The Rush is Almost Over

I feel like E & I are the only people happy that the tax credit is about the expire. We constantly hear about all these people who are rushing to buy a house just to get the $8K stimulus. Thankfully, once Friday hits, it will be practically impossible for someone to buy a house in time to close by November 30th and get the stimulus. We are hoping this translates into a lot less competition in the market and possibly some more negotiating wiggle-room.


For now, it doesn't look like an announcement on extending the credit is coming, but the buzz in the REA world is that it will likely be extended through June. I hope that if extended, it doesn't cause another last-minute rush to buy. Then we can continue take our time looking at everything available and make a decision. We won't complain if we get $8K at the end of this, but we'd rather miss the deadline if it means finding the perfect house.

Here's to hoping that the end of the stimulus and the frigid Pittsburgh winter translates into a less-frustrating buying environment for us.

House Hunting Saturday

This past Saturday we headed back to the South Hills to take a look at the rest of the houses in our "top list". We saw one house in Mount Lebanon, one in Bethel Park and one in Pleasant Hills. All three houses were nice, but only one of them seemed to be a good fit for us. Here's the run-down:

House 1

Location: Mount Lebanon

Stats: Cape Cod, 3 Bedrooms, 1.5 Baths, First Floor FR, Finished GR in Basement

Pros: The street and neighborhood were fantastic. Cute, clean and quiet with lots of trees. The house had a nice FR space off the kitchen perfect for a TV/Playroom, and the basement space was ideal for a home office. The kitchen was very nice and in great shape. The yard was an OK size compared to others we have seen in the area.

Cons: One of the bedrooms and the only full bathroom were on the First Floor. There was no bathroom on the second floor. The "half bath" was really just a Pittsburgh toilet in the basement.

Verdict: Nice house, not what we want.

This house has come down almost $50K in price. It has been on the market for over a year.

Major Conclusion: We are not big fans of the Cape Cod-style houses. The space is never used in the best way.

House 2

Location: Bethel Park

Stats: Renovated Farmhouse, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, Den & Sunroom

Pros: Great living spaces with a lot of country charm. The renovation work that was done was amazing. The kitchen was enormous and there was plenty of room for everything. The bedrooms were a good size, the bathrooms were in good shape and the closets were a great size. The garage was huge with a loft storage space.

Cons: The house is located on a corner lot of a busy street. It is an odd location because the house seems somewhat exposed to the street. It would scare me to have my kids playing in the front yard or the street. The basement is downright scary. It is an old unfinished basement with lots of doors to storage spaces, uneven damp floors, spiderwebs and all kinds of icky stuff. The biggest problem is that the house has practically no yard. Other than the patch of yard on the side and front of the house, the huge garage that the previous owners built took up most of the land. If this house had a big yard, even in the same location, it could be a winner.

Verdict: Very nice house, not for us.

This house started in the market about $25K higher than what it is listed for now.

Major Conclusion: We need a yard or more land space.

House 3

Location: Pleasant Hills

Stats: Colonial, 4 Bedrooms, 1.5 Bathrooms, First Floor Den

Pros: Good amount of space, gorgeous street, great neighborhood. Decent yard.

Cons: Near a busy (loud) road, needs new carpet in first floor, needs a lot of new appliances. The furnace and water heater are fairly old.

Verdict: Very Nice House. This is our #2 Favorite.

Major conclusion: A complaint about this house, other than the proximity to a busy road, is that there is not a lot of room for improvement. What it is now is what it will always be. We like the idea of having a house that can grow with us if we ever choose it to.

House Hunting Sunday

This Sunday we went to see three houses, all in Ross Township. Unfortunately, we did not have the same experience as in the South Hills, and we basically hated everything. The locations of the houses were all pretty dismal: narrow streets, unkempt yards and landscaping, crackling paint, houses too close together. There wasn't much of a suburban feel and all the lots felt small and cramped, and not very private.

Here is the run-down of what we saw:

House 1

Location: Ross Township

Stats: 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Cape Cod

Pros: It had four large bedrooms and a fenced-in yard. The kitchen and bathrooms were re-done. The downstairs had a finished GR.

Cons: There was no separate dining room, the yard was small, the driveway could only fit one car. The common living areas were cramped with only a Living Room, with no space for even a small table. The upstairs bathroom had been cramped into what seemed to be a teeny closet (not even 3ft-wide).

Verdict: It doesn't work for us.

