Finding a house sucks...

Even in Burlington homes aren't staying on the market long. PENDING signs up within days.
Yet the $/sf is 50% or more higher than we paid for our 3000sf home just last October.

We were going to down size but smaller homes had tiny kitchens and small TV rooms. [emoji6][emoji16][emoji38][emoji28][emoji1787]

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fishgutzy said:
Even in Burlington homes aren't staying on the market long. PENDING signs up within days.
Yet the $/sf is 50% or more higher than we paid for our 3000sf home just last October.

We were going to down size but smaller homes had tiny kitchens and small TV rooms. [emoji6][emoji16][emoji38][emoji28][emoji1787]

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
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We went to the Lennar homes and they had a two bedroom with the extra bedroom 10x10. It's ridiculous what they are passing off as a bedroom because the 10 x 10 doesn't include the 10-12 inches taken out for the closet.
 
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Lennar home...they used Chinese drywall that was making people sick from mold and gave off a nasty smell. Lots of lawsuits. I don't know if they ever stopped. I know this was a problem in Illinois and Florida...places my company does builder business. The builders talk.

Also, your father in law is your leverage. Find a house that good enough and then leverage his condition and the immediacy of his need against your wife's desire for the perfect house. That should make her bend a little.
 
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I fell in love with Zillow when we were looking. Saved a ton of time as we were able to cross houses off the list quickly if they didn’t check needed boxes without wasting time going to see them.
As said above, get a good agent to sell house. Ours was on the market for 24 hours before we had an offer 6,000 above asking price. We knew we wouldn’t get that because house wouldn’t appraise for that price but when the inspection list came back we told them we were only fixing a boot on the roof. Their agent freaked out but we had upper hand and 3-4 people that came through had made offers and they had to be out of their house quickly. We won..
 
Closing in on a contract for the house we found. I'll be moving away from my lawn man and will probably try it myself again. I'm debating finding a used riding mower vs a new self propelled push and when would be the time to buy.
 
I bought a Craigslist craftsman riding mower for a few hundred dollars. It lasted like 8 years.
My new place is smaller so I bought a new Honda for almost $600 alongIalong with the move. It's a nice mower. If I had room for a rider I would prefer that though.
Most of the new riders you see at the big box are JUNK. I had an Ariens for three years after the craftsman died. What a piece of crap. I had to replace all the bolts because they built it with self tapping bolts that would back out from their mounts and couldn't hold torque.
 
Cowboy said:
Closing in on a contract for the house we found. I'll be moving away from my lawn man and will probably try it myself again. I'm debating finding a used riding mower vs a new self propelled push and when would be the time to buy.
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@MCROADKING has a decent rider for sale.
 
LeeMajors said:
Gotcha
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Yeah I'm thinking self propelled maybe a Honda or something similar that will last. Do you have any recommendations? Northern tool has a nice Honda on sale for 409.00 with dual blade mulching and bagging. Then finding a blower and trimmer possibly used. Every now and then one will pop up here that looks new as well.
 
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Cowboy said:
Yeah I'm thinking self propelled maybe a Honda or something similar that will last. Do you have any recommendations? Northern tool has a nice Honda on sale for 409.00 with dual blade mulching and bagging. Then finding a blower and trimmer possibly used. Every now and then one will pop up here that looks new as well.
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Yeah anything with a Honda engine.
 
Cowboy said:
Yeah I'm thinking self propelled maybe a Honda or something similar that will last. Do you have any recommendations? Northern tool has a nice Honda on sale for 409.00 with dual blade mulching and bagging. Then finding a blower and trimmer possibly used. Every now and then one will pop up here that looks new as well.
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Masport mowers. Well built. Many models. Raise and lower all four shells at once. High priced than Lowe’s and Home Depot mowers but you get wheels that at will last much longer, a sturdy deck, quick mulch and bag capable. Ergonomics adjustable. Storing the mower takes less room with the system they use.
 
Cowboy said:
Yeah I'm thinking self propelled maybe a Honda or something similar that will last. Do you have any recommendations? Northern tool has a nice Honda on sale for 409.00 with dual blade mulching and bagging. Then finding a blower and trimmer possibly used. Every now and then one will pop up here that looks new as well.
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I know you. And listen to me when I say that a push mower is just a lark as you will be trading it in for a rider by mow #3.
 
You know if your feeling like you don't want to push a mower and you have the cash to invest in a cool system, check out the robotic mowers that work like a Roomba vacuum for you lawn. Those are awesome.
 
Cowboy said:
I've got a little over 1k to get some basics to start. I think I can find them all in that range if I'm smart about which ones to buy.
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true. I bought the "home owner" end not commercial landscaping end. Quite affordable. Our mower is a Husqu AWD model. Fine for a half acre or less lot.
 
