New house?

[Reaper]

Late last year I posted about how I had almost purchased a house and then it had fallen through. Well, now 3/4 of a year has passed by and with a heavy hitting paycheck in this new job driving ethanol around, and having bills more organized and paid for, I am going after another house. This one is possibly going to be out in the Howell area though. Taxes around the tri-county area are unbearable with the exception of Waterford. Here is a link to the house:

http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetai...srcnt=34#Detail

Many advantages of this house are starting to overwhelm those of the former house in Ypsilanti Twp. For one, this house is about $20,000 less in asking price. I am shooting for the middle to upper $120s eventually. This house also has a full finished basement, 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, HALF the property taxes the one in Ypsi had, a full deck with motorized awning, AND A HOT TUB. I was just imagining the parties I could have in this place as its big, roomy and sexy lol. Thats right, sexy. I would eventually build a tiki bar inbetween or on the deck near the hot tub. I'd also make part of the basement into a theater experience sitting area to watch the big screen with surround sound. The place was originally bought for around $235,000 and is now in foreclosure. I haven't been able to find a better deal for the condition of the house really. So come the beginning of July, I am putting in my first offer on it, and hoping to snag the property up. Figuring all the money into it, we are talking about a mortgage payment of $1000 a month with no money down. Amazing how you can get a lot of house for the same money as a regular 2 bedroom apartment. Once again, wish me luck :D

[Rayne]

With all the foreclosures, now is the time to get a whole lot of house for little money. The banks own too much and aren't asking but what they need out of the properties. Just make sure you aren't headed for the same situation the previous owners were in.

Its a nice house, with a fraction of the taxes we have here, which is AWESOME. Ypsi has the property taxes of doom, I swear. I keep waiting for them to drop due to the economy, but they just keep going up.

[Homicidalheathen]

so are you selling the old one? Cause I thought you had bought it?

good luck its a buyers market!

and 3 bathrooms...awesome...no waiting for a potty or fighting over a bathroom mirror

(its not easy having bad guts and twin teen girls lol)

[Reaper]

so are you selling the old one? Cause I thought you had bought it?

good luck its a buyers market!

and 3 bathrooms...awesome...no waiting for a potty or fighting over a bathroom mirror

(its not easy having bad guts and twin teen girls lol)

I did have the offer accepted on that house back last fall, but financing fell thru because I no longer had my 401k money as backup in case of hardship. So I had to put it on hold until now. I make well enough money to come up with my hardship cash in a couple of weeks. And that is pretty much how it is going to work too as I take a couple of unpaid weeks for vacation. I really want to put an offer on it now, but I don't want to take possession of the house too soon or I will end up with both rent and a mortgage payment in one month. Trying to make it last out 30-45 days for the process.

[AstralCrux]

It can take an awfully long time for all the paperwork to process... Or at least it seemed like an eternity to me. Best of luck!! It's so exciting! If you have any trouble with financing I can refer you to the person I used.

Yay for you!!!!!

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

wow! Howell's like my back yard! and the awesome DBK lives there as well....

okay, with that said...

good luck w/ this. hopefully 2nd time will be the charm.

[Head Wreck]

good luckChief!

hopethis one goes well

[Rev.Reverence]

NICE HOUSE!

Get it..Howell is a REALLY nice place.

CONGRATS!

[Homicidalheathen]

Well then good luck and good living! I hope you get it!

[Reaper]

Well, they accepted another offer on that house so I was looking through a couple of houses today. Each has their promise in a different way. First one with the first 4 photos below:

http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetai...srcnt=95#Detail

Built in 1965, it has a lot of possibilities esp with the outside and landscaping. Lots of room with a path to a small lakefront. Inside though needs a lot of updating but has a pretty neat layout. Would eventually need new cabinets, some flooring, and paint. Downstairs near the walkout/inlaw quarters seemed to be saturated with water so it would need a good inspection. Hopefully its just a plumbing problem. I would also have to buy appliances for the place. Also has a huge garage that can fit both the hearse and truck along with a heater to warm up the garage.

Second one with the remainder of the photos:

http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetai...srcnt=95#Detail

This one was built in 1998 and has a lot of nice attributes to it including a garage that could house the length of the hearse and my pickup. I believe it includes the appliances as well and has a bathroom in the basement ready to be finished which includes the sink and toilet.

I'm torn between having a property that has a lot of potential and nice secluded area but a house that needs work, and a house that doesn't have as much eye candy, but is in great condition and looks more plain. Going to try for the newer house first, then have the older one as a backup.

[punk_princess]

Congrats. It looks like a nice place.

[Reaper]

I havent bought either of them yet. The problem is trying to decide which do I really want.

[Scales]

Nishe.

[Rev.Reverence]

Well, they accepted another offer on that house so I was looking through a couple of houses today. Each has their promise in a different way. First one with the first 4 photos below:

http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetai...srcnt=95#Detail

Built in 1965, it has a lot of possibilities esp with the outside and landscaping. Lots of room with a path to a small lakefront. Inside though needs a lot of updating but has a pretty neat layout. Would eventually need new cabinets, some flooring, and paint. Downstairs near the walkout/inlaw quarters seemed to be saturated with water so it would need a good inspection. Hopefully its just a plumbing problem. I would also have to buy appliances for the place. Also has a huge garage that can fit both the hearse and truck along with a heater to warm up the garage.

