Buying a house soon.Follow

Well Zam, I started on this forum as a 14 yr-old wise ***. Who trolled and flame warred as much as possible.

However, now I'm 22 and I have a family my own. I'm looking into either buying a house, renting to own, or buying land and building a home. I'm looking for some feedback from the masses on what my compatriots of zam think on these three which is the smarter option on a 35k a yr salary, and what should I look for in a house, seeing as how the best I've lived in up to now is a crappy two bedroom apartment...

Thanks in advance.

In the US, you can get a fixed rate mortgage, where the interest rate remains the same over the life of the mortgage, but there are also adjustable rate mortgages where the interest is fixed for a period of time, after which it changes. Since I've never had a mortgage myself, I don't know how "negotiable" that adjusted rate is, but it sounds similar to how you describe Canadian mortgages.

Sure, so long as it fits into the local ordinances. You know, like having to have 20% brick, or no driveway lights, or some other stupid thing.

I live in the US more specifically in northwestern Ohio.

Colorful beads, actually.

If you purchase a house, remember that you want a fixed rate mortgage, not an adjustable rate (ARM).

Well this has been informative and hilarious all in one go.

Kudos, OoT.

If you are buying a house in a geographic region above the Tropic of Cancer, then you want the main windows of the house to face South. No this isn't some New age or Feng Shui crap. If the windows facing south start at the floor, or close to the floor, and there's at least a small ledge some height above the windows, then the rooms will be flooded with sunlight in Winter, and the Sun will be excluded in Summer. This will add enormously to the comfort and pleasure of the house, while keeping your heating and cooling bills smaller.

I'd go full out in installing roof insulation, like that space station thin silvery stuff I'm sorry I don't know the name of. If you don't go with bricks or rammed earth, insulate the walls.

DOWN LIGHTS USE A CRAP TON OF ELECTRICITY. I don't know if LED lights are available yet, but I believe they are efficient (low running costs) look into it.

Think about everyone's most important wants/needs. Shelter for the car/s? A bath? Especially with young kids, a bath? A separate toilet somewhere from the bathroom so that guests can go? Who does the ironing, and where would they like to be when they do it? We used to have a pull-down ironing board on a cupboard door in the lounge room, so the ironer could watch TV. Lots and lots of cupboard space? Using an architect will usually add at least 15% to the value of your house, but most architects don't put in enough cupboard space. Insist the architect put in cupboard space as well as wardrobe space.

Do you want the kids to be using their computers in a main living area so you can monitor their net activity and you can help them easier with their homework? Or do you want them to have quiet private study areas in their bedrooms? having a window in front of an often used desk, especially a computer desk, can be very protective of eye-sight, as your eyes get a chance to change focal distances from the screen to out the window.

Is the houseblock in a flood plain? Do you want to raise the house off the ground in case of floods? considered a ramp as well as steps? Building on a cement base can keep houses warm, but putting a house up on stumps can keep it cool. Find out more about the insulating qualities of both options. Also, verandas and porches are surprisingly insulating. If you can afford it, wrap some as far round the house as you can.

Are you morning people or evening people? what do you do in the mornings? Put those rooms on the East. What do you do in the evenings? put those rooms on the west.

Steel frames for houses are insect proof, but the more metal around, the more electronic unfriendly your hose will be, and it might interfere with cell phone reception. Will insects/termites be an issue in your area? Is there ANY? chance of snow in your area? Might there be with all the wild weather changes recently? You'll want a very steeply pitched roof then. Otherwise, plants on roofs have been proved to drasticly reduce the heat roofs collect and radiate back out.

Are you worried about the stability of electricity supply in your area? Remember, never ever put an electric generator in-doors, if they leak, everyone will die in their sleep. Solar panels are getting cheaper, look into any government deals on installing them, or in the electric grid buying solar generated excess electricity from you. Is it a drought prone area? A water tank can be made into a garden feature, or tucked away discreetly. How pricey is a good water filter system to make it safe? Do you want to harvest your grey water from sinks and washing machines to run out onto the garden?

Deciduous trees will be cooling in Summer, and let light in in Winter. If you leave the leaves on the ground, they'll break down into more topsoil. If you plant plants indigenous to the area, you'll get birds and critters. Much better to give them plants to eat from than feeding them with a feeder, which attracts aggressive birds and critters. Spiky, dense shrubs around the perimeter will encourage a lot of wildlife and keep them safe from cats and predators.

Do you want family pets? Fence in a yard for them and the kids? If you install a basketball hoop, make sure it's on a sturdy pole that is very securely cemented into the ground.

Edited, Mar 27th 2012 2:40pm by Aripyanfar

If you build your own house I highly recommend using closed-cell spray foam insulation instead of the traditional fiberglass stuff. The spray foam is a little more expensive, but in the long run it works a lot better and will help keep heating and cooling costs down.

Well, based on his current account name, I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and guess he's weedjedi. Around 900 posts from 2005 to 2009.

The original, I think was banned.

If you have a home built, you know everything is brand new. If you buy an older home, some older homes are built better than newer ones. Either way, pay for an inspection if you buy an older home.

And if you end up buying the house even knowing all its blemishes, you can sometimes negotiate to have the sellers pay for the inspection or in cases of egregious issues, have them pay for the repair. Our seller (the bank) had to pay to fix some electrical issues because the house was considered unfit to sell as-was.

Closest thing I could find to reading names...