Buying A House: C or D?

Having a lot of existential angst about next housing decision. Don't want to overextend on an overpriced place in SoCal but rents are completely untenable even if you're completely flexible as to what you're looking for.

Weirdly, the most logical plan seems to be living in a van until the housing collapse but that seems like so much unnecessary adrenaline.

I can't imagine having I can't imagine having $25k for a 20% down payment ever, do realtors help people navigate down payment assistance and all that kind of stuff?5k for a 20% down payment ever, do realtors help people navigate down payment assistance and all that kind of stuff?

Check your county's housing authority. They should have a list of downpayment assistance programs and may even offer a class to ease you through the process. The class I took was super beneficial to me, because I had no idea what I was doing before it.

Some years ago we looked at apartments here: http://www.themarketcommonclarendon.com/index.aspx

From $2,500 to $4,000 a month for smallish yet glitzy apartments... upstairs from an Apple Store, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, and Barnes & Noble. Merely across the street from Whole Foods.

So we'd have paid twice as much to live there as slightly larger apartments slightly further away - so we'd have even less money left over to deal with the temptations of living above a bookstore, as well as divers other purveyors of yuploid objects of desire. We backed slowly away and thanked them for their time.

In many respects I like New Urban design and planning: Vastly better to live in more density and nearer to transit, stores, restaurants, and other amenities than be relegated to the sprawliest of exurbs and have to drive every time you need milk. But I also wish this type of development weren't so often reserved as a boutique luxury product for a tiny few rich people. How about a branch bank, a post office, or a dry cleaner instead of Penzey's Spices and the Gap? Or even in addition to those.

That house on Livingston is dope. Looks like they did a really good job with the renovation/updating.

On paper, I'm all for urban planning with people living within walking distance of shops, entertainment, necessities. And in areas like that one - that were built up in the age of the automobile - being so close to those amenities is definitely on the right track.

But that said, good lord, building up condos across the 20,000-SF parking lot from a box store is just a tacky way of going about it.

This sorta killed me today:

http://i.imgur.com/WFonuVI.jpg

The other thing about those million-plus condos is that there's very little that's easily walkable aside from the aforementioned Target. Across the street there's an Urban Outfitters, some bars, one great restaurant. It just adds insult to injury to spend that much and still have to drive for so much of your life.

The idea of transit oriented development is gain popularity around here. In the past, Chicago's zoning restrictions have required large amount of off street parking spaces for large residential buildings. Because of that, we've gotten a lot of single family homes or 2/3 flats where there could have been much larger buildings with more units. A TOD ordinance was passed in the last few years that lightened those restrictions if they are built within a certain distance of a train station. So we've had a few of them pop up (like http://www.1611westdivision.com/) and many more planned. Unlike the ones mentioned above that are just residential buildings built in the middle of some big box retailers, these are in very desirable locations, in vibrant neighborhoods, close to transit and tons of bars, shops, conveniences that make city living without a car much nicer.

The problem is, at least for me, these, and many of the others that are planned, are complete luxury items. Just at the one of Division, studios are almost 2K and 2 bedrooms around 3K, just to rent. Don't even talk to me about buying. As a parent of a toddler and no car, I would love to live in one. But a two bedroom one just ain't happening with my current income.

And yes, I could live in other places relatively close to these for cheaper. But once in my life I would like to live in a newer construction that has hardwood floors that don't squeak, central air and heat that works well, nice appliances, and everything else that a new construction offers over the cheaper vintages.

I'll never go back to a place with only two-pronged outlets. Sorry, been spoiled.

I totally support an ILX exodus to Ft. Worth. Ft. Worth is sweet. It's like you go to Dallas and it's this huge city and then just a short 20-30 minute drive and whatdoyouknow, another big city, but with more cows!

We've got something like that too. $1500 a month to live in the parking lot of a Target.

I had to do a double take because there is a nearly identical development in the suburbs here.
https://goo.gl/maps/lSgKA

whoa, that is pretty close.

I guess it could always be worse:

http://i.imgur.com/AK5euYV.jpg

Yeah, we have it too. The C0llection in 0xnard. Has whole foods, restaurants, and a park too tbf.

http://i.imgur.com/PC3YOha.jpg

;_; Never __rget

Bittersweet romcom where protagonist is reminded every morning of former lover with _RGET outside her window.

And oh yeah, former lover was American Sniper killed at target range.

I did the piggyback-mortgage thing five years ago with the full intention of resolving it fairly quickly and, instead, have been just doing the "autopay the default amount and ignore it" route for that time.

