Who here owns their own place? - Blu-ray Forum

JamesKurtovich · 03-27-2009, 10:49 PM

Having been married recently, my wife and I have been looking at places for sale in our vicinity for a bit looking for that ideal house that we'd like to live in (we live in an apartment in a 4-plex with very cheap rent cost). I've been looking at things that I could change myself.. like turning a basement into a recreation room/home theater/mancave or a kitchen that she'd like. A garage too for vehicle repair or playing Mr. Fix-It. I also want a sauna. And while I was doing this, I was wondering how many people here actually own their own home.

There are a lot of benefits:
1) I can be as loud as I want. I can have loud bass and loud volume, and I can play DDR without disturbing anyone!
2) I can have a dog or cat. At the moment I have a ferret and 5 tarantulas that I hide whenever the Landlord comes. Of course, my ferret will have more room to explore in the house.
3) I can make my own modifications - make it look how I want it to look.
4) Can have guests and small parties without disturbing neighbors.
5) Can have a kid without waking up neighbors with crying.
6) My own HT/mancave/home gym

So how much did you pay? Was it a difficult process? How much are your payments? Thanks!

jw · 03-28-2009, 12:11 AM

we bought our house back in 2002 before the housing boom, I believe its around 2500 square feet located in the city is a small newer neighborhood next to the battlefield here, so it wont be further developed.

I started small with a split foyer home back in 1999 and moved up as money got better. I think we have a big enough house for now because I dont wanna move anymore...PITA

brettallica · 03-28-2009, 12:53 AM

If by "own" you mean "make a mortgage payment to a bank/credit union," then count me in. We own a condo near the beach (<1 mile) and bought at THE ABSOLUTE WRONG TIME. We paid a lot of f-ing money, got caught up in a terrible neg-am loan, but were lucky enough by the grace of God (or insert your higher being here) that both my wife and I had been gradually receiving raises at our respective jobs and were able to refinance into a normal loan before our place repriced and we became über-screwed.

Our place is a 2-bed/1.5 bath nestled in a modest 1100 sq. ft. dwelling. No garage (we do have a carport, though), no yard. All this could have been yours for $500,000 in 2005. Fortunately for you, we took it off the market!

All said and done, despite the nightmare and upside-down-ness we were in with this place, we still have a roof over our head and are paying toward principal now on a home in a place where values go down, but always come back up. We are just going to have to wait a little longer than we originally anticipated to move into something larger. I've got two boys -- rowdy ones -- and our place can't hold us all much longer. I try to look at the big picture, though, in that we are a lot better off than many who bought when and where we did.

Benefits to owning are numerous; however, in a condo situation you are not granted some of the freedoms you mentioned. We can modify the inside of the house as we see fit, but anything done to the outside of the unit has to be approved by the HOA.

Oh and doesn't the smell of the ferret tip off your landlord that you're keeping pets? A buddy of mine owned a ferret for a long time, and that animal definitely brings with it a unique -- shall we say -- "scent."

thecroshow · 03-28-2009, 01:23 AM

i hope to own within the next 5 years. =/ hate apartment life, gotta keep my AVR at around -30db range, -20db if i wanna get risky!

zicmubleu · 03-28-2009, 01:24 AM

This is definitely the time to be buying a house but I don't know about up there in the artic circle. I figured you lived in an igloo.

Probably the most important thing when buying a house is your long term plan for it, how long do you plan on staying there. Sounds like you will be growing your family so schools should be a high priority item. If you are a handyman that allows you to buy older homes much more easily, but if new homes are built like they do down here in the south they aren't any guarantee either.

Don't piss off your neighbors playing your music loud enough to upset them, you really rely on your neighbors. If you can afford a house a bit larger than you really think you need and the taxes aren't killer that is probably a good thing to do as well, it is very costly to add on to a house effectively. Which is another thing to consider, if the house you are thinking about buying is an old home does it have additions? If it does be sure to check the quality of the work, you don't want someone elses slipshod work. If you can ask to see the utility bills for a full years time, that will give you an idea of what it will cost for you to live there. I would be a fish out of water chosing a home in Alaska but I presume you have lived there a long time and really know what to look at.

Good luck finding what you want, at least you have timing on your side.

Chordata · 03-28-2009, 01:27 AM

Bought mine in Orlando in March 2006 in the worst possible time possible. We paid way too much; it's dropped tons and tons in value; and we've already outgrown it.

But I love owning my own home (and by "own" I mean being a slave to the mortgage company of course

).

