"Problem solving is hunting. It is savage pleasure and we are born to it." -Thomas Harris
My mind has been consumed with thinking about houses, locations and how much my mortgage payment is potentially going to be. As soon as I got my pre-approval letter, I was able to hit the ground running because I had been doing research on houses in south Austin for over a month. I was able to get my 46 house options down to 26 in short order and then pick my favorite 10-15 from those. I had about 3 favorites. I had a dorky spreadsheet I created that had them all listed and compared on price, size, age, location, granite, and other random items all identified with color. It helped me compare, but I understood it would be a matter of just feeling it when I visited. I wanted my feelings to at least have the added support of some objective background information before I got irrational.
This house shopping process has been more stressful than I expected, but in a good way. I met with my Realtor for coffee last week and we talked for over an hour about what I was looking for, my wants and needs and what the process was like. I know about a lot of things, and educated myself on this, but there was a lot more than I didn't know, and probably lots still have have no clue about. She impressed me with her patience, how hard she works and how clearly she explains things.
We scheduled our first visit out to see homes on Thursday, and I got to finally walk a few homes that I only knew from pictures. I found a front runner, which I used for comparison for my future homes. It was a cozy home that included appliances and maybe even some furniture. It's best attribute was the location which was exactly what I wanted.
Saturday, I went to visit a neighborhood builder on my own because I had a feeling I might find something there that might be in my price range. I spent a few hours there discussing their floorplans and looking at examples of houses. The big day was Sunday. I had a marathon session with Abram and my Realtor to hit the rest of my favorite homes. I was out from 2-6pm and was very thankful to have Abram there in my corner giving me his insight. I know this is going to be my personal decision, but you need a second set of eyes and advice when making such a big purchase. My friends and family's comments, which were on my spreadsheet, were also very helpful. Every place I saw I felt like I liked, and I was concerned that it would be difficult to pick the right place. After we were done for the day, I had a lot to think about, but by bed time I made my decision. It is a trade off for a location that isn't as good though.
I have told my Realtor which house I want to make an offer on and what I wanted to spend, and am now letting her take care of of the negotiations from here on out. Have you ever seen the business sign:? "Work performed $20," "Let you watch $25," "Let you help, $40." I hope I'm not that kind of client.
I am happy with my decision. If I end up getting my first option, it is currently being built and will not be ready until late May. Talk about delayed satisfaction, but that isn't too far away. I won't feel like it is mine and can't be taken away/have the loan fall through, until I sign at closing. Until then, I'll see myself as a renter. But this is all cart-before-the-horse stuff, considering that no offer has been made yet. Exciting times I will say.
This house shopping process has been more stressful than I expected, but in a good way. I met with my Realtor for coffee last week and we talked for over an hour about what I was looking for, my wants and needs and what the process was like. I know about a lot of things, and educated myself on this, but there was a lot more than I didn't know, and probably lots still have have no clue about. She impressed me with her patience, how hard she works and how clearly she explains things.
We scheduled our first visit out to see homes on Thursday, and I got to finally walk a few homes that I only knew from pictures. I found a front runner, which I used for comparison for my future homes. It was a cozy home that included appliances and maybe even some furniture. It's best attribute was the location which was exactly what I wanted.
Saturday, I went to visit a neighborhood builder on my own because I had a feeling I might find something there that might be in my price range. I spent a few hours there discussing their floorplans and looking at examples of houses. The big day was Sunday. I had a marathon session with Abram and my Realtor to hit the rest of my favorite homes. I was out from 2-6pm and was very thankful to have Abram there in my corner giving me his insight. I know this is going to be my personal decision, but you need a second set of eyes and advice when making such a big purchase. My friends and family's comments, which were on my spreadsheet, were also very helpful. Every place I saw I felt like I liked, and I was concerned that it would be difficult to pick the right place. After we were done for the day, I had a lot to think about, but by bed time I made my decision. It is a trade off for a location that isn't as good though.
I have told my Realtor which house I want to make an offer on and what I wanted to spend, and am now letting her take care of of the negotiations from here on out. Have you ever seen the business sign:? "Work performed $20," "Let you watch $25," "Let you help, $40." I hope I'm not that kind of client.
I am happy with my decision. If I end up getting my first option, it is currently being built and will not be ready until late May. Talk about delayed satisfaction, but that isn't too far away. I won't feel like it is mine and can't be taken away/have the loan fall through, until I sign at closing. Until then, I'll see myself as a renter. But this is all cart-before-the-horse stuff, considering that no offer has been made yet. Exciting times I will say.
type A
May will be here before you know it!! Let us know what you hear.
ReplyDeleteI'm very excited for you.. and a little jealous! ;)