House hunting 4/17/11

This weekend our Realtor was out of town, but luckily she set us up with a partner of hers so we didn't have to miss out on seeing some new listings.

House #1

 

Pros

• Large rooms.
• High ceilings.
• Like the kitchen.
• Great curb appeal.
• Lots of storage.

Cons

• Pretty sure the neighborhood is just not for us - it's too new and "master planned."
• Seems smaller than it is. It's over 1400 square feet but it doesn't feel that large.
• Small dining area.
• Yucky carpet.

House #2

Pros

• Very big.
• It has a bonus room (basically a fourth bedroom, but without a closet) that we could use as a guest room or office.
• Good curb appeal.

Cons

• Same area as house #1.
• Quite a bit more expensive that house #1. Although it's bigger, the first was big enough. If we wanted to live in that area, we'd choose the smaller house and save the money.

House #3

I'm not going to post pictures of this house, because we made an offer!! Potential stalkers could find the listing with photos I post here, and then they'd know our address. So no pics for now... sorry :(

I'm trying not to get too attached or excited, because lots of things could prevent this from being our home. It's an old house (56 years old) and may have problems that the sellers are not willing to pay for.

FYI with a VA loan like we are using, the sellers must fix any safety-related problems. The VA buyers are not allowed to pay for them, and we will not be given a loan if the sellers won't fix them.

The one thing we know will need to be fixed is a wall in one of the bedrooms that is rotted/moldy. It doesn't appear to be too bad though, and it has a new roof so the source of the damage should be fixed now.

We'll see, if we even get to an inspection! First we have to agree on a price. We're not willing to pay full asking price, even though it's a steal for the area. The neighborhood is fantastic... but we have a budget.

Anywho, we found a house we like!! I was fearing that this would never happen... my stomach is in knots. The seller has until 6 p.m. to respond to our offer!

Pros

• Great school district.
• Adorable neighborhood.
• Big, and it feels big.
• It has hardwood under the carpet, which we'd like to refinish.
• Huge master bedroom.
• Good curb appeal.
• New double-pane windows, new roof and new garage door.

Cons

• Small kitchen, but I have plans for expansion :) It will take quite a bit of work though.
• Small bathrooms, for which I have no plans for expansion... this is something we're willing to live with.
• Old, and kind of dirty.
• The landscaping in the backyard needs help.

House #4

Pros

• We like the neighborhood.
• Right next to a walking path.
• Great layout.
• Fab yard.

Cons

We knew this was a no-go as soon as we walked in. All the wood flooring is waaaay warped. Like, crazy warped and there are waves a foot high in most rooms. It appears that there was either a major flood in the house, or they didn't leave room for expansion that naturally occurs with wood. It's freaky!

Of course they didn't post a picture with the online listing, but I found a similar photo here:

We'd never be approved for a VA loan with this situation going on. Too bad, because it's a great house!

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So where are we now? We're currently waiting to hear from the seller - they can either accept our offer, reject it, or counter offer. This is bananas! :P