Another_Dude · 03-28-2009, 01:31 AM

Two of them.

I bought stocks the morning the markets opened after 9/11 and that led to a nice down payment on a house in June of '02. Lived there and got married in May of '07. We bought the place we're in now in June of '08.

Now I make the payment on our new 4 bedroom house, and I charge $1100/month rent on the $650 payment on my old place. In a few years I'll have the old place paid off and the rent over there will be pure profit, not including the massive tax breaks I get on that property.

What was the question again?

(Renting: Unless you're leaving the town you live in in the next 18 months, renting is for suckers)

crazyBLUE · 03-28-2009, 02:33 AM

The condo I live in is allmost mine ! 2 more years . the building is only 8 years old . I do have to be carefull at certain times as for my Blu ~ enjoyment ! But I do know when sound level does not matter !!!!!!

Psychonaut · 03-28-2009, 03:55 AM

I own as well. Sometimes I miss I had all the free money I had when paying rent but the freedom to do what you want when you want is well worth it.

We probably looked at over 100 houses before we found the one we wanted so be patient. There's a house out there in your price range that will have exactly what you want.

brettallica · 03-28-2009, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psychonaut

I own as well. Sometimes I miss I had all the free money I had when paying rent but the freedom to do what you want when you want is well worth it.

We probably looked at over 100 houses before we found the one we wanted so be patient. There's a house out there in your price range that will have exactly what you want.

Wow. One-hundred houses?! That's a lot! I'd say we looked at 30-ish or so before choosing ours.

nbxfan · 03-28-2009, 04:50 AM

I have my own place. By that I mean mortgage etc. Bought about 5 years ago when rates were low. Have a "safe" loan. However, I bought a condo in an uber expensive area and, it is quite frustrating that it was the only thing that I could afford considering my mom was able to buy a house for a lot less than my condo. Association fees are a killer as, when I moved in they were around $70 and now they are over $200 a month...

brettallica · 03-28-2009, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nbxfan

I have my own place. By that I mean mortgage etc. Bought about 5 years ago when rates were low. Have a "safe" loan. However, I bought a condo in an uber expensive area and, it is quite frustrating that it was the only thing that I could afford considering my mom was able to buy a house for a lot less than my condo. Association fees are a killer as, when I moved in they were around $70 and now they are over $200 a month...

$380 for me

nbxfan · 03-28-2009, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brettallica

$380 for me

The issue for me is more that the rates have dramatically increased recently which, in this economy has been tough. My girlfriend lives with me and has had a very hard time finding a job so, I am taking care of everything...the rise in rates is pretty disgusting. Had to do research as within 6 months they raised are rates twice. It was all legal as they are yearly allowed to raise rates 30% per year. I know we are still on the low end but it is still pretty frustrating.

brettallica · 03-28-2009, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nbxfan

The issue for me is more that the rates have dramatically increased recently which, in this economy has been tough. My girlfriend lives with me and has had a very hard time finding a job so, I am taking care of everything...the rise in rates is pretty disgusting. Had to do research as within 6 months they raised are rates twice. It was all legal as they are yearly allowed to raise rates 30% per year. I know we are still on the low end but it is still pretty frustrating.

Actually, I think you're right around average. In my neck of the woods, or at least in the general area, most HOA dues are around $200-$250. I think since we're in California, we pay a little more to live than people in other parts of the country (depending on which part of the country we're talking about, that is). I'm sure salaries are different as well, but the ratio between average household income and average cost of a home is probably nowhere near what it is here in Cali.

JJ · 03-28-2009, 05:50 AM

I'm a renter until I finish all my schooling.

STARSCREAM · 03-28-2009, 07:04 AM

We have owned our home for 2 years now. Paying mortgage sucks a big one but it way better being able to do whatever you want whenever you want.

quexos · 03-28-2009, 09:18 PM

I own my place. It's not big but it's in the plushy part of town so I'm happy with it.

OrlandoEastwood · 03-28-2009, 09:25 PM

In May I will be moving into one the apartments my parents own. It's a house converted into an apartment which I am going to buy off of them, I believe it was $30k for the place.

Johnny Vinyl · 03-28-2009, 09:42 PM

I own mine one month at a time...damned rent is going up $22 in July! Can you beleive it...$1054 for a 1-bedroom apartment. Welcome to Oakville!

John

Beta Man · 03-28-2009, 09:48 PM

The wife and I bought our new home a little under a year ago. It's a labor of love... that's for sure.

