First Time Home Buyer

[Shannacore]

Any advice?

Where'd you go wrong or what worked out well for you?

[SamwiseRed]

dont do it!

[Shannacore]

dont do it!

Why not!

I have the income to do it. Isn't it an ~INVESTMENT~

[Swish]

I don't know if this is relevant coming from across the Atlantic but a generally good idea here is to save up as much as you can for a deposit beforehand to take the heat off some of the mortgage repayments.

Set aside/factor in a budget for redecorating, and be sure you can afford where you're buying. If you're going "above budget", be sure that you still have an amount to live on per month that isn't going to cause depression/$$ arguments with the significant other.. my best friend got married just under 2 years ago and bought a place that he's struggling to keep paying repayments on, and with a 2nd baby on the way its causing all kinds of drama :(

[Kraftwerk]

dont do it!

[SamwiseRed]

the american dream is a nightmare just waiting to happen. more debt isnt the answer, especially in your case. i mean you are young and presumably single, no kids. no reason to burden yourself with home ownership. shits not classic anyway.

[Stinkum]

Take that cash and 1-800-CALL-JENNY.

[SamwiseRed]

is that the number for the pokemon police?

[Nitholias01]

My only advice is to do a top down inspection on the whole place, including the lot. If you don't know what to look for, bring someone who does.

If it's a brand new home, look at other homes in the area to see if there are any red flags like an unusual amount of dead or dry plants, cracks in the street/sidewalk/driveways.

Do lots of research basically.

[SamwiseRed]

also why you wanna perma live in abq. santa fe so much nicer.

[Shannacore]

also why you wanna perma live in abq. santa fe so much nicer.

A house of the same size / quality in Santa Fe will cost like 3x what it does in the good ol' ABQ!

Plus y'know, I work and go to school here~

[Ephirith]

Didn't you just buy a new car? Which you're presumably still making payments on?

You go to school? Got a scholarship, generous parents, or student loan debt?

I don't know what you do but I find it hard to believe your income can safely support car payments, a down payment, and possibly the cost of school or student loans. Safely is an important word because like any investment, the purchase of a home has risks-- appreciation may not keep pace with your expectations, you could lose your job, unforeseen medical expenses could come along, and suddenly an income which was capable of just barely supporting all these expenses comes up short and you lose everything.

I wouldn't do it unless you're positive you can handle all the payments and still save money. If you're not the type who usually saves money, I would recommend you not purchase a home at all until you somehow rustle up a sizable down payment, or some of your other debts are paid.

[Hasbinbad]

Have the foundation checked by someone who isn't an idiot. A cracked foundation can cause all kinds of problems and can be extremely hard to find.

Likewise, have the roof thoroughly inspected. Don't be afraid to get out the hose and hose the roof down while someone else is in the attic checking for leaks.

These two things are crucial.

TALK TO THE PEOPLE IN THE AREA!! Ask the neighbors about stuff like flooding, pests (I'm pretty sure you don't want to buy a house built on a scorpion colony), and police misconduct in that specific area.

Is the house wired for a network? Is there a ton of wifi/cell interference in the walls? DO YOU EVEN GET RECEPTION?!? What are the cell/cable/internet providers that service that area, and what packages do they offer? What packages do your neighbors have, and are they satisfied? How far away is the nearest switchbox?

If you plan on creating demons, is there a demon indoctrination center nearby which conforms to your demon-training standards?

I could go on, but let me know if you want me to. :P

[Stinkum]

Typical overweight American living beyond her means.

Glad the lessons of the housing market crash have not been learned.

[Galanteer]

I just put in a bid for my first place --did tons of research beforehand though. I'm only offering 30% of the asking price (long story) and think I have a good chance of getting it at that.

Don't be intimidated by the sellers agent, and don't be afraid to set your own price --and be prepared to walk away from any one particular property.

Also anticipate the ancillary costs -taxes, lawyer fees, in the states I think titular insurance may be a good idea.
---make sure you do you "due diligence", one person I know lost 200k due to toxic waste cleanup on his new property. Another person I know found (covered up) mould in the basement, a 20k cleanup....

A cost benefit analysis comparing rent to cost of owning often puts owning as a good option around the three year mark, assuming you make a good purchase.

[Hitchens]

This is how variable rate mortgages happen.

[Shannacore]

Didn't you just buy a new car? Which you're presumably still making payments on?

You go to school? Got a scholarship, generous parents, or student loan debt?

I don't know what you do but I find it hard to believe your income can safely support car payments, a down payment, and possibly the cost of school or student loans. Safely is an important word because like any investment, the purchase of a home has risks-- appreciation may not keep pace with your expectations, you could lose your job, unforeseen medical expenses could come along, and suddenly an income which was capable of just barely supporting all these expenses comes up short and you lose everything.

I wouldn't do it unless you're positive you can handle all the payments and still save money. If you're not the type who usually saves money, I would recommend you not purchase a home at all until you somehow rustle up a sizable down payment, or some of your other debts are paid.

I make $50k-60k a year, no student debt, and my schooling is paid for by my job. Car was paid for through a bit of money I was left in my dad's will.

I have no debt, and ~$15k saved up for a down payment (Not a huge amount, but it's a start). Think I can handle it!

Stuff

Hadn't thought of some of that. Before I go out and actually look at a place I hope to find a person or two who actually knows what to look AT!

More stuff

I'm not a very "firm" individual per se, so I hope to have someone help me barter. I know what I THINK I want to spend, but really that's just all speculation until I go say 'wut up' to a bank.

[katrik]

Go for it..!

It's a fantastic time to buy. You can get ALOT of house for not alot of money. You probably already know you want to shoot for a 15 year fixed, hopefully you have the credit for a good interest rate. And yes, please please please have it inspected thoroughly.

[Ephirith]

I make $50k-60k a year, no student debt, and my schooling is paid for by my job. Car was paid for through a bit of money I was left in my dad's will.

I have no debt, and ~$15k saved up for a down payment (Not a huge amount, but it's a start). Think I can handle it!

In that case, go nuts! Check for lots of foreclosed property in the surrounding area, that can be bad for business.

[feanan]

Funny, a year ago you started a thread begging for money, as you were about to take out 18k in student debt. In less than a year that disappeared, plus you saved another 15k, plus managed to have a healthy amount for food...

I also remember another thread where you were on food stamps.

And plus you keep coming to a message board for a video game that you no longer play, and where 95% of the people mock you.

You've got issues

[Shannacore]

Funny, a year ago you started a thread begging for money, as you were about to take out 18k in student debt. In less than a year that disappeared, plus you saved another 15k, plus managed to have a healthy amount for food...

I also remember another thread where you were on food stamps.

And plus you keep coming to a message board for a video game that you no longer play, and where 95% of the people mock you.

You've got issues

Then within an 8 month span I graduated college, got a real job (real income + free tuition since I work for my university), and received an inheritance from my dead dad.

Things change, yo~


P.S. I haven't been on food stamps since my freshman/sophomore year of college, which is 2+ years ago at this point.

http://data.whicdn.com/images/35809712/haters-gonna-hate-snow-white_large.gif

[Stinkum]

Yeah, because getting a job 8 months after taking $18,000 in student loans retroactively pays for all your previous student loan debt.

[Shannacore]

Yeah, because getting a job 8 months after taking $18,000 in student loans retroactively pays for all your previous student loan debt.

Never had $18k in student loan debt. Had 3k, was set to have another 18k+ but then I started working for my university, who gives (mostly) free tuition to their employees.


GOOD TRY THOUGH, VALIANT EFFORT.

[Stinkum]

I recently started a pretty great job. Pay is more than I've ever made, the job offers full benefits (to include paying for part of my tuition. I'll be starting a three years Masters Program in January.), paid time off, sick leave, etc. The job is also only part time, so I'm only committed to 20-28 hours a week - perfect since I am still a student / 40 hours a week are for suckas. It's an administrative job at the School of Nursing, which has absolutely nothing to do with my degree or career aspirations (Which is Urban Planning).

