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ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
rephrased.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 17:25 on Jul 24, 2012

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ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
I'm making about $45,000 a year and paying about $957 a month in rent. I'm in the NW Denver area and looking to buy; average home prices in the area I'm looking are about 155,000. I have about $10,000 saved ($5-6k would be the max I could put towards a down payment). I have small student loan debt ($~100 month), no credit debt, own my car.

Is it feasible to think that a mortgage (with PMI, property taxes, utilities, etc.) is a better option for me, given those factors? The calculators in the OP seem to suggest that if I plan on staying in the area for at least 5 more years - I do - then I would be better off buying.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
I genuinely do. I'd like a place where I can have a backyard for dogs/animals and a place where friends could stay over that's not an apartment couch. I understand the initial up front costs are more expensive (with maintenance, property taxes and mortgage/homeowner insurance obviously also factors), but I love Colorado and don't plan on leaving. Since I plan on being here long-term, I'd really like to get something conducive to that plan.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

lapse posted:

I would wait and save up more down payment, or limit the purchase price to $135k - 140k max.

Property taxes seem to be very low in the Denver area, like 0.7% - 1%, so you have that working in your favor, but still, here's what I quickly calculated in the default Excel mortgage template.

With 5000 down and assuming you have good credit and can get a 3.65% loan, that would still be something like a $1000 PITI payment ($999.77 in the template below)

That's 27% of your income if 45k is take-home, or 33% if the 45k is gross. These numbers are OK for a 20% down scenario, but they're pretty aggressive for only 3.5% down.



Thank you very much for that. 45k is gross. I think I should probably continue to save up more, perhaps another year or two in an apartment, which I'm okay with. What is the "PITI" payment? Property, Interest, Tax, Insurance? Last I checked my credit was about 830, which I think is pretty good. I've never missed a bill or had an outstanding credit card balance.

I'd rather have a larger "egg" than get myself into an untenable housing situation. I'm not too worried about mortgage rates spiking in the next 24-36 months, either, as all indicators seem to point towards home prices continuing to be flat or decline even further in the next few years.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 16:39 on Jul 25, 2012

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
I'm currently in the process of trying to get into a home in the greater Denver metro area with a preapproved budget up to $230k. While my current apartment is in a great location, my rent has jumped from $765 in 2009 to $1100+ in 2014, and I want a dog, a backyard and walls that I'm not sharing with people I don't know. My LO has told me that the payment I'm currently making for my apartment will only increase by a few hundred a month to cover a mortgage and insurance on a house, so to me it's a no brainer that it's time to move up. I have enough saved to put 5% down so I'm going for a conventional loan. I realize everything's going to be more expensive and I'm preparing myself for the inevitabilities of home repair.

I guess I feel fairly lucky compared to some of these stories that I've read through with trying to afford a home in areas like SF/Austin/DC/NY, though my general experience to this point is that I can get a lovely beater with repairs needed for that price in and around Westminster, Broomfield, Northglenn and Superior or I can live 30 miles north in Longmont and get an updated home built in 1990s/2000s. There's a few popping up here and there that are nice but they are snapped up in what seems like just hours of them being listed. I'm trying to figure out how to submit offers more quickly. I work in Boulder so I'm trying to keep my commute 20 miles or less so I don't go crazy driving so much every day.

What's the general strategy for submitting offers on homes? I feel like there's a good amount of upward pressure on the market here in Colorado but I have no idea how that should impact an offer, or what is a good starting point.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Apr 18, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

Cranbe posted:

I just bought in the south Denver area, though my experience was a little atypical because I got under contract in February, when the market wasn't as nutso due to seasonal reasons.

That said, start by looking at a lot of places to really hammer out your priorities and must-haves in a home and get a feel for the market in general. That should help you act quickly when you do see a place that matches your criteria.

Keep in mind, though, that just because a place matches your criteria doesn't mean it's worth $XYZ,000. I ended up buying my house for $20k less than it was initially listed for, because that's what it was worth (both to me, and according to the market).

