Going to look at a house tomorrow.

Andrew_Dzikoski

Well I may soon be a home owner and I figure since I help all of you guys out with cigar advice some of you might have some first time buyer advice?

pross

Hire a good home inspector, and never believe the term "move in condition". It doesn't matter how nice it is, your wife will want to change it.

RBeckom

Check the foundation first.
Look for dirt filled cracks or dirt tunnels rising from the ground.
Termites.
Don't be afraid to get dirty because 80% of home problems can be found from under the house.
Of course if it has a concrete slab floor, ignore all that I have said.
I have over thirty years of repairing homes, so I am not just writing for the exercise.
Good luck!

RBeckom

pross:

Hire a good home inspector, and never believe the term "move in condition". It doesn't matter how nice it is, your wife will want to change it.

+1

Bigshizza

pross:

Hire a good home inspector, and never believe the term "move in condition". It doesn't matter how nice it is, your wife will want to change it.

Yep.. A good and thorough inspection is needed along with a real estate agent that listens to you and conveys deadlines in a timely manner. Give the agent parameters and think of questions, take pictures etc.. Talk to the neighbors if you're putting an offer down. Good luck Andy keeps us updated!!

[Deleted User]

Congratulations Andrew. Be thorough and have it fully inspected as stated above. Look for any signs of water damage in the ceilings as walks and foundation. All great advice so far.

Gray4lines

Congrats Andy!! That is exciting.

buy within your means; know your budget and stick to it. It's scary how some people will commit to maybe 100k, and end up in a 200k house. Debt is not fun...my dad is a banker, lol!

Im sure you know ab inspections and whatnot... know what youre purchasing.

I think it's still a buyers market (depending on your area)... also, if you are a responsible borrower banks should be very willing to lend! (They need the biz) Its a great time to lock in a low rate, thanks to the Fed's operation twist.

Oh and no walk in humi is a deal breaker..... :P

Andrew_Dzikoski

Thanks guys! I am worried the place seems like a too good to be true tpe of situation. If nothing is in too rough of a shape I plan on putting in an offer and then getting an inspection to see if theres anything really bad. Luckily I have alot of contractor friends who will work for beer so long as I pay for the materials.

beatnic

Get pre-approved and put down 20%. Its' not easy to do, but well worth it.

Dark_Roast

Congratulations. If you are looking at older house Make sure you know age of HVAC, water heater, windows, insulation, wiring, plumbing and roof. A lot of the originals may have been replaced which is always a plus. If not the cost to replace can be expensive and if they are older but seem to be in good shape just remember they might need replacement sooner than later. Good Luck and have fun.

Dark_Roast

beatnic:

Get pre-approved and put down 20%. Its' not easy to do, but well worth it.

+1

webmost

Consider the commute. Where's your traffic, sun glare, scenery, congestion? You'll be running this route twice a day for a long long time.

Meet your neighbors before you buy.

Is there a neighborhood association?

Are there children the age of yours?

Where will you shop?

In other words, it's not just the house itself.

Rail_Jockey

Andy, as my personal Cigar.com rep, i wanted to take the time, and tell you make sure you and your real estate agent are both present at the inspection. walk side by side with the inspectors, and what ever you do, do not let the inspector "fly through the house" make him take the time and tell you everything he is doing. as for your realtor, the reason i like them going with me, is because they notice things you may not. in the past 5 years, i have bought 4 homes. (move with my company) and i have learned a lot. also get everything in writing that needs to be repaired, and if your state works with a lawyer, make sure they do their job and fight for you, because trust me, people will screw their on mom and dad on selling a home. check all the electrical, plumbing, check the dishwasher, toilets, foundation, open and close all the doors, windows, turn on and off all lights, ect, you get the point, and take your time.....but most of all, if your real estate agent, lawyer, if used, and home inspector are not doing what YOU want, don't hesitate to tell them your the boss and they work for you. they may not like to hear this, but i have had to do it before......out of everyone that has their hands out for money during a real estate transaction, i would say 99 percent of they do not give two SH!TS about you. if you are fortunate enough to have a great real estate agent as I have in the Chicago area, your lucky, because most of them act great and they have your best interest at heart, but all they really want if your money.....Good luck, and make sure you post pictures of the new house when you do, and you know your going to have to have a great cigar deal for everyone to celebrate your new home! haha

Rail_Jockey

webmost:

Consider the commute. Where's your traffic, sun glare, scenery, congestion? You'll be running this route twice a day for a long long time.

Meet your neighbors before you buy.

