TOTALLY GEEKED!

Cool. Hope you find the right place at the right time.

Taking your time is a good idea. Find the perfect home and then you won't have to move again until you're ready to downsize.

Purge purge purge!!!

Funny how much "stuff" we want to save - until there is a move on the horizon. Then it's "pitch it all!!!" Lol

Good for you!

I've been in this house for 26 years. It's a split level & DH and I are of an age that we don't need stairs...or home repairs.

Unfortunately, we don't have the $$$ to get this place ready to sell.

flan

How exciting LL. I'm with O4 that I am never ever moving again.

I have a rental that I used to handle on my own. Now I have a management company & it makes life so much easier. You might want to consider one. They take a small percentage of your rental income but it is so much better than getting annoying phone calls at home at all hours when the A/C or dishwasher or whatever stops working.

Oh wow, you have a good system in place. I had the world's worst tenants & it was an absolute nightmare. They didn't turn the outside faucet off & the pipe burst. She had no idea what a burst pipe is or how to turn off the water. I had to walk her through it. They over flowed a bath tub & flooded the downstairs light fixtures. All these stupid panicky calls on weekends or at night. Blech.

we're near to the same process--in addition to finding / building another home, we're also looking to move out of the US--we're looking at a couple of places in the southern hemisphere that are a long way from anywhere--we'll keep this place for an investment property ( and for rental income ) but don't really see us moving back here again

Fort Worth Mom wrote:

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So, what is on you wish list for a new home, LL? How big? How many bedrooms? Bathrooms? Is lot size important?

Just wondering! I enjoy house hunting. (It's the moving part, that I'm not so crazy about!)

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 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, den, bonus space, and preferably a basement.  I need a big kitchen, that is number 1 - with a pantry.  It must also have a good laundry room.  Ideally, I'd like a 2 story house with the guest room on the main floor. 

A large shed or workshop in the back would be a bonus, as would a fenced yard. 

One of our big reasons for moving is that we want the house to be more comfortable for visitors. We live far away from family, and we want them to be welcome and comfortable when they come visit. An in-law suite would be ideal.

Laundry room on the main floor or on the floor with the bedrooms?

Be patient. The right house will come along. Maybe you can be on HGTV ?

We entertained the thought of getting what is now called a modular home once. Some are really nice but I couldn't stay in one for long while looking because of the formaldehyde in everything.

But if I were going to build a home, those blue prints are amazing. They really optimize space in those things.

Don't know why I thought of that.

Houses with stairs doesn't seem practical if a person is hoping to grow old in it. Unless the master is on the main floor.

But that is just me.

If I were to buy a new house I would definitely not do any better than what I have now and pay 100K for what I have now but newer. Love my hood. I know I will over improve given what I paid.

However if my house wasn't already big enough for me I would buy one at least 20 bigger with a pool. Can you get a basement in your area? We have them here but I though everything in the south was on a slab. Basement are awesome spaces.

I know what to do_sometimes wrote:

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If I were to buy a new house I would definitely not do any better than what I have now and pay 100K for what I have now but newer. Love my hood. I know I will over improve given what I paid.

However if my house wasn't already big enough for me I would buy one at least 20 bigger with a pool. Can you get a basement in your area? We have them here but I though everything in the south was on a slab. Basement are awesome spaces.

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 It depends on the area. A lot of houses have crawl spaces under the house or even raised for ventilation.

some times the coolest place to be is under the house in the Summer. 

Lawyerlady wrote:

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Mellow Momma wrote:

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Laundry room on the main floor or on the floor with the bedrooms?

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 Main floor or basement if there is one.  Too much chance of damage if the washer leaks.

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 I love my main floor laundry. It's so easy to toss in a load while you are doing something else. 

I know people love the idea of having the laundry upstairs with the bedrooms so you don't have to lug the clothes up and down. But you would never BE upstairs just hanging out. I would have to run up and down the stairs to get it done. No thanks. Main floor laundry is best for us. 

I know what to do_sometimes wrote:

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If I were to buy a new house I would definitely not do any better than what I have now and pay 100K for what I have now but newer. Love my hood. I know I will over improve given what I paid.

However if my house wasn't already big enough for me I would buy one at least 20 bigger with a pool. Can you get a basement in your area? We have them here but I though everything in the south was on a slab. Basement are awesome spaces.

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 We have a basement now.  Basements in the south are different.  They are built on the hilly lots and are walk outs. 

Basements like this -

Going to see a new house Thursday. It's in the neighborhood we want, and it is not yet listed. It's the cousin of a friend and they are just getting ready to list it, so we might be able to swoop in if we like it! And it's on a cul-de-sac next to a vacant lot. We could buy the vacant lot and assure we never have neighbors on that side!

How did I miss this thread?
Good luck and happy house hunting!

So, we made the offer on the house. It's done beautifully. The basement is completely finished and actually nicer than the upstairs. And it's a full walk-out with plenty of windows and light so it doesn't feel like a basement. There is a second master suite down there with giant bathroom, a full kitchen, a family room, and extra rec room and a powder room, plus 2 storage rooms and a storage closet.

The main floor is a 3 bedroom ranch with a formal dining room - the bedrooms are all bigger than we have now. The living areas are about the same, but better laid out. The laundry room is on the main floor off the kitchen. Then there is an open stairway up to a bonus room which will be the kids playroom.

The lot is 2 acres and there is a creek in the back. The vacant lot next door will not be easy to purchase - it is privately owned and the guy bought it at the height of the market and paid waaaaaay too much and wants his money back. Too bad lots have lost almost all their value. He'll be sitting on that another 10 years.

We got our mortgage pre-approval yesterday. That was hard - they don't like it when you want to keep your current house, but since we already have a rental house, we can convert it to a rental and still qualify, but we have to get a lease on it before we can buy the new one.

Pictures? Congrats, I hope they accept your offer!

Congratulations LL! How exciting! 

I can't wait to see some pictures.

That's awesome!

Has the creek ever flooded?

Keep the area around it clean so snakes won't have a place to hide.

Sounds wonderful though.

Lots of summer wading.