posted
Well, I'm buying a house. Tiff and I are pre-approved and spent the whole weekend looking in Shakopee, Savage, and Chaska. We have decided on Chaska because it's such a beautiful town, it's far enough out of the cities, but still close enough. The homes are great, the area is great, etc etc...
Anyone have any advice for me? I'm a first time home buyer, so any advice will help. We're looking at some brand new homes that would be custom built for us, or some homes that were built in the 90's, but are very nice.
Anything that you wish you knew when you first bought your first house will help me immensely...
Also, because of this expensive endeavour, I will not be coming to the Monday night card games anymore. I'm sure you guys understand. I have about a 5% chance of actually winning money at those games, and as much as I enjoy it, it's like paying $40 to get beat at cards...and that shit adds up.
I enjoy the fun games where money isn't the primary object (like this weekend will be) but I'm out Monday nights.
posted
With my style of play I couldnt aford thoes monday nights either.
Since it sounds like you will have a new home things should be fairly straight forward. There are some tips that help alot. 1st do everything in your power to not have PMI. Either put 20% down in any way possible or, refinance within a year to get rid of it as your house will increase in value alot in the first year while your development is finished and fills up. Plus its always worth more than you pay.
HVAC - Furnaces and central air have advanced alot over the past 10 years. 13 or better seer a/c condensing units (the outside box) will save you money in the long run. 2-4 fans speed furnaces also save money. High efficiency furnaces are also cost saving units. Of course they all cost more but you will get paid back within 5-10 years on utility bills. Carrier and Trane are good manufacturers of residental equipment.
Plumbing - PRESSURE ASSIST ELONGATED BOWL TOILETS UNLESS YOU LIKE PLUNGING AND CLEANING TOILETS EVERY TIME YOU USE THEM. WATER HEATERS ARE ALSO A GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR TYPE OF DEAL. PAY MORE NOW YOU WILL BE HAPPY LATER. 60 gal minimum. I will be putting no less than an 80 gallon unit in any house i buy. Also spen the extra money and get a full water softening and filtration system from kinetico. Best stuff you can buy and well worth the investment. You will save some in electricity and salt costs with a kinetico water softerner. T
ry to get a lot where they are not going to have to do alot of soil corrections aka pile up a bunch of dirt to put your house on. No mater how well they do it your house will settle and walls, floors, ceilings, block, and concrete will all develop cracks. If possible increase your footing depth from code minimum to 5 feet.
Have the whole house wired for extra phone lines WITH cat5 plugs and coaxial wall plugs too. I would even think about wiring for surround sound RCA as part of construction. You'll thank yourself later. Mainly because it's much cheaper to put all that cable in all the rooms you will ever think of needing them in (including the garage and master bathroom) now than later by a cable company.
My next garage will be at least a 3 car with a minimum of two of the stalls two cars deep. But this may be a personal preference since i collect vehicles like bad habits.
I have a whole list at home for my next house that i will be doing. That is all i can think of for now.
posted
If buying an old (read not newly built) house get the best home inspector you can hire. Look at and buy it in the winter if possible if there is icedamming it will be evident. Make sure the attic is well vented and the roof never gets above freezing in the winter or you will have icedamming.
posted
Chad has great advice. I will agree 100% about getting an inspector to really look at the condition of a pre-built house. If you build – wire the shit out of it with cat 5 everywhere. Storage space is also something to think about when you are planning a house. I know I have run out and need to come up with a plan on where to store all my shit. Outside storage is especially important if you someday might get a boat of trailer.
Financially, Chad is also correct – avoid mortgage insurance at all costs. Put 20% down at a minimum – borrow from your parents or savings or wherever. If you purchase soon I would defiantly go with a fixed rate mortgage because rates are rising. Variable rates are great if rates are falling but not when they are headed up. Consider the extra payment a year options where you make a payment once every two weeks instead of once a month. In the end it will save you several years if you go with a 30yr and a few on a 15yr. Make sure to reasonably predict your utilities cost before you decide on a 30/15yr mortgage. Natural gas is way up the last couple years. Here is what I pay for utilities per month:
Electricity $100 winter $200 summer Gas $150 winter $20 summer Sewer/water $30 a month Garbage $20 a month Tele $25 Cable/Internet $100+
Posts: 5484 | From: St. Paul, Mn | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Boon what part of chaska are you looking? I know I live more tward down town chaska and as the saying goes shit does roll down hill specially in this town. If your looking in "Jonathon" your going to have an association fees every year too, but the neighborhoods are nice for the most part. You'll also have alot of really annoying restrictions though as well. If you come closer to down town chaska around the community center and engler blvd area you'll find nice homes that don't fall into the jonathon critic. When it comes to buying in chaska I'd say look for something between down town and Jonathon and you'll find what your looking for. If you have any questions about Chaska let me know, I can pretty much tell you where you'll have mexicans running you over to where the yuppys get mad if you have 3 cars in your drive way
Posts: 208 | From: Chaska MN | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
Yes i forgot that ARM = Adjustable Rate Mordgage is derived from the latin term Anal Rapus Maximus. Unless you bought 2 years ago and were to sell today it will much more expensive than a fixed rate morgage.
Posts: 2331 | From: Rosemount | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
With the rates rising again, the new flavor of the week is interest only loans. You only pay the interest on your house and then rely on the property value to increase enough for you to make a profit when you sell.
