Got my new house

[codex57]

Ended up getting that house I was talking about a while back. Just couldn''t find anything better. Been real hectic moving in, getting all the utilities hooked up, painting, etc.

Plus, I was studying for my real estate broker''s license at the same time. Just took the test yesterday.

I''ll post pix later on when it''s more finished and I have more time. It''s my first house and man, there are a lotta things you need. We''re moving in with just our bed and tv. Assorted knick knacks, but that''s about it. Needed tons of basic things like cleaning supplies, appliances, etc.

Going through all that, we started tihnking we need a truck or something of the sort. Tried to buy a fake x-mas tree the other day from Costco. No way it woulda fit in the 325 and didn''t even come close in the Camry. I''m not really a truck guy, but I can''t deny their usefulness. Thinking about a Tacoma or Honda Ridgeline. So, maybe in a little bit, I''ll have a new truck to report about too.

 

[poptart]

Congratulations on your new house! Moving sucks though, it''s true. Can''t wait for pictures!

Marisa

 

[anchor31]

Congrats!

 

[sumbride]

Congrats!!!

I''m anti-SUV/truck because I live in the city, but something about owning a house makes you need one all of a sudden... We discovered we could rent a big truck with removeable side panels from Lowe''s for something like $20 for 2 hours. So much easier than owning one and can be done as needed... like when buying patio furniture, fake christmas trees, or loads of fertilizer....

You can also rent trucks from Enterprise and a few other car companies when you need to.

Not to discourage you from truck shopping... but hey, you don''t HAVE to have one if you don''t want one.

 

[Kaleigh]

Congratulations Codex!!! Buying your first house is very exciting, and yes a lot of work, but so worth it. Can''t wait to see the pics!!!

 

[Dee*Jay]

That''s great Codex! I wish you many happy and wonderful years in your new home!

 

[KimberlyH]

Congratulations!

I am a truck lover, have never driven anything else, but my next vehicle will be a car because it''s just time to try something new. My husband has always owned a truck and a car. The truck is registered to his business and the car is for getting around town, etc. He sold his car right before we got married to cut back on expenses and misses it so much. His mom is elderly and transporting her is impossible because of the vehicles we drive. We''re considering purchasing a used vehicle for around town driving and the ability to get her to dr. appts and such. Trucks are really useful and can be fun to drive. He had a Tacoma prior to the truck he currently owns and we both loved it. Smooth ride, comfy seats etc. We sold it because we needed a passanger vehicle as well (4 door F150) but if we could have we would have kept it.

 

[poptart]

You never really know how handy a truck is unless you don''t have one. DH wants a truck so so badly and everytime we buy anything big, he throws in the comment, "If we just had a truck this would be so much easier". So even if you don''t like them, they can be such a big help!

Marisa

 

[FireGoddess]

Congratulations!!!

 

[codex57]

Thanks everyone. I''m so tired, but I guess it''s a good tired. Home ownership is pretty crazy for a first timer. I don''t want a truck/suv, but man, I''m at Home Depot/Costco like every day. We have two couple friends who are in the same boat as us. Just married, new house. The couple closest to us is thinking about getting a truck now as well. And they currently have a 4Runner. Just so handy. I mean, we tried to convince ourselves we could live without one by renting from Home Depot or Lowes, but we noticed Costco is selling a lot of things now that are best put in a truck (like plants). We love Costco. It''s so bad. The whole store is full of impulse purchase stuff. Don''t wanna call a friend everytime we see something we like at Costco that''s huge (and most stuff there comes in huge boxes).

Plus, there''s a safety thing. I''m in the land of giant SUVs and trucks now. If I''m gonna be hit by one of those things, I wanna be in something large as well. With airbags all around me. Plus, we''re thinking about kids in the very near future. I''d feel much more comfortable with them in a bigger vehicle than the little things we have now. Wife''s a little scared because we were in this area in grad school and she was in a kinda bad accident. She''s not too fond of the drivers around here. I love the people here. Suuuupppperrrr friendly. Like being in the South. But yeah, they''re not the greatest drivers. We now have to make a left onto the main street near our house. It''s a stop sign. 4 way. Should be simple, but in the few days that we''ve been here, we''ve already been in several near misses cuz the people here are too stupid to notice a car turning in front of them (hence the obsession with side airbags). One guy, I had my blinker on and even made eye contact with him as I was turning (he was stopped). Then, when I''m about 10 feet away, he suddenly moves forward a little before his eyes got wide in recognition and he slammed on his brakes. I mean, what the heck? We were looking at each other and you still move forward?

