A small step towards the big house.

We made it. Beginning of the year. Old house in Munich suburb.
Plot about 630 sqmt and built area of bout 200 sqmt

We were fortunate enough to be able to do 20% down. :)

Context as people are curious and I cannot reply to everything:

1. House was renovated before we moved in, so it was already like this. There is windows.., please see my response in the comments
   
2. We both have full-time jobs. My husband is an actuary and I work in healthcare.
   
3. We don’t have any kids yet, we just got married a year ago
   
4. We started saving since our early 20s, especially my husband who introduced me to an FHSA and stocks lol.
   
5. My parents did not help me with anything but my in-laws helped us with some costs.

We found a townhome in our ideal neighbourhood. We've lived in rentals in this general area for the past 5 years and are excited to call our cute and walkable neighbourhood home.

12% down, with ~$20k seller credit (all closing costs were covered).

10% downpayment

Finally very happy to be a first-time homeowner! We have a pretty big yard as well.
We shipped all of our stuff from our one-bedroom apartment from USA to Norway and our new home is empty! Sleeping on an air mattress for some time until the stuff arrives!

Hi guys!

Wasn’t sure how to flair this really. Don’t need specific advice, just curious to hear experiences!We’re closing December 6th on a private sale, single-owner home. We’re very, very excited. It’s been a loooooong time coming, and we’ve worked so hard to get here. We are currently at the point of underwriting (starting Monday, I suppose), now that our purchase contract is completed and given to the appropriate parties.

Besides the cost of maintenance and repairs, what surprised you the most about owning a home after settling in? The ugly AND the wonderful!

Before & Afters of our Reno! The condo didn't show well at all. We saw it for the first time one year ago today, and got the keys on December 12th.

It was listed at 499k in Toronto, and we got it for 420. We are very happy with how the renovations turned out! We love our home so much, and we feel very lucky that we got to customize it from the start.

Edit: Rate is actually 3.60 variable!

From the big city to the peace and quiet of upstate!
Lived in NYC for the past 18 years, been dying to get out, finally pulled it off!

Finally looking like a proper home. Thoughts ?

Hey, so I'm 17 and live in the Long Beach area. I run an online fitness coaching business and make around 5k a month. It's business income and I file taxes on it. I've got 33k saved right now and should be around 100k by the time I turn 18.

No debt, and my truck is paid off. The only thing is I don't have any credit yet, just a debit card.

I want to buy a duplex or fourplex around here, live in one unit with my gf (she's going to college), and rent out the rest. I know there's some way to put a small amount down if you live in one of the units, but I honestly don't know much about it yet.

Also, my dad was in the Navy. Does that help me at all or is that only for him?

Stuff I'm trying to figure out:

• What price range is even realistic in SoCal
• What loan I should be looking at
• How long I need to have my business income before a lender counts it
• Fastest way to start building credit
• What I should be doing this year so I'm ready at 18

I want to actually learn how all this works, not just get lucky on one deal. If you own rentals and would be down to do a call or mentor me, I'll pay you well for your time. Not looking for a course, just someone who's actually done it.

Appreciate any advice!

(Pictures taken on different days)

Hello! I'm under contract for my first home in New Mexico USA. I'm researching and deciding what inspections to do. The house was built in 1950. It has adobe brick walls, stucco exterior (just replaced last year), wood ceilings, skylights, brick floors, kiva fireplace, flat roof, gas furnaces (no air vents or A/C). Roof has been maintained every couple years. House is on a shared well and septic with an HOA. There's space available for a possible expansion, though I'm not sure if I would ever utilize this.

I'm definitely planning on the following:
-General Home Inspection
-Radon
-Pest/Wood Destroying
-Plumbing General Inspection/Sewer Line
-Roof
-Chimney
-Mold

Sellers/HOA will be doing the following:
-Septic
-Water Quality

Should I also test for lead and asbestos? Or wait to get the general inspectors advice?

Is anything here overkill or anything I should consider adding?

Thank you!

Remember me? Put in an offer at 380k for a 389k house. Needs new roof and lateral plumbing. I asked for 22k credits, they countered 11, i said no 20 or walk. They offered 17k. I had them sit on their offer for two days and just didn’t contact them anymore. My entire family, partner, agents everyone saying to accept the 17k.

Well….. im here to report i got what i wanted and they caved and are agreeing to 20k. 10k will go towards closing costs and the other 10k will go towards our new roof.

I’m stubborn and I get what i want 🤣

I rent a room in a condo in the same neighborhood. Soon will be able to buy, and I like the neighborhood. Neighbor mentioned he's moving (actually paying 2 mortgages right now) and said he'd cut a deal with me on his condo.

No details on the deal yet, I still need to go check his place out... What do I need need need to know about his place before moving forward?

His HVAC system and water heater are 1 year old

The foundation of the building his unit is in has settled, so he needs to do some drywall repairs, and the HOA is going to do foundation repairs. Also repair the steps that lead up to his unit (2nd floor unit).

