Home Owner Thread

[Chris]

Do go on... I close escrow in about two weeks.

Just getting the house was stressful, in this market especially. Granted we closed while I was finishing my Master’s, literally interviewing for new jobs in a new career field, with an 8 month pregnant wife.

Now that we’re in the house , fuck, it’s better than renting but just yard work alone is sucking up my time. Let alone the 98 other things that need done around the house. Again Having a newborn doesn’t help I’m sure, but I am overwhelmed a lot of the time.

 

[Man Called X]

I am probably going to be hitting this thread up for advice in the coming few months. If we get the place I made an offer on, it's a definite fixer-upper but nothing too intense.

Looking forward to hearing from people about flooring options. Painting the walls first, of course... but the carpeting and bathroom flooring are nasty.

@BimboColesHair @Man Called X @bob2the2nd @Cavatt @Hurl Bruce

I only do what I absolutely need to do.

Actually been putting up some ceiling tiles in my basement. Old shitty drop ceiling framework is mostly there, so straightening, replacing a few places, and it's functioning. Gotta grab another pack of tiles next week to finish it off. Then I get to repaint the walls.

I'm not bothering building floating walls and running new electric until I'm certain we're buying the house. Then I'll do it all proper. Now is just temporary improvements to make my den more inviting/livable.

 

[Cavatt]

Just getting the house was stressful, in this market especially. Granted we closed while I was finishing my Master’s, literally interviewing for new jobs in a new career field, with an 8 month pregnant wife.

Now that we’re in the house , fuck, it’s better than renting but just yard work alone is sucking up my time. Let alone the 98 other things that need done around the house. Again Having a newborn doesn’t help I’m sure, but I am overwhelmed a lot of the time.

I like doing house stuff, but yeah it is. My advice for a new owner is try to be patient. It's a marathon not a sprint and it is going to take years to get it the way you want it unless you can just throw lots of money at it.

You have to approach it like eating a phone book. Just sprinkle some in your coffee every day. I pick up sticks or do a little digging in the morning when I take the dog out and the ground is soft for 10 min.

The master's part is a whole other thing. Definite benefits to living in a bare apartment as a student.

 

[WellYouNeednt]

I had no interest in doing anything for my recent home purchase, other than furnishing. The only strategy to accommodate this was buying new.

- landscaper for lawn
- AC company for quarterly inspection/upkeep
- Pest control quarterly inspection/spray
- Monthly full house cleaning

Time is valuable and i do not want to waste it maintaining a home.

 

[bronko]

Considering time spent maintaining a home as wasted is sort of odd, especially for a new home buyer. Why not just stay in a condo or something? I sympathize, but don't really understand. Different strokes.

 

[WellYouNeednt]

Considering time spent maintaining a home as wasted is sort of odd, especially for a new home buyer. Why not just stay in a condo or something? I sympathize, but don't really understand. Different strokes.

My comment sounds pretty douchey and “waste” was a poor choice to describe.

The Mrs. and i have pretty busy work schedules and i am not the most handy person after living in apartments in NYC for 15 years. I have great respect for those that have the skill or time to develop the skill of improving their home. Our work also requires flexibility to potentially move every 3-4 years, so time spent doing the things i enjoy personally and with family, does not allow a lot of additional time.

Hope this clarifies.

 

[Randolphkeys]

The Mrs. and i have pretty busy work schedules and i am not the most handy person after living in apartments in NYC for 15 years.

Having a San Francisco apartment with a Manhattan style slumlord was great training for me! The guy never called me back to fix anything since I had a rent - controlled place. So, I re-wired an entire room. I fixed a leaky water heater. Mulched the garden I mostly re-planted myself during the California drought. I am still the only person here who knows how to change old school fuses.

I found living in a rent-controlled slum to be great home owner preparation!!

 

[inliner311]

Considering time spent maintaining a home as wasted is sort of odd, especially for a new home buyer. Why not just stay in a condo or something? I sympathize, but don't really understand. Different strokes.

