ATP: Choosing a Home

[awakeandready]

This isn't necessarily about the house buying process, but more about searching for the right house. Obviously much of house choosing is personal preference, but I'd love to hear what people looked for, avoided, etc. For example, were there things you insisted on having that in retrospect you didn't really need? Anything you really wish you had in your house?

Preferred heating/cooling type? How old is too old for something like a roof, furnace, etc.?

Throw whatever advice you've got my way!

 

[discdude]

This isn't necessarily about the house buying process, but more about searching for the right house. Obviously much of house choosing is personal preference, but I'd love to hear what people looked for, avoided, etc. For example, were there things you insisted on having that in retrospect you didn't really need? Anything you really wish you had in your house?

Preferred heating/cooling type? How old is too old for something like a roof, furnace, etc.?

Throw whatever advice you've got my way!

Find the best inspector in town and get a plumber to inspect. Worth every penny.

 

[BacktoBack]

Where are you buying?

 

[YoungBuck95]

If you're looking at new houses, look for super energy-efficient homes. Older houses, look for areas in houses that you can greatly improve the efficiency. It's an easy way to save money.

 

[dartsndeacs]

needs to have room for a 2 lane bowling alley

 

[jhmd2000]

Find the best inspector in town and get a plumber to inspect. Worth every penny.

I would also get an electrician, and do not accept referrals for any of these services from your realtor.

I know this may seem odd, but relative elevation matters. Our house is located on the lower half of a hilly area, and we have a stormwater problem. Our yard stays drenched three days after it stops raining. Shadows and ponding are a nuisance you don't appreciate until you have it.

 

[inspectah]

I would also get an electrician, and do not accept referrals for any of these services from your realtor.

Might be the single most important piece of advice for first-time home buyers. My wife and I naively took the recommendations of our realtor, and all of them (the realtor, too, basically) were incompetent. We have major issues with our foundation and have had to spend gobs of money fixing it. Both the inspector and a structural engineer assured us it was no problem. Oops.

 

[DaDeacs]

There are a ton of things you need to consider:

1) Insurance zones - based on where the house is will you need extra coverage for hail/hurricanes/tornadoes
2) Roof - if its an older house, check when the roof was last replaced, they last roughly 20 years and cost a bunch of money to replace
3) Termites - The inspector will help out here
4) Monthly dues - depending on the neighborhood you are in
5) Cable/Internet - not as much an issue anymore, unless you are moving to the boonies
6) Annual taxes - this isn't going to change much unless you are looking in different counties/states, but think about if you are going to escrow or pay lump sum at the end of the year
7) Neighbors - do a canvas yourself of the neighborhood, knock on doors, ask about the house and the people around
8) Type of frame - wood versus concrete versus poured concrete, understand what the risks of each are
9) Water & Electric bills - ask to see recent bills to gauge how much you will be spending and if there is an issue
10) Water - where does it come from, well or city - make sure you are not in a zone that will be transitioning from well, that will be your responsibility to pay for that transition
11) Neighborhood Membership - if it is in a neighborhood that has a homeowners board or something like it, make sure you understand what you can and can't do to the house without having to get approval from the board

Bunch more, but Im still on coffee 1 for the day so brain is pretty foggy.

 

[deacondamo]

Good list from Da. I would also check with the HOA to see if any large assessments are upcoming. Sometimes homeowners try to sell before that occurs. In my previous house, we started paying $250 in monthly dues, but it had increased to almost $400 by the time we moved.

Depending on the age of the house, check the windows. Single pane windows are very inefficient and can cost a lot to replace.

 

[dot com]

Keep in mind what is changeable. Don't let shitty carpet or wallpaper sway your decision. You can run gas for a stove. You can cut down trees.
What you can't do is stop local trains from running by at 3am or rotate your house so the sun doesn't rise in the master bedroom.
Layout and location are primary.

 

[DeacHawk]

i'm assuming y'all are looking only in Winston. Just be aware, Business 40 through downtown (Peters Creek to 52) will be completely shutdown from about 2018 to 2020.

 

[jhmd2000]

i'm assuming y'all are looking only in Winston. Just be aware, Business 40 through downtown (Peters Creek to 52) will be completely shutdown from about 2018 to 2020.

Buyin' time.

 

[jhmd2000]

Might be the single most important piece of advice for first-time home buyers. My wife and I naively took the recommendations of our realtor, and all of them (the realtor, too, basically) were incompetent. We have major issues with our foundation and have had to spend gobs of money fixing it. Both the inspector and a structural engineer assured us it was no problem. Oops.

Yep. Those people work for the realtor, and the realtor wants your deal closed. I won't be making that mistake again.

 

[leftcoastdeac]

Make sure you do a good job of prioritizing wants; will help guide decisions on where to compromise. If you're looking in an older/gentrifying neighborhood, spend some time walking the streets. I had reservations about the neighborhood in which I currently live when my wife initially showed me the house. We spent some time going over there, parking the car, and walking around at different times of day and it gave me a much better feeling for what it would be like to live there - so much so that we bought the house 2.5 years ago!

 

[DirtySouthDeacon]

Might be the single most important piece of advice for first-time home buyers. My wife and I naively took the recommendations of our realtor, and all of them (the realtor, too, basically) were incompetent. We have major issues with our foundation and have had to spend gobs of money fixing it. Both the inspector and a structural engineer assured us it was no problem. Oops.

Sounds like you did not get a good recomendation for a realtor. If you have a good realtor, that is their job.

 

[deaconson]

lots of good advice on the thread.

also consider how long you are going to be in the house. do you need to consider how the local schools are? established or up and coming neighborhood that you will be able to sell in a few years? commute? traffic patterns? age of kids in the neighborhood? older neighborhood might have older kids and a younger family might like to have kids around for theirs to play with.

agree with having pros evaluate the property. 2 mos after we moved in we had to replace the shut off valve for the water entry into the house. we did not realize it was end of life. thankfully the home owner's association sent out an email saying one of the homes had theirs burst and everyone should consider getting it replaced.

 

[BacktoBack]

Lot of good information in this thread.

- I don't know your life situation but consider school district. If there are excellent public schools you can spend a little more on the house to avoid the need for private schools.
- Get a price point in mind and then try really hard to stick with it. Realtors love to show you something out of range. It only sets you up for disappointment. In a similar vein, don't even think about spending the amount the bank approves you for. Even today they will allow you just enough rope to hang yourself if your life situation changes. Best rule of thumb I've heard is monthly payment on the house should be no more than 25% of gross monthly income.

 

[Biff Tannen]

Yep. School district is one of the biggest drivers of home value. And if you buy based on school district, you might want to make sure that you can't get redistricted into something you really don't want.

Also, when the Realtor shows you comps for the neighborhood or street and suggests an opening offer, tell her you had something a bit lower in mind. If the house has been on the market for 90+ days, the buyer has a lot more power than they realize.

If you can swing a 15-year mortgage, go for it.

 

[tiltdeac]

So if I were meeting with a realtor in Winston, what neighborhoods should I have her/him show me?

 

[marquee moon]

Yep. School district is one of the biggest drivers of home value. And if you buy based on school district, you might want to make sure that you can't get redistricted into something you really don't want.

Also, when the Realtor shows you comps for the neighborhood or street and suggests an opening offer, tell her you had something a bit lower in mind. If the house has been on the market for 90+ days, the buyer has a lot more power than they realize.

If you can swing a 15-year mortgage, go for it.