I'm very interested in this 20-hour-a-week administrative job with the School of Nursing that pays $50,000-60,000 a year.

I'd love to apply.

[Shannacore]

You said pretty clearly in the your other thread the job which pays tuition was a part-time job, working 23 hours a week.

Now please tell me what 23 hour a week university job pays you $50-60k a year?

Lol

Let me outline this for you

April 2012 --> Thread posted about tuition costs
April 2012 --> Working shitty minimum wage student job

Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 semesters were estimated to cost me $18k at the job I was working

August 2012 --> Begin working for big kid job on campus (benefits, tuition remission, the whole shebang)
November 2012 --> Dad passes, I get an inheritance check and a check from the V.A. office every month after this as long as I am in school
December 2012 --> Graduate Undergrad, receive pay bump
January 2013 --> Pay for car. Still have a pretty penny leftover from inheritance check.
April 2013 --> Get promotion at work, income is doubled because I'm gewd at what I do
May 2013 --> Post thread about wanting to buy house, get trolled by idiots who don't know what they're talking about.

Make a lil' more sense now?

[Stinkum]

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/157/234/99124221did_not_read.gif

[Shannacore]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I22dNLv98ss/T9L23PWKFKI/AAAAAAAAKVU/UNuXfyKFl58/s1600/yeah+okay.gif

[Kruel]

Seems like allot of these neckbeards have never bought a house. This i a good time to buy - dont worry about a ton of things as you need to have a professional inspection done before the bank will give you a mortgage. On your offer for the home make sure you give it with a side note that they must fix or repair everything the home inspector finds.

As another poster said - tell the inspector you want a good idea of how long it will be before you need to put another roof on. Also like hasbinbad said check out if you are able to get internet / cable in your area.

Be prepared to put allot of bids in. I made offers on 5 homes before I got mine.

Before looking get preapproved from the bank... it doesnt matter how much money you have for a downpayment... they will not finance you unless you have pretty good credit..

dont let any sales person tell you how easy it is to put in nicer flooring or cabinets or counters... that shit is expensive..

[Shannacore]

The preliminary search has been frustrating. I really like the neighborhood I live in because it's right downtown and less than half a mile from campus. HOWEVER, all of the houses are either A) Listed as being in a 'historic district' and are stupid expensive, or are all too old and shitty to want to live in.

There's plenty of cheap housing in Albuquerque, but it's either far, across the river (do not want), or in a ghetto ass neighborhood.

[Shannacore]

Seems like allot of these neckbeards have never bought a house. This i a good time to buy - dont worry about a ton of things as you need to have a professional inspection done before the bank will give you a mortgage. On your offer for the home make sure you give it with a side note that they must fix or repair everything the home inspector finds.

As another poster said - tell the inspector you want a good idea of how long it will be before you need to put another roof on. Also like hasbinbad said check out if you are able to get internet / cable in your area.

Be prepared to put allot of bids in. I made offers on 5 homes before I got mine.

Before looking get preapproved from the bank... it doesnt matter how much money you have for a downpayment... they will not finance you unless you have pretty good credit..

dont let any sales person tell you how easy it is to put in nicer flooring or cabinets or counters... that shit is expensive..

I know a couple of people who have purchased homes with no down payments, which blows my godamn mind.

[Kruel]

I know a couple of people who have purchased homes with no down payments, which blows my godamn mind.

a good rule of thumb is a 10% downpayment.. look into FHA loans - generally they have better rates. There are ton of sites that have a listing of all banks and the interest rates they are running that day. But again you cant get shit if you dont have good credit..

[Shannacore]

look into FHA loans - generally they have better rates. .

I've heard this from quite a few people.

[Hasbinbad]

'historic district'
This is code for "everything will be more expensive if you need shit fixed."

[Hasbinbad]

OH ALSO

Definitely check into neighborhood associations. They can force you to pay them to tell you what you can and can not do. In many areas, they have court/police enforceable powers over certain things in their neighborhoods, and if you refuse, you can be fined (in addition to the forced dues you have to pay). The classic example is growing food in your front yard. Some neighborhood associations have standards that do not allow a homeowner to use their visible property to produce food. I'm not saying that particular battle is one you'd want to fight, but DEFINITELY find out exactly what the rules are in a given area before you buy there.

[Hailto]

This thread is fucking dumb on a lot of levels.

[Hasbinbad]

Have all exposed wood and any decking or other auxiliary structures inspected for termites / dryrot / safety / code adherence. Basically: don't buy a house where you have to replace or demolish things unless you include that in your budget.

[Stinkum]

Tralina is the female version of Hasbinbad.

[Hasbinbad]

Stinkum is the female version of ... who are you again?

[Allizia]

Just be careful about counting the inheretance money and the side checks you get, since they artificially inflate what you think you can afford long term. Also be careful about realistically budgeting (I put $60,000 down, pay less than $800/month for mortgage, own all of our vehicles, don't buy much junk and I still have $3000-$5000 in monthly expenses). Even though things look good now, it doesn't seem like you have settled into a stable role long enough to have a good grasp of your finances. Save up for another year, mark your actual realistic monthly expenses and see if you are coming out on top and by how much.

[katrik]

I know a couple of people who have purchased homes with no down payments, which blows my godamn mind.

Those are called HUD homes, or HUD loans. They're generally for first time home buyers, and lower income buyers. While there usually is zero down payment, there are a ton of upfront costs as far as general fees and whatnot, you usually get some of it back though at the closing. The sucky thing about HUD homes is you usually dont get to pick what district you want your home to be in, and the qualified districts usually include slummy/ghetto-ish areas. It is possible to find a good HUD home in a good neighborhood, but you'll be searching quite a bit. Be picky IMO.. go with 15.

[Shannacore]

This process has been really frustrating.

Price vs. Location vs. Work Needed vs. Floorplan vs. otherstuff

UGH

[Shannacore]

I have a top prospect right now. Hoping it doesn't sell before I start my new job on July 1 so I can make an offer. Has literally been the only house (after looking at about 40) I have even considered making an offer on.

UGH II.

[moklianne]

Did you get a letter of approval yet from your bank? Not a pre-approval, they mean shit.

Even though you have some cash in the bank, your short financial history and credit score will come into play on who wants to finance you or not. Unless you are not going to finance at all...

[eqravenprince]

Here is my basic summary of reasons to rent or own. Looking back I wish I would have rented until I was ready to move into my forever home. I would have considerably more money to my name had I rented.

Reasons to own:

- You get to do whatever you want to your property whenever you want
- You can have pets
- Build up equity, although I would argue that this is offset by all the maintenance cost
- Eventually own the place and do not have to make payments.

Reasons to rent:

- You have a lot more freedom to move
- Something goes wrong such as a roof leaking, you call the landlord, no money out of your pocket.

[Shannacore]

Did you get a letter of approval yet from your bank? Not a pre-approval, they mean shit.

Yes

Here is my basic summary of reasons to rent or own. Looking back I wish I would have rented until I was ready to move into my forever home. I would have considerably more money to my name had I rented.

Reasons to own:

- You get to do whatever you want to your property whenever you want
- You can have pets
- Build up equity, although I would argue that this is offset by all the maintenance cost
- Eventually own the place and do not have to make payments.

Reasons to rent:

- You have a lot more freedom to move
- Something goes wrong such as a roof leaking, you call the landlord, no money out of your pocket.

Sounds like there's more reasons to own than to rent! Minos repairs and maintenance (which will hopefully be little to none most of the time?), owning is going to be WAY cheaper for me than renting. On this particular house, my mortgage (including taxes + insurance) will be cheaper than what I am renting for. That's for an additional 1000 square feet. Balllllla.