Having extra bedrooms is nice, but we are not bedroom dwellers, so we need a larger living area and a separate dining area.

Major conclusion: We want large living spaces.

House 2

Location: Ross Township

Stats: 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Outside was similar to a Dutch Colonial, inside was Victorian.

Pros: High ceilings, beautiful staircase and fire-places, nicely spaced living area, two-car garage.

Cons: A lot of the improvements were done with really bad craftsmanship: loose vent covers, sloped flooring, exposed plywood (that was falling off) in basement storage area, etc.

Verdict: Not for us.

We felt like this house was not really our style. Plus, we were afraid that it would turn into a Money Pit given the appearance of some of the shoddy updates.

Major conclusion: Look closely at the updates of a house to make sure they are done well.

House 3

Location: Ross Township

Stats: 3 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom, first-floor FR

Pros: We liked the first-floor family room. The kitchen was set-up nicely and in good shape. The living area was a nice size.

Cons: The basement smelled damp, the yard was very small, the location was absolutely awful! The house was located on the corner of a very busy road and sat very close to the road. The houses across the street were in disrepair. One house had "House under masonic siege" written under the eaves. WTH?

Verdict: Definitely no!

Major conclusion: Location is a deal-breaker before we even step inside.

Note to home sellers: It was weird to have us give a treat to your (crated) dog. First off, he didn't care. Secondly, it was like if you needed proof we were there. You should be giving the dog treats yourself. Should we have tossed the laundry in the dryer while we were down there?

First Heartbreak

It was bound to happen. I fall in love with the idea of a house on paper and it gets snatched up before we can even go see it! We had an appointment to see a very nice house in a great neighborhood this Sunday. When I checked my listings today, the house was gone. Upon further investigation, the status had changed from Active to Contingent. I hate the "C" word!I guess it is bound to happen to us. It seems people everywhere are rushing to buy a house by the end of this month so that they can close within 30-days and get that $8,000 stimulus payment from the government.

E & I wanted to take our time and look at a lot of houses, a lot of neighborhoods and get a feel of what is important to us. Even if we find the perfect house this month, we don't want to go into contract until December, and our ideal closing date is sometime in early-March. Now I am getting nervous that come October 30th all the good houses will be snatched up by people rushing for the $8K.

Perhaps it would have been a better idea to wait until the end of the year to start looking, but we were too excited when we saw the pre-approval and the nice listings started to come in. What is one to do? Should we join the crazies in rushing the process for the sake of $8,000? Or should we stick to our plan and keep going slowly to make sure we know exactly what we want, knowing that we will likely miss out on great houses?

Birthdays and Birthday Gifts

I've been hard at work, which means slacking with the blogging.

It was my birthday two days ago and it hit me that it was my first birthday as a married lady and my last birthday in our current apartment. The thought made me very excited for where our life is headed.

I got a few wonderful birthday gifts from E. My favorite is the Nike+ for my Ipod. I can't wait to go running on some trails with it and to be actually able to measure my exact distance and pace. I am more motivated than ever to go for a few runs through the woods! Perhaps I should add to my dream house list that I'd like for our new house to be close to a park with running trails?

House Hunting Sunday

This weekend, we decided to brave the market and make appointments to go look at 5 different houses. E & I headed to the South Hills of Pittsburgh with our REA Matt. The schedule consisted of three houses in Bethel Park and two houses in Mount Lebanon. We ended up dropping the second house in Mt. Lebanon after finding out that we would have to fix the garage, estimated at $5K out of pocket, before the sale would be approved.

House #1

Location: Bethel Park
Stats: Split Level, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, FR in Basement

Pros: Even sized bedrooms, nice floorplan, clean carpets, nice yard, master bathroom!, 2-car integral garage
Cons: Needs a few cosmetic updates, small Living Room and Family Room, bedrooms are a bit on top of each other

Verdict: Definitely still on list of possibilities.

This house had a good amount of space and flowed well. The neighborhood is nice. The house, at 40 years old, is newer than a lot in this area.

Major Conclusion: Split Level homes can be very nice.

Note to sellers: Please try to have your children vacate the house before potential buyers come in. When E & I visited, there were 5 teenagers and a newborn in the house, all in their PJs. Also, please try to leash your dogs when people come see the house. We didn't go out into the backyard because there were two Boxers unleashed.

