Home buying thread

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Khane

Got something right about marriage
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Why would rentals take a nosedive? You mean just short term rentals?
 

Khane

Got something right about marriage
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The same will happen to homeowners though, and everyone will always need a place to live. Rental prices didn't really move downward in 2008, and more people than usual suddenly needed to rent because they lost their home and their credit was destroyed. Rental properties are a lot more insulated from market collapses because of that fact.

People are going to take a bath no matter what, but I think the housing market is in a lot more trouble than the rental market.
 

Nija

<Silver Donator>
1,901
3,705
Putting an offer down in the Leander area of Austin. Northern suburb of the city but also on the metro line which is what I was looking for. Its all out open bidding wars on NEW construction.

Welcome to Texas + Californians in 2021!
Congrats. A friend of mine from CA landed in Leander in October. He's good people - I coached with him for a few years. Not EVERYONE from CA is lost.
 

Frenzied Wombat

Potato del Grande
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31,802
I don’t even want to think of all the problems those new construction homes will have. It’s like they are all built to fall apart at the 1 year mark now. Cheap Chinese lock sets dying, crap weatherstripping around doors/windows, floorboard gaps, settling carpentry gaps, hvac leak because it wasn’t hung properly, driveway cracks because they did t pour with rebar, you find out all the appliances were refurbs, window and door threshold leaks, the list goes on.
 

TJT

Mr. Poopybutthole
<Gold Donor>
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Well we got it. Has all the stuff we really wanted in a house. 4 BR/3bath, dedicated home office space and a 3 car garage so I have room for my stuff.
 
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Arative

Vyemm Raider
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Well we got it. Has all the stuff we really wanted in a house. 4 BR/3bath, dedicated home office space and a 3 car garage so I have room for my stuff.
Congrats. The design part is the fun part, at least it was for me and my wife when we built. Shit adds up though, $500 here, $500 there.
 
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TJT

Mr. Poopybutthole
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Congrats. The design part is the fun part, at least it was for me and my wife when we built. Shit adds up though, $500 here, $500 there.
No design options allowed anymore amigo. Outside of very specific shit like the 3 car garage I wanted.
 

Arative

Vyemm Raider
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No design options allowed anymore amigo. Outside of very specific shit like the 3 car garage I wanted.
What about like cabinets, flooring, light fixtures, things like that? We went room by room and added stuff, like the vent hood venting outside instead of back into the room, things like that.
 

TJT

Mr. Poopybutthole
<Gold Donor>
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What about like cabinets, flooring, light fixtures, things like that? We went room by room and added stuff, like the vent hood venting outside instead of back into the room, things like that.
Notta. They used to do that but it stopped around 2017 as far as I know.
 

TheBeagle

JunkiesNetwork Donor
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Bought a new house in Northlake TX last week (a few miles from Texas Motor Speedway). 3/2, open floor plan, about 1,500 sq ft. Single developer neighborhood, Centex. $5k for cabinet/countertop/ flooring upgrade. They had three selections to choose from and we went granite/white cabs/grey vinyl wood floors/ivory subway tiles for the backsplash. We were the third house to sign in this development, really pleased with what we are getting. Prices increase $3k across the board for every 4 houses they sell. It's 1000x nicer than resales in the current market at our price range, $243k and we're out in the country. Good HOA; no rentals and no investors. I plan on running for a seat on the board once everything is settled. Construction starts in the next week or two, hopefully move in June. As a pool builder I hope to build my own backyard oasis next year. Pic of the model we got.
28975306-190929.jpg
 
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Tide27

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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So I am looking for opinions on what to do, and feel yall seem pretty informed and knowledgeable about things I am not.

My new job is taking me to Columbus, IN and its about a 1 1/2hr commute to my work if we stay in the Indy area, so that's not really possible.

We currently rent a home for around 1600 a month ( because we went monthly knowing my job situation just changed ) that's 2k sq feet. I am tired of throwing so much money away.

We have looked in Columbus for rentals ( there aren't any ) , so we started looked at buying a home. Everything that is in the 150k to 200k range seems to be old, run down homes that will need a ton of work, but we could get a new build for around 220k, so that's the direction we are leaning. We currently make about 120k year and would use a VA loan. On the flip side, there is a nice mobile home on a permanent foundation that's 1600 sq ft and only 77k, which would allow us a much lower payment.

We only plan to be in Columbus, IN until I can find a way to transfer back to TN, which is where we want to perma settle. Hopefully our time in Columbus is 3 to 4 years or less, before we can get out of there.

What would be the most sensible thing to do? Buy a new build for 220kish, buy a fixer upper for 180kish, or buy a nice mobile home for 70k and use that savings for our forever home in TN?
 