[Ahldagor]

if you get a well built house then any repairs that should arise will be few and far between be it busted pipes or nature. keep a good chunk of money set aside and a decent insurance plan, and you'll be fine. that extra space is nice to have.

[OngorDrakan]

It seems you've received a lot of good information, even w/ the neckbeards.

Inspection is mandatory. Do it. You will want to know what is going on in the house that you can't see. Hire a reputable inspector. If you find a home you like, even in this market, sit on it over night before making any decisions. Also check out the neighborhood and it's crime statistics, crimemapping is a good thing to check out. And see what the area is like, is it loud all night, quiet during the day or anything like that?

[GoodGuyAmes]

Now is the time to buy a house with federal interest rates about to go up.

[Raavak]

Minos repairs and maintenance (which will hopefully be little to none most of the time?), owning is going to be WAY cheaper for me than renting.I bought my first house after renting the downstairs of a house for years, and seeing the landlord use his profits to go on a long vacation every year (well, he had like 3 rental houses). Anyway, any time I needed something fixed he would call a plumber, or whatever. He didn't do hardly anything himself. So... by owning I am just skipping the middle man and his profit taking. That's how I look at it.

[Thulack]

Don't forget about Property taxes, School taxes and every other kinda tax they are gonna hit you with too.So while yes your mortgage along might be cheaper then your rent don't forget about all your utilities and such you have to pay etc.

[boudicca]

See if Zillow (http://www.zillow.com/)says the property values in the area are going down, going up or staying where they are. Check the walk score (http://www.walkscore.com/), if you want to have stuff in your neighborhood within walking distance, instead of having to drive.

Consider having more than one inspection done, and be leery of someone referred to you by the seller. Some areas have been re-drawn into new flood maps (http://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program-2/flood-zones) - find out how the weather in that specific area has been. See if there are any superfund (http://www.epa.gov/superfund/about.htm) sites near where you're wanting to live. Less obviously, look for places like dry cleaners, gas stations, etc, where they may have toxic chemicals and not properly disposing of them.

Before you consider getting a place that you'll be doing landscaping on, find out what kind of soil is there - if it's crappy soil, you may end up spending more than you anticipated. Find out if existing landscaping stuff, like sprinklers, are under any warranty. Are there drain tiles around the perimeter of the house? How is drainage? Do you have a sump pump? a backup in case the first one goes out or power goes out?

Does it already have an alarm system? Are the entry points secure - windows, egress windows, etc. How old is the roof? Are appliances included, and are they so old that they'll have to be replaced? Termites, bats, cockroaches, racoons? What's the cell phone reception like in that area? Do you get any options for cable tv & internet, or satellite tv? Is there any mass transit within a reasonable distance? Crime maps, crime maps, crime maps. Drive around the neighborhood at all hours, to get an idea of what it's REALLY like. Offstreet vs on street parking? Motion detection lights in the backyard in case someone goes into your back yard (it may make someone choose another house to break in).

Are there any rules or covenants for your neighborhood about things like fencing and landscaping? Is the neighborhood old, new, recovering, going downhill? On a flight path for an airport, so sound is an issue? Near a highway or major road, so traffic and noise again are an issue? Are schools important? Old enough of a house that you'll have to consider lead paint?

Central air vs swamp cooler? What kind of heating? Old chimneys that don't work or haven't been kept up and cleaned regularly? Not always possible, but see what the house is like during rain, to see if anything is leaking. Mold & mildew. Be honest with how much fixing up and customization you're able to do - the TV shows about flipping or renovations always understate how much work and money is involved. How long has the house been on the market? Any other houses nearby being sold or being foreclosed? How many bedrooms? Are the walls really able to be taken down to make a room bigger, or are the walls load bearing?

[Thulack]

See if Zillow (http://www.zillow.com/)says the property values in the area are going down, going up or staying where they are. Check the walk score (http://www.walkscore.com/), if you want to have stuff in your neighborhood within walking distance, instead of having to drive.

Consider having more than one inspection done, and be leery of someone referred to you by the seller. Some areas have been re-drawn into new flood maps (http://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program-2/flood-zones) - find out how the weather in that specific area has been. See if there are any superfund (http://www.epa.gov/superfund/about.htm) sites near where you're wanting to live. Less obviously, look for places like dry cleaners, gas stations, etc, where they may have toxic chemicals and not properly disposing of them.

Before you consider getting a place that you'll be doing landscaping on, find out what kind of soil is there - if it's crappy soil, you may end up spending more than you anticipated. Find out if existing landscaping stuff, like sprinklers, are under any warranty. Are there drain tiles around the perimeter of the house? How is drainage? Do you have a sump pump? a backup in case the first one goes out or power goes out?

Does it already have an alarm system? Are the entry points secure - windows, egress windows, etc. How old is the roof? Are appliances included, and are they so old that they'll have to be replaced? Termites, bats, cockroaches, racoons? What's the cell phone reception like in that area? Do you get any options for cable tv & internet, or satellite tv? Is there any mass transit within a reasonable distance? Crime maps, crime maps, crime maps. Drive around the neighborhood at all hours, to get an idea of what it's REALLY like. Offstreet vs on street parking? Motion detection lights in the backyard in case someone goes into your back yard (it may make someone choose another house to break in).

Are there any rules or covenants for your neighborhood about things like fencing and landscaping? Is the neighborhood old, new, recovering, going downhill? On a flight path for an airport, so sound is an issue? Near a highway or major road, so traffic and noise again are an issue? Are schools important? Old enough of a house that you'll have to consider lead paint?

Central air vs swamp cooler? What kind of heating? Old chimneys that don't work or haven't been kept up and cleaned regularly? Not always possible, but see what the house is like during rain, to see if anything is leaking. Mold & mildew. Be honest with how much fixing up and customization you're able to do - the TV shows about flipping or renovations always understate how much work and money is involved. How long has the house been on the market? Any other houses nearby being sold or being foreclosed? How many bedrooms? Are the walls really able to be taken down to make a room bigger, or are the walls load bearing?

Well put and alot of things to consider. I remember drainage being a huge issue for my parents when they bought their last house. When it rained heavy it flooded part of the back yard that was lower and after a few years a sinkhole developed.

[boudicca]

Seems like sinkholes are showing up more often lately. :( Regarding the big one that happened in Florida recently, I think a whole bunch of houses in that area had to be abandoned. I think they got some of the cost of their houses recovered, but I doubt it was all.

I'd also avoid living in areas that have fracking going on, if you can. It seems to mess with the water tables.

About flooding, if the house is on a newly mapped flood area, you could have huge insurance costs - best to avoid what costs you can. IIRC I think you'd need to have flood insurance months before an actual flood, to have coverage.

Oh yeah, don't buy more house than you need. Sure, it's a prestige thing, but it IS harder to maintain and keep clean a bigger house, plus the more a house costs, the more that it can fall in value if the market tanks again. You also don't want a house that's either worth alot more, or alot less, than the neighborhood it's in. This hurts the value of the house.

Check with your insurance company, you may be able to get lower insurance costs if you do things like have an alarm system.

Until like a decade ago, alot of people assumed when they bought a house, they could be in it for a few years, then sell it easily and keep working their way up. I know it's their job to make as much money as you can, but it's my belief that part of the housing crash, was that construction companies and real estate agents wanted to have houses overvalued. The market HASN'T recovered in all areas either. Any work you do prior to buying a house, to make sure you get an honest price is definitely worth it. You don't want to be underwater.

You don't want a double mortgage if you can at all avoid it. Avoid ARM (adjustable rate mortgages) like poison. Prior to buying your house, get in the habit of living as cheaply as you can. You'll have more to put forth in a payment, have a nest egg for when emergencies pop up, and it won't be a shock in your lifestyle if you DO suddenly NEED to live that frugally.