In short, bid what you think the house is worth, or slightly less. Then go get beers with your friends and don't think about it again until you hear back. If the counteroffer is above what the house is worth, either move on or stick to your guns. Repeat as necessary.

Remember that there are always more houses just coming on the market.

Thanks a lot for this. In one instance, a house I went to view was available at 3:00PM in the afternoon before I left work, and by the time I completed the showing with my realtor around 7:30PM, was already listed as under contract and "taking backup offers". Yeah. So moving quickly on an offer is, I think, pretty critical around here, at least in the current market.

That said, I was also advised by my realtor that you don't want to submit a backup offer on a place unless you're confident that it is 100% the house you want, since you are then held to the backup offer you submit, and you can only have one in at a time.

I guess I don't want to send in an offer much lower than list and to have it then be snapped up by a better offer prior to being able to negotiate, given the way properties are being bought up. I think I just need to keep reminding myself to be patient.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

sklnd posted:

The market around here is very short on inventory (~9000 homes for the whole Denver area), especially in the 200-300k range. When I stopped looking last month, anything worthwhile listed mid-week and was under contract by Saturday, including the house I'm under contract on. The way I handled it was look at new listings on MLS in the morning and evening, so I could call my realtor and get a showing that day if a house looked worthwhile. I didn't learn that lesson early enough, and ended up missing an excellent house on the low end of my price range by a day, because I waited until Saturday to see it, and it was under contract by the time my realtor could get in contact with the listing agent.

Jesus christ.

Yesterday, I went to a showing for a house in Broomfield in a perfect location near 36, right on the nose for my loan price range. Decent house, updated interior, recent roof, AC, etc. Really just a great little starter house.

When I got there, there were no less than 4 other agents with about 12 other people in tow also viewing the house. I liked it enough after seeing a few other properties that I told my agent I was ready to put together an offer today and submit it to the listing agent tonight on Easter Sunday.

While I was refreshing my browser this afternoon, the house disappeared off the site and is now listed on a few others as pending. :psyduck: I spoke with my agent and she confirmed that the house had received an offer.

I really don't know how I can move any quicker other than to submit an offer immediately after showing, or, gently caress, DURING the showing. Real estate moving at this speed feels impossible to keep up with.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 21:57 on Apr 20, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

Leperflesh posted:

Are you not visiting the house with your realtor? When we made our offer, we had our guy with us and we decided on the spot how much to offer (which in our case was exactly the asking), and he called the listing agent on his cell to say he was about to submit an offer and find out the status. He sent over an offer as soon as he got back to his office, which was maybe an hour later.

This was in a much less competitive market on a much less competitive house. I absolutely think you need to be faster than two days, even on the Easter weekend. If your realtor can't or won't get an offer in within hours of your decision, you may have to seek a new realtor.

I am visiting with my realtor, but yeah, I'm starting to see that I need a same day offer if I like a place.

Its crazy to me that its moving that quickly. I was discussing with a few other people and they have all agreed that the market is incredibly tight at the moment. All of them also mentioned that they had at least a week after showing to submit an offer without issue, and that was just a couple years ago.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
House buying, in pictures: Wow, that place looks great! Nice backyard, updated kitchen, sweet master bedroom. Let's set up a showing! :)

House buying, in person: Wow, that place is a shithole! Backyard fence falling down, dishwasher sloping at an angle, unfinished water-damaged basement with several broken windows. :barf:

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

Cheesus posted:

There was a lot to justify my reservations.

:negative:

God help me, this applies to almost every property I've viewed.

At least I've learned that pictures paint a best case scenario of any property and to go in expecting the worst. Do you have any suggestions for the best listing sites to review for Colorado property? I've been searching primarily on Coloproperty, Realtor and Movato.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

moana posted:

lovely low-res photos? Let's slap an HDR filter on it, looks great!

