Showing posts with label new home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new home. Show all posts
A Regular Gals Guide to Homebuying
Monday, October 7, 2019
I've purchased two homes in my 35 years, so I mean, I'm pretty sure that qualifies me to give advice.
Not really, but it does qualify me to give some tips about the whole process...I think! I purchased a town home during the housing slump in 2011, it was a buyers market to say the least. That fact was even more apparent when I set out to buy the home we live in now.
Here are my tips, tricks, and personal horror stories.
So let's dive in shall we? It's gonna be a long one.
Not really, but it does qualify me to give some tips about the whole process...I think! I purchased a town home during the housing slump in 2011, it was a buyers market to say the least. That fact was even more apparent when I set out to buy the home we live in now.
Here are my tips, tricks, and personal horror stories.
So let's dive in shall we? It's gonna be a long one.
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- First things first, FIND AN AGENT THAT MATCHES YOUR NEEDS!
The first home I bought, I had a horrible agent. The second home I bought, again, another horrible agent. Find out what you would think makes a "horrible" agent, then, find someone that isn't those things. For me, I needed someone VERY responsive. Neither agent I used was responsive. Even during the writing an offer part of it all, you need someone who is going to act on things quickly. Especially in a seller's market where homes sell fast. Don't be afraid to get rid of an agent that you were matched up with. Talk to people. Use an agent that you get first hand reviews of from people you know. Both times for me, I regretted not getting rid of my agents, remember they work for you. If they aren't meeting your needs then, thank you...next.
- Don't Rush the Process
Sometimes, especially in a seller's market, you feel so so rushed. But remember, this is a BIG purchase. Act quickly, but not hastily. We had our rental lease about to expire, so we were rushing. We missed things during our initial viewing of the house we ended up buying. (Also, this is something your agent should tell you, if they are rushing you, beware.) We saw maybe 10 homes and made offers on about 8 of them. They were selling right from underneath us. It was insane. That alone made us feel rushed. But REALLY think about it. Could we have went on a month-to-month lease situation in order to keep a roof over our head? Yes. It's hard to ignore all the things that can make you move too quickly, but try and stop, evaluate, and think.
- Consider a New Build
Sometimes it's a better deal to buy new. If you don't go upgrade crazy, and you have ample time to build, go for it. If we had had more time, we would've built. Sometimes it's hard to find exactly what you want OR almost exactly what you want from existing homes. Also, you just never know what happened in the house with previous owners. We, were surprised by carpets with years of dog pee. We were duped by the sellers because they used an inordinate amount of air fresheners when we first saw the home. We just thought they were trying to make it smell nice. On the day we closed, we did the final walkthrough, only to walk into a home without a ton of fragrance so we really got to feel the full smack in the face of dog pee. We had planned to put laminate wood floors upstairs but it became clear that we were going to have to do that BEFORE we even moved in because...ew. If we had built new, that would've never been an issue OR an added and surprise cost. My first home I bought was a new build and let me tell you, it was a hell of a lot easier to assimilate into the home. This time it's taken so much time and money to try and rid the home of the old owners and we're still not finished!
- Ooooh Girl, Plan to Compromise
Unless your budget is epic and your down payment is massively hefty, plan to compromise. Know what you CAN live without on your wish list and know what you CAN'T live without. Simple as that.
- Pay Attention to Your Inspection
GO to your home inspection if you can. It'll give you another chance to see the home (because you can still get out of your contract at this point, once the home inspection is said and done and signed off on, then you're pretty much stuck - if you see something that is a non-negotiable item and the sellers won't fix/change it - you can get out of the contract) - I wish I attended the home inspection for this home but I didn't. Don't let your agent tell you that it's not necessary to attend, this is YOUR potential home. Our inspector missed a lot. For heaven's sake none of our sink stoppers even worked. None of them. And....our doorbell didn't work...it wasn't even connected to a power source. So yeah, go if you can! Make your own notes!
This tip really is for buying or renting. My mom told me this YEARS ago when I first started renting on my own. It's pretty self-explanatory. Visit the neighborhood in the morning, afternoon, and evening. When night falls, a neighborhoods vibe can be totally different than when the sun it shining. See if it feels safe, is it a raucous environment (man I sound like my grandmother), aesthetically does it give you good vibes? How does it make you feel? Don't move anywhere that gives you pause or makes you feel like if you were home alone, you would be concerned.- Go to the Potential New Neighborhood at Varying Times of the Day/Week
- Be Prepared to be Broke
- Get Your Finances in Order
- BE HAPPY!
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One more thing...PLEASE....find an agent that will fight for you - to go to bat for you - to represent you and to make choices that benefit you. As a first time home buyer, or if you are buying for the second time but...it's been awhile, your agent needs to make you feel comfortable and SAFE during this whole process. No question is a stupid question, if your agent makes you feel that way, find a new one.
Photographic evidence of the day we closed on our house, even with ALL the (unexpected and expected) trials we were going to face getting the house ready to move into, we were freaking thrilled.