-------------------- Gisel, I was looking at the picture page and I do have to admit, you look pretty good for a gaming female. Having said that, don't expect any sympathy when we meet on the battlefield. I am a fighter first, lover second. Posts: 2220 | From: Prescott, WI, USA | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
Look at the end of Valley View Rd (the Cul-de-sac) and I believe it was 1441 or 1414. Anyhow, my family built that house and I lived there for several years - it was a very nice area at the time...
Posts: 559 | From: Blaine, MN | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
Great News!! CONGRATS!! I believe you will be MUCH happier in Chanhassen than Chaska (although you may appear to be snobs living in "chanhassen" but you'll get over it!) Let us know if you have any Prince sightings!
-------------------- Clinton '08!!!! Posts: 211 | From: Shakopee, MN | Registered: Aug 2004
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boon that's the nieghborhood right between 5 and Lyman blvd. on the west side of 101 correct? nice place you'll see me drive by twice daily on my way to work pretty much and if you need anything on your car done you can bring it to us if you want. we're right on 5 and great plaines blvd. about a mile from your new place.
As for Prince sightings we work on all of his and Paisley parks vehicals. I have never seen the lil fella in person he has crony's do everything for him. But I can show you where he live's if you want
Posts: 208 | From: Chaska MN | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
Nice place Boon. Good location, considering its only a few miles from Canterbury.
-------------------- It doesn't get any more serious than a Rhinocerus about to charge your ass. Posts: 1053 | From: Apple Valley, MN | Registered: Sep 2001
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I can't wait to have you all over for a football party or something...
Chad, yes, the deck is huge, and it has a patio. You walk out from the kitchen to the deck, or go down 4 stairs and walk out from the living room to the patio.
Luke, yes, I'm very close to Cantebury, and also to Hazeltine. I just took Tiff to the driving range on Sunday and taught her how to swing a golf club...not bad for a first time!
Mikey, yes, 100% move-in-able. We have a bunch of updates planned for the next 5-10 years that will help us re-sell it for a lot more.
Matress, yes, I think it's west of 101, south of 5, north of the road that 101 essentially turns into... Cool, I'll bring my new car in and you can help me with a couple things I want to do to it. Hey, how is the traffic in the mornings? On 5? On 41N? How's traffic in rush hour?
Thanks Klaus, I'll be taking you up on the moving offer. But I'm sure when the time comes we won't need too much help.
Thanks Go Flamin Amy Jo Go!
Prince lives in Chanhassen?
Now it's just a matter of waiting another 2 months!
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the morning commute I'm not to sure of yet, but I know that the evening commute coming out of the city's heading west on 5 sucks. It normally takes about 20-30 min. to get from praire center drive to 101. that will get better in the when they finish with 312. 41 can be a pain in the ass period anything going north chan is congested due to everything is mainly 1 lane each way, specially when you get up to lake minnetonka. if you need to head to the cities our best bet is to get to 169 or 100 and go up during rush hr if you can and use that route.
Chans not as all the yuppy. its more so than chaska but that's about it jusr less trash is the best way to think about it. So very nice resturants that you can get a drink and a meal for a good price. You have a number of resturants and bars just down town from your place. I'd recommend the following places.
Chipolta- big ass burrito for 5 bucks bet you can't eat 2
Hulohanns- their colossal blt is about 9 bucks but the sandwich its self has about a lbs of bacon on it and just that Colossal
Axel's- they serve all kinds of food at happy hour for free. nice atmosphere
Chan legion- Good food, good prices, even better people
Buffalo wild wings - Need I say more. Cheap Wings, beer, and alot of sports on the tvs
All these places have patio's for the summer and great service. I've become very particular to chan sence I've worked up there and got a feel for the community. I'm sure that you and Tiff will love living there
posted
Well, most of you know what happened with the last house, so I won't go into great detail.
For those who don't know, we had an inspector go through and he found big problems with the Chanhassen house. So, we cancelled and decided to start from scratch.
We looked at 20 houses on Sunday and were really impressed by one right in Chaska. Matress, I don't know what you're talking about, the Johnathon neighborhood's are nice, and $200 a year for them to keep all the trails, parks and signs up isn't that much to pay...
Anyway, our realtor showed us the house last night and we loved it. We put an offer down last night, and they accepted.
Of course, this one is pending an inspection, but it's the same year, and they've really taken care of this house.
So far, we're really happy that the last one fell through.
-------------------- "Rarely has it been so clear how much we, the ordinary people of this country, are better than our rulers. I hope that lesson is not lost on anyone, of any political persuasion." Posts: 520 | From: Shakopee, MN USA | Registered: May 2002
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posted
20 minutes is not bad. Hell it takes me 15 minutes to get to work and I'm only one city away.
-------------------- "Rarely has it been so clear how much we, the ordinary people of this country, are better than our rulers. I hope that lesson is not lost on anyone, of any political persuasion." Posts: 520 | From: Shakopee, MN USA | Registered: May 2002
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-------------------- It doesn't get any more serious than a Rhinocerus about to charge your ass. Posts: 1053 | From: Apple Valley, MN | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
As long as that's not the cabin weekend, I will be there with truck and trailer.
Posts: 5484 | From: St. Paul, Mn | Registered: Apr 2002
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