Oh yeah, know what you like. Don't be suckered into what you're TOLD is the current fad, like I guess awhile ago was all stainless steel, but that's considered outdated? If you like it, and you're gonna be at the house for years and years, YOU are the one who has to look at the stuff, like it, have an easy time cleaning it, and be comfortable. Don't do something that'll devalue the house and make it just odd, like painting it day glow green, but go to open houses, and see alot of ways to decorate and build.

Oh, and plain old grass is easier to maintain, than alot of flower beds. Weeding, watering and dealing with pests in trees and flowers is a pain in the ass, unless you LIKE gardening, and in that case, more power to you. Know your area's hardiness zone (http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/), what kind of soil you have (acidity etc - you can send it in for testing), and what kind of work you'll need to do, to fix it from whatever it was like prior. If your neighbors' lawns are full of dandelions, or their dogs crap all over everyone's lawns (including yours), that's a something to look out for.

Oh yeah, get used to shovelling snow too, as you may have been able to dodge that in an apartment. Think about the cost of a snowblower or lawn mower, potentially.

[Alawen]

I can't speak to the loan or purchase because I've never owned a home. Are you really settling in at such a young age? I've lived in several cities around the U.S. and I'm nowhere near done yet. I'm moving to the east coast next year, and I want to teach abroad after I finish there.

However, I do all the maintenance and repairs on my mom's house. I'm very good with carpentry and electrical work and it takes me at least two weeks every year, saving her thousands of dollars. Those expenses never end. Some time this summer, I have to clean her ducts, which absolutely sucks. If you're not having a plumbing problem, then it's time to buy a new stove or furnace. Have a big rainy day fund for unexpected expenses.

On a personal note, I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Congratulations on graduating, your job, and getting grad school paid for, though. That's a great deal.

[Hasbinbad]

what are u gonna teach the broad?

[Shannacore]

Making an offer on a house early next week ~ ~ ~

[Piff]

travel.

[EchoedTruth]

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/157/234/99124221did_not_read.gif

Why try and bitch about what someone is doing with their life based upon assumed information, and then not read when the person in question explains that information more thoroughly?

Oh I know.

You're a fuckbag.

Kill yourself.



On topic: I never recommend buying a house. Plus, why the fuck would you want to live Albuquerque?


(I just looked up how to spell Albuquerque and can't believe I got it right without looking :eek: )

[Shannacore]

Offer letter sent innnnnnn

[Shannacore]

Why try and bitch about what someone is doing with their life based upon assumed information, and then not read when the person in question explains that information more thoroughly?

Oh I know.

You're a fuckbag.

Kill yourself.



On topic: I never recommend buying a house. Plus, why the fuck would you want to live Albuquerque?


(I just looked up how to spell Albuquerque and can't believe I got it right without looking :eek: )

Because I'm going to school here and have a decent job (that pays for said schooling). I have more than enough money to do it, it's a good investment. The house I'm (pending) buying is in a REALLY rentable area so I don't see it being a problem if I decide to venture elsewhere down the road.

[Thulack]

Because I'm going to school here and have a decent job (that pays for said schooling). I have more than enough money to do it, it's a good investment. The house I'm (pending) buying is in a REALLY rentable area so I don't see it being a problem if I decide to venture elsewhere down the road.

Just saying but i'm sure alot of people said the same thing 6 years ago.

[Raavak]

The house I'm (pending) buying is in a REALLY rentable area so I don't see it being a problem if I decide to venture elsewhere down the road.Working at becoming the next Leona Helmsley?

Anyway, if you can do it, go for it. House values (in general) on the rise and rates are still relatively low. And like you said, if you want to become a rolling stone you can always rent it out and make a little income on the side. I really wish I had the cash for a down payment on some rental property myself right now.

[Bohab]

Hmm I think you're doing it wrong? Get married first, buy a house together, have a kid, get divorced, take the house. Free house.

[Shannacore]

Hmm I think you're doing it wrong? Get married first, buy a house together, have a kid, get divorced, take the house. Free house.

Lol~

I don't ever want children. F that noise.

[Shannacore]

http://oi44.tinypic.com/2ec15lh.jpg

[Shannacore]

Balcony off of the master bedroom $$$$$$$$$$

[Stinkum]

Why try and bitch about what someone is doing with their life based upon assumed information, and then not read when the person in question explains that information more thoroughly?

Oh I know.

You're a fuckbag.

Kill yourself.

http://i.imgur.com/iGpIJcN.png

[Shannacore]

$129k? Fucking lol, flyover states man

You know what that would buy you in California? A cardboard box outside a seven eleven

Would it have a balcony at least??

[Hailto]

$129k? Fucking lol, flyover states man

You know what that would buy you in California? A cardboard box outside a seven eleven

Are you bragging about having inflated property prices?

[Thulack]

Way more house then a 20-something single girl that never wants kids needs. Get a 1-2 bedroom with alot of closets if you want all that random space. Just my advice personally i like to live on the smaller side of things then trying to go big.

[Shannacore]

Way more house then a 20-something single girl that never wants kids needs. Get a 1-2 bedroom with alot of closets if you want all that random space. Just my advice personally i like to live on the smaller side of things then trying to go big.

I like to entertain, and the majority of the space is for that. Big kitchen, big living room, big 2nd living room for the fun stuffs. Where else is my pool table going to go?!

Plus, I'll have a roomate for the foreseeable future.

[Alecta]

Not that it should change your decision, but looking at mortgage rates from the time you first posted this thread to now on to now makes me a sad panda - from 3.35% up to 4.51%

Not that it should matter that much if you pay it down quick, yadda yadda.

[Shannacore]

Not that it should change your decision, but looking at mortgage rates from the time you first posted this thread to now on to now makes me a sad panda - from 3.35% up to 4.51%

Not that it should matter that much if you pay it down quick, yadda yadda.

I secured a 3.7% rate. Higher than when I started looking, but not awful.

[Raavak]

3-bedroom houses easier to re-sell. Besides, as a girl, I'm sure she can fill all those empty bedroom's closets with clothes, shoes, stuffed animals, w.e

[Rhambuk]

3-bedroom houses easier to re-sell. Besides, as a girl, I'm sure she can fill all those empty bedroom's closets with clothes, shoes, stuffed animals, w.e

sex toys...

[MaximiusM]

As long as you don't mind losing money or doing shitloads of manual labor buying a house is great. If you're a lazy penny pincher you can make more money long term by renting.

Calculate your total cost of ownership per month. Subtract rent. Put the difference into long term CD's. Even at the garbage rates you get now you'll be better off than owning a house, which over the last 400 years of property records in the US and UK show, follows inflation almost exactly in the long term.

Also, quality of life factors are important. If you can't afford to buy a house where you want to live rent instead. Homeowners are more likely to have high levels of stress and hypertension and a lot of that is attributed to increased demands (commuting, melo roos, other bullshit) that comes with being a homeowner.

All that said, I do both. I own a house and I rent an apartment and split my time.

[EchoedTruth]

3-bedroom houses easier to re-sell. Besides, as a girl, I'm sure she can fill all those empty bedroom's closets with clothes, shoes, stuffed animals, w.e

I think you're mistaking women from the 80s for women now pal

[Malice_Mizer]

I think you're mistaking women from the 80s for women now pal

I'm sure plenty of women from the 80's are still around.

Point still stands: women stockpile sex toys.

[CrazyHorse]

Way more house then a 20-something single girl that never wants kids needs. Get a 1-2 bedroom with alot of closets if you want all that random space. Just my advice personally i like to live on the smaller side of things then trying to go big.

She needs space for her cats.

[Raavak]

I think you're mistaking women from the 80s for women now pal

I'm sure plenty of women from the 80's are still around.

Point still stands: women stockpile sex toys.
I'm more of a '90s guy, but point taken~

[Robdukes]

My advice to anyone looking for a new home. Buy a brand new modular. Not through a huge company like Shorten, Simplex, Kintner etc. But through a builder like the one I work for. We sometimes demolish homes and believe me the modulars are waaaay tougher to take down than stick built. They're made to go down the road 70 miles an hour, try that with a stick built. Most builders will do things similar to the way we do. We will beat any price one of the big guys give you and provide you more for that price. We also give you everything included for the price of the house. Excavation, foundation, finish work, kitchen appliances etc. Most of the homes have hardwood or laminate flooring, stone wall fireplaces, ceiling fans in every room.

