Only Wednesday...
Things I have learned about house shopping so far:
1. No matter how big your budget, the grass is always greener...the kitchen always nicer...the bedrooms always bigger. No matter if you can spend $200,000 or $400,000 or $1.2 million, there will always be nicer homes out there than yours. Tis the sad truth.
2. Always have 20% to put down. Mortgage insurance is to be avoided at all costs. You CAN get a house with little to no money down. But you will pay at least $100/month ON TOP OF your mortgage.
3. Get thyself preapproved. Some sellers won't even meet with non-approved buyers. Whip out that preapproval letter and let them know...GAME ON.
4. Location, location, location....equals good schools. You may be able to score a nice house and big yard but make sure you're not sacrificing it for subpar schools. You probably don't want your kid going to a school where 97% of other schools in your state score higher on standardized tests.
5. You will inevitably have someone in your social circle that will tirelessly try to convince you to buy bigger, buy more expensive. SHUT THEM DOWN. Just because they're house-poor doesn't mean you want to be too.
6. House hunting, like life, is full of heartbreak. You WILL get houses snapped up from under you. You WILL visit a house after seeing the pictures online and be crushed by the reality of it. You WILL have moments when you doubt you and your perfect match will meet. Pick up your crushed little heart and get back to those MLS sites! Soldier on!
7. People do some damn stupid things with their homes. From pinning up a dollar bill on the ceiling of their bedroom, to tacky chandeliers, to letting their lives' largest investment go to shambles, people will do things that make no sense to you. Observe, judge where appropriate, and move on.
8. When shopping with a partner, you will not always agree. He might value a garage (whyyyyy though I do not know) while you want a nice remodeled kitchen ('cause I'm not f'ing cooking in a goddamn dump that is why)....such things must be addressed. No one is right, no one is wrong.
9. Get a good realtor. Not a friend of a friend who also likes your favorite band omg. Pick someone who specializes in the areas you're interested in looking at and who has appropriate credentials. Someone who listens to you and answers your questions and makes themselves available to you. Someone who totally looks like they could take on any other realtor if it comes to a bidding war. No fear, man.
10. Be realistic. We all want that mansion with an infinity pool and a bowling alley and a unicorn farm but it just ain't going to happen for all of us. Some of us end up in transitional ranchers in SuburbiaLand. You wouldn't go inquiring about the Hope Diamond if all you can afford is Kay Jewelers. So stick to open houses that you could realistically own and afford. Don't tempt yourself.
1. No matter how big your budget, the grass is always greener...the kitchen always nicer...the bedrooms always bigger. No matter if you can spend $200,000 or $400,000 or $1.2 million, there will always be nicer homes out there than yours. Tis the sad truth.
2. Always have 20% to put down. Mortgage insurance is to be avoided at all costs. You CAN get a house with little to no money down. But you will pay at least $100/month ON TOP OF your mortgage.
3. Get thyself preapproved. Some sellers won't even meet with non-approved buyers. Whip out that preapproval letter and let them know...GAME ON.
4. Location, location, location....equals good schools. You may be able to score a nice house and big yard but make sure you're not sacrificing it for subpar schools. You probably don't want your kid going to a school where 97% of other schools in your state score higher on standardized tests.
5. You will inevitably have someone in your social circle that will tirelessly try to convince you to buy bigger, buy more expensive. SHUT THEM DOWN. Just because they're house-poor doesn't mean you want to be too.
6. House hunting, like life, is full of heartbreak. You WILL get houses snapped up from under you. You WILL visit a house after seeing the pictures online and be crushed by the reality of it. You WILL have moments when you doubt you and your perfect match will meet. Pick up your crushed little heart and get back to those MLS sites! Soldier on!
7. People do some damn stupid things with their homes. From pinning up a dollar bill on the ceiling of their bedroom, to tacky chandeliers, to letting their lives' largest investment go to shambles, people will do things that make no sense to you. Observe, judge where appropriate, and move on.
8. When shopping with a partner, you will not always agree. He might value a garage (whyyyyy though I do not know) while you want a nice remodeled kitchen ('cause I'm not f'ing cooking in a goddamn dump that is why)....such things must be addressed. No one is right, no one is wrong.
9. Get a good realtor. Not a friend of a friend who also likes your favorite band omg. Pick someone who specializes in the areas you're interested in looking at and who has appropriate credentials. Someone who listens to you and answers your questions and makes themselves available to you. Someone who totally looks like they could take on any other realtor if it comes to a bidding war. No fear, man.
10. Be realistic. We all want that mansion with an infinity pool and a bowling alley and a unicorn farm but it just ain't going to happen for all of us. Some of us end up in transitional ranchers in SuburbiaLand. You wouldn't go inquiring about the Hope Diamond if all you can afford is Kay Jewelers. So stick to open houses that you could realistically own and afford. Don't tempt yourself.