Random Thoughts - Part III The Search for Spark (No Politics)

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Well explain this one then

I thought it was normal for cats to not like almonds.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by 2020BRZtS

Move on. There's the whole world of houses for you to choose from and the seller has one to sell. There is so much to do when buying a house you don't want projects just to make it habitable. You'll know when the concessions are acceptable.

yeah, i'd leave that one on the 'long shot, if it can be had cheap enough' list. sounds like your goals are similar to mine. find something livable, that might need some updating, but with a good solid structure. and that's how i ended up in a 1970's all-original house that was simply just well maintained and smelled like old people. old people smell was fixed with cleaning, and most of the decor was fixed with replacing stuff i would've replaced anyways.

honestly, pet smell/fixes are what i would consider some of the lower 'worsts' on my list. they can at least be fixed with treatments and simple replacements. a pain that would require a severe discount to both deal with, as well as do, but still possible.

honestly, the repainting-everything-poorly, combined with the lack of animal care, raises more flags on this one than anything else. if they can't maintain their pet, and don't care enough to paint correctly, can you trust that they'll care enough to maintain the structural integrity of the house, or not fix a leaky faucet connector under the sink by not simply adding layers upon layers of cheap duct tape that doesn't even stick to itself?

i think you're entering the market at a decent time, as long as you're ok with the interest rate changes. it's going to cause a lot of panic and restlessness for a lot of sellers/realtors that have adjusted to everything selling in 24 hours at/above list, so if you can be patient for things to sit for a few weeks, i think some desperation is going to show in your favor on more than a couple houses that you'll be able to name a price under list and work to a deal.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

Ain't these the same things?

Yep, you're correct.

Bubba meant to say "patch it" not repair it - merican ain't Bubba's first language -

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by weederr33

Went to look at buying a first house. Square footage was great, layout was great, outside looked pretty good, but wow did it take a turn. Go inside and BAM, instant pet smell. Carpet is all sorts of mucked up and the walls are clearly not well taken care of. It appeared the interior had been repainted several times, but whoever did it clearly didn't take art class or failed staying within the lines of a coloring book. Trim was horrible done and did I mention the smell of cat piss? A rational thinker would move on and forget about this home. But a part of me wants to rip the carpet out, deep clean, and remodel the interior. But then again, I like doing things the hard way.

Reminds me of the time, back in my real estate broker days, when I was a buyers agent for a young military man and his family who were from out of state.

I showed them a house that I hadn't pre viewed - . They fell in love with it. After checking it out, I told them that I wouldn't allow them to buy that house. They were surprised and were very disappointed. After I explained why they shouldn't buy it, they agreed to move on.

I do have a few "buyers" hints for you - and I don't care how HOT the market is.

Ask for and review the Form 17, (buyers disclosure), before you make an offer.

Include an inspection contingency with your offer.

Conduct your own neighborhood review before making an offer.

However, since you like to "do things the hard way" - GO FOR IT! -

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Yep, you're correct.

Bubba meant to say "patch it" not repair it - merican ain't Bubba's first language -

What's bubba's first language then?

[Spuds]

Both houses we bought were the second house we decided to put an offer on. The first attempt both times was a house we weren't particularly thrilled about, they were just the best of the options at the time. A few weeks later the house we actually bought came on the market and both times they were near perfect for what we wanted.

Moral of the story, the right house will show up.

[spcmafia]

Originally Posted by weederr33

Went to look at buying a first house. Square footage was great, layout was great, outside looked pretty good, but wow did it take a turn. Go inside and BAM, instant pet smell. Carpet is all sorts of mucked up and the walls are clearly not well taken care of. It appeared the interior had been repainted several times, but whoever did it clearly didn't take art class or failed staying within the lines of a coloring book. Trim was horrible done and did I mention the smell of cat piss? A rational thinker would move on and forget about this home. But a part of me wants to rip the carpet out, deep clean, and remodel the interior. But then again, I like doing things the hard way.

Spoken like a true soldier.


Anyways, I wouldn't compromise on any evident repairs because that is the very tip of the iceberg. This house had the landlords special for while, who knows what else is hiding.

I'm sure you'll find a house that is turn key ready to be moved in. Because the thing with owning a house is that yes, it is your house and you can do whatever you want (with town approval in some cases), but it also means that every repair is now your issue, and work never ends in a house.

Make a list of things that you could live with, and some that are a deal breaker.

For example, big ticket items like carpet, flooring, oil tank/furnace, water pump, roof, windows, electrical, HVAC (If applicable), Water well/Septic are some of the big repairs so those need to be in a good condition.


Washer/dryer are king of old? You get a nice 10% discount at Lowes for new equipment. No central air? Get a fan or 12000BTU window unit. Paint and walls look crappy? Take a whole weekend off, do your best spackle
the rest, finish with paint.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Spuds

What's bubba's first language then?

Redneck

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Spuds

What's bubba's first language then?

Hillbilly/Redneck - mix.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Redneck

Close - Bubba is a half-breed - Hillbilly/Redneck -

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Close - Bubba is a half-breed - Hillbilly/Redneck -

So it is a dialect.

[Ultramaroon]

Tcoat's on fire today.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Tcoat's on fire today.

[weederr33]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Reminds me of the time, back in my real estate broker days, when I was a buyers agent for a young military man and his family who were from out of state.

I showed them a house that I hadn't pre viewed - . They fell in love with it. After checking it out, I told them that I wouldn't allow them to buy that house. They were surprised and were very disappointed. After I explained why they shouldn't buy it, they agreed to move on.

I do have a few "buyers" hints for you - and I don't care how HOT the market is.

Ask for and review the Form 17, (buyers disclosure), before you make an offer.

Include an inspection contingency with your offer.

Conduct your own neighborhood review before making an offer.

However, since you like to "do things the hard way" - GO FOR IT! -

Thanks for the advice!!