My boyfriend and I made the decision in March to buy a home. We had been renting an apartment for several years, and it just didn't make sense to keep putting money into a rental. Especially when we could buy a home for such a reasonable price now, so.... we started looking. And looking. And looking...
We had a very strict budget, and it was incredibly difficult to find what we wanted within that budget. Every house had some issue-- the price was too high, the taxes were too high, the neighborhood was not pleasant, there was a gaping hole in the roof.
After six months of searching, we finally found a house that needed a tremendous amount of work to remodel the kitchen. The previous owners were thoughtful enough to start the job and leave it only half finished. In spite of this, we loved everything else about the home and decided to make an offer on the property.
Just as we were walking out the door to sign the paperwork, my real estate agent called me and excitedly proclaimed, "There's a house that came on the market this morning, it's exactly what you want! Let's go look at it before you make the offer on the other property." We reluctantly agreed. We had already resigned ourselves to purchasing the house that needed the repairs.
When we arrived at the house, it was fantastic! Absolutely everything on our list, within our price range! We immediately made a full priced offer on the house. We knew it was going to sell quickly. The bank accepted within a week and we closed within 30 days. We have now lived here for six months, and love every single day. It pays to be patient and not settle!
Understanding how credit scores work is the beginning of the mortgage process. Know your credit scores before you apply for a mortgage. Many free details found on this page.