House #2

Location: Bethel Park

Stats: 2-Story Colonial, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, FR in Basement

Pros: Amazing 3/4 acre level yard!, renovated kitchen with stainless steel appliances, nice FR or office in basement, large porch off living room, gas grill, nice landscaping, relatively large LR, huge closets in each room including a walk-in in the MBR, nice hardwood floors, new wood windows (love these), good storage space in basement.
Cons: On a road that is a bit busier than others, the bedroom area/hallway is a bit cramped, the second full bathroom is in the basement, only one-car garage (but driveway is large enough for 3 cars).

Verdict: We really really like this house. However, we just started looking and need to explore other areas and a few more homes.

This house is only 1/4 mile from the Elementary School and we fell in love with the yard. We can easily expand this home by closing off the porch and making it into a FR, then adding a deck in the backyard. We can also add a pool or playground to the yard once we have little ones.

Major Conclusion: E & I care about the yard/outdoor space more than we care about the (current) finished living area. We definitely want to make a nice yard a priority.

House #3

Location: Bethel Park

Stats: Split Level, 3 Bedrooms, 1F 2H Bathrooms

Pros: Nice open floorplan, 2 car integral garage, nice hardwood floors, beautiful quiet street.
Cons: Needs lots of updates, old appliances, really small yard, small living spaces.

Verdict: This house is very overpriced. It is a definite no.

Major Conclusion: The lack-of yard is a deal-breaker.

House #4Location: Mt. Lebanon

Stats: Multi-Level, 3 Bedrooms, 1.5 Bathrooms, FR in Basement

Pros: Lots of living space, definitely move-in ready, decent-sized bedrooms, great FR in basement, large laundry/storage room, extra room in mid-level can be made into a playroom, great large LR & DR, newer appliances.
Cons: Needs a kitchen or bathroom remodel soon, but both have big potential, the backyard is a little small, only one-car garage.

Verdict: Keeping this one on the list.

This was our second-favorite house of the day. The bones are good and is move-in ready, with great potential that can be achieved with a few renovations in a few years. The yard was a drawback. It wasn't very small, but we definitely would like a bigger yard.

Major conclusion: Other than the yard being a big deal? We realized we are willing to go for a house that is not 100% perfect if it has the potential to become that house in a few years.

Score for the day: three possibilities out of four, one excellent house.

This is getting ridiculous!

Our REA added three new search areas to our list: Pleasant Hills, Ross and North Fayette. Now we have 45 listings.

How on Earth are you supposed to know when to keep a listing in your list of possibilities and when to let it go? What if the house is better in person than on paper? What if you eliminate a house that is really perfect for you? Or, what if you eliminate half the houses, hate everything you see and are then left with nothing?



I am getting incredibly anxious about this. About finding the perfect house. I feel like I don't know the feel of the different neighborhoods well enough yet, so I am hesitant to eliminate anything in a neighborhood I haven't seen. All I am going on is what school rankings, Google Maps, listing websites, and a few drive-bys are telling me.

How are non-Pittsburghers ever supposed to know what different neighborhoods are all about? And, is it too much too ask for a nice suburban neighborhood with good schools where kids are safe to play on the street, but that doesn't require a 45-minute+ commute into town?

Our Dream House

Let's get into my magical time machine and go back two weeks or so, to the time when E & I decided what our dream house would look like.

There yet? Good.

E & I live in a very spacious 1,100 sq-ft apartment in Squirrel Hill. It is two bedrooms and an office, one bathroom, a huge living room, enormous (unused) dining room, a sun room, and a relatively small kitchen. We are slightly spoiled by the plethora of windows in our common areas, the new carpet and the logical space plan.

Based on the space we are used to having, our budget and what is generally available in our target areas, here are our musts:

- At least three nice-sized bedrooms. Dens/Offices disguised as bedrooms where even a toddler bed would be tough to fit do not qualify.
- A spacious living room.
- A separate dining room.
- Nice large windows in common areas. In other words, none of those small window slits prevalent in a lot of mid-century homes.
- A relatively medium to large yard. A good yard to us is at least 1/4 of an acre.
- A driveway and garage, bonus points if the driveway can fit two cars side by side.
- A nice street and neighborhood (i.e.: if the house is less than a block away from a major avenue, a commercial district, or a highway, it is disqualified).

Because we are realistic, we decided we could make certain compromises. These are the things we would love to have, but are not deal-breakers:
- At least 1.5 bathrooms, preferably 2 full baths.
- Integral garage.
- Finished basement.
- Nice size closets.
- Room for a home office, either in the basement or an extra bedroom or den.

