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House Hunting

CremlianCremlian
edited June 2011 in Everything Else
I occasionally look around for a future house. I am not really seriously looking for a new place since mine is pretty nice but a new house is in the cards in the next 5 year so I'm constantly flirting with the idea of buying a new house. Except, searching for a freaking house is a FREAKING chore. Since Google dropped it's real estate search functions your left will trolling around piece of crap housing search sites that lock down information (especially on foreclosures) and make it impossible to actually find houses that you are interested in. The more easy to use ones leave out things like "Would I like a basement" in it's options to check off. Blah.

Blah I say, maybe I should do work at work :-p
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Comments

  • RymRym
    Except, searching for a freaking house is a FREAKING chore
    Thank archaic bullshit laws about realty agents coupled with secrecy and commission rates.
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    Since Google dropped it's real estate search functions
    What? When? NOOOOOOOOO!
  • zehaevazehaeva
    Except, searching for a freaking house is a FREAKING chore
    Thank archaic bullshit laws about realty agents coupled with secrecy and commission rates.
    So true, I was working with a few Realtors back in '03 or so developing websites. The shite you have to wade through. Unbelievable! Glad I got out of that before the bubble popped.
  • DevilUknowDevilUknow
    A good real estate agent is your best friend when searching for and buying a house. If that offends your geek DIY sensibility, get your realtor license and get access to their databases.
  • KapitänTimKapitänTim
    image

    Why are you hunting this man??? What did he do to you?
  • CremlianCremlian
    edited June 2011
    A good real estate agent is your best friend when searching for and buying a house. If that offends your geek DIY sensibility, get your realtor license and get access to their databases.
    I'm guessing you are a real estate agent or your best friend is one :-p
    Post edited by Cremlian on
  • MattMatt
    If you are purchasing a home, you have an appraiser, inspector, and lawyer. Aside from the negotiation of terms, which I'm sure some people can and other's can't handle on their own, what else is the realtor needed for?
  • RochelleRochelle
    If you are purchasing a home, you have an appraiser, inspector, and lawyer. Aside from the negotiation of terms, which I'm sure some people can and other's can't handle on their own, what else is the realtor needed for?
    To tell you show shiny everything is and give you fresh baked Otis Spunkmeyer cookies.
  • RymRym
    what else is the realtor needed for?
    There's no good centralized way to find houses for sale and information about them without going through a realtor.
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    Why are you hunting this man??? What did he do to you?
    He drove a car into someone's house.
  • DevilUknowDevilUknow
    I'm guessing you are a real estate agent or your best friend is one :-p
    He was when I was buying my house. There are a lot of things you can fuck up if you don't have expertise.
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    There's no good centralized way to find houses for sale and information about them without going through a realtor.
    Zillow?

    But even then, you still actually need to physically go through a house and have it inspected.

    This is why, increasingly, I just want to buy land and have a house built.
  • MattMatt
    what else is the realtor needed for?
    There's no good centralized way to find houses for sale and information about them without going through a realtor.
    It sucks, yes, but it's not impossible. I've been involved with two home purchases (one for myself, one I ran for my friends parents who were out of state and we were buying a college house with their money), and in both cases we called up a realtor and said "show us this house". Yeah, we needed them to pull up the MLS, so we needed a realtor, but my point was that they really didn't bring a whole lot of value to the table. They unlocked the door, for both the literal house and the MLS database, and got paid a hefty commission.
  • JasonJason
    what else is the realtor needed for?
    There's no good centralized way to find houses for sale and information about them without going through a realtor.
    It sucks, yes, but it's not impossible. I've been involved with two home purchases (one for myself, one I ran for my friends parents who were out of state and we were buying a college house with their money), and in both cases we called up a realtor and said "show us this house". Yeah, we needed them to pull up the MLS, so we needed a realtor, but my point was that they really didn't bring a whole lot of value to the table. They unlocked the door, for both the literal house and the MLS database, and got paid a hefty commission.
    I agree. Four to seven percent for closing is an outlandish amount to pay, especially now with sellers desperate to accommodate the requests of potential buyers. The last time Lisa and I bought a house, we mapped out the ideal areas for our price range and commutes using mapping available from the county auditor's office. Then we went scouting for homes that were available in the area. We narrowed the field to four potential homes and called the realtor to get us into them. We should have just knocked on the doors and requested showings, but Lisa wanted to use a realtor as a safety net for the contract and mortgage. Basically, the realtor made several thousand dollars for pulling boilerplate paperwork off a shelf.
  • CremlianCremlian
    Zillow's definitely better then most other search services.
  • MattMatt
    what else is the realtor needed for?
    There's no good centralized way to find houses for sale and information about them without going through a realtor.
    It sucks, yes, but it's not impossible. I've been involved with two home purchases (one for myself, one I ran for my friends parents who were out of state and we were buying a college house with their money), and in both cases we called up a realtor and said "show us this house". Yeah, we needed them to pull up the MLS, so we needed a realtor, but my point was that they really didn't bring a whole lot of value to the table. They unlocked the door, for both the literal house and the MLS database, and got paid a hefty commission.
    I agree. Four to seven percent for closing is an outlandish amount to pay, especially now with sellers desperate to accommodate the requests of potential buyers. The last time Lisa and I bought a house, we mapped out the ideal areas for our price range and commutes using mapping available from the county auditor's office. Then we went scouting for homes that were available in the area. We narrowed the field to four potential homes and called the realtor to get us into them. We should have just knocked on the doors and requested showings, but Lisa wanted to use a realtor as a safety net for the contract and mortgage. Basically, the realtor made several thousand dollars for pulling boilerplate paperwork off a shelf.
    A good portion of the analysis that you did, comparing neighborhoods on commuting distances and various other factors, is something a lot of people want from the realtor, but is not even done by most realtors themselves. The agency they work for has a position called GIS analyst, and they do all of the overlay of this data to target buyers to neighborhoods.
  • CremlianCremlian
    Only thing looking at homes does to me is let me know how little I make :-p
  • That Which YoesThat Which Yoes
    Zillow is how I got the apartment I just moved in to. You can't trust Craigslist. You will have to bite the bullet and work with a real estate agent. To quote Shore Leave: "Bring Purell."
  • KapitänTimKapitänTim
    Why are you hunting this man??? What did he do to you?
    He drove a car into someone's house.
    He was jealous of houses. People pay a lot more for houses then they do for House. He wanted his revenge.
  • CremlianCremlian
    So, about 6 months of looking and I'm still no closer to finding a home that I am not out bid on or is either so crappy and cheap or SOOOOO expensive. I swear that while the housing market sucks around the country, at least in the Philly suburbs anything between 200k to 400k with 2+ bathrooms and 3+ bedrooms is freaking hot. There are definitely deals and you can get people to come down in price but there are soooo many other people looking for these same deals...
  • AprecheApreche
    So, about 6 months of looking and I'm still no closer to finding a home that I am not out bid on or is either so crappy and cheap or SOOOOO expensive. I swear that while the housing market sucks around the country, at least in the Philly suburbs anything between 200k to 400k with 2+ bathrooms and 3+ bedrooms is freaking hot. There are definitely deals and you can get people to come down in price but there are soooo many other people looking for these same deals...
    Yeah, most people are not rich, so they can't afford the awesome perfect expensive house. But also nobody wants to live in a shithole. Every house that is in that in-between sweet spot is going to sell mad fast. If you want it, you can't hesitate, and you can't be cheap.


