CAG home owner topic. Buying or selling a home? Have a maintance issue? Help is here!

[quote name='Dead of Knight']We'd buy at the list price honestly. And they seem to be serious about selling. I don't know if I want to open with such a lowball though.[/QUOTE]

Worst case scenario is they say no without a counter offer and then you can go back to them with your $290k offer after waiting a few days. Most likely they will make a counter offer though.

You've got nothing to lose - you found 2 houses in your price range you were willing to live in after only a week or two of looking. If this one falls through there will be another... and another... and another... etc. You are in an unprecedented buyer's market.
 
Definately go with the lowball. 300 days is a damn long time to be on the market.

Be cautious about high your mortgage payments are though. I really regret that half of my paycheck each pay period goes directly to mortgage. And that the house now is not worth anything near what we bought it for 4 years ago.

PS
Also realators are just desperate in this market as well. We were playing around with moving and tried listing our house back in 2009 or so. Nothing came of it. No offers, nothing. Then in 2010 exactly one year after the contract with the previous relator expired the phone starts ringing. Its other relators trying to get in on the action, looking to see if we're still interest in selling. They call for days. Reeking of desperation.
 
Exactly what has been said. You have nothing to lose offering 275, and you may end up with the owners accepting! Worst case is they say no with no counter, in which case you can try your original offer.
 
[quote name='Javery']You are in an unprecedented buyer's market.[/QUOTE]

Just took a walk in my development where i haven't in a while, and damn they are putting up houses like hotcakes. Wife was saying there was no way they sold them already and were probably just building , but when we got closer there was a Sold sign in front of mostly everyone(about 30 or so houses and half werent even close to being done).
 
It varies by area really. There is little to no building around here. Just recently some commercial places started going up, but that's it.
 
Made an offer tonight. You CAGs are gonna cringe. We went with $290k, but with a slew of repairs as a condition. Nothing too pricey, but we'd rather have them do it as we aren't the DIY type. Stuff like interior painting, repainting the deck, shit like that. We'll see how it goes. Also made sure to say that the terms of the offer can be renegotiated post-inspection.
 
Do sellers often accept the offers contingent on repairing or repainting things? Seems like there are too many variables. What if the color paint isn't what you like? How much time is it going to take for it to get done? It seems like if they didn't take the initiative to do things like that before putting it on the market to make it more attractive to sell, they probably won't be inclined to do it now. Plus if they do those things then the deal falls through, I imagine they're going to want to set up a contract so that you're paying for the improvements anyway.

Why not just use stuff like poor paint conditions as an excuse to offer a lower number then just pay someone to do it before you move in? That way you can get exactly the colors of paint you want, the quality of paint you want, and you have some degree of control over the quality of the paint job. Plus you can control the price you get it done for.
 
[quote name='kodave']Do sellers often accept the offers contingent on repairing or repainting things? Seems like there are too many variables. What if the color paint isn't what you like? How much time is it going to take for it to get done? It seems like if they didn't take the initiative to do things like that before putting it on the market to make it more attractive to sell, they probably won't be inclined to do it now. Plus if they do those things then the deal falls through, I imagine they're going to want to set up a contract so that you're paying for the improvements anyway.

Why not just use stuff like poor paint conditions as an excuse to offer a lower number then just pay someone to do it before you move in? That way you can get exactly the colors of paint you want, the quality of paint you want, and you have some degree of control over the quality of the paint job. Plus you can control the price you get it done for.[/QUOTE]
"Contingent on repairs" is a nice way to say "I like your house but the condition of X is shit and I want it fixed". Buyers will highball the repair/replace cost and the seller can usually do it cheaper themselves. You're just giving them the option while telling them that if you're buying, it's getting fixed one way or the other.

Seller just accepted our offer Friday, contract should be signed today. My first house! Our offer was 10% less than list. They countered that they were taking the appliances with them. We immediately accepted. Offer is $30k less than appraisal, $40k less than Zestimate, $20-30k less than comparables (and this one is much more desireable than comps).
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']congrats speed. your wife have the kid yet?[/QUOTE]
My little rodent turned 1 year old yesterday. And thank you sir.
 
