House #28

Sorry I have not posted this, but it all happened really fast and we were scared it wasn't actually real. Or that we would jinx ourselves. We are still scared we'll jinx it, but we are too excited to hold the news in any longer.

We bought a house!

E and I went to see a house last Tuesday. We knew it had potential. It was the right price, with the right size yard, everything we wanted, and in one of our top neighborhoods. We didn't want to wait until the weekend to see it (good thing too because of the snow!) and, since it was the only good house on our listings, we figured it would free up our weekend to see it during the week.


We arrived at 4:30 pm on a Tuesday after a relatively easy drive. E was in a good mood, which usually helps things, and I was excited knowing the house had potential. We spent about 30 minutes in the house and talked about all the pros, and a few of the (oh so insignificant) cons. As soon as we got in the car, E turned to me and said:

"We should put in an offer. How much?"

THUD. He is usually gun-shy and methodical. Needing to think things through for a while. He was so sure of this. It amazed me.

On the way home we chatted about the neighborhood. How much we liked it, how the schools were new and the streets flat, how we loved that the house was right next to a park and in a quiet street. By the time we hit the next street light, we were texting our REA to put in an offer. And we knew we had to move fast.

That evening, after discussing the price we were offering, we signed the papers for our first offer. The offer was presented the next day, and we waited an excruciating 24 hours to hear a response.

We got a counter. It was only $500 over our original offer, but required us to put more money towards closing costs. It was a difficult decision, deciding how much of our savings we were willing to part with at closing, but we knew we had to do it. We accepted the counter offer and have never been so sure of something in our lives. Well, other than when we got married.

The closing is set for March 31st, and we will take all of April to move in. The inspection is this weekend, then we have to go through the loan process and appraisal before we can pop the champagne. But for now, we got ourselves a house!

(House stats coming in Part 2)

A note about our house search

My previous post made me realize that we should share a peculiar thing we like to do with the houses. At least the ones we like. We give each of them a nickname. Usually only E & I know about this nickname, a detail that our REA finds incredibly confusing.

Here are the nicknames so far:

1. The Colonial: For the house in Bethel Park we liked so much, but sold before we made up our minds. It is a colonial.
2. The Rock House: For the house in South Park we put an offer in. The owner had a rock collection and traveled to craft and hobby shows to sell his rocks.
3. The Twilight House: For the Cape Cod in Pleasant Hills. One of the rooms was home to a teenage girl who was in love with Edward Cullen. This house also is known as Night Vision Goggles, since there was a pair of them in the boys' room (a souvenir from the Modern Warfare Collector's Edition).
4. The Ranch: Our current interest. It is a ranch.

I always think it is a good sign when we start referring to a house with a nickname. It means we like it.

Second Look

We are doing a repeat visit to "The Ranch" house tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed that E is not cranky and we can have a long look at the house. "The Ranch" needs a bit of work, all cosmetic. It needs a new bathroom, not because it is not functional, but because it is mind-numbingly ugly; it needs a new kitchen counter and floor, also because they are ugly; it needs wallpaper removed from the powder room (it has flamingos on it, maybe it's a sign!); it needs to have the wood panelling mud-coated and painted in the basement; and it needs new carpet in the game room and stairs.

I guess that is a long list, but it is not a terrifying list.

Even better, "The Ranch" does not need new windows; it doesn't need new appliances (all brand-new); doesn't need a new roof; doesn't need a new furnace or AC or hot water heater; doesn't need new hardwood floors (they are fantastic!); doesn't need new doors; doesn't need a repaved driveway or walkway; and doesn't need a security system installed (comes with one!).

In fact, the house has nothing that it absolutely needs rightthisverysecond. They are all projects we could tackle little by little.

Maybe we'll like it a lot after the second showing.

House Hunting Sunday

It was a marathon! We saw six houses in the span of 3 hours, all while E was in a terrible mood. Apologies if the details are fuzzy, they all tend to blend together.