We have people bring us final prices from shorten all the time. They say its a final price but theres no steps into the home, no steps to the basement, crane not included, no gravel driveway, no landscaping at all etc. Support your local builder and it will pay off. The house is completed in 6-8 weeks turn key and you get a 10 year manufacturer warranty, 10 year foundation warranty and the builder is local and a phone call away for your "bumper to bumper" warranty where we fix anything at all within the first year...hell we get people calling because a lightbulb went out. But we send someone and they change it.

This way you get to customize your home the way you want it. You can draw a floorplan on a piece of paper and we can have it engineered for free and get your floorplan back in a few days. Or buy used and have no warranty, fix the roof in a few years, foundation cracking and crumbling, dump money into it left and right, then when you want to sell it its another 10-20 years old and noone wants it because its 50 years old and a money pit. I have to admit I'm a bit biased but this is real info that I've learned from years of working in new construction and more recently the sales end of it.

[mtb tripper]

best thing to do is go buy a shit ton of land for $60 an acre down in south texas, and then sell it for $61 an acre and make profit, buy it back for $60 an acre, throw a tent out in the desert and survive. The end

[this user was banned]

get married first and buy one together

[skorge]

I wouldnt recommend buying a house until you are in your 30's or you are married with kids...buying a house at such a young age and single is just plain out retarded, if you are a smart you will take this advice. If you buy a house now and want to move in a couple years you will be stressed because you will have a house to sell which could take months or years...the main advice is dont buy a house until you are older or have a family. Good luck!

[Raavak]

Houses won't be as hard to sell in a few years as they were a few years ago. If she buys smart she won't get stuck with something that sits on the market forever.

[JackFlash]

Check out your neighbors. You can do everything right and still move in next to your worst nightmare for a neighbor.

[Kraftwerk]

Houses won't be as hard to sell in a few years as they were a few years ago. If she buys smart she won't get stuck with something that sits on the market forever.

And you're basing this on what? A hunch? Look up recent home sales and mortgage apps, like as of last week.

[Shannacore]

get married first and buy one together

I ain't no wifey material

I wouldnt recommend buying a house until you are in your 30's or you are married with kids...buying a house at such a young age and single is just plain out retarded, if you are a smart you will take this advice. If you buy a house now and want to move in a couple years you will be stressed because you will have a house to sell which could take months or years...the main advice is dont buy a house until you are older or have a family. Good luck!

I live in a college town, and I'm buying a house that is relatively close to campus. Anything I buy will be forever rentable.

[Raavak]

And you're basing this on what? A hunch? Look up recent home sales and mortgage apps, like as of last week.Based on trends and professional expectations. A lot of people are saying "buy" now investment-wise... rates are relatively low yet and there are plenty of houses on the market yet as the banks continue to free up the abandoned houses they got on foreclosures. But it sounds like that overabundance is coming to an end. Average house prices have been going up.

I mean, double-dip inflation could end this. The government really hasn't fixed its "issues" and is still pushing banks to make bad loans to "the underprivileged". But I don't think its as bad as it was and some people have learned their lesson.

Btw, I get a lot of my stuff from the Clark Howard show.

[Kraftwerk]

Rates are a big non issue, if/when the fed ever loses control on them there will be more to worry about than the housing market.

Currently hedge funds have been going on a spending spree of entry level properties in order to rent them out, hence the price blip you're seeing now - they are paying cash. Part of larger transition of America into renter nation.

Mortgage applications and younger home buyers not really in market and mortgage apps dropping big time, reflective of hedge funds spurring recent price increase through cash purchases on entry level homes to rent out:

http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user3303/imageroot/2013/07/20130717_apps.jpg

Once hedges stop this frenzy and in 12-18 months start unloading well, I'm glad I'm selling my house now and getting out before next leg down. Or I'm wrong and to the moon buy buy buy!

[Raavak]

Hadn't considered the FED tbh. When Bernanke said they may slow the buying of treasuries a few weeks ago the market took a dump. Then he goes "no no no, we won't" and now its setting records again. But they can't continue to print money forever. Or can they...

[r00t]

Hadn't considered the FED tbh. When Bernanke said they may slow the buying of treasuries a few weeks ago the market took a dump. Then he goes "no no no, we won't" and now its setting records again. But they can't continue to print money forever. Or can they...

They like to think they can.

Sep 27, 2012 - Recently, Bernake announced that the Federal Reserve will begin an indefinite policy of quantitative easing to the tune of $40 billion a month.

[Raavak]

Well, on June 19th or so he hinted at slowing the buying. The market went down pretty quickly and he came back like the 24th or so and said it won't happen until 2014 at the earliest. Whatever. Its kind of like the federal debt... no one wants to be the bad buy and change things.

[Shannacore]

Bank rejected my first offer, went into emo mode for about three days.

We counter offered (still less than the asking price), and the accepted!!

Movin' on with the process. Should have keys in ~4 weeksssssssssssssss

[Shannacore]

...barring the inspection shows the house doesn't need thousands upon thousands of dollars in repairs.

[Raavak]

grats!

[Pico]

i cant even comprehend the insanity required to want an adobe with dubious structural integrity lol

[Shannacore]

i cant even comprehend the insanity required to want an adobe with dubious structural integrity lol

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rSrP7n8qOEM/T2Kn3rhoReI/AAAAAAAACGc/hWo3NUzZmPw/s400/adobe+hut+cal-earth.jpg

but look at how cute it is

[Raavak]

wtf, are those glory holes?

[Shannacore]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe

Pretty much what a lot of people assume all New Mexicans live in.

[Raavak]

Like all Alaskans live in igloos or something? When my mom was in Farmington she had a real wood house... with like gravel for a lawn.

[Malice_Mizer]

That entire region is a massive tinderbox as it is.

Fire comes sweeping over an adobe home and its like, "Oh thanks for fortifying my house."

[this user was banned]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe

Pretty much what a lot of people assume all New Mexicans live in.

Why the hell are you getting a house in NM?!

[Pico]

i meant abode u morans not some mud hut

[OngorDrakan]

i meant abode u morans not some mud hut

roflcopters

[boudicca]

http://i.imgur.com/sF6YiH9.jpg

[Nirgon]

Have some kids cuss you out and throw shit at you on a bus, make sure you put it on youtube

[Shannacore]

I close on Wednesday.

Yay!

[this user was banned]

lol necro thread

enjoy the new house!

[Shannacore]

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/1239730_10201118793946702_332327634_n.jpg


:]

[Misto]

Lots of windows. Perfect.

[Raavak]

Very stylish.

[this user was banned]

Lots of windows. Perfect.

creepy... I wonder if she walks around the house nude

[Misto]

creepy... I wonder if she walks around the house nude

was talking about all that natural sunlight.

but go on.

[Samoht Farstrider]

Nice lawn!

[Raavak]

Nice lawn!That's the way it is in NM. They have gravel.

[Shannacore]

Xeriscaped forever. Do not want to deal with grass - not worth it in New Mexico.

[SamwiseRed]

new mex represent!

[Shannacore]

Just bought $7k in brand new shiny appliances and a $2k living room set.

LIFE IS GOOD, FRIENDS. Can't wait to move in.

[Guttzs]

Just bought $7k in brand new shiny appliances and a $2k living room set.

LIFE IS GOOD, FRIENDS. Can't wait to move in.

Im going to assume you paid the house off already otherwise spending that amount of money instead of paying down on the principal is obviously stupid for an "investment" as you called it.