 

[ChargerGrrl]

CONGRATS on the new house! Being a homeowner is tough, but I''ll take it anyday.

I was such a regular at Home Depot during the first couple of months of owning my townhome that I got to know the employees by name. The guys at the painting department must''ve mixed at least 20 gallons of paint for me!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 10/26/2006 3:16:53 PM
Author: codex57
Thanks everyone. I''m so tired, but I guess it''s a good tired. Home ownership is pretty crazy for a first timer. I don''t want a truck/suv, but man, I''m at Home Depot/Costco like every day. We have two couple friends who are in the same boat as us. Just married, new house. The couple closest to us is thinking about getting a truck now as well. And they currently have a 4Runner. Just so handy. I mean, we tried to convince ourselves we could live without one by renting from Home Depot or Lowes, but we noticed Costco is selling a lot of things now that are best put in a truck (like plants). We love Costco. It''s so bad. The whole store is full of impulse purchase stuff. Don''t wanna call a friend everytime we see something we like at Costco that''s huge (and most stuff there comes in huge boxes).

Ha ha, that''s why we ended up with an SUV! Before that we had a Honda Accord but we too have fallen prey to the evil Costco and are also always buying something enormous (can you say 50" TV???).

 

[TravelingGal]

Very cool Codex, congrats! If you don''t mind me asking, where did you buy? And have you found that sellers are much more willing to negotiate? Hubby and I are gearing up to do some homebuying ourselves in the next few months and we are going to be getting our financials in order in the next few weeks. We''re wondering what the marketing is really doing right now...

 

[codex57]

Date: 10/26/2006 4:09:00 PM
Author: Dee*Jay

Ha ha, that's why we ended up with an SUV! Before that we had a Honda Accord but we too have fallen prey to the evil Costco and are also always buying something enormous (can you say 50' TV???).

Yup. MIL wants a 42" in her room. We eventually want a 50" in our masterbed. Those things aren't gonna fit in the cars we currently have. Wife has been eyeing those big screens for months now.

Date: 10/26/2006 5:46:47 PM
Author: TravelingGal
Very cool Codex, congrats! If you don't mind me asking, where did you buy? And have you found that sellers are much more willing to negotiate? Hubby and I are gearing up to do some homebuying ourselves in the next few months and we are going to be getting our financials in order in the next few weeks. We're wondering what the marketing is really doing right now...

Market is great for buyers now. Gets better all the time. We're in NorCal, in the Sacramento area. Doesn't matter tho. The whole country is a buyers market. I had cool people who worked for the builder. My loan person gave me a not so subtle hint that I was not getting a good deal on the incentives (I thought that, but didn't realize I could renegotiate). I went to talk to my sales agent again about renegotiating. She said I needed to tell her what I wanted and she'd ask her supervisor. I said I wanted another $10-20,000. Cuz that's about how much a future neighbor was getting, even tho that guy told me his bro-in-law just entered into contract for a house a few over and was getting $50K. In a low voice so only I could hear, she said, "higher!" So, knowing that someone was getting $50K, I asked for $50K. In a loud voice (for the benefit of eavesdroppers I guess), she said, "you want $50K? Ok, I'll have to let my supervisor know that's what you're asking for {wink wink}." Couple of days later, she told me it got approved. And this was just days before signing the loan papers.

That was over 10% of the price of the house and pretty much the max incentives this builder offers. You can get better deals on houses that are ready to move in soon or immediately, but I had entered contract while the land was just dirt.

I see for sale signs all over NorCal (we're trying to help my bro-in-law find a house so he'll move out) and see all sorts of incentives, even from regular folks. People offering their big screen tv's, cars, trips to Hawaii, etc. Prices have dipped some, but I wouldn't say they've hit a huge dip yet. Lots of sellers still refuse to accept the fact that the market isn't booming anymore. I'd say give it a few months, and you should see even better prices. However, I wouldn't wait forever cuz things will balance out and people who don't have to sell will just pull out of the market.

 

[kcoursolle]

Congratulations! Getting set up is a pain, but it will be worth it. I''d love to see a picture, but I realize you are probably very busy.

 

[qtiekiki]

Congratulations. Is this the house by the freeway? I think that was you.