Second one with the remainder of the photos:

http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetai...srcnt=95#Detail

This one was built in 1998 and has a lot of nice attributes to it including a garage that could house the length of the hearse and my pickup. I believe it includes the appliances as well and has a bathroom in the basement ready to be finished which includes the sink and toilet.

I'm torn between having a property that has a lot of potential and nice secluded area but a house that needs work, and a house that doesn't have as much eye candy, but is in great condition and looks more plain. Going to try for the newer house first, then have the older one as a backup.

I would go for the fixer-upper...you can try to bargain the price down on that account...

[Reaper]

I would go for the fixer-upper...you can try to bargain the price down on that account...

Problem is, at what cost? It needs paint all around, new cabinets, some flooring in some areas, carpeting. I haven't even gotten to inspect the pipes yet as I am sure they are copper. The floor downstairs was saturated in water, so I have yet to find out if its coming from the outside or a plumbing problem. I may just end up putting my stuff in storage for the time being until I get one of these houses lol. I do like the idea of fixing up the place to what I like and it DOES have a neat design inside. I was thinking all day what fun I could have with landscaping adding some ponds and a stream going to the back of the house and down the hill to another pond though.

[creatureofthenyte]

Problem is, at what cost? It needs paint all around, new cabinets, some flooring in some areas, carpeting. I haven't even gotten to inspect the pipes yet as I am sure they are copper. The floor downstairs was saturated in water, so I have yet to find out if its coming from the outside or a plumbing problem. I may just end up putting my stuff in storage for the time being until I get one of these houses lol. I do like the idea of fixing up the place to what I like and it DOES have a neat design inside. I was thinking all day what fun I could have with landscaping adding some ponds and a stream going to the back of the house and down the hill to another pond though.

Yeah, go for the non-fixer-upper. You might pay a bit more, but if you go with the fixer-upper, all the money you spend fixer-uppering the fixer-upper will probably equal or exceed the addition cost of in the price of the non-fixer-upper. So, with the non-fixer-upper, you can spend money on adding some cool stuff that the fixer-upper has, or other cool features altogether.

[Reaper]

Yeah, go for the non-fixer-upper. You might pay a bit more, but if you go with the fixer-upper, all the money you spend fixer-uppering the fixer-upper will probably equal or exceed the addition cost of in the price of the non-fixer-upper. So, with the non-fixer-upper, you can spend money on adding some cool stuff that the fixer-upper has, or other cool features altogether.

Try saying all that in a fast tongue lol

[torn asunder]

unless the fixer-uppering of the fixer-upper will result in equity above and beyond what could be expected from the non-fixer-upper, in which case, the fixer-upper is the better buy, if you're willing to put in the time for fixer-uppering!

[Rev.Reverence]

unless the fixer-uppering of the fixer-upper will result in equity above and beyond what could be expected from the non-fixer-upper, in which case, the fixer-upper is the better buy, if you're willing to put in the time for fixer-uppering!

Not to mention the holistic oneness you will have with your domicile...

[Simon Bar Sinister]

Howell is a REALLY nice place.

...aside from the local KKK, of course.

jdfu!

[Reaper]

Well, I put offers in on both the newer house and another newer house. I left the older one alone at this point. Both of the offers I put in matched what they were asking for so I am hoping one will surely accept. I need to get this all done ASAP.

Here is the other house I visited and put an offer in

http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetai...srcnt=72#Detail

[Reaper]

Well, we had tired out on waiting for any reply from any of the previous properties. So I found another secluded house that was in much better condition than the older one in Waterford. This one is in Genoa Twp between Brighton and Howell which was my target area. We immediately put in an offer for $135,000 which was over the price for their $129,000 to help make up for the 6% sellers concessions we wanted to ask for. They countered saying they would go for $138,000 and give me what I wanted. So I decided to snatch it up while I could as I am running out of time and the place impressed me with the pond on the side, trees all around the house, and a large 2 car garage that can fit both of my vehicles. Its on a deadend street not too far from the highway for easy access but you can't hear the highway. Most of what it needs is carpet and maybe a couple of updated fixtures around the place since it was built in 1975.

So pending the mortgage process and an inspection, we could be finally looking at a sale. And the property taxes are very cheap.

Here are the photos:

Edit* My offer was countered and I accepted at $138,000. So now the price is set and we will have to work on the appraisal and inspections, then finish off with signing and getting the keys. This was all done in a matter of a half day. Amazing how quickly things can occur.

[MissKitty]

Wow, that one is really beautiful!

Edit to say: That pond looks awesome. Invest in bug spray. lol.

[Reaper]

Here is a link to a bunch of photos I took of the inside of the house.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?...albumId=2255041

Its pretty dated as the original owner of the house who bought it in 1975 when it was built still owns the place. Old shag carpeting, brass chandelier and light fixtures, and old cabinetry still rule this house. So I see a lot of room for upgrading and updating and this place could really look nice as it progresses. We did inspections today and both the house and well/septic inspections passed. Just have to add a few doors to the bedrooms that were taken out for some reason and a stretch of rug or carpeting over the bare floor in the hallway by the kitchen. Overall the house is in good shape as it has a newer roof, well, furnace, water heather, and windows and doors. Now the appraisal comes and after that, things should come through for the Aug 20th closing. Having to throw a ton of money into inspections and into the bank for hardship money so the bank sees I am saving. What a drawnout process, but an important one.

[MissKitty]

There is a lot of potential with that place. It's pretty sweet. I sent you a message so you could add me, I couldn't comment on the pics. I hadn't realized we weren't myspace friends.