[Lune]

Man I do not envy you New Mexians

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ whore

[Chronoburn]

Can't live in brown world

[Rellapse34]

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/1239730_10201118793946702_332327634_n.jpg


:]

Congrats on your first home, It looks nice. Your neighbors are way to damn close though.

[fishingme]

All I can think of is i would of invested that 9k in a 6ft tall fence with a 2ft tall arbor and blow that shit up with clematis and drip lines. Tall fences make great neighbors.

[r00t]

http://i.imgur.com/sF6YiH9.jpg

[Orruar]

Just bought a home a year ago. It was my first time, so I'm by no means an expert, but here's some tips:

1) If you can put 20% down, that's nice, but not really necessary. The Fed's manipulation of interest rates means the current mortgage rates aren't much different than inflation, meaning borrowed money is essentially free.

2) FHA minimum is 3.5% down, standard mortgage is 5% down. FHA will require extra mortgage insurance though, which is money being pissed away. Do not take out an FHA loan, pay at least 5% down and go with the standard.

3) You want to be informed when houses hit the market immediately. Good deals will get scooped up within days or 1-2 weeks tops. My realtor did this for me with some automated system, though I'm sure plenty of websites do this as well.

4) Start looking immediately, but don't put offers in for at least a month. You won't have a feel for what a good deal is until you've been watching the market for a while. It's really tempting to start bidding immediately as you're excited about buying a house, but that would be a mistake, and you'd almost certainly end up with a regrettable decision. It took me 3 months to find the right place at the right price.

5) If you don't mind putting a little work into the place, a foreclosure can be a good deal. You pay a premium for move-in ready homes.

[Orruar]

Im going to assume you paid the house off already otherwise spending that amount of money instead of paying down on the principal is obviously stupid for an "investment" as you called it.

Calling people stupid when completely ignorant as to the economics of home mortgages. Classic.

[JonathanHancock]

I'd start by NOT asking for home buying advice on the project1999 message boards

[SamwiseRed]

should have offered that red99 manastone as a down payment.

[Autotune]

Any advice?

Where'd you go wrong or what worked out well for you?

Do you own your own land?

If yes, save up and build a house.

If no, save up and buy land.

[Shannacore]

I already bought the house bros

[Guttzs]

Calling people stupid when completely ignorant as to the economics of home mortgages. Classic.

SO calling someone who owns several properties stupid when completely ignorant as to the nature of paying off mortgages early. nvm just keep paying the banks it saves you the time of having more money to keep earning right? fuckwad.

[Old_PVP]

I just bought my first house a year ago. My advice would be to shop around until you find what you are looking for, don't settle. It is a buyer's market out there... never offer the listing price.

Make sure you have a good credit score to secure a low interest rate. I got 3.5% fixed for mine.

Good luck.

[Shannacore]

I ALREADY BOUGHT THE HOUSE BROS

[Rellapse34]

Congrats on your first home, It looks nice. Your neighbors are way to damn close though.

[Shannacore]

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shannacore/sets/72157635780012985/

[Rellapse34]

Your state looks like shit. Picture 45 of 59 all the houses look a like, no grass , no color :(

[Langrisserx]

First Time Homebuyer, Big Time Ho

[Shannacore]

Your state looks like shit. Picture 45 of 59 all the houses look a like, no grass , no color :(

It's the New Mexico way

[Orruar]

I like how your back yard looks like it could be in Afghanistan, and should be filled with RPGs and AKs.

[Orruar]

SO calling someone who owns several properties stupid when completely ignorant as to the nature of paying off mortgages early. nvm just keep paying the banks it saves you the time of having more money to keep earning right? fuckwad.

Hmm, pay off some of the 3.5% mortgage or put that money into a bond fund that will gain 5-6% like clockwork. Hell, plenty of blue chip stocks consistently yield 5%+ on dividend alone. Even if you just hold and it never appreciates, you're better off doing that than putting it towards the principle. Add in the fact that the federal reserve is dedicated to inflation, and you're just crazy to pay off a mortgage whose inflation adjusted interest rate is effectively negative.

[Orruar]

It's the New Mexico way

Not everywhere. Had family in Albuquerque and they had an actual yard with grass and even some trees.

[Shannacore]

Not everywhere. Had family in Albuquerque and they had an actual yard with grass and even some trees.

I like my water bill not being $300/month

[Guttzs]

Hmm, pay off some of the 3.5% mortgage or put that money into a bond fund that will gain 5-6% like clockwork. Hell, plenty of blue chip stocks consistently yield 5%+ on dividend alone. Even if you just hold and it never appreciates, you're better off doing that than putting it towards the principle. Add in the fact that the federal reserve is dedicated to inflation, and you're just crazy to pay off a mortgage whose inflation adjusted interest rate is effectively negative.

Why gain 5-6% when you can collect rent for properties pay them off and make more than 5-6% of the property value every year?

[Langrisserx]

why argue.. the money isnt even real and homes are strictly to get girls obviously.. bitches want a dude with a job AND a house these days.

my hand, asks for nothing.

[Orruar]

Why gain 5-6% when you can collect rent for properties pay them off and make more than 5-6% of the property value every year?

You don't understand what I'm saying then. You say you would pay off a mortgage with any extra money you have. I say put that money into one of several places where you can make 5%+ while paying down that 3.5% mortgage as slowly as possible. The spread is just extra profit on top of whatever you're making from rent.

[fishingme]

why argue.. the money isnt even real and homes are strictly to get girls obviously.. bitches want a dude with a job AND a house these days.

my hand, asks for nothing.

qft, long live the hand!

[bomaroast]

There should not be green grass in New Mexico. His back yard looks appropriate for the area.

[Raavak]

That's a nice looking home. I'm jelly. Nice fenced/walled in backyard too... I can see many a party happening there.

[Shannacore]

That's a nice looking home. I'm jelly. Nice fenced/walled in backyard too... I can see many a party happening there.

The backyard is going to take a lot of work to get it party-ready (need to lay a larger patio, landscaping, hot tub, etc etc) but I will probably wait until Spring to do that.

[SamwiseRed]

Not everywhere. Had family in Albuquerque and they had an actual yard with grass and even some trees.

if you want trees and grass, santa fe is good.

[Tiddlywinks]

I like how in that one pic where you can see the road there are 4 or 5 tiny trees that appear insanely out of place and you can tell that they were put there in an attempt to keep the locals from offing themselves from their crippling depression.

Place looks like the middle east. Why would anyone live there?

P.S. The house looks pretty nice btw, minus the tiny sandbox (yard) and it being right near what appears to be a large road. You couldn't pay me to live in the middle of a desert though. To each their own I suppose. I bet housing is wicked cheap

[Tiddlywinks]

Does it snow in that desert? If it doesn't how do you tell what season it is without leaves changing, haunted hay rides, apple picking and the inevitable snow fall and melt?

What do people/children do for fun? When I was a kid I used to climb trees, play in the creek, run around in the yard. I did have a sandbox but it was tiny. Nature was always right out my back yard. From the looks of the few photos it looks like nature is 500 miles away. Maybe it's a fertile oasis and the couple pics of the area just make it appear barren, but I'm really at a loss for why/how people live there?

Excuse the ignorance I've never lived, nor plan on living any lower than about 42n degrees latitude.

[Shannacore]

Does it snow in that desert? If it doesn't how do you tell what season it is without leaves changing, haunted hay rides, apple picking and the inevitable snow fall and melt?

What do people/children do for fun? When I was a kid I used to climb trees, play in the creek, run around in the yard. I did have a sandbox but it was tiny. Nature was always right out my back yard. From the looks of the few photos it looks like nature is 500 miles away. Maybe it's a fertile oasis and the couple pics of the area just make it appear barren, but I'm really at a loss for why/how people live there?

Excuse the ignorance I've never lived, nor plan on living any lower than about 42n degrees latitude.