House #1

Location: Pleasant Hills

Stats: Colonial, 4 bed, 1.5 baths

Pros: Nice size, enclosed porch converted into FR, nice traditional layout

Cons: Small tiered yard, one car garage, needs a bit of cosmetic work

This was a repeat visit to the house. We had ranked it very high on our original list and could not remember what we didn't like about it. We realized the yard was a deal-breaker.

Verdict: No.

Major Conclusion: A nice yard is non-negotiable for us.

House #2

Location: Bethel Park

Stats: Ranch, 3 beds, 1.5 baths, 2 car garage, 1/3 acre

Pros: Large common areas, enclosed porch (easy remake into FR), large finished basement, nice woodwork throughout the house (doors, floors, cabinets), fireplaces, nice bedroom sizes, enormous garage with workshop, beautiful yard, nice landscaping, cul de sac street, located with easy access to main roads. This house also includes a security system, brand new kitchen appliances (white), new HWT, newer furnace and roof.

Cons: Needs a lot of cosmetic work including a main bathroom remodel, new kitchen counter (or kitchen remodel), new kitchen floor, new carpeting in basement and two bedrooms. The deck off the kitchen is tiny, so it would need a new larger deck.

We liked this house, but it was almost like it grew on us. We didn't realize how much we liked it until we left it.

Verdict: A repeat visit is needed to know for sure.

Major conclusion: A ranch that is well layed-out can work.

House #3

Location: Upper Saint Clair

Stats: Cape Cod, 4 beds, 2 baths

Pros: School District, spacious

Cons: Layout, Location

This house was on a busier street, which we didn't like. It was also layed out so poorly that, even though it had a lot of square footage (1st floor FR, finished GR), a lot of the space was "weird". The DR was unusable, the kitchen was tucked away, the bedrooms were odd in shape. It made no sense.

Verdict: No

Major Conclusion: Just no

House #4

Location: Upper Saint Clair

Stats: Cape Cod, 3 beds, 1.5 baths

Pros: Had a 1st floor FR and a beautiful deck. All bedrooms were upstairs.

Cons: No garage, the yard was unusable hills, needed cosmetic work

E hated this house before we even walked in. I thought it was cute, but small.

Verdict: Not for us

Major Conclusion: None

House #5

Location: Bethel Park

Stats: Colonial, 4 beds, 1.5 baths, double lot

Pros: Huge eat-in kitchen, formal DR, 1st-floor FR, nice patio, wide driveways, new furnace, roof, HTH and plumbing.

Cons: Lots of cosmetic updates needed, yard was on a hill and unusable. The disclosure listed some items that made us think the yard was sliding. Did not care for the street.

This house had a lot of space and is priced very low, but it is a fixer upper. Had the yard been flat and the street nicer, we could have considered it.

Verdict: Nah

Major Conclusion: Although a yard is non-negotiable, cosmetic updates are something we can deal with.

House #6

Location: Pleasant Hills

Stats: Multi-level, 3 beds, 2 baths, 2-car garage

Pros: Curb Appeal.

Cons: Everything else! The house must have been built as a 70's bachelor pad with 70's wallpaper, old old old carpet, brick back splash in the kitchen, old old old appliances, a man cave in the basement (complete with shag and billiards table), and a Swiss Family Robinson yard.

The Yard: OMFG! The yard was basically a tree-house built in decking wood. From the kitchen, a spiral staircase led you down to the (basement-level) patio with an in-ground pool and slide. Then, there were three more levels of decking (all going down lower) with different balconies, water features, step ladders, spiral staircases, all leading to a gazebo and built-in grill at the lowest level. There was not a single inch of grass or dirt, not a single corner that wasn't covered by wood structures.

Verdict: Hell no!

Major Conclusion: Do I even have to say it? The yard!

Another Bust!