This seems to be increasingly common. Some rear end in a top hat taught realtors to use HDR photos and panorama shots to the bane of us all.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
I finally found a home in the Denver area for a reasonable price and was able to submit an offer as soon as it hit MLS. I'm pretty excited. The market is absolutely nuts in the Denver metro right now (see my earlier post history in this thread), but having contracted with a buyer's agent who was able to move quickly on showings for good properties was a huge help. My major lesson was that if your buyer isn't getting you into places and scheduling showings as soon as you see them hit MLS, don't be afraid to move on quickly.

$240k, 1868 finished sq. ft., 1 car garage, 3 ba, 1 full, 2 3/4ths baths, den, all appliances included, mid-sized backyard, close to shops and the major arteries into Boulder and Denver. My drive distance to work increases to 19 miles one way (38 miles R/T), but the home is in (what appears to be) pristine condition, hardwoods throughout, etc. Very little updating and almost no major issues during the walkthrough visual inspection. It's a half block from a nice little lake and walking distance to a retail center. I feel like I got into a great area that will appreciate well. Also, no HOA! :woop:

I have a real inspection scheduled for tomorrow, and I guess my appraisal sometime soon. :ohdear:

There are so many dates and deadlines I'm trying to juggle now that it's getting a bit overwhelming - inspection deadline, property insurance objection deadline, appraisal deadline, first time homebuyer class + credit deadline, etc. It's been a really trying process so far but I'm confident that it will be worth it.

It better be worth it. :negative:

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 17:27 on May 12, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
If the difference in my monthly mortgage payment (with insurance and all other etc.) is only $33/month, does it make sense to take a higher loan rate at 4.625% instead of 4.375%?

Basically, some forms from my lender are showing me that I'll have ~$3,369 in savings at closing if I take the higher rate of 4.625%. My monthly mortgage payments will be $33/mo higher than they would be at 4.375% over the life of the loan.

To break even on the money I would save at closing, I would need to remain in the home for ~102 monthly payments or approximately 8 1/2 years.

If my girlfriend/eventual wife and I plan on moving before or slightly after that period of time has elapsed, it's a no brainer to take the slightly higher rate to save significantly on closing costs, right? Someone check my thinking here.

\/\/ - It's in Northglenn, so close enough. My round trip to Boulder from this place is about 38 miles. Not great, but still a reasonable distance for a house in the Denver metro area to me. You can basically write off living in a house anywhere closer than Broomfield if you're not in the low six figures.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 00:32 on May 13, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
It'll be off 104th, a few blocks to I-25.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
/\/\ - Thanks man, looking forward to the next big step in this process. :)

baquerd posted:

You actually need to calculate the present value of your future savings to compare to the present value of your closing savings, after taking into account that the money could be invested, so at 3% hypothetical inflation and 4% real ROI you would need to remain for a bit over 11 years.

To me it seems like a no brainer to take the higher interest rate then, since it's quite likely we'll move on before that period of time has elapsed. Plus, even if we don't, we could probably refinance the mortgage down the road for a lower payment if we needed to.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
So the inspection found a roof less than 5 years old, a water heater manufactured and installed in the last year, a furnace manufactured and installed in the last year, insulated windows, no cracks in the foundation all the way down to the crawlspace, a half block to a lake, a half block to shopping, and was built in 1961. Hardwood floors throughout, all appliances included. Saw all this and confirmed with an inspector with my own eyes, including crawling through the crawlspace.

Holy poo poo, I feel like I hit the house lottery. Either that, or it's built on a pet cemetery or something.

There are some trees close to the house, so still gotta get a sewer scope, but still pretty amazed. Apparently the biggest potential issue is that there are some pipes of differing material joined together in the plumb which can cause electrolysis between the metals and corrode the pipes. I'm not sure whether or not that's a big enough issue to warrant including in the objection (since there aren't issues now), otherwise, the house is pristine.

