Do it!
I want to get a proper vented exhaust and have no idea where to put the microwave. This drawer thing in a whole remodel sounds great.
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Buying a house is exhausting and soul crushing
- Thread starter Earvin Infinity
- Start date
Do it!
I want to get a proper vented exhaust and have no idea where to put the microwave. This drawer thing in a whole remodel sounds great.
I say hell no. There's no way their 3 months of renovations are worth 50%.
OP
OP
Sup y'all, it's been a minute! Ever since we closed in July 2020, we've built up quite a bit of equity (I think) based on Redfin and Zillow estimates. We're thinking of refinancing in January 2022 and getting a formal appraisal to see the actual value of our home. Trying to get a lower interest rate, lower monthly mortgage and most importantly - take out that pesky mortgage insurance. Also, has anyone here refinanced and take out some of their equity in the process for home improvements and whatnot?
Yeah I might have to. I think she is tired of us too even though she is super friendly. We've been looking since August. To me a lot of interactions seem strange but she didnt really seem to think so or mention it to us.
haha, we are definitely leaning toward it. Originally was going to do the microwave above the oven but then decided to stick with the vent since it is better in the long term.
50% more on the price for the reno work seems too much, but I don't know the details. If it was a total gut before and they redid absolutely everything top notch, maybe.
so is that the only red flag? A lot of it just seemed off but I'm no expert. We are first time buyers
Eeesh, yeah, time to find a new one.
FWIW, a nice family bought a house in our neighborhood that was a flip and it shows. The quality of the work is nice but the materials used are on the lower end of quality, "builders grade". After living there for awhile they have some regrets (this is about a $900,000 house btw)
Honestly don't know enough to say, I'm trying to buy my first home soon as well.
Your realtor asking why you haven't signed the offer is a little strange though if you've already expressed concerns to them.
Huh, I'd never seen or heard of a "drawer microwave". $1000 for a microwave seems insane, but like everything else home related the sky is the limit on spending. Just have to pick your priorities and most desired toys :)
My condo's kitchen sadly has no proper vent to the outside world. There's a fan in the bottom of a microwave above my stove, but it just circulates air around with no filter which seems nearly useless. If I want to pursue this I assume I'd have to add a vent exhaust pipe to the roof and get the HOA involved :/
This happened to me in OH. I'm not even sure about the legality of it and since we ended up finding another home, it really wasn't worth fighting about lost time. Luckily we hadn't given any kind of good will money at that point.
But i felt so scammed. They knew it was a hard market and they left us for two weeks thinking it was a done deal and then changed their mind for a better offer.
yeah man, I was like wtf
24 in. 1.2 cu. ft. 950W Sharp Stainless Steel Microwave Drawer Oven (SMD2470ASY)
Sharp’s SMD2470ASY 24-inch Stainless Steel Microwave Drawer offers flexible placement options, helping you create a kitchen that flows with your lifestyle.
shop.sharpusa.com
Maybe I can get a good deal buying everything at once. Need new hood, microwave, oven/range, fridge, dishwasher.
So house size wise how is everyone doing vs the money you're spending?
Our house (99% built, should be done Dec. 20th) comes in at 2300sqft + 2 car garage, 4 bedrooms + bonus room/formal dining (don't need it as a second dining room, lol), 3 1/2 bath.
$306,450 Total which included a $9,000 lot and a couple upgrades from the $294k build version. I both hate and love living in the Southeast.
We looked at houses with those specs that were already built and being sold by previous owners, and they're far more expensive than the new build. Like $350k+...which is just crazy to me for what you get.
Our house (99% built, should be done Dec. 20th) comes in at 2300sqft + 2 car garage, 4 bedrooms + bonus room/formal dining (don't need it as a second dining room, lol), 3 1/2 bath.
$306,450 Total which included a $9,000 lot and a couple upgrades from the $294k build version. I both hate and love living in the Southeast.
We looked at houses with those specs that were already built and being sold by previous owners, and they're far more expensive than the new build. Like $350k+...which is just crazy to me for what you get.
We put one in when we did a kitchen reno and loved it. A bit more expensive sure, but we found it cooked well and was easier to pull food out of the drawer rather than reaching up with an above counter mounted option. It was easier for the kids to use as well.
It's something we miss with our new place. Actually appliances as a whole is something we really don't like now, despite them all being relatively expensive Frigidaire Pro line appliances. They look nice but all have something wrong with how they work, and they are less than two years old.