03-27-2009, 10:49 PM	#1
JamesKurtovich Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Dec 2008 Location:Alaska Home Theater Gallery:6 Blu-ray collection:229 Blu-ray reviews:4 Trading Score:2	Who here owns their own place? Having been married recently, my wife and I have been looking at places for sale in our vicinity for a bit looking for that ideal house that we'd like to live in (we live in an apartment in a 4-plex with very cheap rent cost). I've been looking at things that I could change myself.. like turning a basement into a recreation room/home theater/mancave or a kitchen that she'd like. A garage too for vehicle repair or playing Mr. Fix-It. I also want a sauna. And while I was doing this, I was wondering how many people here actually own their own home. There are a lot of benefits: 1) I can be as loud as I want. I can have loud bass and loud volume, and I can play DDR without disturbing anyone! 2) I can have a dog or cat. At the moment I have a ferret and 5 tarantulas that I hide whenever the Landlord comes. Of course, my ferret will have more room to explore in the house. 3) I can make my own modifications - make it look how I want it to look. 4) Can have guests and small parties without disturbing neighbors. 5) Can have a kid without waking up neighbors with crying. 6) My own HT/mancave/home gym So how much did you pay? Was it a difficult process? How much are your payments? Thanks! Last edited by JamesKurtovich; 03-27-2009 at 11:26 PM.

03-28-2009, 12:53 AM	#3
brettallica Blu-ray Samurai Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Santa Cruz, California Home Theater Gallery:51 Blu-ray collection:79 Trading Score:6	If by "own" you mean "make a mortgage payment to a bank/credit union," then count me in. We own a condo near the beach (<1 mile) and bought at THE ABSOLUTE WRONG TIME. We paid a lot of f-ing money, got caught up in a terrible neg-am loan, but were lucky enough by the grace of God (or insert your higher being here) that both my wife and I had been gradually receiving raises at our respective jobs and were able to refinance into a normal loan before our place repriced and we became über-screwed. Our place is a 2-bed/1.5 bath nestled in a modest 1100 sq. ft. dwelling. No garage (we do have a carport, though), no yard. All this could have been yours for $500,000 in 2005. Fortunately for you, we took it off the market! All said and done, despite the nightmare and upside-down-ness we were in with this place, we still have a roof over our head and are paying toward principal now on a home in a place where values go down, but always come back up. We are just going to have to wait a little longer than we originally anticipated to move into something larger. I've got two boys -- rowdy ones -- and our place can't hold us all much longer. I try to look at the big picture, though, in that we are a lot better off than many who bought when and where we did. Benefits to owning are numerous; however, in a condo situation you are not granted some of the freedoms you mentioned. We can modify the inside of the house as we see fit, but anything done to the outside of the unit has to be approved by the HOA. Oh and doesn't the smell of the ferret tip off your landlord that you're keeping pets? A buddy of mine owned a ferret for a long time, and that animal definitely brings with it a unique -- shall we say -- "scent." Last edited by brettallica; 03-28-2009 at 12:59 AM. Reason: Ferret

03-28-2009, 01:31 AM	#7
Another_Dude Blu-ray Guru Member since:Dec 2008 Blu-ray collection:191 Blu-ray reviews:8	Two of them. I bought stocks the morning the markets opened after 9/11 and that led to a nice down payment on a house in June of '02. Lived there and got married in May of '07. We bought the place we're in now in June of '08. Now I make the payment on our new 4 bedroom house, and I charge $1100/month rent on the $650 payment on my old place. In a few years I'll have the old place paid off and the rent over there will be pure profit, not including the massive tax breaks I get on that property. What was the question again? (Renting: Unless you're leaving the town you live in in the next 18 months, renting is for suckers) Last edited by Another_Dude; 03-28-2009 at 01:35 AM.

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03-28-2009, 12:11 AM	#2
jw Blu-ray Archduke Top contributor Member since:Apr 2007 Location:USA Trading Score:519	we bought our house back in 2002 before the housing boom, I believe its around 2500 square feet located in the city is a small newer neighborhood next to the battlefield here, so it wont be further developed. I started small with a split foyer home back in 1999 and moved up as money got better. I think we have a big enough house for now because I dont wanna move anymore...PITA

03-28-2009, 01:23 AM	#4
thecroshow Power Member Member since:Jul 2008 Location:Victoria BC Blu-ray collection:459 Blu-ray reviews:10 Trading Score:1	i hope to own within the next 5 years. =/ hate apartment life, gotta keep my AVR at around -30db range, -20db if i wanna get risky!

