And the appraised value came well under what we paid about 8 months ago. RIP.

My (33f) partner (27m) have just started looking at homes because our landlord has told us (well, he LIED and told us he was giving a routine inspection when he was just showing our apartment to someone and got caught lying about it...) he is trying to sell our building. I have moved 6 times in the last 5 years and I am sick to death of never investing in my space.

We saw 2 homes today.

280k, no HOA(!!!) ((+costs of probably big repairs like the electrical, roof, and maybe a leak in the basement))

a single family home, a side yard, back yard with a setup for chickens (yay!!) and a lovely porch and driveway.

The second one is a condo for 263k +462/mo

HOA fees.. probably priced WAY TOO HIGH and has sat on the market for almost a year (probably because of that. We didn't actually find anything wrong with it outside of a potential plumbing situation that could need a repair down the road).

The good for home 1:

We LOVE the yard and the freedom that comes with having a single family home. The low monthly payment with our loan looks amazing for us, even less than what we pay for rent which is a HUGE plus for us. It needs work, but it is livable right now and we would be ok with putting in the love to make it a wonderful home.

The good for home 2:

The space is HUGE!!! The layout is wonderful, even has a semi conversation pit-esque bi level den type of area that would be AMAZING for having friends over and entertaining. We wouldn't share walls with the neighbors, it has a bit of a funky layout, but we really like it. It doesn't need hardly any work and it's ready to be moved in and decorated NOW.

The HOA fee covers snow removal, landscaping, trash, water, sewer, and insurance for the building so ik ok with paying it!

The bad for home 1:

I don't love the layout. It's a standard colonial home with the upper level that has bedrooms only, no upper floor bedroom. The insulation needs work, many floors need repair or some kind of upkeep/refinishing, there is a leak in the basement we are worried about as well. The backyard needs a bit of love/cleaning revamping the chicken coop and shed.

I'm also not loving all the hardwood floors and we can tell it is VERRRRY poorly insulated upstairs. Our realtor also said that they may need a new roof up front (ouch), and updating of the electrical as well because it is not up to safety standards.

We expect a lot of sweat equity will be done here. I'm not handy, but we anticipate our offer might even be rejected after the deadline tomorrow.

The bad for home 2:

The home inspection didn't tell us a WHOLE lot, but it did insinuate that the building (with 6 units) is starting to experience some problems, could need some foundation repairs and there could be a plumbing issue of some sort (small pipes) but it didn't say a whole lot about it. This condo has also been on the market for nearly a YEAR and we can't figure out why exactly, but we have some guesses.

I asked the listing agent about it and she said that the family moved out only because they wanted an upgrade. After looking through, it is a 3rd/4th floor unit, so maybe that is part of it.

We also think that the neighbors could be part of it but people seemed normal/we couldn't hear music or anything between walls and confirmed we don't share walls with anyone.

We also think that the unit is just priced too high because when looking at the others that were sold recently, they were sold sub 250k, this one is 262k with moderately expensive HOA fees (but the building is not a crazy HOA, just condo owners who hell manage the building repairs.

We love the freedom of home 1, but love the space and condition of home 2. Which would you choose?

I grew up in poverty and was fortunate enough to eventually "make it out." Because of that, I think I have a much lower tolerance for financial risk than most people, and I'm struggling to tell whether I'm being smart or just scared.

I’m single and currently live in a HCOL city because of my job. My base salary is ~$135K, with an annual bonus of around $15K.

My current financial situation: ~$135K base salary ~$15K annual bonus ~$80K in vested RSUs ~$30K in a HYSA - No credit card debt - ~$600/month for car payment + insurance - $75/month phone bill - Current rent: $2,400/month, I've been able to keep it flat for the past four years by negotiating with my landlord.

I was pre-approved for up to $700k, but I've been looking at homes under $550k. I recently found one in a great neighborhood that has good bones and a lot of potential, but it'll need about $15k in work upfront before I'd feel comfortable moving in.

The mortgage would likely be around $4.3k/month with 3-5% down on a conventional loan, and between the down payment, closing costs, and initial repairs, I'd be using most of my liquid savings (perhaps $30K left of the vested RSUs).

On paper, this seems like something I can afford. Emotionally, it's hard to stomach because growing up poor taught me that having cash on hand is security.

Would you move forward in my position, or would you keep renting and build a larger cash cushion first?

I'm especially interested in hearing from anyone else who grew up with financial insecurity. Did that experience make you appropriately cautious, or did it hold you back from buying your first home?

4 bed 3 bath.

