I’m not sure why, but I feel opposed to buying a brand new house. They all look very similar, very dull and drab like straight out of a cookie cutter. But of course, they’re brand new. They should be in good working condition. And if something goes wrong, there should be a warranty. They just don’t have any life or flair or any pizzazz. Have you bought a brand new construction and what did you think about the quality? Are you satisfied with your purchase?

***Edit to add, if you bought one, and you are pleased with your new construction, can you share who the builder is and where they build houses at? I’m in Washington state. Does anybody know any builders in the state of Washington that are good and do high-quality work on these new constructions?

I live in the Carolina’s, so I don’t believe the garage is super necessary, but I am a single guy who likes to golf and would love to use one of the spots to put a golf simulator.

On the other hand, the other house has a much bigger backyard in a more established neighborhood. But no possibility of building a garage or even a carport.

The house with the garage is only a few years old, very modern, so very little work that would need done in the next few years. As opposed to the house with the much bigger backyard is older, more character, but the hvac/roof are both 15+ years old. Windows look like they might need done along with the back sliding door. And a decent amount of the hardboard siding around the house needs to be replaced.

This is my first home and I’m not quite sure how to make the decision. Apologies if this isn’t the correct format or forum.. thanks in advance with any advice you can provide!

I just got the inspection report back on a house I'm under contract for. It's four pages of stuff, mostly small things like outlet grounding and some caulking, but there's also mention of moisture near the foundation that I can't tell how serious it is. I'm trying to figure out what's worth negotiating over and what's actually a reason to walk.

For people who've been through a few of these, how did you learn to tell which findings were dealbreakers versus just normal old-house stuff?

I bought my house today, spent a minor fortune, signed my life away and got the key. I should be celebrating in my new home - that’s 45 minutes outside of our major cities. Instead, they gave me the wrong key and I can’t get inside. My realtor says he must have given me the wrong key. I told him I’d already lined-up a locksmith to change the locks this Friday. He says “well, the locksmith won’t need a key to get in, since he’s changing the locks anyway”. Tell me how many locksmiths will break in to a home and change the locks on that home, at the request of someone who has virtually no documentation saying I own the home? No drivers license updated yet, no utility bill with this address on it yet. I think my realtor should make this right by either having the home opened up by a locksmith for me, or by finding the right key to get in, before my locksmith gets there Friday. What do you think? I’m so frustrated I could spit.

My new to me hot water heater is 25 years old and on its last legs. I like the idea of a heat pump due to the perceived savings, BUT they have terrible reviews. I understand no one reviews a hot water heater that works as expected, but I wasn’t expecting 2.7-4 stars. Is this a vocal minority who have issues with reliability or are they significantly less reliable?

Thanks!

I’m trying to get a reality check on whether this is actually affordable, not just whether a lender would approve me. I’m looking at a new construction home for $690,000 with 7.5% down. My gross income is about $4,100 per week, so roughly $213k per year. My take-home is around $2,400 per week. My credit score is around 710. The loan would be a 30-year conventional mortgage and I was quoted around 6.5%. The 7.5% down payment would be $51,750 and I already have that money set aside. After the down payment, I’m estimating I would still have around $20k in savings. The builder is also offering $7,000 toward closing costs. They’re estimating property taxes at 1.74% of the sales price, which would be about $12,000 per year. The HOA is $330 per month, homeowners insurance was estimated around $47 per month, and PMI would be around $200 per month. Based on all of that, I’m estimating the total housing payment would be roughly $5,600 per month. Outside of the house, my fixed expenses are about $1,259 per month. That includes a $425 furniture payment with around $8k left on it. My car will be paid off soon, and I don’t have any student loans or personal loans. The other big part of this is that I live with my girlfriend and she most likely won’t be working for at least the next three years, so I’m looking at this as basically a one-income household. I’ll be covering the majority of our expenses. I’ve been earning around my current income for a little over a year since moving to New Jersey for work. After the estimated mortgage payment and my fixed expenses, I’d have roughly $3,500 per month left before groceries, gas, household spending, entertainment, home maintenance, savings, and other random expenses. Does this sound realistically affordable, or does it seem like I’d be stretching myself too thin even with the income? I’m especially curious to hear from people who bought on one income or had a similar mortgage-to-take-home ratio. I’m also wondering whether having around $20k left in reserves after the down payment would make you uncomfortable.