\/\/ There are a few locations where GFIs aren't installed and the installation in the attic is old but not asbestos. Didn't do a radon test since it's a tri-level built on a hill with no basement or downstairs bedrooms and a walk-out basement in the den. Load tested at 100 amps and according to the inspector that's enough to power the house.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 05:57 on May 14, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
How do I know what's worth haggling over following the inspection? I know the real answer is "whatever you don't want to fix yourself" - and I'm okay with doing some basic home repairs - but ultimately I don't want to risk the seller walking away because the next buyer won't quibble.

For example, there are some door catch springs missing from the front and rear doors. Not a major replacement. An outdoor garden faucet is missing the valve head (still works fine though with little spigot controls on the end). Not a major replacement. The gutters have debris that needs clearing and drains needing to be flushed, and some very small branches (<4" diameter) from a nearby tree that could rub on the roof shingles. Probably stuff that could be done in a weekend.

However, the one potentially big issue that was noted were the connections between copper and galvanized plumbing which can cause corrosion, especially given the high mineral content in the water here in Colorado. According to my inspector that's probably worth consulting with a licensed plumber about how to install "Dial Electric" pipe separators, but I honestly don't know the first thing about what that would entail, cost of hiring a plumber to fix, etc.

I feel lucky given the relatively pristine state of the rest of the home, but that one worries me a bit.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 16:49 on May 14, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

FCKGW posted:

I would think that arguing over stuff like 50 cent door catch springs or stuff that is literally $0 to fix like trimming some branches is rather petty. It sounds like the current homeowners actually put some effort into maintenance of the house thus far and for small stuff like that it's really reaching. It sound more like something has to go in that box of stuff to fix and you're looking for things to fill it.

As far as the plumbing issue goes did the inspector tell you how long down the line a possible failure could occur? Are we talking months, years, decades? It sounds like something that could be a problem 10+ years out.

Leperflesh posted:

Dielectric pipe fittings. It's basically a segment of pipe that has a gasket to separate the two different metals so they're not touching. How much it'll cost to install them depends on how accessible the pipes are and how many need to be done. I did one on my water heater myself, but I'm comfortable silver-soldering copper pipe together (which is not very difficult, you just need a hardware-store handheld gas torch, some lead-free silver solder, watch a couple youtube videos, and then try it on a spare piece of pipe once or twice to make sure you've got the hang of it).

If you have to tear open walls to get to the joins, that's obviously way more expensive, but if a plumber can directly access the joins, you're looking at like 20 or 30 minutes of labor and maybe $15 of parts per join.

It's also not super-urgent. Two different metals act as a battery, but given it's only water and not an acid they're in contact with, it's a very, very weak battery. You might notice some corrosion buildup over the span of multiple years, but if you put it off for a year nothing bad is going to happen.

Awesome, thanks for this information. The pipes are all easily accessible without having to get into the walls to the joins, having seen them myself. It also appears in the seller's disclosure that they had the sewer line flushed twice over the last 7 years, which was my only other major concern.

There is some corrosion on the piping, but it didn't appear to be major. I'll inquire with the inspector if what we saw is a big concern or could be pushed out to a later time.

edit: Here's an example of the copper-galvanized piping join and the areas of apparent corrosion:

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 18:35 on May 14, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
That seems a lot simpler than I initially thought. Given my zero experience in doing any sort of home maintenance and not being very handy at all, I might contact a plumber for an estimate (at least this time around) and take some careful notes.

The seller did also disclose the copper-galvanized issue in the seller's disclosure documentation. Other items of note:

- Minor back patio settling (not a big deal, slopes a bit but no cracking the poured slab)
- Roof less than 1 yr old (replaced by licensed contractor)
- Sewer line flushed twice in last 7 years
- Washing machine replaced last year
- Dishwasher replaced last year
- Oven replaced last year
- Range replaced last year
- Furnace replaced in August 2013
- Water heater replaced in August 2013
- Vinyl windows 2 years old
- Exterior paint 1 year old

All included in the price. I also forgot to mention that the insulation in the attic is what appears to be pretty compact and settled, so adding new insulation will probably be something to do pretty soon after move-in.