Yesterday's viewing was another bust. Figures. Maybe some day they'll do something to keep agents from lying in their listings. This house promised a brand new kitchen, new flooring and various updates, none of which were true. A new kitchen does not contain flooring that is coming up, a non-working dishwasher, a fridge that doesn't match, ugly caulk stains on the counter top and a stove that is grease-stained.

This was house #21. Maybe we'll find the one before we hit house #30? #40? #50?!

Working Faster

After Saturday's visits, we decided to make an offer on House #3, the fixer upper. Before we could even write it out, we found out the owner's had accepted an offer Saturday evening just hours after we left the property. This is the second house that we have wanted that has been sold before we could make a move. We need a new tactic: move faster.

From now on, if there is a house I like, I don't want to wait five days to see it, then two more to make an offer. If I want something, I will go for it, quickly.

There is a house I have been scoping out for about a month. It was slightly over our budget and, although we could have afforded it, since we are asking for closing costs we would have been asking the owners to take a $14K hit on the asking price. This morning, an alert came through that the asking price had been lowered by $10K, so the house is right in our price range. Immediately, I contacted our REA and we are taking a look tomorrow evening.

The house is unique, with large rooms, vaulted (and beamed) ceilings and a lot of interesting wood work. But regardless of whether we like the wood work or beams, the house is large with a beautiful yard and is located in a nice street that borders South Park township. When I saw the listing before Christmas, I was immediately intrigued by this weird house. Now, I am jumping at the chance to see it. I would go right now if I could!

Wish us luck tomorrow. Maybe we'll love it, or maybe we won't. Whatever happens, we are aiming to move a little faster from now on.

House Hunting Saturday, Month #4

E and I went out yesterday and looked at four properties. All of them surprised us for different reasons. Here's the breakdown:

House 1

Location: Bethel Park
Stats: Ranch, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths (possible third), game room

Pros: Master Bathroom
Cons: Location was awful! The house was small with a cramped kitchen and a layout that felt everyone would be on top of each other.

This house was incredibly over-priced. It was small, on a super duper busy street with a hardly usable yard.

Verdict: A resounding NO!
Major conclusion: I still don't like ranches.

House 2

Location: Bethel Park
Stats: Multi-level, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths (with room to make it 2 full)

Pros: It is a nice street and a corner lot. The owners have done a fantastic job renovating with new floors, molding, etc. Nice room sizes and closet sizes.
Cons: The house is too small for us. It does not have a basement or a family room, so there is no room to put E's office unless we take one of the bedrooms. The yard is hilly.

Verdict: Very pretty, but doesn't fit our needs.
Major conclusion: It is amazing what good renovations can do!

House 3

Location: Bethel Park
Stats: Colonial, 4 bedrooms, 1 full and 2 half baths, 2-car garage.

Pros: The house is a great size with good bedroom sizes, decent closets, a PR off the MBR, a big living room and dining room, great hardwood floors, pretty tile in the kitchen and baths, a great garage, nice patio, beautiful large yard, and fantastic curb appeal.
Cons: The house needs work. The seller's are disclosing a leak from the first floor powder room, a basement backup (the pipes are open), and a leak during heavy rain in the second garage. We also observed an ivy problem, a few trees that need to be removed, a new fence is needed in the yard eventually, new windows eventually, and a few things that need to be repaired due to teenagers living in the house (doors with drawings, one wall with a fist-size hole). Also, the home-owners smoke, so the house needs a serious scrubbing!

The price is easily $40-50K under what it would sell for if it was in move-in condition. The neighborhood is fabulous with a playground and a walking-running trail accessible through neighbors' yards. The repairs are mostly ones that could be done throughout the years, since most of the house is in working condition. If we were to get the house back to move-in condition, it could easily sell for over $200K in five years, but it will require a lot of work.

Verdict: Although it needs work, it is a fantastic house in a gorgeous neighborhood.
Major conclusion: A little elbow grease can go a long way!