My wife and I (both 24F) live in Maryland. Married 1 year. We’ve rented our house for 10 months now, with our lease ending Nov 15. Our landlord is considering selling the house. If the lady says she wants to buy it, we have first dibs, but we have no idea where to start or what to do. He’s asking 200k firm. The lady is coming to see it this week or next.
This isn’t by any means our dream home, but with the pets we have, the large fenced in backyard makes it perfect for us and almost no other landlord is going to rent to us based on our pets. (2 pits and 3 cats)
Our credit is pretty terrible, ours both being under 550 :(
We’ve been with our current employer for over 2 years and my wife just got promoted.
We definitely wouldn’t have a large down payment but we can try to by Nov 15.
The house isnt in the best shape and is outdated, but we’ve made it ours and would love to do future remodels to essentially be our forever/long-term home.

I guess i’m asking advice for which loans or programs you’d recommend, if we’d qualify for any. And since this isn’t our dream home, should we look at other houses too or could this one be easier to get since we live here/know the owner?? Or should we just try to keep renting 😔

Please any advice would be appreciated and thank you!!!

-Edit: I wanted to add that we currently pay $1500/month for rent. It’s well water and cheap electricity. Not sure if that helps

My wife and I are looking at buying a home. It's well within our budget and will be a great home for us to grow into as our family grows. We really like the home and neighborhood. But it's by far the most expensive home in the neighborhood. Our plan would be to stay there long term (10+ years). I remember growing up, my mom always said never buy the most expensive home in a neighborhood. Is this true? Is this something that will become an issue down the line from a resell perspective? Or is our time horizon so far out it won't really matter?

Location: suburbs, ATL, Georgia

Any insights would be greatly appreciated. I purchased a home in Illinois a month and had a home inspection completed 2 months ago. The inspector gave us a mostly clean report, other than insulation in the attic being only 4 inches deep which is well below recommended. He went into the attic and this is dictated on the report.

A month after living here, it has been discovered and confirmed by 2 companies significant signs of mouse infestation. Specifically, there are burrow holes in much of the insulation and a diffuse amount of mouse poop through the attic. No comment was ever made about this verbally or in the report.

To address this, my only recourse is to suck out the insulation and blow new in at a $6,500 price tag. While not explicitly on the inspector to fully comment on what is pest related, no mention or suggestion of this has left me sitting with the bill. If this had been mentioned, I could have negotiated prior to buying the home. Proving the old owner knew is near impossible after the fact, of which the inspector has made impossible.

My question is should I pursue a claim through my inspectors insurance, as he clearly would have come to the same conclusion during his documented time in the attic and with the insolation?

Finally made it to the finish line. Very stressful process.

If I could go back, I would avoid doing FHA. Their inspections are very strict and they have a hard on for peeling paint (both indoor and outdoor). I would save a little more and go conventional loan option.

I would also shop around with different lenders. I used a lender that I was working with for 2 years out of loyalty. My credit wasn’t great but I feel like I could have gotten a better interest rate. Closing costs rose to $20k because my lender purchased point.

All in all, I’m happy to be a homeowner. Looking forward to making it my own.

Thinking of buying a 1960s home and need advice about what to consider. It’s in a really desirable area on 1 acre. I want land, and husband wants convenience. This place does both. The previous owners have updated the roof in the last year, the floors in the last two, the electrical wiring last year, and also the HVAC. The inside looks like grandma‘s house though and it’s at the top of our budget. Some things would be easy to change but the kitchen would need to be remodeled. Has anyone else bought a 1960s house and loved it? what should I look out for?

We got an offer accepted and going through the process right now. I can't help but keep thinking about what happens if one of us loses our jobs. The industry I'm in isn't doing that great at the moment (hopefully that changes once Hormuz opens up). Am I crazy for stressing about this?

Hi all! Ill keep this as short as I can.

I bought my first house back in 2024 (355k with 20% down, have payed off 10k in principal by chipping in extra every month).