I feel pretty lucky. Everything seems very up to date other than the few minor issues noted.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 19:19 on May 14, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
So, in the inspection objection I returned to the seller, my buyer's agent/realtor and I noted 5 things we requested to have repaired:

Plumber:
1. Inspect, evaluate and replace/install dielectric connectors for galvanized-copper pipe connections
2. Inspect, evaluate and remediate slow to drain upper main bathtub and sink (may be more than just a clog)
3. Inspect, evaluate and repair leaky laundry sink faucet

Electrician:
1. Inspect, install GFCI outlets in kitchen
2. Replace and upgrade service panel to bring up to current standards

The other stuff like cutting the tree limbs, clearing the gutters, installing a new exterior garden faucet valve, door catch springs and repairing a crack in the garage door are all things I think I can handle. The seller has responded that they don't have the time to have these items done themselves while looking for a new home, so I guess my next step is to have these things estimated by a licensed plumber & electrician, right?

Anyone have any advice on how to proceed with getting these things estimated, and how much of a credit we should ask for from the seller? My agent said that they're okay with issuing a credit for the repair for all of them.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 19:28 on May 15, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
Following up on my previous posts, the seller agreed to credit me $3,000 towards closing costs to make the necessary repairs on the property which I identified, which I think should be enough to fix the issues with the dielectric connectors, GFCI outlets in the kitchen and slow to drain sink/tub.

What's cool is that based upon the interest rate I was quoted from my loan officer, my closing costs were covered. So now that $3,000 credit will actually go towards reducing my rate "by at least 1/8th of a point if not more", which is awesome. I'm going to basically have no closing costs and get a fixed rate close to 4.5% or 4.375%. :toot:

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 01:00 on May 17, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

Incredulous Dylan posted:

I popped some info into Lending Tree just to see what other lenders might offer and give me something to negotiate around. I don't want to pay 5%, which my officer originally described as the "worst case" interest. It is still on the updated GFE that I just received tonight, however...

I just did the Lending Tree thing a few minutes ago and already see 4.625% with the same terms and a higher estimated purchase price (since they use a range estimate). Meanwhile, a family friend who normally lives in another country just moved into a local condo and said they would have the movers drop off whatever didn't fit. I pulled up to my place today to see a ton of boxes with a full dining set, couch, cabinets/shelves, porch set, nice TV stand, multiple rugs, etc!

Congratulations on the condo :)

If you can't get below 5%, find a different lender. I'm putting 5% down in a conventional loan and with a credit score just above 800 I was able to lock in 4.5% with no closing costs. Doesn't seem like there's any reason why you couldn't get similar especially with a full 20% down.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 03:05 on May 21, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
Appraisal for the property I'm looking at came in at $2,000 above the seller's listing price. Not super significant, but pretty amazing that they were able to value their property so close to market value.

I feel lucky. In the "comparables" that came through with the appraisal report, all of them were $20-30k higher with less square footage, worse area and fewer amenities.

Fingers crossed that things continue to shake out well as I get closer to closing...

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
I'm in the process of securing the underwriting on my mortgage loan, getting closer and closer to the actual closing date, which the sellers have extended to mid July. That's actually a good thing, as I realized after I sent the signed contract back to the sellers with a June close date (with the option to extend to July as requested by sellers) my apartment lease end date was in loving August and I could have ended up eating a month and a half of rent + mortgage payment. :doh:

Check your termination dates on your current leasing/rental agreements, don't be me. I feel like I got lucky and will avoid having to deal with a lovely financial situation due to multiple housing obligations. Fortunately I got locked in a 4.375% with no closing costs through my LO, which seems like an insanely good rate historically.

It feels a bit surreal to be moving out of the apartment I've lived in for the better part of the last 10 years and into a house, especially the one that I got. While it's lacking a cooling system other than ceiling fans (:saddowns:), it's otherwise in amazing condition and could be upgraded with a swamp cooler or A/C, completely updated in the last year, came through with a great inspection, is less than 5 miles from friends and family and less than 20 from my job...and I'm building equity, in a place that doesn't share walls with anyone else. Finally.

feels good man.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 18:22 on May 29, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
Yep, that's basically my plan. It actually works out nicely as I don't have to feel pressured to move all my poo poo out immediately and can gradually just start porting things over from my apartment while doing little fix-up work here and there, painting, etc.

