Friday, August 27, 2010

My House Hunting Nightmare

I have been searching for a house to buy to make my home for over one year now.  August 2009 was the beginning of my house hunting nightmare!!!  It started off great with dozens of homes for sale in the area that I was interested in.....


 
House #1
August 2009
This was my "dream" home, for my first home anyways.  Just the right size for my little family.  This house has a beautiful stone fireplace, real wood floors, plantation shutters, and a huge back porch.  I was outbid:(



House #2
September 2009
This house had a great floor plan.  It was a little far out and in the "boonies", but I liked it.  The house was sold to someone else for the same price I offered.

House #3
September 2009
Yes, this is House #1 again. It came back on the market, I was so excited!!  But, I was outbid for the second time.  Goodbye to my dream house once again.


 
House #4
October 2009
This house had a great yard.  I wanted to be sure to get this one, so I offered more than the asking price......I was outbid again.  At this point everyone was rushing to purchase homes to receive the Home Buyers Tax Credit that was being offered, competition was very stiff.


 
House #5
October 2009
This house became the center of my house hunting nightmare!  The close proximity to town was wonderful, and it's only two streets away from my parents (very convenient for babysitting).  It has a gorgeous stone fireplace, a huge island kitchen, and is on over 2 acres of land.  My offer was accepted by the sellers, YAY!!  Or so I thought.  This house happens to be a short-sale, a short-sale nightmare.  I signed extension after extension for this home.  I waited 7 months with no answer from the bank.  I finally received approval from the primary lien holder in the 8th month, but was still awaiting approval from the secondary lien holder this July.  While I was waiting, I had five day "grace" periods between my 30 day extensions to decide whether or not to extend my offer.  I was still house hunting!


 
House #6
June 2010
House #1 came on the market again!!  This time, my offer was accepted by the sellers.  This house was also a short sale.  I promised myself that I wouldn't get involved in anymore short sales after House #5's nightmare, but this was my "dream" house.  There was no way I was going to let someone else get it.  A few days later, the bank came back with a counter-offer I couldn't agree to.  The listing agent re-submitted my original offer a second time and it was finally accepted by the bank!  The house was mine.......until the bank decided they wanted more money from the sellers.  I ended up losing the house, the sellers didn't agree with the banks terms.  Back to waiting on house #5.


 
House #7
July 2010
I like houses that people may have a hard time finding and that you can't see from the road, this house fit the bill.  This is a bank owned home, I presented my offer.  They came back with a counter offer requesting I switch my financing and use them.  I declined, I'm happy with what I have right now......and the searching continues.
 


House #8
August 2010
This house has plenty of room to grow with an extra den, it could easily be converted into a 4th bedroom if needed.  The lot next door is vacant, so no neighbor on one side.  Nice split-plan layout.  I made my offer, but of course I didn't get it........everything happens for a reason, right? 



House #9

Picture and story to come.









6 comments:

  1. Hi!
    What a great start to your blog! I love hearing the whole story of your house hunt and seeing the pictures.

    I am looking forward to what happens next.
    xo

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  2. What ultimately happened to House #5?

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  3. Having a lot of options for buying a house is a good thing. The only drawback of this is that you'll have a hard time deciding when you think they're all great. Here’s how, choose the one that meets your family needs such as the space, whether it has enough room for the whole family, and its proximity, which of the houses is closer to school, work and public establishments.
    Avril Copperfield @ Churchill Mortgage

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. With a lot to choose from, go back to your set standards and budget, and use them to help you make right decisions. Don't feel bad if nothing seems to be going your way. Instead, prepare yourself for something great that awaits you. Take your time to find your dream house. Enjoy the trip!

    -Calvin Mordarski @ CityBlockTeam

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  6. It must've been so frustrating to know that your top dream house kept on coming back on the market list, yet you keep losing it all the time. You almost closed the deal! So which of these beautiful houses you’ve ended up with? Just curious.

    Julio Oyola

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