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08/17/2005 02:56:25 PM · #1 |
Woohoo. I just signed the papers, and I am now officially a homeowner.
My closing date is on September 2nd. Less than 3 weeks!!!!!
More details later if anyone is interested….Right now I have to go do the happy dance!!!
And no – No pictures yet, but I promise MILLIONS of pictures. The interior needs some major cosmetic corrections so plenty of before and after photos to take.
Poor camera these past 3 months I have hardly touched it.
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08/17/2005 02:58:42 PM · #2 |
That's such a great feeling!
Congratulations! |
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08/17/2005 03:01:49 PM · #3 |
The best investment I ever made was buying our home. If you get one in a desirable neighborhood you're golden. We bought in 1995 and our house is now valued at about 70% more than we bought it for! Our neighbors just sold for much higher than that (in one day on the market), so reality is even more rosey than the tax-grabbers'.
congrats
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08/17/2005 03:05:51 PM · #4 |
| Hurray!!!! Congrats! Ahhh the first house - great feeling. Where in Ontario are you? We could be neighbours and not even know it! Right Mike :P (thatcloudthere) |
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08/17/2005 03:09:47 PM · #5 |
| Congratulations! We bought in 1995 and house has nearly doubled in value. Never a bad investment. |
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08/17/2005 03:13:13 PM · #6 |
Congrats! Say good bye to all your free time for awhile!
We bought last year and it has already doubled (welcome to the Phoenix area...)
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08/17/2005 03:38:19 PM · #7 |
Congrats.
Yup never a bad investment... I bought 2 years ago and it's up about 50%.
Now I can take out an equity loan to pay for all my new camera equipment! ;)
Message edited by author 2005-08-17 15:38:46. |
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08/17/2005 03:46:30 PM · #8 |
congrats on the new house...now the wait will drive you nuts..
we are building one in the country.
We started about march 2003... yes you heard that right.
Architect , then contractor , then county and this is supposed to be the final week.. lets pull the flippin permit already!!!!!!!
I am taking pics of the construction over time.. should be some good ones coming. not the ususal type house. no stucco... plan is from scratch using energy saving things...
anyways i know what your waiting game is like.. i feel for ya |
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08/17/2005 03:59:23 PM · #9 |
I failed to see the posts about house prices ...ready
central cali 1600 square feet original cost 120,000 feb 2002
estimated value now 250-300,000-- that is just stupid-- i mean i am happy ... but all the bay area buyers are comin in with cash and scoopin em up like crazy. |
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08/17/2005 04:37:13 PM · #10 |
Bought 10 acres in 96 for $15,000 dug a well and septic system, built a cabin and put up my dog pens. All paid for. Property taxes are $36.21 this year.
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08/17/2005 04:38:45 PM · #11 |
nsbca7....
key question... WHERE???? |
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08/17/2005 04:58:59 PM · #12 |
Alabama. The funny part for me was that when I went to the county courthouse to find out what was required for the building permit to build my cabin nobody knew what I was talking about. They looked at me like I was stupid. "A what?"
It isn't like that everywhere in Alabama. I have friends that live in Baldwin County who pay over $150.00 a year in property taxes on thier houses.
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08/17/2005 05:04:06 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by 4ROGGYCHEF:
I failed to see the posts about house prices ...ready
central cali 1600 square feet original cost 120,000 feb 2002
estimated value now 250-300,000-- that is just stupid-- i mean i am happy ... but all the bay area buyers are comin in with cash and scoopin em up like crazy. |
Try Southern CA.
Our 1600sqft 3br/1ba $225K in 2000, now over 1/2 Million.
Insanity - time on the market around here is often measured in hours.
Property taxes over $2K/ year. Crap.
Message edited by author 2005-08-17 17:05:29. |
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08/17/2005 05:19:52 PM · #14 |
To answer the location: I'm in Oshawa, Ontario.
The house I bought is 0.4 km (0.24 miles for the Americans) from a new Sports Complex that they are building in the downtown area. Currently downtown is not really desirable but I’ve been told the proximity to the Sports complex should make a huge difference in property value. It helps that the region where I live is the fastest growing housing market in Ontario, so that will also push me up.
The house I bought is 100 years old featuring: brick, 2 stories, 3 bedroom, all original gum wood trim, hardwood floors etc (buried under filth but they are there) a corner lot, on a fairly quiet street, has a detached large brick garage, the property itself has some great old trees and absolutely no landscaping (fresh slate).
It was a “can’t believe my luck” foreclosure deal so I purchased it for $120,000 CAD. I had it assessed today for mortgage purposes and it came in as $150,000 in the current condition. The real estate agent told me if I wanted to flip it he would put it on the market for 169,900 as soon as I cleaned and painted. That’s without the major cosmetic changes I intend to do.