Update: They haven't said anything about the dollar amount yet, but they DID say they would repaint the deck. They had additional questions on repainting/repairing the interior walls and heating vents so they didn't agree to those yet. The appliances are staying as that was in the listing, and they're removing the above ground pool, which was also in the listing at buyer's request. I'm just glad that we're working with sellers who are actually willing to negotiate.

speedracer: Nice deal on the house. The Zestimate on this place is $317k, property tax assessment is $325k. List is $305k, we put in $290k (so a bit under 5% less list). I'd say we're getting a good deal if they go higher on the offer. But you did much better than us. Lulz @ their counter being taking the appliances. If only all house deals were that easy.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Another place with a pool? I wouldn't have thought those were so common in the Boston area.[/QUOTE]

I know right. But this one is above ground, so it's much easier for them to remove and easy for them to do if a buyer wants them to. I have no idea why someone would get an in-ground pool when it costs so much to get rid of it.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Another place with a pool? I wouldn't have thought those were so common in the Boston area.[/QUOTE]
They aren't that common.;)

Although, there are probably a lot more west of the Boston area than other directions. That's where the rich people live.
 
Of course. I just meant I'm surprised even many rich people want them in Boston since there's so few months a year you could use them that far north.
 
[quote name='dohdough']They aren't that common.;)

Although, there are probably a lot more west of the Boston area than other directions. That's where the rich people live.[/QUOTE]

I'm not exactly looking in a rich area. Though this house is in what is considered a "better" town than Malden. Still a fair amount of houses that seem to have pools. More than you'd expect anyway.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']I'm not exactly looking in a rich area. Though this house is in what is considered a "better" town than Malden. Still a fair amount of houses that seem to have pools. More than you'd expect anyway.[/QUOTE]
I just mentioned it more for dmaul's benefit.:)

But yeah, it doesn't make sense to me to have a pool either. The gf has been looking at houses and really likes this one house with an indoor pool. I say fuck no cause I'm the one that would end up having to maintain it...heh.:lol: And for other socially conscious reasons of course. ;)

More for dmaul: Malden is about 10 miles out from downtown Boston and still a little more town than suburb. Places like Somerville and Stoneham, which are next to Malden have more suburban-like spaces to have pools.
 
Still, it's the weather--not the space--that makes it not make sense to me. But I guess that's part of the frivolous nature of the wealthy--waste money on a pool you can use maybe 3 months out of the year! :D

I will say a heated indoor pool at least makes sense as you could at least use that year round anywhere. :D
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Still, it's the weather--not the space--that makes it not make sense to me. But I guess that's part of the frivolous nature of the wealth--waste money on a pool you can use maybe 3 months out of the year! :D

I will say a heated indoor pool at least makes sense as you could at least use that year round anywhere. :D[/QUOTE]
Oh definitely the weather too! A real baller would have a jacuzzi to make up for it though.:D Which I am not...heh

Another reason why I wouldn't want a pool is because I hate getting water in my ears. I had this one incident when I was a kid and had water in one of my ears for a couple days. WAS NOT FUN! :(
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']I know right. But this one is above ground, so it's much easier for them to remove and easy for them to do if a buyer wants them to. I have no idea why someone would get an in-ground pool when it costs so much to get rid of it.[/QUOTE]

We used to have an indoor pool.

Also, $290k loan? Yowza! What do you do may I ask to afford such a place? Curious minds want to know. Do you know what the monthly payment will be on something like this?

I guess it's all relative or something. I cringe at a measly $70k loan I'm thinking of doing for a condo here.
 
[quote name='b3b0p']We used to have an indoor pool.

Also, $290k loan? Yowza! What do you do may I ask to afford such a place? Curious minds want to know. Do you know what the monthly payment will be on something like this?

I guess it's all relative or something. I cringe at a measly $70k loan I'm thinking of doing for a condo here.[/QUOTE]

Where did I say the loan would be $290k? The house price would be $290k. We are putting 20% down.

I think I would keep an indoor pool. That would be epic. Outdoor pools are too damn cold for my tastes most of the time.

Seller countered with $295k including repainting the deck and removing the pool. If it were just me I would accept but I need to check with the hubby, who is currently on a business trip.
 
[quote name='b3b0p']We used to have an indoor pool.

Also, $290k loan? Yowza! What do you do may I ask to afford such a place? Curious minds want to know. Do you know what the monthly payment will be on something like this?

