The Home Hunt
As some of you know, one of my big goals this fall is to find and purchase my first home. I’ve spent a lot of time getting my finances in order, learning about the process, and figuring out just what I’m looking for. And now, after six years of saving, I’m finally starting the hunt!
Today I went around with Kim, my real estate agent, to look at seven homes that I was interested in near my school. I’m mostly concerned with resale value, so all of these homes were moderately-priced, had at least three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and featured both a garage and a basement. Of the seven we looked at, four were easy to dismiss … and the other three were interesting for different reasons.
The first, a 3 bed 2 bath home in northern Sharonville, featured a big yard and tons of space indoors. It had a huge master suite and bathroom, some nice woods in the backyard, an above-ground pool, and was pretty close to CHCA. But it had some old siding, lots of years of living, and was in a neighborhood that didn’t seem very appealing. When I checked it out on the county auditor’s website, I found out that they were listing it $29,000 above the 2006 appraised value. But even though something didn’t sit well, I couldn’t quite cross it off of my list just yet.
The second, a ranch brick home in Loveland/Symmes Twp, featured a huge backyard and deck, a new kitchen and bath, and some nice woodwork. Rebekah (my sister-in-law) said that it would be a “safe” home … and Kim echoed this thought, explaining to me how nice ranch homes could be very popular, reselling well especially to older people. But it seemed cramped and had a terribly-designed basement, had some really high taxes (~$1500), and generally gave me the feeling that I’d spend most of my time in the backyard.
The third home, which seemed the most promising, was a tri-level home in the heart of Sharonville. It had mostly hardwood floors, more bathrooms, pretty spacious rooms, great curb appeal, really cheap taxes (~$500), and a few chances for easy updates and remodeling. It was a bit small, though, and the backyard went right up to the parking lot of a big church (I’d have to plant some big firs for privacy). Best of all, it was located in a fantastic neighborhood, within walking distance from a great community center and in a nice neighborhood with mostly bigger homes.
Because many of you have probably purchased a home before, I’m going to keep posting the details of my search online (at webel.net/home), hoping for some good advice and guidance throughout the search. Feel free to leave any comments or links that you feel might help. I’d really appreciate it!