House 4

Location: Mount Lebanon
Stats: Row-house, 3 bedrooms (actually 2), 1.5 baths

Pros: This is a flipped house with new everything. The entryway is beautiful, the kitchen is gorgeous, the attic space is a plus.
Cons: The house is actually a two bedroom, since the third bedroom does not have a closet. The other two bedrooms have teeny closets where you probably can't fit even a shoe (depth). There is only parking for one car. The house sits on a hill up 30 steps. The basement has very obvious water damage, with no indication that it was fixed by the flippers. The attic, although a nice space, is not heated. The walls in most of the house could have used a skim coat before painting, as you can see old drips, glow in the dark stickers, etc. under the paint. The windows, aside from the first floor, are all old single-pane windows.

Verdict: Over-priced for a house that is actually a 2-bedroom.
Major conclusion: I'd rather do the repairs myself and be sure they are done to our standards.

We interrupt this program...

I know it's been a while, but I have a good excuse: we've been traveling! We spent a lovely Christmas in Bel Air, Maryland with E's family where we ate too much yummy food, received practical (and somewhat strange) gifts, and were the hit of the family when we gifted E's parents with motion sensor stainless-steel trashcans (Costco FTW). A day after returning, we jetted off to Las Vegas to help our friends with an event they run every January. We spent almost a week in Vegas at the Flamingo enjoying great company, rowdy drunks, slinging stale beer and battling a case of food poisoning.
Note: Thanks to the food poisoning, I got a jump-start in losing my post-wedding weight.


We returned to the frozen tundra of Pittsburgh tired, jet-lagged and excited to be home for a long stretch. As for New Year's resolutions, I want to blog more. Even if no one reads it. E doesn't make resolutions, or he doesn't tell me.

Last night, we went to a friend's house-warming party. We were pleasantly surprised at how lovely his home was. A nice 3.5 or 4 bedroom (depends), 1.5 bath house with a semi-open layout and plenty of extra space for expansion. When we heard what he paid we almost fainted! Granted, his house is not in an area we would ever consider buying. I am just a teensy bit overly obsessed with school districts to buy in the city. But it was nice to see that our friend had gotten pretty much everything he wanted in a house, whereas E & I always seem to have at least one thing about each house we see that we don't like.


As we left the party, I asked E about our houses. Immediately he answered that he wanted to see more, so I went back to our listings this morning. That's when I found out "our" house had been sold. We were surprised it sold because we were "watching" the house, yet no call ever came asking us to put a competing offer in. After initial shock and sadness, it made me realize that the house selling meant we could take our time and look for the PERFECT house without feeling tied back to a lingering listing. There are five houses we are hoping to see next weekend, and hopefully none of them will be sold from under us.

The Hangover

It's been over a week since I posted. We spent a lot of energy and hours on this first offer, counter offer, second offer, extensions, etc. It's been a whirlwind, albeit a frustrating one. Unfortunately, we won't be getting a house for Christmas this year. The seller was still unsure about our offer at the time of our deadline, which we had already extended two days. We decided to walk away from it.

To us, this was indicative that they don't really want to sell. Our second offer was a great offer for the condition the house is in, and they still hesitated. E & i doubt they'll get any better offers, but they have had enough interest in the house, so I am guessing they felt they could wait and see.

The house we put an offer in was the yellow house in South Park. In the end, we decided an extra 10 minutes of commuting was worth it for the additional 300 sq-ft this house offered. I guess it wasn't meant to be.

Moving forward, we still have a house we really like and are keeping an eye on. We are also going to be looking at some new listings in other areas, trying to go for more square footage in less-desirable school districts (still Top-50) to see if we like anything there. For now though, our search is postponed until we return from the Holidays in mid-January.

Our First Offer

We have decided to put in an offer on a house. It might not be the house everyone was expecting us to go for, but rather a house that would make a really smart purchase. We offered 3% under list price, but also asked for the closing costs (in Pgh, these end up being about 6%). Our total offer ended up being 9% under asking price. I am feeling a little nervous that we may have low-balled, but this number gives us about $7K with which to negotiate.