We have a 50" LCD in our bedroom. It''s awesome. I was never into big TV, but then we got this one and I love it. hehehe. And you would definitely feel safer in a SUV/truck around other giant SUVs/trucks and you can see better. I work near the L.A. port and everyday when I head home, there''s tons of diesel trucks around. It''s scary when I was driving a little civic next to them. Sometimes they force themselves in front of me when changing lanes. But with the pilot now, they don''t do that. They can probably see me better.

Post lots of pictures of the house when you are settled.

 

[onedrop]

Congratulations! I hear you about the truck. There was a time I thought they were kind of hokey because I live in an urban area and really thought trucks were best used in more rural/southern areas, but now I think they are very cool!

When you have a few moments, be sure and post pics. You know we love visuals around here!

 

[flopkins]

congrats on the new house! I have to say, I am incredibly jealous... DH and I are wanting to get into the housing market in SF/Bay Area and it''s just insane. $500k for a little cottage w/2bed, 1ba and less than 1000 sq ft.!!! sigh.

 

[justjulia]

Congrats! We just moved 2 weeks ago, so I can relate! Don''t know what we would have done without our jeep/hatchback. We practically live at Home Depot.

 

[Sundial]

Codex congratulations on becoming a homeowner!!! When we gave up our pickup for an SUV my husband decided to buy a light weight aluminum trailer to pull behind it so we can get all of our goodies from Lowe's and Home Depot home!

 

[aljdewey]

YAY, Codex! Can''t WAIT to see pics and hear all about it.

So, SO excited for you. It''s quite a milestone, and I''m sure you''ll spend many happy years there.

PS: Hear ya on the truck. I was considering moving to a car, but we just NEED the space in the SUV to haul crap home from Home Depot!

 

[monarch64]

Date: 10/26/2006 6:07:54 PM
Author: codex57

Date: 10/26/2006 4:09:00 PM
Author: Dee*Jay

Ha ha, that''s why we ended up with an SUV! Before that we had a Honda Accord but we too have fallen prey to the evil Costco and are also always buying something enormous (can you say 50'' TV???).

Yup. MIL wants a 42'' in her room. We eventually want a 50'' in our masterbed. Those things aren''t gonna fit in the cars we currently have. Wife has been eyeing those big screens for months now.

Date: 10/26/2006 5:46:47 PM
Author: TravelingGal
Very cool Codex, congrats! If you don''t mind me asking, where did you buy? And have you found that sellers are much more willing to negotiate? Hubby and I are gearing up to do some homebuying ourselves in the next few months and we are going to be getting our financials in order in the next few weeks. We''re wondering what the marketing is really doing right now...

Market is great for buyers now. Gets better all the time. We''re in NorCal, in the Sacramento area. Doesn''t matter tho. The whole country is a buyers market. I had cool people who worked for the builder. My loan person gave me a not so subtle hint that I was not getting a good deal on the incentives (I thought that, but didn''t realize I could renegotiate). I went to talk to my sales agent again about renegotiating. She said I needed to tell her what I wanted and she''d ask her supervisor. I said I wanted another $10-20,000. Cuz that''s about how much a future neighbor was getting, even tho that guy told me his bro-in-law just entered into contract for a house a few over and was getting $50K. In a low voice so only I could hear, she said, ''higher!'' So, knowing that someone was getting $50K, I asked for $50K. In a loud voice (for the benefit of eavesdroppers I guess), she said, ''you want $50K? Ok, I''ll have to let my supervisor know that''s what you''re asking for {wink wink}.'' Couple of days later, she told me it got approved. And this was just days before signing the loan papers.

That was over 10% of the price of the house and pretty much the max incentives this builder offers. You can get better deals on houses that are ready to move in soon or immediately, but I had entered contract while the land was just dirt.

I see for sale signs all over NorCal (we''re trying to help my bro-in-law find a house so he''ll move out) and see all sorts of incentives, even from regular folks. People offering their big screen tv''s, cars, trips to Hawaii, etc. Prices have dipped some, but I wouldn''t say they''ve hit a huge dip yet. Lots of sellers still refuse to accept the fact that the market isn''t booming anymore. I''d say give it a few months, and you should see even better prices. However, I wouldn''t wait forever cuz things will balance out and people who don''t have to sell will just pull out of the market.

Codex, first of all congratulations on your new home! It''s so fun and exciting--my DH and I just went through the experience of buying our first 2.5 years ago and have since become HD junkies as well. And then we bought an SUV, lol! We got a loaded Chevy Trailblazer, but think trucks are cool as well. We live in the west burbs of Chicago, and needed something that was really good in snow (sometimes with trucks you have to throw some weight in the bed to make sure you still don''t slip ''n'' slide even with 4WD.)