\/\/ - Wow, that's an incredible rate. I remember talking to my loan officer about interest rates and him recalling that mortgages carried 12-20% interest in the 1980s. Of course, your average home didn't cost $200,000 then either, but well..

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 19:19 on May 29, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
God loving damnit.

I got this from my loan originator earlier today:

quote:

I spoke with the investor and I misjudged the extension fee. While this investor has excellent rates, their extension fees are higher than the norm. The fee to extend the lock is $1368.00. If it was the seller that requested the date change, you might want to negotiate the fee with them or move the closing date and allow them to rent back for 2 weeks to mitigate the costs. The extension fees are 0.30% of the loan amount for a 15 day extension so closing the 30th would drop the extension fee to $684 (228,000 X 0.30% = 684).

That is loving absurd. $1,368 just to extend the rate lock 30 days? That's 46% of the closing cost concession made by the seller to me. My rate with 5% down in a conventional loan is 4.375%.

The fact that the seller had the option to extend the close date out 30 days was communicated to the originator at the outset of the process, so to all of a sudden be informed that it's now going to cost me almost $1,400 is just crazy to me. According to my realtor, the sellers have had a bad experience with a rent back in the past and that isn't a viable option.

Given that the closing date on the property is still more than 30 days out (July 15th), should I immediately start looking for a different loan originator? What are my options here? I've let the guy know I'm not happy and I want alternatives, so I'll give him some time, but still. Frustrating as gently caress.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

Captain Windex posted:

Relative mortgage rates between the time you locked and the time that your lock expires has a lot to do with the cost of extensions. It's been a while since I worked the lock desk, but if I recall correctly at my old bank if rates were better (lower) you could extend 15 days for free or 30 for .125. If they were worse (higher) you'd pay anywhere from .250 - .500 for the same 15 or 30 days.

Short version - when you lock with a lender they, in turn, lock the same commitment with the relevant GSE - Fannie, Freddie, or Ginnie (assuming it's a direct servicer) at some level of profit margin. You might be locking 4.5% at par, they lock it paying them 1% or whatever. When you extend your lock they have to extend the same commitment and are charged fees for doing so, whether the loan closes or not. They also have the option of breaking the commitment entirely for a fee, generally, but then can re-hedge the commitment based on the new rates. So if the rates are much better now they can potentially offer cheaper extensions because they have the option of breaking the commitment on their end, eating the fee for the broken commitment (say .2%), and then re-locking that same 4.5% that's now paying 1.5% instead of 1% at a profit. If rates are worse on the other hand they will generally charge flat rates based on how long you need in order to pass through the expense for the extension fee charged by the GSE. If you're not going through a direct servicer the same situation basically applies, but with an extra layer of hedging fuckery as the lender they're trying to out-hedge is also trying to out-hedge the GSE.

There are other factors that come into play as well, especially if the lender you're going through is not a direct servicer. If they're a correspondent lender intending to sell the loan to another lender, they have the option of trying to lock you through another lender if current rates are competitive, but doing so can have a negative impact on their relationship with the existing lender so they may be hesitant to do so. Customers that had lovely lock fallout with us basically lost 0.250% on every deal they closed with us until they fixed the issue or were terminated.

Lock policies are probably one of the most highly variable things in the industry so can't comment much on the ability to float the rate, but most policies I've seen required anywhere from 30-180 days of the lock having expired before they were eligible to lock at current market rates, assuming they had improved from the original lock position.

I think it's the extra layer of hedging fuckery that's loving me, as I'm not working with a direct servicer, just a mortgage loan originator, so I think they'd be considered to be a "correspondent lender" as you called them.