I guess it's all relative or something. I cringe at a measly $70k loan I'm thinking of doing for a condo here.[/QUOTE]


The mortgage would be roughly ~1500 a month with 60k down. Taxes roughly 300-350 a month.
 
Yeah, that's reallly not bad at all for living in/near a major city like Boston. As we discussed a few pages back in the thread, that's just the price you pay for living in a major metropolitan area and having all the dining, entertainment and cultural options nearby.
 
People in California commonly pay $1500 rent for one bedroom apartments. $1500 a month for a whole house in the suburbs outside a major city isn't that bad.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']The mortgage would be roughly ~1500 a month with 60k down. Taxes roughly 300-350 a month.[/QUOTE]

And this is on a near-1600 sq ft house with 4 bedrooms and 2 full baths. We're paying $1500 a month in rent now on a one bedroom apartment that is a bit over half the square feet. And actually, with how low mortgage rates are, our monthly payment for the mortgage alone will be under $1200 a month. Add in taxes and insurance and you got a bit over $1500. Plus, we plan on paying down the mortgage as fast as possible; hopefully in less than 10 years, we'll be mortgage free and never have to pay $1500 a month for housing again. Just a few hundred bucks a month for taxes and insurance.
 
heh your taxes per month almost have the same cost as my mortgage per month! We pay $400 a month and that covers mortgage, insurance and taxes ;)
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']heh your taxes per month almost have the same cost as my mortgage per month! We pay $400 a month and that covers mortgage, insurance and taxes ;)[/QUOTE]

And you live in Toledo. Ohio.

We could have done the same damn thing if we stayed in Columbus. Hell we could have paid cash for a small place.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']And you live in Toledo. Ohio.

We could have done the same damn thing if we stayed in Columbus. Hell we could have paid cash for a small place.[/QUOTE]

Why do you get so aggressive and offensive so easily? Honestly I meant nothing by my comment, just pointing out a funny fact...but instead of accepting it as is you feel the need to shit on us. Good job.
 
To be fair Magus, you're being redundant as you posted that same type of comment in this thread a while back in response to prices of houses she was looking at and that led to a bunch of discussion about cost of living, lifestyle preferences, yada, yada, yada.

Why expect a different response when you post the same thing? Everyone knows it costs less to live in dinky cities, small towns in rural areas. Some people enjoy that lifestyle, others would go crazy in those kind of places and prefer big cities and make enough money to live in them. Different strokes for different folks.
 
[quote name='b3b0p']Also, $290k loan? Yowza! What do you do may I ask to afford such a place? Curious minds want to know. Do you know what the monthly payment will be on something like this?[/QUOTE]

Heh - I'm about to drop almost that much on a ~15'x~25' one room (3 story) addition to my house. :hot:
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']To be fair Magus, you're being redundant as you posted that same type of comment in this thread a while back in response to prices of houses she was looking at and that led to a bunch of discussion about cost of living, lifestyle preferences, yada, yada, yada.

Why expect a different response when you post the same thing? Everyone knows it costs less to live in dinky cities, small towns in rural areas. Some people enjoy that lifestyle, others would go crazy in those kind of places and prefer big cities and make enough money to live in them. Different strokes for different folks.[/QUOTE]

We discussed it before. I did not insult your way of life and said eventually I may even live it. I just now simply pointed out the tax thing reaffirms the differences we discussed before and pointing out that it is funny. That is hardly a good reason to shit one someone or where they live.

What your doing now is just dragging up the old topic vs laughing at a simple comment and moving on. Which is what ill be doing now(much as I have the politics board) since lord knows you wont be able to. Doths his cap. Later.
 
Now now folks, we're all friends here. :grouphug:

But may I get one last jab in? At least I don't have to pay city income tax anymore. :rofl: Has to be one of the shittiest parts of living in Ohio. I'm an accountant and I made my husband do the city returns because I didn't want to do them (did the fed and state myself because they took like 5 minutes). They make them as confusing and convoluted as possible- at least Columbus does.
 
Why would there be city income tax on top of federal and state? that's crazy.

Congratz on the house. Now I just wish the value of ours would go back up. I think it's dropped about $20,000 since we moved in 4 years ago. There's no way we could ever sell it w/o taking a loss in this market.
 