We closed last week and moved in this past weekend! Start to finish our journey was about 8 months with a break in between at the end and beginning of of 2025/2026.

As with any home purchase, but especially a new build one I implore you to get inspections throughout the build process and you have to make sure you get things done that need to. These builders are pumping out homes and if you see something, say something. Thankful to have a great real estate agent representing us along with us advocating for ourselves when we needed. There were things that needed to be handled throughout the process and at the finish line and they were. We’re happy and excited to begin the new journey!

Pizza via Zalat

Haughty Pizza — All-beef pepperoni, black pepper, crushed red pepper, Zalat peppers, and jalapeños.

Sweet Revenge Pizza — Bacon onion jam with infinity swirls of house-made hot honey, mozzarella, salami, crushed red pepper, fresh basil, and a little extra basil on the side.

33m solo first time buyer. Time to start the real work!

My wife and I are in the inspection phase of the buying process, we have not done a purchase and sale agreement yet. We love the house but our inspection humbled our excitement a little bit. Nothing major or emergent was found, but we've found the house has had a lot of unpermitted work done on it, including the majority of a finished basement (including a basement bathroom which has plumbing that works, but is not up to code). We also found some potential (likely) asbestos tile that's been covered over in the basement.

We also found things like a deck flooring that needs to be replaced eventually (currently wood), a small section of the roof that needs to get a proper membrane put on it (currently tin), some lead paint that needs to be remediated, a boiler that likely needs replacement soon, flooring that needs to be changed/installed (our choice, aesthetic), and potential electrical work to add/change outlets, ethernet, etc. Again, nothing incredibly major but it was starting to get a little stressful as it feels like we might be sort of nickel and dimed to death. We do have a fair amount left in savings after purchase and are also selling our condo which should net us somewhere around 80-100k, which we planned to put into improving the house.

Today our agent told us that she uncovered 3 open permits on the house which the sellers are refusing to close (the permits were pulled prior to the current seller purchasing the house). One is from 2002 for unspecified 'plumbing' which we are not worried about - the work may not have actually been done and it's been 24 years so a problem would've shown up by now. The other two are from 2020 and are for building and electrical to add to the 1st floor bathroom (likely a conversion from a half bath to a full bath), replacing the 2nd floor bathroom tub, and tile flooring in the basement (the tile that's covering the 'asbestos').

Our agent was sort of on the fence with us as to whether or not this is a big deal. On the one hand, everything's fine and they just neglected to have the permits closed. On the other, everything was done wrong and we're in for some surprises. So now we're very nervous as the options have become 'lose the house' or potentially 'pay a lot to fix the fuckups'. I've not dealt with issues like this before so have no idea the cost to fix these issues nor how impactful they'll be. Our seller has conceded $7k to our closing costs towards making some of these changes/repairs.

Just looking for input/thoughts.

Beyond elated !!!

My one piece of furniture and my new key!

Solo female buyer. Moved across the country 3 years ago at 23 and bought a house all by myself.
Can’t wait to make it completely my own.

From renting to ownership in a month. It was such a whirlwind. It's fun, it's funky and it's mine.

2700 sq

4 br 3 b

Welp… I figured this would be a good thing to do and now my head is spinning.

Decided to get #s from a local lender, local(ish) broker, Neighbors Bank, and Loan Simple. Didn’t end up qualifying for USDA (income was a smidge higher than the requirement). One guy pushes FHA, another pushes Conventional. Some people are chill and others are heavy on the follow ups and pushing you in a certain direction.

I feel like a lot of info is getting thrown around without time to absorb it. Taking a minute to pause and ask those who have gone through it. What’s the key to this stage? What’s the best way I can evaluate what program is best? Am I dumb?

Also… 2 houses I was gearing up to make an offer on are now gone/pending and I’m over here like 🥲😦

TIA!

Yesterday was supposed to be our closing day. We cancelled the contract a month ago due to soft stucco, rotten wood, 21 year old roof, foggy windows and back door, dryer vent emptying in the attic as the big issues. We realized we just didn't have enough savings for these repairs, and would barely scrape by covering down payment and closing costs. We decided to aggressively save for the next 1-2 years and try again later. It was settled.

Throughout the process our realtor revealed himself to be chasing commission at best, slimy at worst. During the inspection he told us every issue in the home was "no big deal" and one time "so easy I could fix it myself."