It does snow, and we do certainly have seasons. Fall is very pretty here, and it's the season where a lot of neat stuff happens (such as lighting of the luminarias (https://www.google.com/search?q=luminaria+lighting+albuquerque&rlz=1C1CHMO_enUS542US542&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=d3JAUo_HI4joiwKw3YH4Cw), or the international balloon fiesta (https://www.google.com/search?q=luminaria+lighting+albuquerque&rlz=1C1CHMO_enUS542US542&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=d3JAUo_HI4joiwKw3YH4Cw#hl=en&q=balloon+fiesta+abq&tbm=isch&um=1)). We wont get inches upon inches of snow, but it will dust and sometimes it will stick. I'm not native to here, and I do miss the weather of Colorado - especially in the Fall and Winter!

A lot of people here choose to have grass, it's just a lot of upkeep and it is expensive. I'm not motivated enough to do that, so I most likely will not with my yard.

The Sandia mountains are about 20 minutes away, and Santa Fe is less than an hour. Both really gorgeous places with more nature to look at. The Rio Grande River (]http://www.thealbuquerquerealestategroup.com/media/uploads/timfish/albuquerque-real-estate-photos/balloons-on-the-rio-grande.jpg) runs straight through Albuquerque, and The Bosque (http://www.topofusion.com/images/diary/dukecity21.jpg) is a pretty popular place for nature viewin' and late afternoon walks.

I am in a very new part of town (my subdivision is 6 years old), where they've began to build out into the desert. So within walking distance there isn't much for me to see, yes, but a short drive away there are some pretty places.

Overall, this will never compare to living at the foot of Pikes Peak in Colorado, where I grew up, but for now this is where I'll call home. While I am getting two master's degrees for free and have a very comfortable job that requires me to do very little work, I'll stick around for a bit. Albuquerque will not be my 'forever home' though.

[Tiddlywinks]

Are the older parts of town "greener"? Is there more life in them? Maybe it just looks so deserty where you are because it hasn't been irrigated for as long or something?

I grew up around farms (midwest) and the idea of not having them near is also pretty weird. Does anything grow out there? Are food prices insane?

Having the mountains close sounds pretty neat, I love mountains. At least you guys get some snow, or that would quite literally be maddening to have no seasonal changes whatsoever. Is it greener near the river?

[Stinkum]

Y'all are disturbingly interested in Tralina's life.

[Orruar]

Does it snow in that desert? If it doesn't how do you tell what season it is without leaves changing, haunted hay rides, apple picking and the inevitable snow fall and melt?

What do people/children do for fun? When I was a kid I used to climb trees, play in the creek, run around in the yard. I did have a sandbox but it was tiny. Nature was always right out my back yard. From the looks of the few photos it looks like nature is 500 miles away. Maybe it's a fertile oasis and the couple pics of the area just make it appear barren, but I'm really at a loss for why/how people live there?

Excuse the ignorance I've never lived, nor plan on living any lower than about 42n degrees latitude.

When we'd visit family in Albuquerque, we'd go hiking in the mountains or ride in their hot air balloon or play in their treehouse. There are plenty of neighborhoods there with some semblance of nature nearby. Not everyone watches documentaries of Afghanistan and thinks "my that looks like a lovely place to live".

[Shannacore]

When we'd visit family in Albuquerque, we'd go hiking in the mountains or ride in their hot air balloon or play in their treehouse. There are plenty of neighborhoods there with some semblance of nature nearby. Not everyone watches documentaries of Afghanistan and thinks "my that looks like a lovely place to live".

The older, ghetto neighborhoods or the insanely nice way-out-of-my-price-range neighborhoods are certainly more green.

[Shannacore]

https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1378831_10201178666323474_1352323591_n.jpg

PRIORITIES!

https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q71/s720x720/1374800_10201179144055417_2088360646_n.jpg

Oh god...

[Lune]

that is the fridge of a 22 year old male

[Shannacore]

that is the fridge of a 22 year old male

I had four 20-something males helping me move, that was their prize. ;)

[Shannacore]

https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/q71/s720x720/1374242_10201183804011913_1125334514_n.jpg

The light from my ~balcony~ is pretty ridiculous at 7am. Need curtains, help.

[mtb tripper]

hesboo

[Shannacore]

Yes yes yes, things are coming along quite nicely.

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/q82/1378448_10201204804856921_636265810_n.jpg

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/q85/1383353_10201204799416785_1137391783_n.jpg

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/q87/1384190_10201209322049848_404444791_n.jpg

[Pringles]

I dont know if you noticed but there is a cat on your table. Kill it or get rid of it before it pisses everywhere and claws everything.

[Shannacore]

I dont know if you noticed but there is a cat on your table. Kill it or get rid of it before it pisses everywhere and claws everything.

She climbs on to everything >:[

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1376540_10201193541255338_2100587892_n.jpg

[Orruar]

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/q85/1383353_10201204799416785_1137391783_n.jpg

I think your cat took one look out the back window and assumed you had moved to Afghanistan. It appears to be contemplating the best way to hang itself from your chandelier.

[fishingme]

It's good that you're a woman because I notice no other dishwasher in sight.

[Shannacore]

It's good that you're a woman because I notice no other dishwasher in sight.

There is definitely a dishwasher. Haven't had one for the last five years, which was pretty awful. This new one is pretty fancy.

[Shannacore]

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/q85/1383353_10201204799416785_1137391783_n.jpg

I think your cat took one look out the back window and assumed you had moved to Afghanistan. It appears to be contemplating the best way to hang itself from your chandelier.

Landscaping next Spring, not a priority with winter coming. Might try to get a few trees planted though, 'tis the season for that.

[Orruar]

Landscaping next Spring, not a priority with winter coming. Might try to get a few trees planted though, 'tis the season for that.

I'll pray that your cat can hold off the suicidal thoughts until then.

[Shannacore]

I'll pray that your cat can hold off the suicidal thoughts until then.

She's got her sink, she's a happy kitteh.

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1381451_10201199952255609_2090292262_n.jpg

[r00t]

:3

[dav]

https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/q71/s720x720/1374242_10201183804011913_1125334514_n.jpg

The light from my ~balcony~ is pretty ridiculous at 7am. Need curtains, help.

There are a couple of ways you can go about this. I've tried both and made some mistakes, so hopefully you will learn from me.

Firstly, DON'T buy shitty $20 curtains from Wal-Mart/Target/whereever. They will offer some relief, but will typical look like shit and only block maybe ~65% of the light, which is not that helpful. I ended up throwing mine away, was a complete waste of money.

Then I got these bad-boys: http://www.amazon.com/Thermal-Insulated-Blackout-Curtain-Set-BEIGE/dp/B001A662BE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380816728&sr=8-1&keywords=blackout+curtains

They are suck-your-dick at the end of a long day of work amazing. They block out 100% of UV and 99% of light, and actually work as advertised. The only light that I get leaking through these puppies is when the sun is at a certain angle and it will slip through the sides. This is easily fixable and will occur with any curtain.

Here is an example of them in action:
http://i.imgur.com/WJXnIyN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8BsxWmP.jpg

I know game and sleep in perfect darkness.

If there is one person you can trust to get you information on how to make the sun go away, it is a fat/neckbeard/cavedwelling EverQuest player.

Trust me.

[dav]

Your cat is cute, all of the insta-gramy pictures are upsetting.

[Shannacore]

There are a couple of ways you can go about this. I've tried both and made some mistakes, so hopefully you will learn from me.

Firstly, DON'T buy shitty $20 curtains from Wal-Mart/Target/whereever. They will offer some relief, but will typical look like shit and only block maybe ~65% of the light, which is not that helpful. I ended up throwing mine away, was a complete waste of money.

Then I got these bad-boys: http://www.amazon.com/Thermal-Insulated-Blackout-Curtain-Set-BEIGE/dp/B001A662BE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380816728&sr=8-1&keywords=blackout+curtains

They are suck-your-dick at the end of a long day of work amazing. They block out 100% of UV and 99% of light, and actually work as advertised. The only light that I get leaking through these puppies is when the sun is at a certain angle and it will slip through the sides. This is easily fixable and will occur with any curtain.