[quote name='eldergamer']Why would there be city income tax on top of federal and state? that's crazy.

Congratz on the house. Now I just wish the value of ours would go back up. I think it's dropped about $20,000 since we moved in 4 years ago. There's no way we could ever sell it w/o taking a loss in this market.[/QUOTE]

Because Ohio is fucking insane. I have no idea why people think they got low taxes there when they have city income tax that can be as high as state income tax. And my parents' property taxes are up to $9000 this year on a $300k house. The house we're buying has a similar value and the taxes are less than half that.

Only $20,000? Consider yourself lucky dude.
 
[quote name='eldergamer']Why would there be city income tax on top of federal and state? that's crazy.
[/QUOTE]


Kansas City, MO has what they call an earnings tax or e-tax which you pay in addition to state and federal tax if you live or work in KCMO.
 
[quote name='Javery']Heh - I'm about to drop almost that much on a ~15'x~25' one room (3 story) addition to my house. :hot:[/QUOTE]

Jesus man, just build a shed. Or a treehouse.
 
Our closing date is September 9... and in case you missed it, here's our new house.

picture-uh=30973c7bc0e1bea89e538533f85d652-ps=3b9bcac972c8dcf11ba490daf94e9946.jpg
 
[quote name='metaphysicalstyles']Our closing date is September 9... and in case you missed it, here's our new house[/QUOTE]

Is that your camera or does the whole house lean to the right?
 
[quote name='keithp']Is that your camera or does the whole house lean to the right?[/QUOTE]

His house just has a south side slide. Its cool like that.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Question: It is not required in MA, but should we get a radon test anyway?[/QUOTE]

Doesn't matter if its required or not , you don't want that in your house.(2nd leading cause of cancer over smoking)

A do-it-yourself test is only like $25 and easy as pie to do.
 
Dirt Devil stuff has been pretty crummy in my experience.

Hoover seems pretty good from the ones I've used. Work well and ok pricing--not the cheapest, but not the most expensive.
 
[quote name='Pookymeister']Doesn't matter if its required or not , you don't want that in your house.(2nd leading cause of cancer over smoking)

A do-it-yourself test is only like $25 and easy as pie to do.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info. Was getting conflicting info on the dangers of it (mainly my husband saying it wasn't necessary because he "MAJORED IN PHYSICS"). Gonna have it added on to one of the inspections on Sat.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Thanks for the info. Was getting conflicting info on the dangers of it (mainly my husband saying it wasn't necessary because he "MAJORED IN PHYSICS"). Gonna have it added on to one of the inspections on Sat.[/QUOTE]

You can tell him

"Radon has a short half-life (4 days) and decays into other solid particulate radium-series radioactive nuclides. Two of these decay products, polonium-218 and 214, present a significant radiologic hazard.[42] If the gas is inhaled, the radon atoms decay in the airways or the lungs, resulting in radioactive polonium and ultimately lead atoms attaching to the nearest tissue. If dust or aerosol is inhaled that already carries radon decay products, the deposition pattern of the decay products in the respiratory tract depends on the behaviour of the particles in the lungs. Smaller diameter particles diffuse further into the respiratory system, whereas the larger - tens to hundreds of micron-sized - particles often deposit higher in the airways and are cleared by the body's mucociliary staircase. Deposited radioactive atoms or dust or aerosol particles continue to decay, causing continued exposure by emitting energetic alpha radiation with some associated gamma radiation too, that can damage vital molecules in lung cells,[43] by either creating free radicals or causing DNA breaks or damage,[42] perhaps causing mutations that sometimes turn cancerous. In addition, through ingestion and blood transport, following crossing of the lung membrane by radon, radioactive progeny may also be transported to other parts of the body."

Hopefully he had a concentration in Biology
 
[quote name='TooMuchCoolness']I was vacuuming my basement and the vacuum exploded from inside for some reason.

Anyone know of a good reliable vacuum brand? How's Dirt Devil?[/QUOTE]

We use a Kirby and it's great, but maybe more than you want to spend. What's your price range?
 
So we finally got our basement fixed last week. Kind of annoying though that they left the basement dirty(it took us 2 hours to clean up all the cement dust and dirt everywhere)and they also broke our stairs so they now lean.
 
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