On the buyers market--same here in Chicago. I have a co-worker who re-habbed a condo this past spring and hasn''t been able to sell. He just dropped his asking price $10k and is now offering to pay for a reserved, covered parking space for a whole year as an incentive. But I think you''re right...at some point things will even out and we will start seeing people just saying "forget it," and pull out. First time buyers are really reaping the benefits of a buyers market right now, that''s for sure. We had planned to try to get into a bigger house this past summer, but were apprehensive since the market became a bit tumultuous--having to sell a house and buy one at the same time and hopefully not have to carry two mortgages at all or not for very long was an issue, so we have decided to stay until things sort of settle down.

BTW, if one were to purchase a huge t.v., wouldn''t it be best to have it delivered? I can''t see carting one home even in our SUV...I''d rather someone else accidentally drop it, lol

 

[portoar]

Hi Traveling Gal, where are you located? I''m a realtor, and here in Southern California (well all over really) the market is soft. If you''re buying new construction, be careful of those "incentives" builders are offering. For example, a few months ago I worked with a couple who were in contract to buy a new home for $1.9 million. They were given $50K in "incentives," but I explained to them that it''s just another way of cutting the price, making you feel like you''re getting something extra "for free." Also, the $50K is like a "retail value," what they give you doesn''t actually cost them $50K. They frame a price reduction in the form of "incentive" so that people who have already bought at a higher price don''t become upset by seeing actual price reductions. For me, I''d rather take the price reduction than the "incentive" because my real property tax will be lower.

Anyway, my client wasn''t happy with the home, they backed out, and I found them something better for $200K less.

Today I was showing $2 million homes in Rancho Santa Fe that have come down $350K in price since they were first offered on the market.

Sunday I''m showing a 1400 sf condo for under $300,000, which is a great price in San Diego County for that size home.

The market is down, BUT not in all areas. For example, in SD county, there are still places that are posting price gains, and not everywhere is showing an actual downward trend in price. Where you see the big price reductions is in: Condos; new construction homes; pre-foreclosure homes (short sales); re-location sales.

 

[codex57]

Date: 10/27/2006 1:06:45 AM
Author: portoar
If you''re buying new construction, be careful of those ''incentives'' builders are offering. For example, a few months ago I worked with a couple who were in contract to buy a new home for $1.9 million. They were given $50K in ''incentives,'' but I explained to them that it''s just another way of cutting the price, making you feel like you''re getting something extra ''for free.'' Also, the $50K is like a ''retail value,'' what they give you doesn''t actually cost them $50K. They frame a price reduction in the form of ''incentive'' so that people who have already bought at a higher price don''t become upset by seeing actual price reductions. For me, I''d rather take the price reduction than the ''incentive'' because my real property tax will be lower.

Can you elaborate? I read that too, but I can''t figure out how my "incentive" was a bad thing or simply a price reduction? Maybe my situation/builder didn''t fit the norm?

Say the base price is $500K. You have the option of either taking that off your sale price, using it towards upgrades, or a combination of the two. Some people only get like $10K in upgrades (neighbor... I snuck in and saw their option list). So, retail should be $510K, but their sale price is $460K.

There was a price drop on my house that I didn''t get, but it was only like $5K. I guess I coulda been upset about that, but they gave me $50K in incentives when I only expected $10K.

Anyways, painting is about 75% finished. I''m prolly gonna leave a couple of bedrooms and bathrooms unpainted cuz I''m too tired to do it. Once I get my bed out of the family room and possibly after I order and receive a couch, I''ll take pictures. Right now, it''s kinda chaotic with tarps and ladders everywhere, my bed in the family room (all disassembled), boxes everywhere, etc. Not gonna make for good visuals. I want you guys to have something nice to look at. Well, that and I''m not sure where my digital camera got packed away to.

Appliances came in a few days ago. Got the LG steam washing machine. Frontloader. That thing is awesome! I''ll buy things like a TV from Costco tho cuz even tho I gotta lug it home myself, their return policy is so good, I don''t have to worry about it breaking or paying extra for extended warranty.

 

[sumbride]

I''m laughing a little bit here that so many people justify the purchase of an SUV so that they can go and purchase bigger stuff!

That''s hilarious!

I think I better stick to my sedan since I live in a little house! I might start buying bigger stuff!

