Escrow Finally Closed! *Pics Added!*
11-24-2009, 01:20 PM
#1
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
Escrow Finally Closed! *Pics Added!*
After looking at at least 2 dozen houses, making more than half a dozen offers, having the sellers reject our offer then coming back later and accepting it, jumping through too many hoops for loan approval and having the bank lose our cashiers check, we finally closed on a house we really like.
It's fairly small by current standards, but it's in a nice location and it's well upgraded.
Details:
1300 sf
3 bedrooms
2 full baths
2 car detached garage.
We don't get the keys until Friday and we're getting the wood floor refinished and crown molding installed before we move in, so we won't actually move for about another 2 weeks.
Pics to come early next week.
It's fairly small by current standards, but it's in a nice location and it's well upgraded.
Details:
1300 sf
3 bedrooms
2 full baths
2 car detached garage.
We don't get the keys until Friday and we're getting the wood floor refinished and crown molding installed before we move in, so we won't actually move for about another 2 weeks.
Pics to come early next week.
11-24-2009, 01:35 PM
#3
Senior Moderator
Congrats!! I hope to be making a thread just like this soon. 
Also funny because we had many of the same problems and are also thinking about doing the floors before we move in as well.
Also funny because we had many of the same problems and are also thinking about doing the floors before we move in as well.
11-24-2009, 01:41 PM
#5
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
Thanks all.
We actually both own condos, but this will be our first single family detached home and our first home that we bought together. Sappy, I know.
Luv - looking forward to your post!
We actually both own condos, but this will be our first single family detached home and our first home that we bought together. Sappy, I know.
Luv - looking forward to your post!
11-24-2009, 02:38 PM
#7
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
We're keeping both condos as rentals. One is currently tenant occupied and the one we live in now should be ready to rent but Feb 1. We were planning on selling originally - actually had the other condo listed before - but that was before the housing market went south.
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11-24-2009, 02:41 PM
#8
Senior Moderator
Yeah, probably better to keep them and rent them out, at least for now. You can always sell when things pick up. As long as you have decent tenants, it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to keep them as income properties.
11-24-2009, 02:43 PM
#9
Earth-bound misfit
Congratulations, moe!
11-24-2009, 02:49 PM
#10
Sweet! 
Congrats!! 
I can't tell you how many houses I looked at before buying where I live now. Too many to count. Too many contracts to count. However, looking back on everything I'm very glad I went through the process.
When will you have pictures of the new place?
Congrats!! I can't tell you how many houses I looked at before buying where I live now. Too many to count. Too many contracts to count. However, looking back on everything I'm very glad I went through the process.
When will you have pictures of the new place?
11-24-2009, 03:04 PM
#12
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
Luv - The rented condo has less than 10 years left on the loan, so that one will probably stay as an income property. We may end up selling the one we currently live in down the road.
wndr - Thanks!
thunder - pics should be up by early next week.
scott - I actually spared you from some electrical questions from the inspection on this one, but I'm sure I'll come up with plenty more. I do have to figure out how to get power to a TV that will be mounted on a wall with no outlets. 
wndr - Thanks!
thunder - pics should be up by early next week.
scott - I actually spared you from some electrical questions from the inspection on this one, but I'm sure I'll come up with plenty more.
I do have to figure out how to get power to a TV that will be mounted on a wall with no outlets.
11-24-2009, 03:17 PM
#13
A wall with no outlets?!!??
Post anything you got and I'll see what I can do from here. As weird as it sounds, since I'm not an Electrician anymore I kind of miss the thinking part of it all, so it's nice to figure some stuff out once in a while. And if you post a thread and I don't see it let me know...sometimes I forget to come in H&G
Post anything you got and I'll see what I can do from here. As weird as it sounds, since I'm not an Electrician anymore I kind of miss the thinking part of it all, so it's nice to figure some stuff out once in a while. And if you post a thread and I don't see it let me know...sometimes I forget to come in H&G
11-25-2009, 12:57 PM
#18
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
Thanks again all! We hope to be settled by Christmas, but Thanksgiving is going to be a mess.
Scott - There's a pic from the inspection I need to post for you to give you a
Thanks. It's on the first floor with a crawl space below and an attic above (no second story or basement). I don't think it will be too difficult, but can't just use the standard PowerBridge solution. Oh well.
Scott - There's a pic from the inspection I need to post for you to give you a
Thanks. It's on the first floor with a crawl space below and an attic above (no second story or basement). I don't think it will be too difficult, but can't just use the standard PowerBridge solution. Oh well.
11-25-2009, 01:02 PM
#19
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
This was a "junction box" the inspector found under the crawl space:
Nice use of a 35mm film canister. Turns out it was only for low-voltage lighting that was no longer in use, but still pretty cheesy.
Nice use of a 35mm film canister. Turns out it was only for low-voltage lighting that was no longer in use, but still pretty cheesy.
11-25-2009, 10:47 PM
#21
Senior Moderator
11-27-2009, 08:17 AM
#22
11-27-2009, 09:31 AM
#23
Go Giants
sweet
11-29-2009, 08:19 AM
#25
2011 ZCP E92 M3!!
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congratz dude...how high was ur credit score? i w8ing for mine to go up in the end of dec so i can start looking for a house...how much did u put down?
11-29-2009, 11:13 AM
#26
Instructor
Moeronn congratulations on closing the deal Its really good that you didn't have to sell your condos to get the house. When market revives you can always make out better.
Its really good that you didn't have to sell your condos to get the house. When market revives you can always make out better.