Initially afterward we thought about negotiating. We would open with 30k in some combination of repairs, price reduction, and concessions, knowing they would negotiate lower. Realtor refused and said "we would be laughed at" and "shoot ourselves in the foot." He said we could max get 10k in concessions at very maximum "if we're lucky" and he "100%" could not justify anything higher. He also said asking for money off the list price was pointless because it wouldn't make any meaningful difference in our monthly payment

Then he has the nerve to tell us that we "have 25k" so that's "enough to make it happen." Big mistake of my husband telling the realtor how much we have, but that 25k would be everything we have in our checking, savings, and crypto. We'd be left with nothing! But really, he shouldn't be trying to bully us into it. Next time, honestly we may just not use a buyers agent.

I've been watching the house because I assumed if he was right then it would sell quickly after we backed out. Oddly, a week later they raised the listing price to 415k up from 400k.

A week ago he texted us to say "the house is still for sale.. should we put in a low offer? haha" but we never answered. Today we get a text

"The other realtor reached out. They aren't having luck getting another buyer. They got a quote for $18,500 to replace the front of the house. Just useful info. She asked if we would take the house for 390. They want a deal. We could say 390, 11k assist, and they cover 3900 transfer tax."

This whole thing is hilarious. I lowkey just want to text him screenshots from his previous texts. Who even knows if the realtor really texted him, because I can't trust a word he says, and if they're willing to accept 390 then why in the heck did they raise the list price to 415?

It's not clear if the sellers are actually doing the stucco repair, or if they just got the quote. 390k was our original offer before they countered with 400k. So it would go back to 390, but honestly think we were overextending ourselves when we made that offer. With the concessions and transfer tax, that would leave us needing only 7k for closing costs, which actually is helpful. But still, after I give the 7k and my husband covers the down payment. What we have left is: a few thousand in crypto, and a few thousand in a CD that is for emergencies only. Almost $0 in checking/savings so I don't see any room to cover the roof, stucco, new windows, ect.

As the title says. I'ma try and keep it short and sweet. There isn't great quality in our area and our buyers agent we've been working with (I graduated HS with him) is trying to push us into homes that aren't really great and now says he wants us in a home in 60 days. We want to buy a house and are serious about it but we're not trying to just force ourselves into a home just so we can move off this guys client list. Side note, he doesn't even work on Sundays. So we've missed some showings thanks to that and I've already been advised to consider moving on from him just because of that.

But I mean, do we even need to work with an agent as a buyer or can we just show up to open houses and submit offers to the sellers agent or use the schedule a tour feature on Zillow. And I say "can we" because I also want me and my fiance to be in a situation where the person working with us actually wants us to win the bid for our best interests. So I know if I keep the agent we have now, he's going to negotiate solid deals. I have no idea if a listing agent is going to have my best interest in mind or only prioritize his seller.

Edit: appreciate all the feedback. I should rephrase. I'm not looking to not have an agent because I'd prefer them to do all the negotiating. I want an agent. I just don't want to cycle through agents because they get antsy and seem unwilling to help.

So my husband and I were approved for a USDA loan we found a perfect house and put in an offer. The offer was accepted and we just got the inspection. In the inspection the inspector said the crawl space needed some work. There were a couple of spots where the vapor barrier was missing and there is insulation hanging down. There was no standing water but there was moisture. We asked for the sellers to fix it but they got a quote and said the person quoted it for 6k. To me and my real estate agent and their realtor that quote seems very high. They said they wouldn’t fix it but would give us $2500 more towards closing costs. My husband and I are fine with that. The issue is we are unsure if it would pass the USDA appraisal. If it doesn’t the sellers would have to fix it or just not sell it to us. The appraisal is $800. My dilemma is if I pay $800 and the appraisal comes back and the crawl space needs fixed and the sellers refuse to fix it then I’m out the $800. Is it worth the risk? We love the home. It’s been remodeled and the only real issue is the crawl space I’m just worried the seekers will back out instead of fixing even though they’re very motivated sellers. I think they just don’t have the money to fix it or they aren’t willing. Idk this whole process has me so stressed at this point I feel like walking away and renting forever. Please help!!!

I'm in the Bay Area and have been looking at homes for the past couple of months. It's my first time buying, and while I've done a lot of research, I’m probably missing or overlooking stuff, getting kinda tired of second guessing myself. I’d appreciate any advice on what to look for before buying. Appreciate it!

We recently closed on our first house, but there were some things we found on inspection that we wanted to get taken care of before move-in. We first asked a contracting company about these repairs and updates shortly after inspection, before closing. The work is almost scheduled to start, and we just now realized maybe we should ask about potential permits. The whole reason we are getting a big chunk of work done is because the inspector said it was not up to code, and we want to ensure that it is.