I understand that it's a highly variable policy in the industry, but if the loan originator had done his due diligence to inform that the fee to extend would be this high (0.30% of LV per 15 day extension, so .60%) I would have asked him to provide me with other options if the seller extended the closing date. I made it clear that it was the seller's option to extend from the outset.

I've reached out to a friend's servicer that he recommended just to have a backup plan. Ultimately I could eat the $1,400 cost, but that would damage my financial position already weakened by the down payment/closing process and amounts to basically an entire month's mortgage payment. That's really not acceptable to me.

The fact that I'm getting this SURPRISE, BITCH cost out of nowhere is so aggravating. I've gotten the property inspected, appraised, submitted to having a spotlight up my rear end for the last 3 months and read through reams of paper and I just want to start moving in already. :(

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
Sounds like the loan originator would be willing to re-lock me without a fee on the 23rd of June.

That seems a lot better than $1400 out the door, but I'd be a bit worried about a spike in rates (they increased slightly this week IIRC) between now and then. Ultimately I wouldn't want waiting ~18 days to gently caress me over in the long run and end up costing me far more than $1400 if my rate jumps. Bankrate seems to suggest that 67% of the surveyed LOs believe that rates will either remain unchanged or go down over the next week. I would just need that to hold for the next two weeks.

Decisions decisions.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

fknlo posted:

There seem to be a lot of people sticking to their super high price right now. I just don't want to piss the owner off by going in with an offer that's $20k under their asking right off the bat to negotiate up to where I feel comfortable with the price. I'm thinking of just seeing if it makes it through the weekend and going from there.

It's a seller's market right now. Unemployment is down, the economy is growing (somewhat), people are thinking that historic low mortgage rates aren't going to last.

Obviously in your market it might be different, but given the churn I personally witnessed I wouldn't be comfortable lowballing a property unless I was absolutely sure it was something I would be completely fine walking away from.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
I think I'm in a similar situation to you, Leperflesh. I was locked until my original close date of June 13th at 4.375%, but the sellers took the option to extend the close date to July 15th. My LO then informed me that to extend that rate to closing on the 15th would cost me $1,400.

Otherwise, I can wait until the 23rd to see if rates are higher. If they are, I can pay the $1,400 with this servicer to lock in the lower rate, OR I can go with a slightly higher rate (4.5%) at no cost.

The calculations that I did basically said that it would take me ~6.5 years of living in the property to break even on the $1,400 at closing. However, in my situation, I'm utilizing an MCC as a first-time homebuyer, which necessitates that we remain in the property for at least 9 years or be subject to a "recapture tax". So the question becomes a bit more complicated, though given that my break even on the $1,400 I'd spend to lock that rate at 4.375% would take 6.5 years and I am technically required to be in the house for 9 to avoid the tax, it would make sense for me to pay that cost. I think.

I like my loan originator, he's been pretty helpful, but paying that rate to extend loving sucks and I also don't want to have to start over with a new appraisal and paperwork. Yuck.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
At the outset of the process, the sellers informed my agent and I that they could need an option to extend the closing date one month to find a new place to live, which I agreed to. The sellers had a bad experience in the past with a leaseback, which is why we didn't go that route.

I didn't do my homework on rate locks (my own fault) and didn't realize I'd potentially have to pay a fee to extend the lock, but I was fine with the extended close because my apartment lease isn't actually up until mid-August. It gives me another month to build up my cash reserves a bit more and also allows me to gradually transition out of my apartment while avoiding a month where I would be on the hook for a rent-mortgage payment.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
Sounds like you might be living in... bat country.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
I'm two weeks from closing on my first home, everything's approved through my mortgage loan originator, all forms and paperwork are signed (including my Mortgage Certificate of Credit program), and I've started packing up my apartment. It's going to feel so good to go from 761 sq.ft where my rent has increased yearly to almost 1900 with (relatively) stable payments.

At the same time, dreading the ~$10,000 I'm going to be putting down.