Condos can be annoying too. Home owners associations can be very picky. There also can give people somewhere to complain to for little things that neighbors would normally just brush off.

 

[Hydroponic3385]

Considering time spent maintaining a home as wasted is sort of odd, especially for a new home buyer. Why not just stay in a condo or something? I sympathize, but don't really understand. Different strokes.

Home owners associations, don't always live in your own building ( I disliked apartments because you have people living next to, above, below you - sucks when condos are the same), don't always have your own yard. I'm sure plenty of other reasons, too.

 

[PIP]

Condos can be annoying too. Home owners associations can be very picky. There also can give people somewhere to complain to for little things that neighbors would normally just brush off.

Yup. I moved to Bowie Maryland for a little while and had an HOA…. About 5 minutes down the road there was a nice community pool, clubhouse, park etc. and every month these people would get together there in the clubhouse and chat about the neighborhood and general complaints…

I mean people were complaining that folks had their recycle bins out front — one guy got fined for repainting his front door but the door was not the same color red as the other homes in the area…. Just real petty stuff…

 

[inliner311]

Yup. I moved to Bowie Maryland for a little while and had an HOA…. About 5 minutes down the road there was a nice community pool, clubhouse, park etc. and every month these people would get together there in the clubhouse and chat about the neighborhood and general complaints…

I mean people were complaining that folks had their recycle bins out front — one guy got fined for repainting his front door but the door was not the same color red as the other homes in the area…. Just real petty stuff…

I also lived in a HOA for a time and I had someone complain about the route I was walking from the road to my townhouse because it was waking up their dog which was waking them up. I agreed to take a different route but I thought it was ridiculous since it seem like more their problem with having a overly sensitive dog.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Flipside of an HOA: They do repairs on everything on the exterior, you are responsible for everything on the interior.

I looked at a stand alone house as a fixer upper. The cost to fix the roof issues alone would have taken me $50,000 above the asking price. If there are termite or dry rot issues, that's on the HOA to fix.

There are good HOA situations and bad ones. I learned that buying a first home is going to have drawbacks somewhere... That's why you can afford it!

 

[Cavatt]

Pandemic made me realize I wasn't really spending my free time the way I wanted. I was watching a lot of tv. I get why some people don't like fixing things and working on projects, but I am at a point where id rather be doing something than watching something

 

[inliner311]

Flipside of an HOA: They do repairs on everything on the exterior, you are responsible for everything on the interior.

I looked at a stand alone house as a fixer upper. The cost to fix the roof issues alone would have taken me $50,000 above the asking price. If there are termite or dry rot issues, that's on the HOA to fix.

There are good HOA situations and bad ones. I learned that buying a first home is going to have drawbacks somewhere... That's why you can afford it!

Right but how good the HOA is managed really can effect things. If the HOA doesn't get the right contractors or maintain the build(s) properly, you will get hit with special assessments to fix their fuck ups. My friend was living in a building that they failed to recoat the exterior in the necessary intervals to keep it maintained. They ended up having to spend a ton to redo it all and my friend has to pay 15k as his portion to fix it. That was being in the smallest unit in the building.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Right but how good the HOA is managed really can effect things. If the HOA doesn't get the right contractors or maintain the build(s) properly, you will get hit with special assessments to fix their fuck ups. My friend was living in a building that they failed to recoat the exterior in the necessary intervals to keep it maintained. They ended up having to spend a ton to redo it all and my friend has to pay 15k as his portion to fix it. That was being in the smallest unit in the building.

I think you just explained the value of hiring a good realtor. I didn't look at townhouses or condos with a poorly managed HOA.

I also asked for the minutes of the past two years of the HOA meetings. I was able to review their financial records from there, along with any pending litigation and repair concerns.

Nobody wants a surprise. Due diligence is needed for a stand alone house or a place with an HOA. It's the biggest investment you will make, so invest wisely.