Is there a neighborhood association?

Are there children the age of yours?

Where will you shop?

In other words, it's not just the house itself.

one more thing...my wife and i always do the following when we buy a new house: drive through in the morning between 6 and 9, drive by in the evening between 6 and 9, and then drive through on a friday or saturday night between 1 and 3 am. if you do this you can really see what the neighborhood is like. because some of the nicest homes we didn't buy was because of what kind of rift raft was out listening to the loud music in their cars at 2:30 in the morning.

Rail_Jockey

webmost:

Consider the commute. Where's your traffic, sun glare, scenery, congestion? You'll be running this route twice a day for a long long time.

Meet your neighbors before you buy.

Is there a neighborhood association?

Are there children the age of yours?

Where will you shop?

In other words, it's not just the house itself.

one more thing...my wife and i always do the following when we buy a new house: drive through in the morning between 6 and 9, drive by in the evening between 6 and 9, and then drive through on a friday or saturday night between 1 and 3 am. if you do this you can really see what the neighborhood is like. because some of the nicest homes we didn't buy was because of what kind of rift raft was out listening to the loud music in their cars at 2:30 in the morning.

Ken_Light

Andy, all of this is great advice. But don't forget what might perhaps be the most over-said and under-appreciated advice in real estate: location, location, location. It's very easy to get wrapped up in the condition of the home, and you should. But look at the surrounding neighborhood and the condition of those houses, proximity to schools, proximity to highways, walking distance to a main street or town...all of that. Then make sure you get a great inspector.

ddubridge

+ 1 on the get everything in writing. Make sure all the repairs post inspection are up to your standards and with quality products you approved and got in writing before the deal is done. ie and in my case the seller agreed to replace all the windows in the house with a certain type of window. We stated in our offer that the windows need to be replace but did not state the brand agreed on. We got screwed in the end. the new windows suck and were not put in by a professional(at least I hope they werent put in by a professional).

Andrew_Dzikoski

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2447-S-5th-St_Allentown_PA_18103_M37184-49774 This is the place I'm looking at the deal seems far to good to be true but all of the thing my contractor buddy said to watch out for should have been made before other things like updating wiring before putting in central air. My biggest concerns are foundation issues, knob and tube wiring, lead paint somewhere in the house, asbestos somewhere on the pipes and the fact that I gave you all the chance for a house warming bomb if I buy the place.

Martel

1 bath...would be a deal breaker in my family of 4. I don't know how they did it in the old days; they certainly didn't read on the pot.

Roberto99

Andrew Dzikoski:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2447-S-5th-St_Allentown_PA_18103_M37184-49774 This is the place I'm looking at the deal seems far to good to be true but all of the thing my contractor buddy said to watch out for should have been made before other things like updating wiring before putting in central air. My biggest concerns are foundation issues, knob and tube wiring, lead paint somewhere in the house, asbestos somewhere on the pipes and the fact that I gave you all the chance for a house warming bomb if I buy the place.

Good luck Andy! About the only advice I can add is look at the door frames and doors to see if they are still fitting properly and look for cracks in the sheetrock in places like over door frames etc. These might be signs of house settling / foundation issues.

[Deleted User]

The original hardwood, brick work inside, and those beams are really nice.

Amos_Umwhat

Great advice above, all I can add is "due diligence". In these times of debt, there have been situations where a buyer closes, then finds out later that there was some unmentioned lien on the house. Oh, and set up a fund for repairs, you'll either be doing them yourself, or paying for it, no landlord to call. Good luck!

Andrew_Dzikoski

Thanks for all the advice guys. I feel pretty safe knowing my agent he has been a family friend for over 15 years I'm sure he will do his research on any liens and what not. As to any repairs so long as its nothing critical like major foundation flaw or something. I can do any electrical or plumbing work my self.

Gray4lines

Great looking house! Good luck

bearb

WOW! Andy, took a quick look and that place looks awesome buddy. Off to a hockey tourney with son, or I'd post some more comments...but great advice thus far and nothing in those pics indicates obvious deficiencies. A few things (like the way they exposed the stone wall for the addition, actually indicate to me, that they knew what they were doing...as opposed to trying to hide stuff). And while i dont know american prices...that 2300 ft2 house here, done up with .32 acres would have a 3 or 4 in front the price!!! WOW!

jgibv

RBeckom:

Check the foundation first.
Look for dirt filled cracks or dirt tunnels rising from the ground.
Termites.

+1
If the foundation is not good, you will be looking at a costly repair bill somewhere down the road. Period.

