Monday, April 21, 2008

If at first you don't succeed.....

......try, try again. Looks like we will be giving it another go. We found an REO this weekend that fits all our criteria, and is modestly priced. I jumped on the chance, when my husband expressed an interest in this home....which brings me to today's subject, finding a place we both want to call home.

Mr. BT and I, like many couples, value the various aspects of a home differently. I tend to want a smaller home on a medium lot.....whereas, Mr. BT tends to think bigger is better in every respect. Lucky for me, he doesn't like HOA and Mello Roos, so that keeps him out of the new developments with monster homes.

I have heard that remodeling a home is one of the biggest causes of marital discontent (typically finances tend to be number one).

Neither of us tends to be very hard over on any particular item so finding something we both like isn't that hard. But finding something we can both get excited about, and a price that is well within our budget is much more rare.

Many of us talk of finding our dream home.......but is your idea of a dream home the same as your partners?

11 comments:

whatever said...

Oh I hope you get it and it depreciates another 10% in the next year. But that's right, you've already considered that. How about a 20% reduction?

I'm so tired of these blogs where the bloggers ridicule buyers and then do the same/opposite and buy. But that's right, "it's the right house at the right price, I realize it'll go down in price, bla bla bla but i'll live there for alot of years bla bla ." Well, I guess if you guys would realize that alot of the other buyers in this market have that same mentality you wouldn't have this "holier than thou" mentality.

I hope you get this house and still lose your shorts (in the short term at least...which is another byline for another day).....

Unknown said...

Average Buyer - congrats and good luck!!

Mystere said...

Wow, Whatever...if you were any more bitter, I'd think you were Gwynster.

You have to realize that most who visit these blogs in fact are seeking to buy. Take the cheerleading of price corrections with a grain of salt and recognize the underlying bias driving it.

Beyond that, what is the problem? BT has been very open for quite some time about her desire to buy. It's all about being prudent and taking precautions so that a bunch of air isn't purchased. At this point, most of the air in the Sacramento area market has been squished out. With the right deal on the right property, some more can be squeezed away. And at *that* point, taking into account bigger life objectives, why not buy? People aren't willing to put their lives on hold forever and *the* bottom, while of some academic interest, really isn't all that significant in the grand scheme of things if you're taking a longer-term view.

Deflationary Jane said...

'Wow, Whatever...if you were any more bitter, I'd think you were Gwynster.'

Funny, I was just going to say that if the poster was any more credulous, they were Mystere.

And you know little about BT and I. I think I'm her go-to girl for pessimism. I'm ok with that >; )

alba said...

my dream home doesn't exist (yet), and neither does my wife's (in her lifetime).

Jacob said...

Nothing wrong with making a purchase now. Just be well informed of the market and don't expect to double your money in 2 years.

I have seen a few homes that are close to what I want and since they have come down 30-40% they are looking much better.

I still want someone else to take the losses for 08 tho since there are still too many forclosures and arm resets to come.

But if I found the perfect home for the right price and there was no HOA and no Mello Roos then I might go for it.

erin@erinstumpf.com said...

Interesting thread thus far. I will keep my nose clean about it being the right or wrong time to buy in EDH and stick to BT's question. **WARNING** I am throwing my agent perspective into the ring about my observations working with buyers:

It seems to me that while working with couples, very seldom to I work with a couple where both folks are on the same page on every factor and variable - features, amenities, square footage, location, etc. About 3/4 of the time, one half will want x and one will want y...on paper anyway. Then when the search begins, it is amazing that most often both husband and wife (or whatever and whatever) will magically make an emotional connection with the right house at the same time. On paper it might only be what ____ wants. It is pretty cool to see and one of the best parts of my job. The other 1/4 of the time time, one half will make the majority of the decisions...for this scenario, usually the wife is the decision-maker.

When my husband and I purchased our house, we fell into the 3/4 scenario. We both had ideas of what we wanted that differed, but when we saw our house, we both simultaneously knew it was the right one.

Buying Time said...

Whatever - Did you somehow miss the name of my blog? I am attempting to purchase a home, not ridiculing and belittling the hopes and dreams of others.

I encourage spirited debate and reasoned argument. But plain spitefulness is not welcome. Further comments of this nature will be deleted.

whatever said...

Interesting...so while I might be a "knife catcher" or contributing to the "dead count bounce" it doesn't work that way for you does it AB???

Mystere...got a chuckle out of your jab even if it was at my expense. No, I wouldn't get caught dead wearing Mary Janes (not my gender anyway)...

whatever said...

Correction: Dead CAT bounce.

Buying Time said...

Whatever -
Quite the opposite, I have been nothing but envious of the many bloggers who have recently purchased a home.

By your reference, you have obviously been reading for some time, but I think you missed this post
post.

I try to provide an alternative source of information for buyers that is not influenced by RE industry add revenue the way the MSM is. I am absolutely horrified by the comments on real estate articles at the Sac Bee. It seems there are many who are quick to pass judgement, but few who offer to help. I am at least trying to help buyers and sellers understand the market.