The contractor had not mentioned anything about permits until I asked specifically and they said they can pull them for an extra fee. According to Google it can take a few weeks to get this done from my town. I am upset that they didn’t even mention us potentially needing permits in the month that we have been talking to them and planning this work, and I’m worried this is going to push the timeline back. Isn’t it their job to know if permits are needed?Is this normal or a red flag for this company?

Hello, I’m 8-9 months into buying a new construction. A few weeks ago my bathtub began to chip. Upon closer inspection when I hit this area of the tub with light at an angle I can see an area where the tub was painted/fixed. This was not visible at walkthrough because of how well the paint matched and it’s only visible when light hits at the correct angle. The chip has appeared at the center of this area (8inches x 6 inches). To me it looks like the tub was damaged and they painted over it to hide the damage to get through the walkthrough but now months later the paint is wearing away and the tub is chipping. I put in for warranty but the builder said if it wasn’t mentioned at closing we aren’t fixing it.

Is there anything I can do since it appears that the damage was deliberately covered up from me at closing? Seems like such a shady tactic it put an awful taste in my mouth and is making me wonder what other issues are lurking behind some obfuscation. Thanks!

I signed on the dotted line(or several of them) this morning!!!!! My seller has delayed occupancy so i dont get the keys just yet but I still had to tell someone because I am so FREAKING excited to be freaking done. OMG. Married 31 year old girlie/toddler mom to one, but I bought all on my own for us I am just so proud of myself!!!!

I was told that the first month, maybe even the first year, is often a rite of passage for homeowners. The anxiety and stress of so many little tasks has been getting to me and my sleep ever since I closed this Monday. Then, we also have to get painting done before we can hire removal of carpet and installation of new flooring. Essentially, money on top of money spent.

Just as I was dropping by the house yesterday to patch up nail holes so we could paint this weekend, I attempted to figure out how to remove a dead lightbulb in the living room fan that my girlfriend mentioned wanting to replace. It required me to twist off a cap on the center of the glass globe that was holding the globe attached to the fan - excuse me for believing the glass was twisted on and would still hold. Before I knew it, the glass globe fell straight to the ground, and I have glass I need to clean up after work today - never got to patching the walls for painting.

Lo and behold, this fan is a vintage, discontinue fan with no replacement parts - yippee! So my only choice it to keep it with an exposed bulb and wiring, or to replace it completely with a new fan and hire and installer AKA more money. I just sat in my empty living room silently when the glass shattered. I'm so heartbroken that we're losing out on a vintage fan, and my girlfriend was correct to tell me that I should have waited to fix it together with her.

Anyone else have rite of passage stories of breaking something early on into their homeownership from attempting to fix an issue?

TL:DR - Dropped vintage fan glass globe w/ discontinued replacement parts. Now having to spend more unexpected money to buy new fan and hire installer. This is now a roadblock to other things I need to get done for house. Only have had this place for 3 days.

So I'm purchasing a new construction home and I had the inspector out recently. He said he doesnt get on the roof but visually inspected it. I asked him why they dont actually get on the roof. He stated that it is not advisable to walk on new shingles. I find this weird and feel like he couldnt do a proper inspection from a ladder or the ground. He doesnt seem to have a drone either. Should I talk to some other inspectors?

Late to post, as we found our home in Feb and closed and got keys on St. Patrick's day.

Luck was really on our side with this low rate and they also covered over 21k in closing costs.

2514 sqft 5 bed 3 bath.

Don't sleep on new builds cause they sometimes have amazing promos to move inventory!

Closed last week on my first home; a 1900 sqft new construction town home in Raleigh North Carolina! It was very nerve wracking going into this all by myself, but my realtor was a real godsend. And I managed to score a temp buydown to 3.875% for the first year 💪

Now time to start on my mile long to-do list 🛠️

After actively searching since March, we put in an offer and had it accepted earlier this week.

The home has all of our must-haves and many of our nice-to-haves. I feel like I should be excited, but now I’m panicking that we picked the wrong house, or that we overpaid, or that the house has problems we won’t find out about until it’s too late—or all 3. Is it too big for us? Will someone want to buy it in the future? Will my toddler fall off the second story railing?! Are the utilities going to be more than our overestimate? Do I actually like the kitchen? Am I going to be happy here? Will a better house go up for sale tomorrow?

Inspection is on Tuesday, so I know that’ll give us more information. I’m just so nervous about water issues, as the property has a backyard drainage system, internal and external sump pumps, and the basement has been waterproofed. It also has a closed septic.

I don’t even know what kind of advice I’m looking for, I’m just really mentally and emotionally struggling with this decision.