Our target areas (in order) are:
- Mount Lebanon
- Bethel Park
- Scott Township

We will also consider:
- Ross
- North Fayette

We have chosen our target areas for both the neighborhood feel, as well as the schools. However, from driving around, it seems like there are good and bad neighborhoods within these areas, which limits our search even more, so we decided to add a few extra areas to our search.

Hopefully more on our search will come this weekend!

Open House Recap

I managed to hit four Open Houses in one day. Here's the deets on each of them.

(WARNING: Post will be long)

House # 1

Location: Bethel Park

Stats: Ranch, 3 Bedrooms, 1 Bath, Finished GR

Pros: Kitchen was nicely redone.

Cons: Too small & cramped, needed a lot of cosmetic work.

Verdict: No way, no how.

On the positive, this house is well below our budget. I am holding out hope that if we spend closer to our max goal, we will find something suitable.

Major conclusion: I don't like Ranch Houses. Just not for me.

House #2

Location: Bethel Park

Stats: Ranch, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bath, Finished GR

Pros: Nicely remodeled, 2 Full Baths, Nice Yard

Cons: Cramped, No Separate DR, Small Rooms with even smaller closets

Verdict: No way, no how.

Major conclusion: I don't like Ranch Houses even when remodeled.

House #3

Location: Mount Lebanon

Stats: Multi-Level, 3 Bedrooms, 1.5 Bath (with space for shower/tub in 1/2)

Pros: Awesome neighborhood, large closets, good room sizes.

Cons: No basement, carpet smelled like dog pee, needs lots of cosmetic improvements, floorplan was funky, small yard

Verdict: Might be a possibility if we decide to put in A LOT of elbow grease. I doubt it.

Major conclusion: I love Mount Lebanon, but I really want a nice yard and a roomy basement.

House #4

Location: Scott Township

Stats: Colonial, 3 Bedrooms, 1.5 Bath

Pros: Awesome street, great curb appeal, nice layout, clean & well-maintained, awesome yard, roomy driveway, nice room sizes.

Cons: Small basement (unfinished).

Verdict: Definite Possibility, but I think we can find something better in this area for our price range.

Major conclusion: I love colonials.

Funny fact: Real Estate Agent for the sellers was trying to convince me to stick to Mount Lebanon because of the schools and practically trashing Chartiers Valley School District. I've done my school research. I found her behavior weird.

Open House Sunday

E was working a gaming event today, so I had free time to run around to as many open houses as my little heart desired. I set out with my list of MLS listings and made it to four open houses, all in our desired areas and within our price range.

I promise a full recap with photos of each house tomorrow.

Sadly, it was all incredibly frustrating. When did real estate agents start using telephoto lenses for the listing photos? These rooms that seemed spacious in photos where downright claustrophobic! It was a learning experience, nonetheless. It allowed me to understand a bit more of what I prefer in a house, and to shape my expectations of what our future house will and will not have.

On a good note, I was able to do drive-bys for four of my favorite listings. I loved the neighborhoods of three of them, and hated the fourth. It was nice to imagine myself running up and down the street, driving to and from work, or playing in the front yard.

A quarter tank of gas and three hours later, I was home feeling a bit frustrated, a bit excited and a bit scared. The experience left me wanting to see more houses ASAP and to broaden my search a bit and add one or two more towns to our target search.

The Next Big Adventure

For the past year, one single thing has consumed us: Our Wedding! We waited no time after the engagement to start planning, and immersed ourselves in a world of guest lists, invitations, linen colors, menus, flowers, and... you get the point.

(That's us getting married at Saint Peter Church in the North Side)

Not surprisingly, once the honeymoon was over, as wonderful as it had been, we were bored. There was no rushing to Michael's for glue sticks, no going broke over bar tabs, and no weird diets anymore. Life was back to normal (ahem, boring).

Since I have the patience of a one-year old, I quickly moved onto planning our next adventure: buying a home! We couldn't sit still for long without embarking on something big again, at least not after such an intense wedding-planning process. Buying a house seemed like the best next step.

We have wanted to buy a home for at least two years, but the time was never quite right. Now, we finally have some savings, our credit is solid, the market couldn't be riper, and the lease on our current apartment (which we are quickly out-growing) is up in five months.

Hopefully this blog will help us chronicle our home buying adventure, while also giving us an outlet to recap our wedding, and a place to share some of the highs and lows of newlywed life.