The process of putting together the offer was rather lengthy, with a lot of scary paperwork to look over. It was at this point that we realized how big of a commitment we are trying to make. We read through every piece of paper and signed our lives away, knowing that we would probably have to do it all again with a counter-offer.

We are excited about this house. It has everything that we need and want plus extras! It would make for a fantastic first home. We're hoping this turns out to be The One.

Unfortunately, as soon as our REA let the seller's agent know about the offer, we found out that there might be another offer coming into the fold. We are hoping it doesn't happen, or that if it does, our offer is accepted above the competition. We'll find out by Thursday either way. Fingers crossed!

Indecision

This past Sunday, E & I decided to venture out again to look at houses. We were looking at one new listing, and two repeats. We were having a hard time deciding between two houses and needed to look at them again and talk the options out.

The new listing was a great renovated Cape Cod in Pleasant Hills. Three bedrooms, 2.5 baths. The only drawback was a small yard (small only by our standards). We are keeping this one on the list.

After long looks at both of our repeats, we spent the rest of the day mulling about the pros and cons of each house, each neighborhood, each commute, etc. E liked both houses and felt that it was my decision which one to go for. I was still conflicted. One house is smaller but move-in ready. The other house is larger but needs upgrades (mostly cosmetic). By the end of the day, we had decided to put in an offer. At the end we feel that if the offer is not accepted, then we have another great house to look into, and perhaps that is the way it is meant to go.

Putting "The Watch" on a House

I think we may have found a house. We are cautious and not making any sudden movements, but there's a house that could potentially be THE ONE. E & I are in the right place to pull the trigger and make an offer, but we want to wait some more.

We contacted our REA to talk about making an offer, seller's assist and closing costs, and decided not to put an offer in. We are still curious to see what houses may prop up on the market over the next few months. We have plenty of time since our target date for closing is not until early-March. However, we would hate to miss out on this house.

Our REA recommended that we put "a watch" on the house. Meaning that if someone else puts in an offer, the seller's agent will notify us to see if we want to put in an offer as well. This way we won't lose the house without a fight, and we can wait a bit longer to see if anything even better comes along. So, that's what we are doing. Watching the house until we are ready to pounce. Fingers crossed that no one snatches it up before we are ready to commit or that, if they do, something even more perfect comes along.

House Hunting Saturday

Yesterday, E & I went out to look at three homes in the South Hills, two in Bethel Park and one in South Park. After a few wrong turns and the GPS leading us to a closed road, we made it to South Park for the first house in a foul mood. Here's the summary:

House 1

Location: South Park
Stats: 4 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bathrooms, First Floor Family Room

Pros: Room sizes were great, the layout of the house was very nice, closets were large, the yard was beautiful (about 1/3 acre), the deck was huge, huge 2-car garage, master bathroom, great neighborhood, some new windows.
Cons: Needs cosmetic updates: some new carpets, lots of dated wallpaper, kitchen cabinets (not real wood) and counter tops, closet doors. Furnace and AC are original with the house (30 years old). Kitchen appliances are dated. The commute is 28 minutes without traffic. This is 10 minutes more (6 extra miles) than if we moved to Bethel.

Verdict: Loved the house, loved the space. Hated the commute.

This house is priced for a quick sale and will be snatched up within the month. It is being sold by a recent divorcee for only $1K above market value.

Major Conclusion: Although I could handle the commute, it would make for a very cranky E. It is something for us to think about.

House 2

Location: Bethel Park
Stats: 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, First Floor FR, In-ground Pool

Pros: The street and neighborhood is fantastic! A cul-de-sac with kids playing on the street, hardly any traffic and loads of trees. The house is spacious with the family room and four bedrooms. It has a nice deck and a large yard. The finished basement is nice.
Cons: Closet space is practically non-existent. The stairs to the second level are enclosed. There are no kitchen appliances. No bathroom on the second floor. The garage is unusable unless the driveway is paved. The driveway is too narrow to shuffle the cars. The yard is tiered and has a lot of overgrown trees, vines and bushes. The pool is extra insurance ($200 a year), extra electric and extra maintenance, plus the fence around the top of the pool is not up to code. The front porch needs to be torn down and re-done and there are some cosmetic updates needed on the house. The furnace is old.