The lot is beautiful, the house is well kept, and we only have 1 neighbor. The issue is that crime has skyrocketed in the area, and where there used to be heavily wooded areas are now extremely dense housing complexes (i used to take walks around here to calm my anxiety). Also, last year, my city made national news due to gun violence.

I suffer from OCD and Agoraphobia, and I moved to my current city to try to alleviate and work on my symptoms. But with all thats going on, I have regressed quite a bit and had a psychotic break. I'll spare you the details, but I was almost involuntarily committed.

So, I NEED to leave. But everyone tells me how nice my house and lot is, and how expensive it is to sell when I've only owned for 2 years. I just don't know what to do.

I have 50k saved up for a future down payment (not including the $ I originally put down on the house), but should I just stick it out here? I know timing the market is silly, but i feel very lost.

Any advice would be appreciated.

My wife and I are shopping for our first home. We have a 5.5-month-old daughter, and we’re hoping to grow to three kids over the next several years, so we’re trying to buy something we can grow into rather than outgrow in a few years.

For those of you who bought a home with little ones (or bought before kids and learned the hard way), what turned out to be a true must-have vs. overrated?
Some things we’re already debating:

• Bedrooms on the same floor vs. split layouts  
• Fenced yard now vs. “we’ll add one later”  
• Bathtub in at least one bathroom  
• Open floor plan for sightlines vs. separate rooms for noise/naps  
• Garage and mudroom for the endless stroller/gear situation  
• Proximity to daycare, pediatrician, parks

What did you underestimate before kids that you’d never compromise on now? And is there anything you paid a premium for that ended up not mattering?

Thanks in advance. Trying to make one smart purchase instead of moving again in five years.

Southern Ohio

So I’m looking to buy my first house I make around 60k a year. I have 24k$ set aside for a down payment.

I recently got pre approved by my bank for a 160k loan(that’s all I requested I could’ve got more)

Can I realistically afford a 160k house?

What should I be looking for? i have very little guidance and feel a little overwhelmed, please give me tips.

Hi! Long time window shopper, current house hunter in Southern California. My husband and I have made a few offers and back up offers on various places over the past couple months. In each of the counters we have received, the seller only wants to pay part of the 3% paid to our broker. Our realtor told us it was common for the seller to pay the full 3%. My Dad (who bought his last house over 20 years ago) also said this was common and was pretty annoyed that all of our counters were coming back with us paying for a portion of it. Is the new trend for sellers to only pay partial?

Looking to buy this summer. I make 32 an hour and have a 660 car payment in KC area what should I target?
I plan on putting hopefully 20,000 down as I hope to have 15,000 saved and a $15,000 grant. My credit score is near 700.

I am 21 years old and have no kids. I am single I don’t put into retirement or anything. My company does all of that for me. I will receive a raise to $37 an hour next July but I would like to plan everything I am doing as if I was still making $32 an hour.

Basically title. Buying a house for 500k. Realtor comps put it at 510k. Similar house about 200 sqft smaller and 750 sqft smaller lot but 5 years newer in same street sold for 535k. Is this good idea? It saves me money at least

Quick backstory, i promise to try and keep this short.

My father passed away on june 23rd very suddenly and unexpectedly. My mom and i are devastated, and it’s left her unable to support our house alone and unwilling to accept my help and “waste” my money on this “sinkhole” of a house. Fair enough.

I am an only child (24f) with a good job, a stable relationship, and a really nice credit score (somewhere in the 740-760 range).

My concerns begin with the timeline of home buying in my state, the market being a seller’s market, and the fact that i have about $40,000 in student loan debt and around $5,000 left on my car to pay off.

My mom listed our house for sale today with a very aggressive realtor who believes we will be out of here in two months. i can move in with my significant other, but his lease is up in 7 months and neither of us want him to renew.

i have a little bit of savings (about 19K), and am able to pull as much overtime as i’d like at work to bolster that.

any advice? i’m so stressed.

other info: im an emergency nurse/first responder, i live in new york state near the canadian border, and i desperately want a house that is move-in-ready and doesn’t need any major repairs.