11-30-2009, 04:57 PM
#28
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
Thanks guys!
We moved a bunch of stuff into the garage yesterday and today. The floors have been sanded, stained and sealed. Will be getting 3 coats of poly on it. Should be able to walk on them by Thursday, but will wait until Friday or Saturday to move anything major into the house.
Thanks. My wife and I were both around 760. We went FHA, so 3.5% down. The loan process is WAY more complicated and time consuming now than it was a few years ago. So much more paperwork and documentation to send it.
Thanks. It seems that most things were done well, but every now and then we run into some 
items. Like when they took out the floor heater and put in new wood, they didn't really support it well so it flexes quite a bit. I'll reinforce it from underneath after we get settled in.
BTW, I did take some pics before they started on the floors (except I forgot to take a pic of the area they replaced the carpet with wood) and will post soon. Don't know where the camera went.
We moved a bunch of stuff into the garage yesterday and today. The floors have been sanded, stained and sealed. Will be getting 3 coats of poly on it. Should be able to walk on them by Thursday, but will wait until Friday or Saturday to move anything major into the house.
items. Like when they took out the floor heater and put in new wood, they didn't really support it well so it flexes quite a bit. I'll reinforce it from underneath after we get settled in.BTW, I did take some pics before they started on the floors (except I forgot to take a pic of the area they replaced the carpet with wood) and will post soon. Don't know where the camera went.
12-01-2009, 06:33 PM
#29
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Glad yours worked out it's a rough rollercoaster.
Last monday, was the day I was signing all the documents with the notary for my first home. Noticed the balance owed on the sheet from the title company was about 8k more than I expected. Find out the 3% back for closing costs had been removed from the contract and agents from both parties didn't see it on the short sale approval from the lender. 99.9% complete and I'm back at square one. That was a tough decision to make with my wife but we feel good about it and realize there were alot of things we didn't like about the house afterall. Even offered to go through with it if the agents gave .5% up in commission since it was their fault and they refused. Oh well I was happy to see them get nothing.
Last monday, was the day I was signing all the documents with the notary for my first home. Noticed the balance owed on the sheet from the title company was about 8k more than I expected. Find out the 3% back for closing costs had been removed from the contract and agents from both parties didn't see it on the short sale approval from the lender. 99.9% complete and I'm back at square one. That was a tough decision to make with my wife but we feel good about it and realize there were alot of things we didn't like about the house afterall. Even offered to go through with it if the agents gave .5% up in commission since it was their fault and they refused. Oh well I was happy to see them get nothing.
12-01-2009, 07:10 PM
#30
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
Glad yours worked out it's a rough rollercoaster.
Last monday, was the day I was signing all the documents with the notary for my first home. Noticed the balance owed on the sheet from the title company was about 8k more than I expected. Find out the 3% back for closing costs had been removed from the contract and agents from both parties didn't see it on the short sale approval from the lender. 99.9% complete and I'm back at square one. That was a tough decision to make with my wife but we feel good about it and realize there were alot of things we didn't like about the house afterall. Even offered to go through with it if the agents gave .5% up in commission since it was their fault and they refused. Oh well I was happy to see them get nothing.
Last monday, was the day I was signing all the documents with the notary for my first home. Noticed the balance owed on the sheet from the title company was about 8k more than I expected. Find out the 3% back for closing costs had been removed from the contract and agents from both parties didn't see it on the short sale approval from the lender. 99.9% complete and I'm back at square one. That was a tough decision to make with my wife but we feel good about it and realize there were alot of things we didn't like about the house afterall. Even offered to go through with it if the agents gave .5% up in commission since it was their fault and they refused. Oh well I was happy to see them get nothing.
12-01-2009, 07:10 PM
#31
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
12-03-2009, 11:50 AM
#32
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
A little later than expected, but here are some quick pics (p&s) from before and during the wood refinishing. Still need to take some after pics and front of the house. Will try and use a wider lens next time, too.
Living Room:
Kithen 1:
Kitchen 2:
Kitchen 3:
Living Room to Hall Threshhold (before):
Living Room to Hall Threshhold (repaired):
MBR Hall/Closet (was carpet):
Hall Bath 1:
Hall Bath 2:
Backyard (garage on left):
BTW - since when are we not allowed to use the flickr HTML code to post pics?
Living Room:
Kithen 1:
Kitchen 2:
Kitchen 3:
Living Room to Hall Threshhold (before):
Living Room to Hall Threshhold (repaired):
MBR Hall/Closet (was carpet):
Hall Bath 1:
Hall Bath 2:
Backyard (garage on left):
BTW - since when are we not allowed to use the flickr HTML code to post pics?
12-03-2009, 08:59 PM
#37
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
They are pretty near top of the line, but I didn't know that until after we made the offer. They weren't planning on leaving the fridge, but we got them to include it.
Nothing in the cooler yet. Will most likely hold some Smirnoff drinks for the wife along with beer for me and sodas. We aren't big wine drinkers.
Nothing in the cooler yet. Will most likely hold some Smirnoff drinks for the wife along with beer for me and sodas. We aren't big wine drinkers.
12-03-2009, 10:15 PM
#39
One on the right for me
The only thing that would bother me about the kitchen is the lack of any counter space next to the stove. Otherwise it is pretty awesome.
12-03-2009, 11:08 PM
#40
is learning to moonwalk i
Thread Starter
That is a definite drawback. We'll probably get a butcher block, rolling cart that we can put next to the stove when we cook.