and one for the other bathroom) and light fixtures for the kitchen (above the kitchen table, not the whole room) a small, round kitchen table, a smaller coffee table and a new futon. And I'll play with paint colors.
I will try and score some better photos during the home inspection, which should be happening within a few days. And measurements of the space.
I can't believe we're buying a house.
I know that some of you have experience buying homes. If you have suggestions about things to ask during the home inspection, or while shopping for homeowner's insurance, I'd love to hear them. And please feel free to point others who might know at this post. (The house, in case it matters was built in 1997, we'll be having a mold inspection and a termite inspection along with the home inspection.)
I do need to do some shopping. We're looking for mirrors for the two bathrooms (and of course I don't know what size we need-one for the master bathroom and one for the other bathroom) and light fixtures for the kitchen (above the kitchen table, not the whole room) a small, round kitchen table, a smaller coffee table and a new futon. And I'll play with paint colors.
I will try and score some better photos during the home inspection, which should be happening within a few days. And measurements of the space.
I can't believe we're buying a house.
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Date: 2006-05-31 05:16 pm (UTC)I'd also just add the reminder that there are LOTS of houses that would work for you. Don't rush into one with flaws. Consider slightly pushing yourself financially - your mortgage payment will get more comfortable sooner than you imagine, but your house won't magically grow just because you want it to. ;o)
Good luck and have fun! :o)
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Date: 2006-05-31 05:25 pm (UTC)We asked our realtor for a home inspector recommendation. And then asked who she didn't like. Sure enough, the ones she didn't like were the ones who were "too picky" and "over-analyzed" everything.
Yup. You want a home inspector who is anal, detail oriented, and takes his time. Its a huge investment -- you want to know exactly what you're buying.
In regards to all your excitement -- its great. But don't buy a thing. The worst thing you can do is fall is love with a house. The best buyers are willing to walk away at a moment's notice.
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Date: 2006-06-06 05:31 am (UTC)Was this a person you were actually under contract with and who was working for you? I ask because a lot of people end up with the impression that they are a client (as opposed to a customer) of a realtor who actually has the seller as a client. Laws about this vary by state but I can tell you that as a real estate agent myself, I recommend the pickiest, most detail-oriented inspectors to *MY* buyer clients, anyway. (On the other hand, if you weren't a client, than at least in MA, they aren't allowed to recommend specific inspectors but can only provide the complete list.)
I'm sorry you had what sounds like a sub-par agent. :(
(As for general inspection advice, most everything here sounds good. Remember that you can always ask the seller's agent to go away while you talk with your inspector if you want to be able to be frank in your comments without it possibly working against you.
Good luck! Exciting!)
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Date: 2006-06-06 09:08 am (UTC)While she was initally very aggressive, it later became apparent to my husband and me that she wasn't nearly as good as we needed. Many things going on in her personal life, along with some sort of degenerative illness that affected her abilities. We could tell she was anxious to wrap things up. Being first time home buyers, we were still wet behind the ears and should have worked to terminate the contract.
On the other hand, I think we came out of it with a great house for a fair price.
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Date: 2006-06-10 12:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 05:48 pm (UTC)Talk to the neighbours-to-be.
See the area during the day and in the middle of the night.
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Date: 2006-05-31 06:47 pm (UTC)My mom is apartment hunting right now and she saw a great place during the day. She happened to be at a motel 2 blocks down and realized there is a nearby train track that runs in the middle of the night (like a freighter cargo/transport train)!
How awful would that have been!!
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Date: 2006-05-31 07:11 pm (UTC)For the first few nights it sucks, then you learn to tune it out. And I say that as an insanely light sleeper.
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Date: 2006-05-31 06:46 pm (UTC)a) if the A/C worked (he turned it on and there was air coming out, but it wasn't cold, because the freon thing in it is busted so it never blows air below 75F)
b) if the toilets truly flush (he flushed it, but not with toilet paper in it. We later found if you flush with even a small wad of toilet paper, it backs up)
c) if the in-ground sprinkler works (he didn't bother to check since it was December, but a quick look at the electric box woul've found severe miswiring)
When the home inspector is walking around, play with all the switches. We only tried a couple of switches (like the one in the hallway and living room) and later found the upstairs closet and several rooms were incorrectly wired by the previous owners and had to get extensive repairs.
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Date: 2006-06-01 04:39 am (UTC)Even better, take a lamp with you, and test every single outlet, while also determining (and noting) which outlets are switched.
My current place has no switched outlet in the master bedroom, even though there's a wall switch. I suspect that there used to be a ceiling light, but that it was removed when the sprinklers were added after actual construction was done. (I think I remember the fire in the complex that made that change happen, it's possible. I lived in the complex below this one at the time of a fire and my over-active curiosity may have saved the next-to-the-fire-neighbor's place from serious damage. I also got drenched by the firehose, too.) If I buy this place, I'll have to have that added.
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Date: 2006-05-31 06:49 pm (UTC)Best of luck!
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Date: 2006-05-31 06:53 pm (UTC)The home inspector should go everywhere, and look at everything. Up on the roof, into any crawl space, everywhere everywhere everywhere. The home inspector should point out any problems, and recommend you purchase further expertise where necessary. Our home inspector never hesitated to say "get a foundation inspection, get a roofing inspection, etc." Those inspections cost money and take time, but they can be invaluable.
The job of the home inspector isn't necessarily to point out obvious things. He may or may not make a list of broken windows, for example. It's to point out things that your average person wouldn't notice, such as the hot water heater not being ground properly.
If you qualify for USAA, consider them for your mortgage and insurance needs.
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Date: 2006-05-31 08:07 pm (UTC)Make sure the inspector climbs onto the roof instead of looking at it with binoculars. We asked our lawyer to recommend an inspector and that worked out really well.
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Date: 2006-05-31 09:42 pm (UTC)I definitely recommend against doing any shopping until after you're totally sure the deal will go through. The more you get yourself invested in the place, the less able you'll be to walk away if problems are discovered. Realtors who are selling houses like to encourage potential buyers to figure out how their furniture will fit into the space -- because once you start thinking that concretely, you're less likely to walk away.
As for the home inspector, definitely try to get some recommendations from other people. We loved our home inspector, who was recommended by our realtor -- but the realtor was an exclusive buyer's agent, which meant he was more motivated than most to make sure we were happy.
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Date: 2006-05-31 09:55 pm (UTC)The home inspectors that the realtor recommended to us are both people he uses when he flips properties, which could be a good or bad thing. He says he prefers one, who provides a detailed "how to take care of your house" manual after the inspection, if he's available. I'm going to give a call to my cousin, and see who they used when they bought their place, because I suspect most of our friends who bought houses all used the same guys that the realtor recommended-people seem to really like the realtor.
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Date: 2006-06-02 12:47 am (UTC)I knew you wouldn't buy anything -- what I was getting at is that even shopping for things specific to the new house may put you in a worse bargaining position if the home inspection turns up matters for concern, because you may be less willing to walk away if you're more emotionally invested in the property.
But of course, that's very individual -- more power to you if you're able to shop for the house without getting more attached to it. :-)
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Date: 2006-06-01 12:13 am (UTC)