Lanx

Oye Ve
<Prior Amod>
60,060
131,345
Bought a new house in Northlake TX last week (a few miles from Texas Motor Speedway). 3/2, open floor plan, about 1,500 sq ft. Single developer neighborhood, Centex. $5k for cabinet/countertop/ flooring upgrade. They had three selections to choose from and we went granite/white cabs/grey vinyl wood floors/ivory subway tiles for the backsplash. We were the third house to sign in this development, really pleased with what we are getting. Prices increase $3k across the board for every 4 houses they sell. It's 1000x nicer than resales in the current market at our price range, $243k and we're out in the country. Good HOA; no rentals and no investors. I plan on running for a seat on the board once everything is settled. Construction starts in the next week or two, hopefully move in June. As a pool builder I hope to build my own backyard oasis next year. Pic of the model we got.
View attachment 332525
i told my wife, white is in now (for some god aweful reason)
 

Lanx

Oye Ve
<Prior Amod>
60,060
131,345
So I am looking for opinions on what to do, and feel yall seem pretty informed and knowledgeable about things I am not.

My new job is taking me to Columbus, IN and its about a 1 1/2hr commute to my work if we stay in the Indy area, so that's not really possible.

We currently rent a home for around 1600 a month ( because we went monthly knowing my job situation just changed ) that's 2k sq feet. I am tired of throwing so much money away.

We have looked in Columbus for rentals ( there aren't any ) , so we started looked at buying a home. Everything that is in the 150k to 200k range seems to be old, run down homes that will need a ton of work, but we could get a new build for around 220k, so that's the direction we are leaning. We currently make about 120k year and would use a VA loan. On the flip side, there is a nice mobile home on a permanent foundation that's 1600 sq ft and only 77k, which would allow us a much lower payment.

We only plan to be in Columbus, IN until I can find a way to transfer back to TN, which is where we want to perma settle. Hopefully our time in Columbus is 3 to 4 years or less, before we can get out of there.

What would be the most sensible thing to do? Buy a new build for 220kish, buy a fixer upper for 180kish, or buy a nice mobile home for 70k and use that savings for our forever home in TN?
is this your first home? my wife and i were in apts until we moved to ks, 3 states and we finally settled cuz honestly its stupid to rent in ks.

i say this b/c i had A LOT of learning to do my first year actually being a home owner (i lived in a house, but you know, it's different when you own it, and youre the man of it), my first year FOH helped a ton w/ a lot of first home owner questions.
 

Tide27

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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is this your first home? my wife and i were in apts until we moved to ks, 3 states and we finally settled cuz honestly its stupid to rent in ks.

i say this b/c i had A LOT of learning to do my first year actually being a home owner (i lived in a house, but you know, it's different when you own it, and youre the man of it), my first year FOH helped a ton w/ a lot of first home owner questions.
It will be the first time owning a home. We rented one in Florida for 4 years, and then now in Indiana for 1. We have a little girl now, so apt isn't big enough anymore.
 

Lanx

Oye Ve
<Prior Amod>
60,060
131,345
It will be the first time owning a home. We rented one in Florida for 4 years, and then now in Indiana for 1. We have a little girl now, so apt isn't big enough anymore.
so are you going to look at a home based on commute time, neighborhood or school zone? cuz that seems to be your big 3 imo
 

TheBeagle

JunkiesNetwork Donor
8,443
28,972
So I am looking for opinions on what to do, and feel yall seem pretty informed and knowledgeable about things I am not.

My new job is taking me to Columbus, IN and its about a 1 1/2hr commute to my work if we stay in the Indy area, so that's not really possible.

We currently rent a home for around 1600 a month ( because we went monthly knowing my job situation just changed ) that's 2k sq feet. I am tired of throwing so much money away.

We have looked in Columbus for rentals ( there aren't any ) , so we started looked at buying a home. Everything that is in the 150k to 200k range seems to be old, run down homes that will need a ton of work, but we could get a new build for around 220k, so that's the direction we are leaning. We currently make about 120k year and would use a VA loan. On the flip side, there is a nice mobile home on a permanent foundation that's 1600 sq ft and only 77k, which would allow us a much lower payment.

We only plan to be in Columbus, IN until I can find a way to transfer back to TN, which is where we want to perma settle. Hopefully our time in Columbus is 3 to 4 years or less, before we can get out of there.

What would be the most sensible thing to do? Buy a new build for 220kish, buy a fixer upper for 180kish, or buy a nice mobile home for 70k and use that savings for our forever home in TN?
Maybe it's different for VA loans but you can't finance a single wide mobile home, needs to be double wide.
 

Khane

Got something right about marriage
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I didn't realize they made reasonably sized homes in TX. Nice place, congrats.
 
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