If you have ANY questions, please feel free to ask!
Ta Da! Finally...Fabulous Friday Finds!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Needless to say...it's been a long week! Just one of "those" weeks that creeps by like a one legged zombie...which I'm assuming would be a very slow moving being.
I'm so happy to share some great finds this week with all of you lovelies though! I always look forward to each Friday so I can share some goodies!
But FIRST, I have to share with you my new coffee table, that I got (haggled) for the low low price of $40! I found it on craigslist after searching for a table that had more than one level so I could store items that didn't "need" to be on top of the table and it's got a handy dandy drawer that holds remotes and my laptop! Woo hoo! How we managed to get it in my car is another story...it was almost a tragedy but we did it!
Have you found any great finds on craigslist?
On to the fabulous finds!
Round Glass Butter Dish via yevgenia - seriously the most gorgeous butter dish I've ever seen! The colors are SO pretty.
Scottish Tartan Kilt Journal via peaseblossumstudio - I am kinda obsessed with this journal...from the fabric to the safety pin <3
Vintage cat necklace via dinafragola - I'm a sucker for the vintage pictures/paintings of cats and how they have such personality in their expressions.
Polka Dot red cups via SovietEra - One word. Love.
Vintage 1980's Mid Calf Riding Boot via pineapplemint - These are dreamy. Perfect for jeans and perfect for dresses and skirts!
That's it! See anything you are loving now too?
Any big plans for the weekend? I have to take my little Penelope to the vet...because I cancelled last week since the weather was so awful.
Talk to you soon!
Tour of Homes - Last Installment!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Ta Da! Welcome to the final showing of Tour of Homes!
Today is all about the areas that don't really fall into the "public" spaces which are in this case bathrooms and bedrooms.
But FIRST...I have to share with you a few of the additions to the areas of my home I shared with you last week. I promise there aren't nearly as many photos as last time!
Flowers from my other half...I love when the flowers are dyed because the water always turns such a pretty color. PS - Daisy's are poisonous to cats so we put them outside and I just love the look they have in the pitcher.
Ahhh craigslist. How I love thee. I found this gem of a vintage record cabinet *the top lifts up for a record player* for only 30 bucks. I just love the look of the record player though so I prefer to keep it out.
And HELLO to my favorite new lamp! I found this age old beauty at a thrift store for only 3 dollars. My grandparents had lamps that the base also had a light inside of it and this made me think of visiting them (and playing with the switch!)
Ooooh pretty...and dusty!
Now you can see what my empty floating shelf was for...I'm in love with my nesting dolls. Seriously. that little guy at the end...is a tiny mouse with a block of cheese!!
Okay that's it for that! Now on to the NEW spaces!
First up - the half bathroom on the first floor. Nothing special. We don't even have any soap or hand towels! This bathroom is so rarely used...more so by the cats because they have a litter box in there...I of course left that out because who wants to see that!
But I do have my pretty and "never going to die" fake orchids that I love.
Next up, the master bedroom, still a work in progress! Hello cat toys!
If you remember the last Tour of Homes I included a photo of paint stained shoes...well this beauty of a storage bench is the reason for the paint! I needed extra storage and I found what used to be a white storage bench on craiglist for 20 bucks and it was perfect! (See the pillow? That was a gift to my other half last year at Christmas!)
Our view outside our bedroom windows : )
I found this lovely fixture at Lowe's and just loved it! I loved it even more once my other half installed it...so pretty!
Ahhh. My closet. And tights apparently that I forgot to take down off the door! And a bear head in the middle of the floor...Benny's favorite toy...he has had it since he was a baby and within the first year he had the head detached from the body haha.
My pride and joy...my shoes. <3
Tights!!
Master bath - again - nothing to write home about. I do love my shower curtain...I've had it for ages but the colors make me smile.
Our lighting over our sinks.
Spare bathroom that is out near the loft. It's where I keep my vanity because the master doesn't have any room for it. I found it on craigslist for FREE about 8 months ago and I sanded it down and painted it white. <3
Did you notice this little beauty on the vanity? My other half made me a holder for my glasses and I painted it fishies under the sea and some are of course wearing glasses :p
This...is my other half's office. Can you tell a man resides in this area?
That's it! Two bedrooms and two and a half baths!
Now...on to the pretty stuff...the inspirations and future "to do's"
Bedroom - My other half and I don't agree on a lot of decorating style but one that we do agree on is the Shabby Chic look, which is great, because it's one of my favorites. I would love to keep the bedroom color subtle and tranquil but not white.
I love this headboard and wall color.
Loving the furniture here, the distressed dresser and side tables are gorgeous, and that lamp! Oh and the rug is pretty perfect.
Master Bath -
Okay so the first photo...isn't likely but I love it!
I would love a chandelier in the bathroom <3
Okay, so this is more likely, I would love to get rid of the giant mirror and get two separate framed mirrors and update the fixtures to something a little more me!
In the half bathroom downstairs, the biggest change, I'd love to wallpaper it!