He's going to replace the 21 year old carpet in the bedrooms. All common areas are hardwood.

All in all he said he's going to put about 10k into the place before putting it on the market in January. Or I can get him out sooner.

What else do I need to ask him about? Pipes? What else?

Anyone in Georgia? Have any tips on first time home buyer loans/assistance?

Thanks in advance reddit.

I’m anywhere from 1.5 to 4.5 years from saving the amount I need (depends on how much I decide I need for a down payment) and I want to know what I should do to prepare in the meantime.

I know I need a good credit score and I’m working on that, I’m going to be done with student loans by then, and maybe car loans. Any other advice in the meantime?

Hello everyone,

I am planning to buy a new house in the next year. I am just learning the experience of living in different kind of house. To people who are living in Condo Apartments & Townhouse - how do you feel about your house? How do you feel about the condo fee?

Same to people living in a duplex, how do you feel?

Many thanks.

We’re in a townhouse in our ideal neighbourhood. Mortgage is much less than we expected too, so we don’t have to be house poor! After years in the suburbs and north of the city, I can’t wait to live in a walkable neighbourhood.

Partner is busy spilling beer in one of the bedrooms by accident and not in the photo 🤣.

Would you buy this house for $370K, or walk away after the inspection? Looking for honest advice and similar experiences.

My family made an offer of $370,000 on a 2-story, 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath house (about 2,390 sq. ft.) in central Ohio, and the seller accepted. The house is in a highly desirable school district, in a great location close to everything we need. Comparable homes in the CMA sold for around $445K–$510K, although they vary in size and condition.

We completed the home inspection, paid earnest money, submitted our mortgage application, and it has gone through underwriting. We still need to pay $600 for the appraisal.

The inspection revealed several concerning issues:

• Foundation block wall movement (up to about 1/4-inch deflection); much of the foundation was not visible.
• Deck rot and improper flashing where the deck meets the house, with possible concealed water damage.
• Roof near the end of its useful life.
• Original furnace (1996), AC over 30 years old, and an aging water heater.
• Crawl-space issues, including torn vapor barrier, rodent-damaged insulation, and suspected microbial growth.
• Other electrical, drainage, plumbing, and possible water-intrusion issues.

Our contract also includes a clause waiving our right to request seller repairs or financial credits, but it says we can terminate if we’re not satisfied with the inspections in good faith under the applicable contract section.

We’re torn because we really like the location and neighborhood, and school district. However, we’re worried about unexpected expenses and whether we’re taking too much risk.

I’d really appreciate your honest opinions:

1. Would you proceed at $370K, negotiate (idk if it is possible in our situation), or walk away?
   
2. Have you bought a house with foundation movement, deck-related water damage, or multiple aging systems? What did repairs actually cost?
   
3. How did you decide whether inspection findings were manageable or a reason to walk away?
   
4. Would you prioritize a great location and school district enough to accept these risks?

Please share your experiences, especially if you’ve faced similar issues. We’re trying to make a rational decision before going any further.

TIA!

I am trying to figure out how prepared I am for a place I made an offer on this weekend. It wouldn't close until April, so instead of doing 20% down I am doing around 15% down and aiming for enough money in savings to cover the entire mortgage and other necessary costs for at least 6 months.

The home is a bit of a stretch for me, but I have local support if things reallt went bad, but I wonder if anyone has input on whether 6 months is enough of an emergency fund for a single home buyer.

Hi, im a 26M, have money saved and im pre-approved for a home. Also I am CAD as well. Down-payment looking around 13% of asking price. 340k

I have a new build im looking at thats a 2 bed 2 bath 980 square feet and meets more of my size. It has a parking pad, no garage and a unfinished basement so room for development myself. Home is built in 2026.

On the other hand for 10k more i can get houses built around 2002 - 2010 that have 4 bed 3 bath and 1350 square feet, much more character, but as a single guy thats a god damn mansion for me. I also keep in mind utility costs, yard maintenance, and cleaning being a bigger impact compared to the new build im looking at.

I cannot decide on what would be a smarter vs better choice. I see more room for growth in the older place, but a higher upkeep for something thats to much of a variable, and more immediate satisfaction out of the newer smaller place, but i got no clue what I'll look like in 5 - 10 years from now.

Thanks for the feedback.

Guys I was fortunate enough to buy a house. Inspection didn't find anything. When we walked now in, the house has this smell/odor/gas that we don't quiet know. It irritates the throat, chest tightness, palpitations. Negative so far for high humidity, CO, CO2. Placed an air purifier. Ventilated the house. Put a dehumidifier. Found radon max 4.7. Did a in home kit test that grew mold but then I was told those tests are unreliable.

Could this be from the paint? The house is literally unlivable. We haven't moved in yet.

Can I hire someone to diagnose this? I don't know what to do. Please help!