    Same with NY apartments. If you are mega-rich or willing to live with the rats and roaches, you can get an apartment any time and have plenty of choices. Everything in-between goes immediately. If you hesitate at all, you will miss it.
  • MattMatt
    edited December 2011
    So, about 6 months of looking and I'm still no closer to finding a home that I am not out bid on or is either so crappy and cheap or SOOOOO expensive. I swear that while the housing market sucks around the country, at least in the Philly suburbs anything between 200k to 400k with 2+ bathrooms and 3+ bedrooms is freaking hot. There are definitely deals and you can get people to come down in price but there are soooo many other people looking for these same deals...
    Just keep plugging away, man. It will happen eventually. DO NOT lower your standards or settle for a deal you are not 100% happy with. No matter how arduous the process, the last thing you want is to make that much of a commitment to something you could grow to no longer like. Besides, you've probably got a good 2 years before interest rates actually start rising again.

    Post edited by Matt on
  • CremlianCremlian
    http://www.weichert.com/40590504/ This is what I'm hunting right now. It's a interesting property. I'm going to check it out and if it is in good shape I'm going to offer 220-250 and see what happens.
  • SquadronROESquadronROE
    I'm already starting to hunt our next house, and we just moved into ours a year and a half ago. Since we got the first time home buyer's credit, we have to stay in this one for at least five years before moving. However, by that time I'm hoping to have enough equity in it to be able to use it for the down payment + some money off the next house. So hopefully I'll be looking in the same range.

    House hunting is a pain in the ass, though. It's fun to go tour houses and dream, but the rest of it is a pain.
  • CremlianCremlian
    Yea, I agree, I love looking at houses, but EVERY other aspect is a pain in the ass.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    Sweet, it even has a basement!

    My house hunting is on hold for a few years. Once I'm done paying alimony and child support I'll have money and be able to move.
  • CremlianCremlian
    edited December 2011
    Yea, I like the Giant Bar and double stoves! (and the wood paneling) :-p I'm going to check it out tomorrow and then get chased out after I make the offer of 220 :-p
    Post edited by Cremlian on
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    With that much square footage and land I expect parties ...
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    http://www.weichert.com/40590504/ This is what I'm hunting right now. It's a interesting property. I'm going to check it out and if it is in good shape I'm going to offer 220-250 and see what happens.
    Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice. Except the fucking green and black offset tiling in that one room. What the fuck were they thinking?

    I love the enormous brick fireplace.

  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    So, about 6 months of looking and I'm still no closer to finding a home that I am not out bid on or is either so crappy and cheap or SOOOOO expensive. I swear that while the housing market sucks around the country, at least in the Philly suburbs anything between 200k to 400k with 2+ bathrooms and 3+ bedrooms is freaking hot. There are definitely deals and you can get people to come down in price but there are soooo many other people looking for these same deals...
    You live in an especially prime location. You have easy access to both Philly and everything along the 276 corridor.

    I wouldn't bid below 250 on that house.
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