03-28-2009, 01:24 AM	#5
zicmubleu Expert Member Member since:Dec 2008	This is definitely the time to be buying a house but I don't know about up there in the artic circle. I figured you lived in an igloo. Probably the most important thing when buying a house is your long term plan for it, how long do you plan on staying there. Sounds like you will be growing your family so schools should be a high priority item. If you are a handyman that allows you to buy older homes much more easily, but if new homes are built like they do down here in the south they aren't any guarantee either. Don't piss off your neighbors playing your music loud enough to upset them, you really rely on your neighbors. If you can afford a house a bit larger than you really think you need and the taxes aren't killer that is probably a good thing to do as well, it is very costly to add on to a house effectively. Which is another thing to consider, if the house you are thinking about buying is an old home does it have additions? If it does be sure to check the quality of the work, you don't want someone elses slipshod work. If you can ask to see the utility bills for a full years time, that will give you an idea of what it will cost for you to live there. I would be a fish out of water chosing a home in Alaska but I presume you have lived there a long time and really know what to look at. Good luck finding what you want, at least you have timing on your side.

03-28-2009, 01:27 AM	#6
Chordata Blu-ray Knight Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Home of N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys Blu-ray collection:75 Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:1	Bought mine in Orlando in March 2006 in the worst possible time possible. We paid way too much; it's dropped tons and tons in value; and we've already outgrown it. But I love owning my own home (and by "own" I mean being a slave to the mortgage company of course ).

03-28-2009, 02:33 AM	#8
crazyBLUE Moderator Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Pacific Northwest Home Theater Gallery:89 Blu-ray collection:479 DVD collection:1 Blu-ray reviews: 38 Trading Score:30	The condo I live in is allmost mine ! 2 more years . the building is only 8 years old . I do have to be carefull at certain times as for my Blu ~ enjoyment ! But I do know when sound level does not matter !!!!!!

03-28-2009, 03:55 AM	#9
Psychonaut Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Apr 2008 Location:Second left after Wal-Mart Blu-ray collection:111	I own as well. Sometimes I miss I had all the free money I had when paying rent but the freedom to do what you want when you want is well worth it. We probably looked at over 100 houses before we found the one we wanted so be patient. There's a house out there in your price range that will have exactly what you want.

03-28-2009, 04:50 AM	#11
nbxfan Special Member Member since:May 2008 Location:Anaheim, CA Blu-ray collection:246 Blu-ray reviews:12 Trading Score:15	I have my own place. By that I mean mortgage etc. Bought about 5 years ago when rates were low. Have a "safe" loan. However, I bought a condo in an uber expensive area and, it is quite frustrating that it was the only thing that I could afford considering my mom was able to buy a house for a lot less than my condo. Association fees are a killer as, when I moved in they were around $70 and now they are over $200 a month...

03-28-2009, 05:50 AM	#15
JJ Blu-ray Count Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Jul 2007 Location:Miami, FL Home Theater Gallery:99 4K collection:619 Blu-ray collection:1293 DVD collection:31 Digital collection:5 Blu-ray reviews: 18 Trading Score:203	I'm a renter until I finish all my schooling.

03-28-2009, 07:04 AM	#16
STARSCREAM Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Dagobah Blu-ray collection:148 Trading Score:67	We have owned our home for 2 years now. Paying mortgage sucks a big one but it way better being able to do whatever you want whenever you want.

03-28-2009, 09:18 PM	#17
quexos Banned Member since:May 2007 Location:Brussels, Belgium	I own my place. It's not big but it's in the plushy part of town so I'm happy with it.

03-28-2009, 09:25 PM	#18
OrlandoEastwood Blu-ray Champion Top contributor Member since:Jun 2008 Location:R-Point Blu-ray reviews:86 Trading Score:24	In May I will be moving into one the apartments my parents own. It's a house converted into an apartment which I am going to buy off of them, I believe it was $30k for the place.

03-28-2009, 09:42 PM	#19
Johnny Vinyl Moderator Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:At the crossroad of Analogue Dr & 2CH Ave Home Theater Gallery:19 Blu-ray collection:205 DVD collection:7 Blu-ray reviews:3 Trading Score:8	I own mine one month at a time...damned rent is going up $22 in July! Can you beleive it...$1054 for a 1-bedroom apartment. Welcome to Oakville! John

03-28-2009, 09:48 PM	#20
Beta Man Moderator Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Juuuuuuuust A Bit Outside.... Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:268 Blu-ray reviews: 18 Trading Score:25	The wife and I bought our new home a little under a year ago. It's a labor of love... that's for sure.

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