For what it's worth that is the same model we have.24 in. 1.2 cu. ft. 950W Sharp Stainless Steel Microwave Drawer Oven (SMD2470ASY)
Sharp’s SMD2470ASY 24-inch Stainless Steel Microwave Drawer offers flexible placement options, helping you create a kitchen that flows with your lifestyle.
Maybe I can get a good deal buying everything at once. Need new hood, microwave, oven/range, fridge, dishwasher.
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Why not get an above range microwave that vents to the outside? My last house had the microwave vent just doing recirculation, but I added an outside line to it. My new house has the microwave with outside vent.
Cool! Yeah, that seems to be the standard model that everyone uses. We will stick with that as well.
And that's my concern too, about the appliances not lasting as long. This house legit came with those old white fridges and beat up electric oven. They have got to be 25 years old and they both work perfectly fine. Had to replace the heating element in the oven but that is it. The shopping will be both frustrating and fun.
Why not get an above range microwave that vents to the outside? My last house had the microwave vent just doing recirculation, but I added an outside line to it. My new house has the microwave with outside vent.
Hooded vents are more powerful and do a better job with circulation. Also there is a preference thing where people don't like the placement of the microwave above the range, harder to reach, handling hot things, etc.
My understanding was that Sharp is only manufacturer of the microwave drawer units, and models from other manufacturers (ie. Jenn-Air, Wolfe, etc) use the Sharp drawer with a different front panel. Might not be true anymore, but the rep said that was the case when we did ours 5+ years ago.
As someone that recently purchased my first townhouse in a Vancouver, Canada I have to say when I hear some of the prices being thrown around in terms of size and space it makes me cry (real estate is extra insane here).
Still happy to have got in and found a place we love, I am dreading in a 5-6 years what we may be able to buy and get once we have a kid and require more space.
Still happy to have got in and found a place we love, I am dreading in a 5-6 years what we may be able to buy and get once we have a kid and require more space.
I knew the housing market was crazy, but our house went live last night at 11pm and has 7 showings today already..it's 1:28pm and they started at 12pm.
Yeah, it's great for sellers if you're in a good area
Edit: Any offers?
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got an offer accepted on a 2 family with a half finished basement after trying since last January. feels like winning some major battle let alone any bargain
inspection didn't note anything major, water heater from 2011 and gas boilers are from the 80s so they recommend replacing in the near future. obviously the seller won't credit me any replacement costs like they do in a normal market. basically take it or we go back on the market because they function 🤦♂️
hopefully this goes through so i can put my current house in the market and taste what its like to have any actual leverage on a deal
inspection didn't note anything major, water heater from 2011 and gas boilers are from the 80s so they recommend replacing in the near future. obviously the seller won't credit me any replacement costs like they do in a normal market. basically take it or we go back on the market because they function 🤦♂️
hopefully this goes through so i can put my current house in the market and taste what its like to have any actual leverage on a deal
Congratulations and good luck closing
And yeah, selling a house right now is much more fun than buying one!
Georgia’s 1st tiny home community wins innovation award
The Atlanta Regional Commission recognized the Cottages on Vaughan in Clarkston — the state’s first tiny home community — as the most innovative development in metro Atlanta this year.
Finally got started looking for a house after being fed up with renting for years.
Saw 4 houses last Sunday, one looked amazing from pictures but was a horror show once you saw everything up close.
Two were in need of some pretty labor intensive TLC to get it where we'd be happy. The one house had this weird ass closet which you would walk through and it would take you to another bedroom.
The fourth was amazing and checked every box in what we were looking for. Put in an offer yesterday, they are deciding some point today. I doubt we'll get it, but still it's a decent start getting out there seeing properties and learning from everything.
Saw 4 houses last Sunday, one looked amazing from pictures but was a horror show once you saw everything up close.
Two were in need of some pretty labor intensive TLC to get it where we'd be happy. The one house had this weird ass closet which you would walk through and it would take you to another bedroom.
The fourth was amazing and checked every box in what we were looking for. Put in an offer yesterday, they are deciding some point today. I doubt we'll get it, but still it's a decent start getting out there seeing properties and learning from everything.
We started looking a few weeks ago. We saw 12 places. Half of them were pretty bad (obvious water leaking problems, misleading photos, etc), a quarter were okay but not great and the others were pretty awesome. We put in an offer on what happened to be the first place we saw which looks really nice, is in the center of everything we do, and whose only downside is it's no bigger than where we currently live which was accepted. This is all moving too quickly and now I have to pay rent and mortgage for a couple months but that's not the end of the world.
My bank made a mistake in calculating the closing costs and now we're waiting for a response on if they're going to make up for their mistake. I fucking hate this process.
