Mar 24 2008
Offer on the Table
Future Husband and I have been house hunting, as you well know. Yesterday we spent the afternoon with our realtor looking at resale homes. We figured if we can get pretty much the same exact thing that we looked at when we were at the builder’s models the other day, but pay quite a bit less, then it was worth it to investigate. We saw these homes, but the thing is, the real estate market right now kinda sucks. During the boom a few years ago, it really was a BOOM in Las Vegas. So many people bought thinking it was easy money. So many people got in over their heads and trashed their homes when they were foreclosed on. Out of everything that we looked at yesterday, only one home, the first one we saw, would have been worth it. It needed some cleaning and new carpet, but the carpet wasn’t terrible. After that, it all went downhill. The last one we looked at we were in for about 5.3 seconds before we walked out. FH and I talked and realized that if we had to put that much work into a resale, the money would work out just as well, and our peace of mind would be much greater, if we went the new route.
We went back to the new home community today with our realtor, and it turns out that a plan we like came back on the market just today. We looked at a couple of other finished units last week, but they backed up to the main road. This one doesn’t, and though we can’t choose any options at this point, the ones that were in the home were well-chosen. FH isn’t keen on the laminate countertops, but I’m ok since it’s all I’ve ever known, and this patter won’t show every freaking speck like the solid white we have in our apartment now.
We ran to the bank to get some dough, and ran back to the sales office. Then we spent the next hour signing papers. This is just the offer! I need to exercise my hand for closing. Tomorrow we visit the lender to sign more reams of paper for the loan paperwork, and if all goes well we should be good to move in at the end of April. FH is a bit shellshocked, but
I’m excited. This place is twice as big as our current apartment, with 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, and a mini-yard with a covered patio. I can’t wait - it’s a bit nerve-wracking, but like I said, exciting.
congrats! House-buying is such a weird experience. We went with a new home for much the same reasons- by the time we fixed up an older home it would have cost the same as new- and we are not diy type people to begin with.
Wow, how exciting!!!! I am not sure that my partner and I will ever be able to buy our own place since property here in Tokyo is so expensive (and it devalues the day after you buy it and continues to do so….CRAZY) so I am so jealous! Fingers crossed it all goes ok!!!
It sounds lovely!
Luckily you went back to have another look around! Apartment hunting is so depressing so I totally know how you felt after the first day! But yay that you found somewhere else!
Robyn, we are DIY people, and are already talking about putting in nicer baseboards and some crown molding, but these are wants, not things we need to do to make the house livable. We just want to put our own touch on the place.
Lulu, the main frustration was the lack of variety in our price range. Actually, any price range. FH and I both grew up in areas where houses didn’t all look exactly alike, so finding something we wanted when all the homes look alike was difficult.
That’s weird that Tokyo homes devalue like that - sort of like cars, no?
So exciting, congrats!
Very cool!!!
I hope it all works out for you guys. I am lucky i didn’t have to deal with any of the paper work. When my Husband and i decided to buy a diffrent house i was in Ca. He sold the house He had and we started looking at houses. We would look at houses online. I found this house but He had all the paper work done before i moved here. Anyway i still know what a chore it can be. Just remember things work out the way they were meant to.
Thanks, Amy and KFJ!
Kelly, thanks for the well wishes. We’ve both been through this before on our own, so we have some experience, but it’s way different in NV than it was in MA. So much easier back there, as far as paperwork goes.
Although it might be too late now, if it were me I would wait because the market still has a ways to fall yet.
Nevertheless, if you end up becoming the proud owner of a new home then congratulations are in order and I wish you all happiness Kirsten.
Bloke, we liked the new home because resales here are just crap due to all the foreclosures, and we were finding out that builders are slowing their development way down to reduce standing inventory. The more we hear the more we are confident we chose at the right time.
Also, we are living in a 1 bedroom apartment, and rents are still rising since all the people kicked out of their homes are turning to renting, and in this town all we have to choose from are big apartment complexes, or homes that will probably be foreclosed on.
Hey, congratulations! That’s so great . . . I think you’ll love your new place and this is a fine time to buy. Yay!
Thanks! I agree about this being a great time to buy - builders are slowing down so they reduce their standing stock, so if we waited another week or so we’d have a 6 month wait on our hands.
I know what you mean about foreclosures; those folks really do trash them once they get foreclosed. However, a foreclosure saved us from having to continue renting a ghetto apartment. We couldn’t even buy a trailer for what we bought our house for.
I am glad you got to go the new route, though! Foreclosures are often neglected and do need work and money. We’ve had to pour money and work into ours, but in our situation, it’s still been worth it.
Different strokes for different folks!
I want to see pics when you get moved in and start designing & decorating!
DSB, all the houses in this town are newer (hard to find something built before the 80s) and have no character. If we could get something older, like a Victorian or cottage or something, we wouldn’t mind putting the work in, but not into a house that looks exactly the same as all the rest. (Remember the movie Fools Rush In, when they have to count from the corner to make sure they’re at the right house? That’s what it’s like here) And a foreclosure would have to be cheap, too. Foreclosures still aren’t that great a deal in this town.