A modest estimate for a 2-year period with the changes I intend to do (which are mostly labour intensive and not expensive) is $225,000 that’s from the real estate agent. The inspector and assessor both said $250,000.
This is my first house so I think in 2 years I’ll be doing pretty good to turn out a $100,000 profit. I’m doing everything on my own, so it’s scary but very exciting at the same time. I got this house after losing another one that I really wanted that my grandmother lived in at one time (she recently passed away) So I’ve been trying very hard not to get too excited the past 3 months as everything worked it’s way through with the lawyers, bank, current owner etc just in case it did not work out.
However now that it’s a done deal I’m completely stoked!! I was trying hard not to love this house as it really was just an investment, but I’m finding myself thinking of it with a little flutter in my heart, so I may end up keeping it and buying another house to flip.
I’ll be taking a lot of pictures because the place really is a mess, and I want to capture the changes as they take place. That and I may never get enough time to take pictures of anything else. =)
Hey can we have a remodeling challenge?
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08/18/2005 09:32:22 AM · #15 |
When's the house warming party???
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08/18/2005 10:10:58 AM · #16 |
That's how I got in on Cape Cod, one of the VERY inflated housing markets in America. My house was a derelict, 100-year-old Grange Hall, meeting place for the local farmers. It had served duty also as a Montessori school and a residence for motel and kitchen workers. The basic structure (post and beam) was sound & solid, but everything else was a wreck.
This is your basic bungalow, and we got in 2 years ago for under 200K, including finishing out the house. Current market value around 350K. Unusual house for around here in that although the outside is quite traditional, the inside is all open-plan, with the kitchen and living area all one big room with skylight and windows.
It's perfect for a deaf photographer :-)
You're gonna have some fun, dude!
Robt.
Message edited by author 2005-08-18 10:12:21.
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08/18/2005 10:22:22 AM · #17 |
| We bought our house for $319,00 in June 2004 and a similar house (w/o a finished basement) in our neighborhood is selling for $479,000. You can't go wrong with buying a house. Gotta love Northern, Virginia!... unless you are buying a house! |
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08/18/2005 10:37:37 AM · #18 |
Sheesh...we LOVE get buyers like you guys into our housing market. When I have clients from the NE, or West coast etc....y'all think you're getting a mansion for $300,000!! :)
Our home is 11 rooms, over 3,000 sq. feet (not counting the finished basement) and we bought it in 1999 for $146,000! We are currently remodeling master bath, entry hall and family room, and totally new kitchen. When that's all complete, market value should be about $195,000. We don't have the crazy rise in prices around here. It's one of the more affordable housing markets in the country, actually.
Congrats on the new home! I love being a Realtor and working with first time buyers. If they agree, my closing gift to them is to plan and completely take care of the house warming party. They give me the list of folks, and I do all the invites, food etc. It's nice for them and it's a good way for me to build business. |
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08/18/2005 10:57:35 AM · #19 |
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
The best investment I ever made was buying our home. If you get one in a desirable neighborhood you're golden. We bought in 1995 and our house is now valued at about 70% more than we bought it for! Our neighbors just sold for much higher than that (in one day on the market), so reality is even more rosey than the tax-grabbers'.
congrats |
70% in 10 years is your best investment? that's only 5.4% per annum...you need a new investment broker bro :)
just playin.
P
ps congratulations on the new house, Lindsey. Clever purchase. How's that working out for you?
Message edited by author 2005-08-18 10:58:39. |
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08/18/2005 12:21:11 PM · #20 |
March 2006 they say it should be done |
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08/18/2005 12:38:18 PM · #21 |
Originally posted by notonline:
When's the house warming party??? |
Official housewarming is January 2006 to be confirmed in December. That's my deadline for the major cosmetics.
Of course any nearby photographers that happen to be handy with a paint brush are more then welcome anytime. *grin* Hospitality will just be a little rough around the edges. |
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08/18/2005 12:38:52 PM · #22 |
Originally posted by Pedro:
ps congratulations on the new house, Lindsey. Clever purchase. How's that working out for you? |
Can I answer that in a couple of months? |
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08/18/2005 12:41:51 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by 4ROGGYCHEF:
March 2006 they say it should be done |
Hah, I didn't realize you were a chef, though the name does spell it out eh? I'm a retired chef myself. It was a second career after 25 years of photography.
Robt.
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08/18/2005 01:55:53 PM · #24 |
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
We closed on our house this morning at 9am! So welcome to the club.... it's not much, but here are some pics from a couple weeks ago when the building was finished.
OUR HOUSE
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