I don't know how people buy houses without seeing it. Pictures obviously would be in the best light and not show the issues. Was your offer over asking?
Slightly over asking plus a small chunk of Due Diligence Money because NC has ridiculous real estate mores.
is NC that bad? I live in Ohio and columbus feels overpriced (for what it is, anyway, i know that's relative), was looking at the couple states south of here to find a place that would be worth paying the premium, NC was at the top of my list. Figured coast on one side and mountains on the other would at least be worth the extra $ vs ohio where i can barely go outside a quarter of the year.
Any recommendations on areas to investigate? even alternative suggestions, i just want to move a little south of ohio for better weather/more time of the year where it's pleasant for outside activities, but still north of georgia/east of the mississip. I work in tech/programming and am single/unattached just not interested in dropping a quarter million + to commit to a long future living in this state
Any recommendations on areas to investigate? even alternative suggestions, i just want to move a little south of ohio for better weather/more time of the year where it's pleasant for outside activities, but still north of georgia/east of the mississip. I work in tech/programming and am single/unattached just not interested in dropping a quarter million + to commit to a long future living in this state
Whoa that is weird. Kinda fun in a kooky castle secret passages way, but not something I want to see in a purchase.
Good luck! And yeah, just have to keep on getting out there. You never know how everything will come together once you start seeing places. Even though it's all horribly stressful, try to enjoy the showings :)
This thread has been pretty quiet lately. I am fortunate to have an existing home, but my wife and I have been desiring to move to support our growing family. I am in Orange County and the inventory of homes right now is abysmal. On one hand I am eager to be a seller and not having to likely make any concessions (although buyer will be lucky as we upkeep our house consistently...), but on the other hand trying to get a house the size we want in the areas we want is going to be painful given how quickly houses are going under contract. I really feel for first time buyers, but its also not easy being a 2nd time buyer and knowing the contingency on your own home selling could drop you out of the running.
Me and my fiance have been trying to buy a house for awhile now. The constant struggle of finding something you like/love then losing it to over biding was killing us.
We finally got a house two weeks back, but it failed the house inspection (within 10 minutes, didn't need to do anything more). So back we went on the hunt again
We found another house and our offer was accepted, the house inspection was this weekend and went well. So we're finally going to have a house. It's more than we wanted to spend, but process aren't getting better and we just had to bite the bullet.
I'll be glad when this is over and I can settle into my home
We finally got a house two weeks back, but it failed the house inspection (within 10 minutes, didn't need to do anything more). So back we went on the hunt again
We found another house and our offer was accepted, the house inspection was this weekend and went well. So we're finally going to have a house. It's more than we wanted to spend, but process aren't getting better and we just had to bite the bullet.
I'll be glad when this is over and I can settle into my home
I will say that you will have a very hard time finding something at 250k in or near any of the major metros if that's what you're interested in. Regions and cities here that have been on the rise for awhile, like Charlotte and The Triangle, have long outpaced Columbus. Even historically cheaper cities like Greensboro and Winston-Salem are showing insane growth projections.
Unless you live in the mountains in NC, I think Ohio gets a bit colder than North Carolina during the winter, but is otherwise pretty comparable? It hovers around freezing during the winter and unbearably hot/humid during the summers. Not to say that it's hell on Earth, but it's definitely not temperate.
i'm not saying i'm buying a house tomorrow at that specific price point, i just mean relatively; i'm sure houses have longpassed Columbus, but are wages comparatively higher to match? if they are higher as well that's fine. I just meant that it used to cost 150-200k for a decent columbus house, now that it's over a quarter million dollars I don't see purchasing a home somewhere i don't enjoy being year round as a smart long term goal. the important thing to know would be what would a software developer with a couple of years of experience expect to be payed in the area? Here in ohio i'd pin that number at 80-100k. are you saying NC is not much different, but the house prices are significantly higher still? i am unattached and can live anywhere that supports work, so being right downtown or something is not my concern
it's a lot colder in ohio/we get a lot more snow, NC weather looks incredible in comparison (may only be slightly better to most folks but hovering around freezing in the winter well beats spending months below it guaranteed here; the difference between 20 degree and below days and 40 degree days is huge IMO). not being able to do much outside for a quarter+ of the year sucks, i'd prefer a warmer (south of ohio) but not too warm (florida), NC climate seems much more acceptable to me when it comes to settling down
but sounds like you're saying i should stay away because the growth projections are bad as well? no good options? Disappointing, i switched to tech to get more career options and flexibility but now that i'm ready to branch out and leave ohio seems like i shouldn't?