Here is an example of them in action:
http://i.imgur.com/WJXnIyN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8BsxWmP.jpg

I know game and sleep in perfect darkness.

If there is one person you can trust to get you information on how to make the sun go away, it is a fat/neckbeard/cavedwelling EverQuest player.

Trust me.

Holy shit those do work well. I've been trying to figure out what to do with that area, because I am really tired of the 6:30 sunrise waking me up. I'll probably do curtains, although I really don't like how curtains look with a sliding glass door for whatever reason. I feel like the smaller windows on the left/right are going to be a paint to find well-fitted curtains for.

Do you have Amumu framed on your wall?? #NERDALERT

[dav]

It's actually Amumu/Lee Sin/Katarina, which were my most played ranked champs at the time my gf painted it for me. That was towards the start of S3, now I think it's like Lee Sin/Lux/Akali or something. My most played that is, the painting is the same. ;x

[Shannacore]

Mama Bear drove down from Colorado for the weekend to help me paint.

How NAIVE of me. I assumed the first floor (very large living room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, laundry area). would take OH YOU KNOW maybe one day to paint.

Over two days and 15 hours later, we are done. Shit looks hot tho.

(Painting is absurdly time and energy consuming, why do people do this???)

[JayN]

Mama Bear drove down from Colorado for the weekend to help me paint.

How NAIVE of me. I assumed the first floor (very large living room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, laundry area). would take OH YOU KNOW maybe one day to paint.

Over two days and 15 hours later, we are done. Shit looks hot tho.

(Painting is absurdly time and energy consuming, why do people do this???)

spend about the same amount of time taping and then spraying but dang it saves your back and knees

[Smedy]

is naez moving in?

prenup that shit fast homie, shes nesting

[Raavak]

(Painting is absurdly time and energy consuming, why do people do this???)You pay someone to do it!

Professionals are good and super fast.

[Shannacore]

is naez moving in?

prenup that shit fast homie, shes nesting

Yeah obvs, January 14'

spend about the same amount of time taping and then spraying but dang it saves your back and knees

Yeah, my back is killing me. Getting around the trim on the bottom is a bitch. >:[

[Shannacore]

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5504/9878457754_946e6ab117.jpg
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3685/9878468706_ff2ce4cd3d.jpg
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2837/9878557133_83b4e6365a.jpg
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3707/9878729733_9d470f77ea.jpg

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q71/s720x720/1391494_10201240170421038_1939571384_n.jpg
https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/q71/s720x720/993401_10201240173581117_1667478384_n.jpg

[Shannacore]

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3700/9878702623_2119a79f63.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/9878618945_4202cbd281.jpg
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5512/9878622455_d058daf685.jpg
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3694/9878629675_0dd382570e.jpg

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q71/s720x720/1375689_10201240144020378_1725862304_n.jpg


And a bathroom

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1381769_10201240182021328_484071036_n.jpg

[Orruar]

Is it me, or are the cabinets to the right of the microwave all fucked up? Fucked up as in designed by Picasso.

[Shannacore]

Is it me, or are the cabinets to the right of the microwave all fucked up? Fucked up as in designed by Picasso.

Fucked up by my shitty Panorama app I think

[Orruar]

Ah yeah, I guess everything has a slight warp to it.

[Shannacore]

Ah yeah, I guess everything has a slight warp to it.

Yeah, was being lazy and not using my real camera. Real photos soon though!

[fishingme]

Nice new colors! I don't much care for the green pea soup color in the kitchen, but loving the red

[Shannacore]

More projects done!~

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q89/1452127_10201435838992630_120593912_n.jpg

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/q86/1422517_10201442897969100_1971127174_n.jpg

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q92/1380150_10201283363300833_1764130751_n.jpg

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q85/1385670_10201235194576645_1586427673_n.jpg

[dav]

I dig that tube.

Serious question time. Those spices that are mounted on the wall. How do they not fall over the place when you open the lid?

[Knuckle]

I dig that tube.

Serious question time. Those spices that are mounted on the wall. How do they not fall over the place when you open the lid?

they obviously are on a hook or latch and the whole spice would come off, then open it.

[JayN]

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q89/1452127_10201435838992630_120593912_n.jpg

[Abner]

Any advice?

Where'd you go wrong or what worked out well for you?

I am answering without reading the many pages I see this thread has.

Rule #1 - Get an inspection. And make sure your inspector has good references.

Rules 2-5 are see rule #1.

Otherwise I'd just say that the tax write off is great.

DON'T over buy. Just because they will finance you for X amount of money doesn't mean you should spend X amount of money. You need to be able to set some money aside for when those things happen that your landlord took care of before.

I can say it will be a sad day indeed if I ever have to become a renter again. Owning and living in your own home is great.

[Abner]

Hmmmm... I jumped to the end and see pics! Perhaps I should have looked first. This is your new place? Lookin good!

[mtb tripper]

where is the marijuana labeled container near the spices?

[Robdukes]

I like that idea with the magnetic bar. Did you find a place that sold the little containers you use for the spices or did you save up containers from something?

[Ahldagor]

alton brown strikes again

[Shannacore]

I dig that tube.

Serious question time. Those spices that are mounted on the wall. How do they not fall over the place when you open the lid?

~GRAVITY~. When the container is laying flat, the spices are in the container and not on the lid. Anything that does happen to stick to the lid - I haven't had a problem with.

I like that idea with the magnetic bar. Did you find a place that sold the little containers you use for the spices or did you save up containers from something?

I bought the containers on Etsy ($9 for 20). The bars are actually magnetic knife bars (look on Amazon, very common thing). Those + a few permanent markers and I was good to go!

alton brown strikes again

;)

[Shannacore]

https://scontent-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/1013268_10201343307759407_1123931309_n.jpg

SEE YOU TOMORROW

[Tenlaar]

You're all invited over for alcohol and food!*





















*Please bring alcohol and food.

[Shannacore]

You're all invited over for alcohol and food!*





















*Please bring alcohol and food.

^______^

[San]

Nice house! Did a great job with the paint too. My in laws just moved away from there to San Antonio because of a job transfer, but they really liked it there though.

[Hailto]

What is the point of posting that if you aren't giving the address....seems a bit attention whorey. Will naez be there?

[fishingme]

Address is on the side of the house, 3128

[Hailto]

Obviously the only 3128 in the state.

[justin2090]

umm.. no computer room?

[Shannacore]

What is the point of posting that if you aren't giving the address....seems a bit attention whorey. Will naez be there?

Literally just had sex

[SamwiseRed]

will it be a sausagefest?

[fishingme]

Obviously the only 3128 in the state.

She's in alb, that narrows it down to city. Google maps will narrow the rest down to at any rate, a max of four locations to choose from. Use sate view to make sure you got the right house.

[Shannacore]

She's in alb, that narrows it down to city. Google maps will narrow the rest down to at any rate, a max of four locations to choose from. Use sate view to make sure you got the right house.

You are totally not creepy or anything.

[fishingme]

You are totally not creepy or anything.

Lucky for you, the only thing I find attractive about you is the red hair. Does not make up for the rest of you though, sorry.

[radditsu]

Just getting off work, OMW. Bringing a brick of viagra, 3 boxes of condoms, and a crate of zingers.


Shit is about to get weird.

[Lune]

If I come by will you service me? I expect to be serviced, especially if I'm bringing finger foods.

[Ahldagor]

not but a few hours drive, bringing waiver forms and a camera. research purposes.

[nalkin]

Literally just had sex

Difference between my sex life and yours is that I don't plaster it all over the internet


Not saying your girl's not hot, she's just clearly pretty slutty. Some men are into that though, y'know?

Heh, :eek::D:cool:. Nice house though