So, it's time to figure my financial shit out. Who would I best be served by approaching? Basically, instead of moving, I'd like to sink a pretty large chunk of change into remodeling the outside of my home and building a new garage.

So I have:
1. Mortgage
2. Piggyback loan that I need to get rid of
3. Some assets in the bank, of which I'd like to keep a fair portion
4. Home projects, which would be probably more costly than #2 and #3 combined

I'd thinking I could maybe roll my two mortgages together, then get a home improvement loan? idk, who do I approach for this?

I close on my first house tomorrow! This time tomorrow me and the future Mrs. Snrub will be homeowners!!

Congrats!

Snrub house!

http://img.loveitsomuch.com/uploads/201412/23/cl/cleveland%20browns%20house%20rules%204%20x%205%20fridge%20magnet%20-%202015%20super%20bowl%20everything%20else-f81446.jpg

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2100-Friendly-Dr-Apt-3021_Arlington_TX_76011_M81930-60259?row=1

Pretty bummed this was 'pending' before I even saw it. $38k with the demolition done - needs floors, paint, countertops and appliances from what I can see.

http://150house.com/

It's another one of those things where the seller will sell you the property for a small amount if your essay is their favorite. But...it's Houston, so fuck that.

Welcome to Los Angeles

Highland Park is one of the new "hip" nabes, and this is a good sized lot, but this is still ridiculous.

Oh man, if you want to live in Columbus, OH and have an affordable retro-modern ranch, today is your day!

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2701-Alder-Vista-Dr_Columbus_OH_43231_M48674-96994

http://p.rdcpix.com/v01/l35513b45-m1xd-w640_h480_q80.jpg

I'm sort of in love with this house.

beautiful house, shame about the kitchen and bathroom renovations

I liked 'em.

idg that los angeles house?!?!?!? there are other non-decrepit houses in the same name neighborhood for that price

columbus house is very cool, kind of reminds of cameron fry's house

Bathrooms aren't bad but that kitchen - in that house at least - is awful and totally out of character. I really hate dark cabinets though.

My Columbus friend who posted this on fb had a comment from another Columbus friend that her fb feed was filled with postings of this house and that some people she knows have already submitted an offer. I don't know real estate in Columbus at all, but that asking price seems modest in any locale.

I don't get what's weird about the kitchen and bathrooms, they read totally neutrally to me

probably built on a hellmouth

I am such a dumb sucker for those brick walls like the one outside of the carport.

Probably because they were so easy to climb when I was a kid.

The rest of the place is so very mid-century but the kitchen and bathroom look like 2006 era generic condo flip remodel with the stainless / marble / dark cabinet feeling. Something like this would have been great or at least wouldn't have felt so different from the rest of the place:

http://www.picusdemo9.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Mid-Century-Kitchen-Design-Photos.png

joygoat OTM about the kitchen and I hate the tile in the living areas but if something like that popped up in my price range I could live with it for quite a while

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4709-Driskell-Blvd_Fort-Worth_TX_76107_M85019-14092?row=1

This one might be nice, though I'm nervous about the lack of exterior view. I'd eventually want to replace all that glass with energy efficient options (lolTexas) which would get awfully expensive.

Oh shit, that's a great house for $114k. Make a move on it!

Wait, what does "option contract" mean?

> though I'm nervous about the lack of exterior view

there's a google map widget lower on the page. doesn't let you drag the little man but zoom out a bit and the satellite view is enlightening (school one block east, backs onto railway tracks, two, count'em, airports...)

An option contract is kind of like earnest money, I think - a deposit to the owner to hold the house while they work on financing kind of thing

That kitchen's a cut above most flips that I've seen.

that Columbus house really makes me wonder about the windows, though. I'd hope that they've been reworked sometime since the house has been built, because otherwise that place is going to be incredibly inefficient to heat/cool

There was one of that era in a nice part of town that is now up to par because someone bought it and immediately put $40k in replacing all the windows. I think the iconic ones in the southwest get away with it because you can close all the blinds during the day and a/c is more economical than heating and the desert is very cool at night.

idg that los angeles house?!?!?!? there are other non-decrepit houses in the same name neighborhood for that price

― marcos, Monday, May 18, 2015 7:57 AM

Maybe it's the lot size and position, it does look like there'd be a good view if the replacement house were built at the back of the lot. Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

I've mentioned this one before, but it's has been fun to watch:

http://i.imgur.com/JAFYxeB.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lJrXR0r.png

haha

did someone remove the gold bricks in the basement between listings?

I think they're juuuuuust about there.

Check it out on Google Street View. Once you're there, spin around 180º.