Cowboy said:
I'll have .44 acres with a good chunk of it having trees.
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Then the Husquvarna mower, Stihl leaf blower and weed whacker will fit in your $1K budget with room to spare. Could even throw in a Stihl 16" chain saw for tree trimming or cutting thin trees out so the older tree have more breathing room.
 
Man these people are being A-holes. We have found a few repairs we want made. The current owner got all pissed off because Tuesday we went and did a bunch of measurements while the home inspection was going on. The guy is 78 and yelled at his realtor saying we didn't take our shoes off or have mask and gloves on none if which were requested on the mls. Then said I have it all on video so it's true. Which it wasn't. Then today went back with the A/C guy to do an inspection. Toward the end the A/C guy went into the house to put the thermostat back on the right settings. He stood at the door yelling hello hello then the man comes around the corner naked wanting to know WTF was taking so long and asking him questions. Poor guy came out of the house kind of in shock and asked me if the guy really even wanted to sell the house. Just crazy.
 
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Cowboy said:
Man these people are being A-holes. We have found a few repairs we want made. The current owner got all pissed off because Tuesday we went and did a bunch of measurements while the home inspection was going on. The guy is 78 and yelled at his realtor saying we didn't take our shoes off or have mask and gloves on none if which were requested on the mls. Then said I have it all on video so it's true. Which it wasn't. Then today went back with the A/C guy to do an inspection. Toward the end the A/C guy went into the house to put the thermostat back on the right settings. He stood at the door yelling hello hello then the man comes around the corner naked wanting to know WTF was taking so long and asking him questions. Poor guy came out of the house kind of in shock and asked me if the guy really even wanted to sell the house. Just crazy.
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Sorry you've got to work with a seller that's got a bur under his saddle. My realtor always tried to see to it that the homeowner is out while inspections are happening. Maybe that's worth a try? Here's hoping for smoother sailing going forward.
 
Timfoilhat said:
Sorry you've got to work with a seller that's got a bur under his saddle. My realtor always tried to see to it that the homeowner is out while inspections are happening. Maybe that's worth a try? Here's hoping for smoother sailing going forward.
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That's what happened Tuesday and he was watching on the surveillance cameras he has throughout the house to watch his mentally handicapped son. These people accused the home inspector of scratching their end table when he put his radon detector on it. Wanted 1500.00 for it the first call then 2k second call. We won't go back again until final walk through so it's ok.
 
When my kids are all old and out, we are selling and buying a townhouse or condo. I will sell as-is. I effing hate haggling, negotiations, fix this/fix that. If the the market then is what it is now I will still make $100,000, even if I low-ball the price as a condition to sell as-is. I LOATHE buying/selling homes.
 
Chuckman said:
When my kids are all old and out, we are selling and buying a townhouse or condo. I will sell as-is. I effing hate haggling, negotiations, fix this/fix that. If the the market then is what it is now I will still make $100,000, even if I low-ball the price as a condition to sell as-is. I LOATHE buying/selling homes.
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Right there with you.
Trying to sell a house that's 14 hours away is not advised. I only did it as a condition of getting out of freaking Illinois. The inspector on that sale found a small gas leak near the furnace and reported it tot he gas company. Gas Co shut us off and locked the meter. On a vacant house. In December. In Illinois. Makes you think God's watching out for you when that same weekend it stays above freezing outside. When we learned what had happened, and how we could have had a house full of busted pipes we freaked. Nobody needs that kind f stress in their life ever.
 
Selling a house is the biggest pain in the patootie that a man can imagine.
I have had people walk across my freshly cleaned carpet with dirty shoes also.
Leave doors open (exterior) and lights on, its tough especially when you have to have it picture perfect every time someone wants to take a gander.
 
Timfoilhat said:
Wait, he was charging you to have the house inspected? WTF?
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No the home owner is trying to say my inspector scratched their end table. On his first phone call to HIS realtor he said it cost him $1500. His second phone call to HIS realtor he said it cost him $2k.

My home inspection was $450.00
 
Cowboy said:
No the home owner is trying to say my inspector scratched their end table. On his first phone call to HIS realtor he said it cost him $1500. His second phone call to HIS realtor he said it cost him $2k.

My home inspection was $450.00
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If he keeps on you about the table check out an outfit called Furniture Medic. They can fix wood furniture to better than new and it costs next to nothing.
 
I honestly believe these people a frucking nuts. They have refused any and all repairs we have asked for. It is so bad that their realtor is offering to pay for a home warranty out of their own money. We haven't asked for anything besides an A/C to be serviced which was under warranty.
 
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