FWIW i live alone so i'd honestly prefer to find an open floor plan / small place really, just hate the thought of condos, but i know throwing money into rent forever is something i need to get out of now that i make a decent living finally
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I'm telling y'all, best thing you can do is see if you can find newly built homes and get on a list to buy one.
They don't cost any more than older homes that are the same size/neighborhoods, and yet they're brand spanking new, not needing any renovations, AND you can most likely pick your own options, and they should be under warranty for around a year.
I know less new homes are being built now than 10 or 20 years ago, but it's still the way to go, and less of a headache, due to no "bidding wars".
They don't cost any more than older homes that are the same size/neighborhoods, and yet they're brand spanking new, not needing any renovations, AND you can most likely pick your own options, and they should be under warranty for around a year.
I know less new homes are being built now than 10 or 20 years ago, but it's still the way to go, and less of a headache, due to no "bidding wars".
Where are you seeing new homes being built in existing neighborhoods? All the ones here are teardowns being rebuilt to huge houses at prices way outside our range.
It's happening less and less, but even here in Orange County, there's some, even around the corner from me, in Irvine.
Not cheap, but no more expensive than an older house that needs a ton of work.
But they are building less and less single-family homes and more condos and/or detached condos. More money to be made that way, I guess.
That's a pretty good idea, I wish I had thought of that years ago when I was looking.
I will say, though - I had a new house when I was married, and there were problems that didn't surface in the first year. Some of the pantry shelves were installed incorrectly, they drilled through a pipe that caused the drywall to slowly start to crumble after a couple of years. And they didn't insulate part of the house correctly so we had a pipe burst in the middle of winter a couple of years in. Even though we stopped the water pretty quickly, it was still thousands in damages.
I would take a newer house over an older one in a heartbeat, but they can still have problems.
I'll try to address your different points. Some of them I'll be able to speak to better than others.
-I do know that there are tons of opportunities in software development here - especially in the Triangle (which is essentially another Austin, TX) and Charlotte - and still plenty of jobs in other cities. Wages for someone in your field are going to be a little hard for me to speak to. From personal experience, I believe that pay has not kept pace with housing costs in the Triangle and Charlotte, partially because of a high volume of close-to-FAANG-level jobs infusing the market with high earners (obviously there are plenty of other factors at play). Elsewhere in the State (aside from Asheville, Boone, and the Outer Banks which have a geographically constrained housing shortage) a job in your field would probably pay well relative to the cost of living - but I don't know how different it'd be from where you currently are.
It ultimately depends on what you want out of the place you move to. I'd say that for your income, as a single person, the ship has sailed on buying a home in Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Asheville, maybe Wilmington, and a handful of other towns that have always been expensive like Cary and Chapel Hill. The Raleigh or Charlotte exurbs (like Apex, Garner, etc.) may be tenable, but are still a pretty cutthroat housing market that only gets crazier the closer you get to the main city. Going out further from the exurbs it gets cheaper, except for west of The Triangle. Greensboro (where I am), Winston-Salem, and High Point are still reasonable, but the market is still pretty wild and it's only going to get worse because of some impending corporate expansions to the area, so you'd need to get in quickly.
-Weather-wise, I get where you're coming from in terms of the cold weather. It may seem like it gets cold here, and while we have plenty of days at freezing, it rarely gets lower than that and snow is a once a year "treat" if we're lucky. I will say again that it is hot and humid as fuck during the summers - just miserable. Don't expect to do much outside from June - late September unless you live in the mountains, are one of those low body fat people who like the heat, or live in the woods.
-I'm sorry if I've painted a dire picture; it's probably not that bad from the outside looking in. I will say that the ship has sailed on North Carolina being a cheap/nice State to relocate to. It's still reasonable if you're not looking at the high cost of living or geographically constrained cities I've mentioned, but that ship is going out to sea fast for the rest of the State. I wouldn't discount moving here, but I'd definitely recommend tempering your expectations and not waiting if it's something you're really interested in.
Hard to compare of course, but that's what I did a few years ago here in the Netherlands. Best financial decision I ever made.
There is a huge sacrifice in my area for new homes vs old and that's yard size. New homes are almost touching each other with minor to no yard space and that's important for owners that want or have kids. We bought in 2014 and got a heck of a deal. Having an 8 year old with yard space for him to play has been golden.
There was a new build we're looking at, at the time we're buying and we picked the old one because yard size was very different. I understand what you are saying, but don't under estimate the importance of a yard. Especially if you have kids and want to entertain.
Homes with yards are selling much higher here than new builds.