Verdict: Nice house, but we couldn't live with no closets and no driveway. The yard is difficult to maintain. The pool is both a plus and a con. Needs lots of updates.

I think this is a good house, but there are lots of updates needed, and the layout is not ideal for us.

Major conclusion: More bedrooms do not translate to a better house.

House 3

Location: Bethel Park
Stats: 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Over 1/2 Acre Yard

Pros: This is our second time viewing this house. We really like it. It is turn-key with fab new appliances, new wood windows, HW floors, new furnace, new AC and new hot water tank. The room sizes are nice, the closets are huge, the layout is great (traditional and efficient) and the yard is a dream-come-true. There is a deep integral garage, a finished GR in the basement, a huge covered brick porch and nice landscaping.
Cons: The house sits on a busier road. The second full bathroom (brand new) is in the basement. We would have to extend the driveway by about 4 ft in order to be able to shuffle the two cars in and out of the garage.

Verdict: This is a great house, and it has a lot of potential for improvements and additions.

The price of this house was just significantly reduced. It was certainly worth a second look.

Major conclusion: We still love this house, especially for the new price.

The Stimulus! The Stimulus!

Got great news when I woke up this morning: the Senate unanimously passed an extension to the Housing Stimulus Bill. This means that if we close by April 30, we will get $8,000. I am so excited about this. It will give us extra money to purchase furniture, make improvements to the house, and save for a rainy day.

The particulars of this extension are different. The stimulus will be extended to some non-first-time home buyers, and the income maximus have been increased. I am jcrossing my fingers that the bill passes in the House and is signed soon.

Since we are going into the winter, there hasn't been that many houses coming into the market and nothing new for E & I to go look at. I am hoping this announcement motivates some sellers in the off season.

I am also hoping that this announcement does not stir up too much buyer competition: people don't like moving in the winter, right? I'd like to be able to shop for a house without feeling pressured or rushed by competing offers.

Is this our Dream House?

There is a house we both really like. I happen to love it, E likes it very much, but is it THE house?

We want to wait at least another month before putting in an offer, but what if this house is gone? Will we have missed out on our dream house? If we do buy this house, what if something better comes along after February?

I don't think I am the type of person that just "knows" when something is the one. I had to try on my wedding dress three times before deciding on it, and even to this day I wonder if that was the right move.
This is the house causing all the doubts. Here's how it compares with what we described as our dream house.

YES - At least three nice-sized bedrooms.
YES - A spacious living room.
YES - A separate dining room.
YES - Nice large windows in common areas.
YES+++ - A relatively medium to large yard. A good yard to us is at least 1/4 of an acre.
YES+ Bonus - A driveway and garage, bonus points if the driveway can fit two cars side by side.
YES - A nice street and neighborhood.

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

Additional Plus's:

New A/C, furnace and Hot Water Heater

Renovated kitchen with Stainless Appliances

Pantry

Brand New Wood Windows

Hardwood floors in impeccable condition

No Wallpaper!

Built-in grill in back yard (connected to gas line)

Huge back porch that can easily become a FR or Den

New landscaping in front

1/2 Acre flat yard

1/4 mile from elementary school

Close to South Park

So what are the cons?

- The second full bathroom, although fully renovated, is in the basement (finished).

- The main bathroom might need to be renovated soon, but it's not really necessary.

- The street is a bit busier than we would like, although the house sits far back from the street.

- We need to work on the curb appeal (shutters and a portico should do the trick).

- We found it too early!

Maybe it will take us looking at this house a few times before deciding it is THE one, or maybe it just isn't it.

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?

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?