 

[Mara]

congrats codex!! when we bought our townhouse we were soooo excited. now we are looking at moving next year onto our next place...or we might stay here a bit longer than we thought, we'll see what we feel like doing. the market here is kind of soft too for resale on houses, but the townhouses in our complex, end units like ours, are holding steady and have all sold under 30 days and for asking which is about $15k higher than what they were selling for 6 months ago. so we are kind of tempted to just sell now and take our $$ and run with it into another place...as who knows what things will be like in a few months. but we also want to wait til spring to see what shakes out then...we're not really in the mood to move right now. so we're trying to figure that one out..figure nothing will happen til next year cuz i just don't wanna deal with it around the holidays!!

it took us a good three years to have the house look 'lived in' or like we wanted it to be. now we are thinking of moving next year...hahaa. anyway, have fun with it, i love new construction because it's a blank slate and all yours and you can do whatever you want with it. just don't get too crazy and paint the whole interior a light seafoam green like one of our neighbors did...i used to walk by and look in thinking 'that must be like living in an aquarium all the time'. after they sold i met the new gal in the dog park and we were standing there talking, and another gal asked her 'so did you paint' and she said 'oh yeah, first thing'. hehee.

 

[lumpkin]

Congratulations! New houses are such fun! Good luck on your RE license.

You may be able to get more in your 325 than you think. Maybe they changed the model since we got ours, but the trunk of ours opens to the back seat. You may yet be able to get that tree in there if you fold the seats down, hopefully.

Maybe if you have a housewarming party some friends and family might help you to get some of those basic things. It sounds like you guys really are starting out with only necessities, so everyone will probably be excited for you and to help you out.

Since you need so much, you might see if there''s a furniture consignment store near you. We have one here that is FABULOUS! They have really, really nice stuff and it''s pretty cheap. Not giving it away cheap, but very gently used and waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy cheaper than new. You might also check the newspaper to see if you can find stuff in the adds. We got our dining room furniture -- a large dining table with 2 leaves, 4 side chairs and 2 arm chairs, a buffet and lighted china hutch for $400. It was in really good shape -- people often don''t use their dining rooms that much. We also got our bedroom furniture that way. Of course, you would need a truck for that, and maybe some friends with strong backs, LOL! For our bedroom furniture we actually hired some guys to go get it -- it was only $50 more than renting a truck and that furniture was HEAVY!

Anyway, I''m sure you''ll manage to get it furnished soon enough. I''m so happy for you. Having your own home to come to is just such a blessing.

 

[divergrrl]

congratulations on the house! Yay!

Go ahead and get your truck, it comes in handy. I have an SUV...my husband always had a 4 door sedan as a company car (meaning FREE) and it sucked as far as getting stuff home.

Plus, we have my dad''s boat parked here (which we can use for skiing..I live 2 blocks from a boat launch, and 2 miles from 3 others...I''m surrounded by rivers) and we are buying our own ski boat in 2 years. You can''t tow a boat with a small car. And there are a lot of lake a few hours from here.

Then, we have a big dog. And a baby. We have to have the dog behind a safety barrier in the cargo area, or else if we got into an accident, what''s from keeping the dog from crashing into the baby in the carseat? and then there''s that damn Costco. I was looking at the 46" LCD Vizio for my husband for xmas. Damn Costco. I have to go there often (diapers, until last year, formula) and my rule is "stay out of the middle of the store, make a list, and don''t deviate". It works. It''s hard, but it works. Any time I hit the middle of the store, I''m about $300 bucks poorer ... AT LEAST! lol!

jEANNINE

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 10/27/2006 9:38:38 AM
Author: sumbride
I''m laughing a little bit here that so many people justify the purchase of an SUV so that they can go and purchase bigger stuff!

That''s hilarious!

I think I better stick to my sedan since I live in a little house! I might start buying bigger stuff!

Is that what it sounded like? That people were actually feeling as if they had to ''justify'' their SUVs?

Not on my count. I owned one prior to buying my home, and I drive it because I love it. No other reason needed, as far as I''m concerned.

That said, though......when you start dragging home 4'' x 8'' pieces of lattice and bathroom cabinets, it sure does come in handy, and one certainly does appreciate the room.

 

[codex57]

I''m kinda in shock. We just bought a Honda Ridgeline earlier tonite. Got a decent deal when we went to check the car out in person. Not the greatest looking thing, but the interior is nice, ride is good, but most importantly, it has a bed like a truck, but also a trunk like a car. Very useful. I really need to go to sleep now tho. Just kinda in shock cuz it almost felt like an impulse buy. Just a VERY, VERY expensive one.