own my own place

I’d love to be able to replace “place” with “house,” but as anyone who lives in New Jersey knows, this is a pretty difficult task. I’m hoping to buy a condo at some point in 2010, new job/career pending. I’d like to be in some sort of negotiation by April, so I can take advantage of that first-time-buyer rebate thing that the government has been handing out.

1. Strengthen my credit.
2. Determine how much I can afford, and how much I’ll likely be able to borrow.
3. Find out what ratios lenders are using to determine if I qualify for a loan.
4. Calculate my expected housing expenses.
5. Get pre-approved (not pre-qualified) to get the actual amount I can pay.
6. Check out first-time buyers’ programs
7. Go house shopping.
8. Sign up for an MLS (Multiple Listing Service) alert service to search on properties in my area so I can get a feeling for what is on the market in my price range.
9. Find a good real estate agent to represent me in the search and negotiation process.
10. Define the area I’d like to live in.
11. Visit a few open houses to gauge what’s on the market and see firsthand what I want.
12. Make an offer.
13. Include earnest money with my offer
14. Close escrow.
15. Consider using a real-estate lawyer to review closing documents and represent me at closing.

WOw so now I have my own place!
It costs a lot more then I thought it would.
I currently have a savings account and a list of all the things in order that I want to fix or buy. I have thus far repainted the walls, and changed the faceplates. I have also added a curved shower bar, and refinished some furniture. Left on my list are a drier, a table and chairs, a new bed and frame, and a new chandelier.
My new air conditioner is on its way tonight so that will cool the place down ALOT ( it was 83 in there when I got home and I am used to sleeping in 72 degrees).

Today I have an appointment at the Lawyer’s office to sign and put the down payment up for my new condo.. then I will officially own my own place.

I recently got kicked out of my apartment ( Landlord’s son moved back to the city, so I am OUT) which totally lit a fire under my butt to find a place.
I found a GORGEOUS condo that had the specific thing I was looking for: Hard WOod FLOORS!!!
I love it!
I am planning on painting the walls right away before I move in.
There are so many things to do… but the first is to sign it all and make it official!
I have my financing in place, now I am just waiting on the lawyers to draw up the official papers, and then I will officially own my own place!

Smoky joe lives beneath me… he smokes ALL THE TIME!! So my apartment CONSTANTLY smells like smoke… man I gotta get out of this place, it is turning me into a negative grouchy persona nd that is so not me!

Alright, so I have had some time to cool off. Stepping back and looking at the whole situation:
It would have been a really great condo, so I am still pretty disappointed, but in reality I had next to no down payment and really little or no money to fix it up. I would have had to rely heavily on my parents and I dont want to stress them out with my house. I would like to do the money part of this on my own (My dad and brother will help me put the floor in and what not…).
SO I have added a new goal, and that is to save $5000 by June so that I will have a more sizable down payment and will therefore be able to get a better condo!

Well, I made the offer today and was flat out REJECTED!!! No counter offer, nothing!! It was a good offer, sort of low, but that’s to be expected, that is the beauty of the counter offer!!!
But NO NOTHING!!!
Ridiculous!!!
The seller even said right out that she wouldn’t accept anything less then 113… she LISTED IT AT 110!!!!
I am unbelievably disappointed.. I really think that this spring the markets will rise again and that I will be priced out of the market, only to enter this vicious cycle where I work hard and get promoted in time to see the markets rise again and to see me once again priced out of the market…
RAGE!
Now would be a good time to work on my goal of taking up kickboxing…

Well I made my first offer, on my first ever CONDO!!!!
I will hear if they accept or counter by tomorrow!!!
I am Terrified and Excited at the same time!
This will take a lot of money, but it will also take a lot of growing up for me! I’m so used to spending money however I want, but now I have to budget and plan!
Oh well! Here is to growing up!

Well I got a new FULL TIME PERMANANT job!! it’s so awsome! And with that I got re-approved for a mortgage. I have a real estate agent and have even been to check out a few condos. None were my style so far, too closed in, but I am hopeful!