Are you wondering why the office and the spare bathroom doesn't have any inspirations? Well...those are my other half's areas and I don't think he cares all that much about decor nor would he want me to decorate it!
Head on over to Regina's blog to see her version of these spaces!
Do you have any bedroom/bathroom inspirations or things you'd like to change? Where do your inspirations come from?
A photo that I just have to share with you all!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
So, by now you know, I have cats.
This is a short and oh so sweet post because I don't think it needs to many words with this!
My perfect evening.
-My other half
-My fluffy new couch
-Criminal Minds marathon
-And my gaggle of felines all wanting to be cuddled on the couch
*Benny on the back of the couch
*Charlie next spooning next to me
*Trixie and Penelope curled up by my feet
: )
Another Weekend Winding Down...
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Just to let everyone know, I swear I did more than watch TV today, mostly because I couldn't get my stupid internet to work so I couldn't watch any Netflix streaming. Maybe that was my cue to be productive.
Let's review -
- I swiffered the whole downstairs AND wet swiffered! It smells all freshly mopped which is nice.
- I finally unpacked everything that needed to be in the dresser
- I unpacked and loaded up our banquette that holds the seemingly countless DVD's
- I did a much needed loaded of laundry (let me tell you how amazing it is to have a washer that is made to do large capacity loads!)
Now we are waiting for Direct TV to come by and attempt for a 2nd time to give us cable!!
Let's just say my outlook is not positive, not until there are some results!
I wanted to close out the weekend by sharing a few photos of my little gremlions (they were taken with my cell so the quality is lacking) -
Lots of good sleeping action happening here from Trix. They made a little kitty triangle. (You can see a tiny bit of one side of my closet...shoes!
Ah to be a cat..all cozy and in bed...all day long!
This is my favorite...my little tiny Trixie girl smushed up next to Penelope. <3
See you tomorrow for my first official "what I wore" post!
Can I Get a Woo Hoo! It's Thrifty "Tutorial" Thursday!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
I would like to apologize for my excessive excitement, I'm just elated that I have the internet, however cable I still do not have. The Direct TV hook up did NOT go as planned...grrrr...hopefully I'll have good news and TV before next week. Or somebodys gonna have some explaining to do!
I found the cutest and one of the easiest DIY headband tutorials! I'm still not unpacked...hey I really am trying...so I can't try this one yet!! It's so simple and dainty...and I love it.
To get the full tutorial and more photos head on over to Coletterie and check it out.
If you try it I would LOVE to see photos!
PS - Do you want to know a really good way NOT to start your day?
With a scorpion. A freaking scorpion.
My little Charlie girl found it this morning, thank goodness she couldn't actually reach it, and it wasn't THAT large. It was a baby (which apparently is more evil and venemous than the big daddy ones) and was easily maimed with a shoe. In 15 years in Florida I've NEVER seen a scorpion until this morning. I hope to high heavens I never see another one. Gross.
Talk to you soon!
Woo Hoo I've Been Interneted...Which Means it's Mid-Week Tranquility Time!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Yep, interneted is the "word" of choice in this scenario, I'm so excited I have to make up my own word!
Our internet was delivered, yes delivered, via the oh so fabulous couriers of mail - FedEx.
In more of a last ditch effort, we ended up going with Clear, which at this point in time only had wireless internet available. Apparently an actual device for internet just based in the home should be available soon. But at 45 bucks a month for unlimited usage...it beats Verizon (stupid Luis) or us waiting for Comcast to get it's butt in gear!
Unfortunately, the range of the internet signal isn't the best, but I can blog from the comfort of my bed at least...so I can't complain.
And...it's Mid-Week Tranquility Day!!! Because I can continue my Mid-Week Tranquility now that I've been interneted.
Wahoo!
Boy do I need a dose of tranquility...anyone else need to jump on the tranquil bandwagon?
Climb aboard!
via Pinterest
There's something about the crystal clear water and the simple joy of a good swing that just makes me take a deep breath and smile.
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PS - more good news on the new home front...we get Direct TV today...if all goes as planned *crossing fingers* I'll finally have my sweet sweet TV again. Finally...just in time for Dexter...come on September!
Talk to you soon! : )
Just Another Quickie Update on Things!
Monday, August 22, 2011
I am SO ready to get back to my regular blogging life, where I can check on the blogs I love and post freely not just when I can hunt down some internet!
But while I do have a hiccup of internet, I wanted to share a few photos of how the felines are adjusting to the new casa, they are the only residents that could give a rat's behind about the TV and internet (though Benny does enjoy a good Criminal Minds episode)...truth!
So here are the photos - keep in mind these were taken with my cell phone so sorry for the lack of quality!
Trixie (aka BellaTrix) getting all comfy and what not on her window sill!
Benny enjoying the garden tub like the King he is.
How I found Trixie sleeping under the covers one morning. Silly cat.
I swear I will have more to talk about than cats when I get back up and running!
Talk to you soon!
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