House Buying

daisyhougan
daisyhougan Posts: 52
in Chit-Chat
Agghhhh! I swear it's such a stressful process that I caught myself emotionally eating yesterday. Not too badly and I caught myself before it upped my calories too much but boy I had no idea that it would be so much up and down stuff!
The truth is that I've come into an unexpectedly good financial situation recently where I'm able to afford to buy a decent house for DD and myself. If you'd told me that a year ago, I would have done a happy dance...we're currently renting a townhouse and the idea of being able to afford my own anything (much less a decent one) was so unexpected that I mostly think I should just chill and relax. This is an unexpected bonus so why get upset?
Put offer on House 1 in May but it fell through at inspection. Sigh.
Put offer on House 2 on Saturday and received counteroffer yesterday but it wasn't really a counteroffer, more just a reiteration of their asking price.
Between the ups of finding houses that I like to the nervousness of putting an offer on it to the upset when things don't work out, I'm a mess!
The rational part of me thinks there are many good houses out there. I'll find one eventually that I both like and can afford. It's just getting there that's stressful. Plus I find it hard to talk about it with family members.

Replies

  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    It IS stressful to buy a house. It will work out in the end, but I know how you feel. I looked at over 75 houses before I bought the one I am in now. I had put in offers on 6-8 houses, but was always getting beat to the punch, so to speak. I love my house that I'm in now. Not necessarily the location, but the house itself is great. And it's in a neighborhood where values have held steady during the fall of the housing market.
  • daisyhougan
    daisyhougan Posts: 52
    Thanks for the encouragement! I'm glad I'm not the only one whose had to look at a number of houses (and having made more than one offer) to get the house they wanted. Buying a house seems so serious and I don't really want to screw it up, you know? I know there aren't any perfect houses though and they all have pros and cons. Here's hoping it goes well!
  • fishergreen
    fishergreen Posts: 109 Member
    We put in offers on 4 houses before we landed where we are now. It is extremely nerve racking but you'll get through it. The good thing is you are in a buyer's market and you do not have to sell something to get into the new one so you are in an ideal situation. Keep looking and remember there are always other houses out there if you lose one.
  • daisyhougan
    daisyhougan Posts: 52
    Thanks again for the encouragement....it's good to remember that there are other houses out there if this one doesn't work out (although I'll be disappointed, of course). And I'm glad I'm not the only one who has made offers on houses that didn't work out. I mean, I don't want to have to live in a house that I can't afford or that's not sound structurally but it's frustrating! Thanks again for theencouragement!
  • julesboots
    julesboots Posts: 311 Member
    Congratulation on the house hunt! I was in a similar position not too long ago. The idea that my daughter and I could have our own place totally blew my mind. I bid on maybe 10 houses- over asking on most, and it was super emotional at first, but just do your best to take your heart out of it. You'll end up where you belong. I definitely did, and it's about half the size I thought I wanted, but it's perfect (730 square feet). Just telling myself that I'd have to keep looking after each bid was put in was helpful, and didn't get my hopes up about anything.
  • daisyhougan
    daisyhougan Posts: 52
    Thanks, I'm super excited! I mean I keep having to remind myself that this is good, unexpected news and supposed to be a positive for both of us, not a stressful situation. Our current place is smaller than I'd like (it's a townhouse), in dire need of routine maintanence that I'm unlikely to make since I'm the renter, and has no yard for the kiddo to play with. Plus, would love to have a dog for DD.
    I think taking my heart out of it is important. My dad jokingly said he wished he could just find a house for us and buy the thing and only present it once it was a done deal so that I wouldn't get my hopes up about it. I'm almost tempted to take him up on it but it would absolutely drive him batty and there's no guarantee that he'd buy a house that I'd actually like. As an example, his favorite house was lovely but dark and had a humungous yard with fastidious landscaping....I kept saying that it was lovely but my weekends would be taken up with yardwork which, knowing me, I wouldn't do and the yard would soon look overgrown and awful. People who are good with gardens have my utmost respect and admiration but I kept trying to explain that one has to recognize one's limitations and garden work is mine. If this current deal doesn't work out,I'm going to keep replaying your words----keep your heart outof it and remmeber you're going to have to keep looking.

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