Does anyone have a good checklist of "here's all the poo poo you should get in order before you move to a house for the first time"? My close date is the 15th, but my apartment lease doesn't end until August 25th, so I'm under no real urgent pressure to move in immediately. Obviously I don't want to have a vacant house sitting there for a few weeks, but I think it would be a good opportunity to take care of poo poo in the new place before it's filled with all my furniture and other things.

I'm considering painting at least a few rooms of the interior, including the living room, dining room, and downstairs den area, which are probably around 700 sq. ft in total. Having no professional painting experience or tools, should I just bite the bullet and pay a pro to get in there and do it right? I feel like I could do it myself, but painting a house in the middle of summer while moving sounds like hell and full of possibilities to drip paint on my hardwood floors.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 16:52 on Jul 2, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
Eight days from closing. Bought a bunch of painting supplies from Lowe's over the weekend, and am in the process of packing the remainder of my crap.

I'm both excited for, and dreading, the final step of closing. I feel like I'm making the right decision on a good house with great bones in a nice location in a rapidly appreciating market, yet all the stuff I have to do now (and money I'm shelling out) before it's actually "mine", and what I will need to do afterwards, is causing me some anxiety. Ultimately I feel I'll eventually get comfortable with the day to day and ongoing maintenance parts of homeownership, but I still feel like there's so much poo poo I could be blindsided by it gives me some existential dread.

I'm also not looking forward to painting almost the entire interior in the middle of July, but thems the breaks I guess. Better than after I have all my crap moved in.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Jul 7, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

Leperflesh posted:

I'd rather do it in July than the last week of December (when I actually did it), mostly after work during the week. It rained the whole week, the paint took forever to dry, and I was painting over dark blue so it took at least three coats for most rooms. We didn't have the gas heater working for the first few days, either.

We also had to refinish the floors during that time, and the varethane didn't dry as well as it should have after the first coat, so the second coat wound up bubbly and sticky and a bit uneven and we had to do a third coat. Which still has some rough spots here and there where bubbles rose and popped and left little nurbles that you can't see, but you can feel with bare feet. Someday maybe I'll rent a floor polisher to fix that.

If your house has A/C, painting the interior in July is gonna be just fine. The air from A/C is nice and dry, so the coats will dry quickly and you can do two or three coats in one day no problem.

No A/C (and I live in Colorado :negative:), but painting over yellow walls with a darker color so hopefully we won't have to do more than 2 coats.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
Surprised it happened in Minnesota and not in Texas.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
Closing tomorrow at 9:30 AM.

Deep breaths.

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007

Leperflesh posted:

drat. I could sell my house, pay off the mortgage, and have enough left over to buy a house out there outright. It's kind of a tempting thing to consider.

Until I remember all my friends and family live here, and not there, and I love it here. But still.

Downside: you have to live in Pennsylvania.

\/\/ - I'm (mostly) joking and being a regionalist rear end in a top hat. Pennsylvania seems to combine a lot of unfortunate aspects of the midwest that would make me not want to live there - an evaporating manufacturing base, horrible weather owing to the lake effect, depressed economy, proximity to West Virginia, etc.

Also, what kind of technical writing do you do? I'm looking to get into that because, well, I'm sick to death of the 9-6 + commute life.

ex post facho fucked around with this message at 23:11 on Jul 14, 2014

ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
I am a homeowner as of this morning. Closing took about an hour and a half. Rolled around on the hardwoods for an hour or so, spent 7 hours transferring minor items from my apartment in my car and taped down as many baseboards for painting as I could. Found a very minor leak in my (knew about prior to closing) copper to galvanized joined plumbing, re-amazed myself at the condition of the foundation in the crawlspace, and made some plans to cut back some tree limbs near the roof and patch a slight tear in the screen door to the dining room.

Haven't even moved in a single piece of furniture, and feel like I have a million things to do, but even then it feels like a huge weight is off my shoulders. Can't wait for all the joys and challenges.

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ex post facho
Oct 25, 2007
painting in july :negative:

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