But if the foundation is solid, then you have (almost) nothing to worry about.
Because relatively speaking, any other issues you may find could be fixed easier and cheaper ...

If your first (few) walk throughs go well, and you like it and decide to make an offer, when you get to the home inspection stage --- pross' advice is paramount.

pross:

Hire a good home inspector, and never believe the term "move in condition". It doesn't matter how nice it is, your wife will want to change it.

Can't +1 this enough....
Review your home inspector, get feedback from other folks who have used him before. And make sure he's knowledgeable about home's of that age.
A 1940s home was built differently than a 1990s home --- so if he usually looks at homes built in 1990, he may miss something while reviewing a home of this age.

Also, yes --- no such thing as "move in ready" --- you will be changing something within the first 6 months ... I'll bet you a 5-er of smokes if you think otherwise, LOL.


Last couple thoughts:
Look at the floor plan and the lot --- you can not (easily) change those two things --- so if you're happy with the layout of the house, and you're happy with the area and the size/shape of the yard --- then go for it.

Best of luck!!!

jadelt

Andrew Dzikoski:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2447-S-5th-St_Allentown_PA_18103_M37184-49774 This is the place I'm looking at the deal seems far to good to be true but all of the thing my contractor buddy said to watch out for should have been made before other things like updating wiring before putting in central air. My biggest concerns are foundation issues, knob and tube wiring, lead paint somewhere in the house, asbestos somewhere on the pipes and the fact that I gave you all the chance for a house warming bomb if I buy the place.

Is that an already existing "Man Cave" in the back yard????? Looks like a great place ! Good luck !

Dark_Roast

Andy that house has a ton of character and individuality. I love older homes because they were not built cookie cutter style like a lot of newer neighborhood houses. Good Luck.

Andrew_Dzikoski

jadelt:

Andrew Dzikoski:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2447-S-5th-St_Allentown_PA_18103_M37184-49774 This is the place I'm looking at the deal seems far to good to be true but all of the thing my contractor buddy said to watch out for should have been made before other things like updating wiring before putting in central air. My biggest concerns are foundation issues, knob and tube wiring, lead paint somewhere in the house, asbestos somewhere on the pipes and the fact that I gave you all the chance for a house warming bomb if I buy the place.

Is that an already existing "Man Cave" in the back yard????? Looks like a great place ! Good luck !

It's will be my house the whole place will be a man cave.

phobicsquirrel

Andrew Dzikoski:

jadelt:

Andrew Dzikoski:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2447-S-5th-St_Allentown_PA_18103_M37184-49774 This is the place I'm looking at the deal seems far to good to be true but all of the thing my contractor buddy said to watch out for should have been made before other things like updating wiring before putting in central air. My biggest concerns are foundation issues, knob and tube wiring, lead paint somewhere in the house, asbestos somewhere on the pipes and the fact that I gave you all the chance for a house warming bomb if I buy the place.

Is that an already existing "Man Cave" in the back yard????? Looks like a great place ! Good luck !

It's will be my house the whole place will be a man cave.

Wow, under 70 grand!!!! Man I paid like 217 for my house, just over 2400 square feet. I looked for houses under 200k and most were in the 160-180's with like 1200 or so sq feet. Houses are too damn expensive around me. Your lucky. Looks like a nice house. And for that price you could really fix it up too! As far as inspections go, they usually just do the basics. I just bought my house in Jan and it sort of sucks how a lot of the inspection is all on you. There's the basic, but then you have to get all the special inspectors if you want things to be rather specific. Sounds like you know people that can help you with that stuff so you'll be okay I would think. I don't know many people in the know about houses. My expertise is electrical so I was good with that but everything else I had to get the experts.

Martel

jgibv:

Last couple thoughts:
Look at the floor plan and the lot --- you can not (easily) change those two things --- so if you're happy with the layout of the house, and you're happy with the area and the size/shape of the yard --- then go for it.

Best of luck!!!

I second this. If there's no furniture in the house when you look at it, bring a bunch of cardboard boxes, broken down, big ones. Set them up where your furniture might go and walk around. Go from couch to kitchen, couch to bathroom. Bed to bathroom. Etc. It's really hard to tell what the travel areas might be until you live there a while. Our last house was a pain because the only really good place for the TV had people walking in front of it all the time to get to a half bath or the kitchen or the front door, depending. The boxes would have helped us realize we couldn't really put it anywhere else. They also helped us realize that our "large" kitchen wasn't so large after all because there wasn't a lot of useable space for extra storage and prep areas since it was oddly shaped.