Buying your first home

[Isgrimnur]

On the other side, I'm sitting on my back porch, having an adult beverage during a lightning show while the dogs play. As long as the tornado doesn't hit us, it'll be a good night.

[Chaz]

Oh, I forgot stuff!

Two garage door openers
Hardwood floors in one bedroom

[Isgrimnur]

Aaand there's the hail storm. Larger than golf ball. Here's hoping the heavier roof shingles stood up to the damage.

[Cortilian]

Aaand there's the hail storm. Larger than golf ball. Here's hoping the heavier roof shingles stood up to the damage.

Make sure to have your roof checked soon after the storm. The longer the lag from the storm to inspection the harder it is sometimes to see the damage.

[Isgrimnur]

I made the call last night. Adjuster should be out this week.

[Jeff V]

So we are going through the buying thing now, and just had the inspector out Saturday. The kitchen appliances are all new, as is the carpeting. There were a number of plumbing issues that I requested the owner take care of, and a cock-eyed door on the basement bathroom that won't close. A few missing shingles on the roof, otherwise, he said it should be good for another 5-10 years. Furnace and hotwater heater are OEM, but in good order. There's a bunch of little things we're asking the owner to address - the patio has a built-up wall of paver stones that is in disarray, they need to be restacked and glued/cemented/mortared. The patio has dual spotlights attached to a motion sensor, but the lights don't work. A screen is torn. The gasket inside the patio door popped out (not sure how this can be fixed, but we're asking). The fridge is not connected to a water line.

Our realtor is supposed to pass along these grievances to the lawyer working on our behalf, who will then, presumably, fight it out in a cage match with the lawyer on the seller's side. Meanwhile, I meet with the mortgage broker this afternoon. I'm expecting that in the end, there will be relatively few things that need to be done to the house proper, but we will be dropping staggering sums of money on furniture and a new TV/home theater system. Of the stuff we currently own, the dining table will be relegated to a kitchenette, our sofa/loveseat will be banished to the basement to sit alongside the bar, and existing main TV and bedroom TV will also be used in the basement. We were going to put a sofa bed in the basement bedroom, which the prior owner apparently used for home theater, but now the specter of my MIL coming to stay with us has heated up again, so rather than spend money creating a flexible room down there, I'll probably use our existing queen bed down there. Unfortunately, her presence will render the bar unfit for anything but a children's play area.

[Smoove_B]

Is the basement bedroom a legit use of the space as such? More specifically, is it listed in the tax records or is it only in the real estate listing? I ask only because as someone that was involved in quite a few discussions over whether or not something was indeed a bedroom, you want to make sure you're covered before taking over ownership. I've seen some pretty ugly legal battles as a result of miscommunication (or intentional misleading) on the part of the seller.

[Jeff V]

Is the basement bedroom a legit use of the space as such? More specifically, is it listed in the tax records or is it only in the real estate listing? I ask only because as someone that was involved in quite a few discussions over whether or not something was indeed a bedroom, you want to make sure you're covered before taking over ownership. I've seen some pretty ugly legal battles as a result of miscommunication (or intentional misleading) on the part of the seller.

The house was listed as 4 bedroom, and the basement room is indeed the 4th bedroom. Aside from the obvious home theater clues (surround speakers still mounted, an RCA jack patch panel mounted into a wall, there is a large, open serving window adjacent to the bar apparently used to convey drinks into the room. There is no closet space, though. There are two closet-looking doors, one conceals the electrical panel and the other plumbing. There is space beyond the bathroom door to put a free-standing wardrobe, which we will likely buy. It is carpeted, and is attached to the basement bathroom, however. I have no trouble using it as a place to store my MIL when she not needed elsewhere in the house. The basement bar is a wet bar, and we'll likely put a small fridge and microwave there.

Another option I suppose would be to abandon hope that the kids will sleep by themselves anytime soon. My son's toddler bed is good enough for him now, eventually we'll get him a twin kids's bed, which is plenty big for my diminutive MIL. This could be kept for now in what will be our daughter's room, however, it seems my wife might be plotting for her mom to eventually come here on a permanent basis and if so, we'll need a permanent accommodation so I'd rather not spend money on something that might not be lasting.

I suggested to my wife that maybe we should just take out the bar but she was insistent it be my "man cave." It would be completely unsuitable for this purpose however if the MIL moves in adjacent to it and the space would be better used for a children's play area. Most of the parties we'd be hosting will attract hordes of kids anyway, and it's nice to be able to send the lot of them to the basement to keep them from being underfoot. Maybe with the addition of a small fridge and a microwave, it will be more of a kitchenette to further keep the MIL out of our hair when she isn't needed.

[Fireball]

I bought my first home last year — a 900-ish square foot condo in Alexandria. So, crushingly expensive. But the process was pretty easy. I had a good realtor, the owner was willing to work with me on structuring the deal so that it took less upfront cash, and no problems securing a mortgage. I was really fortunate all around. I really enjoyed the mortgage interest deduction this year.

[mori]

Is the basement bedroom a legit use of the space as such? More specifically, is it listed in the tax records or is it only in the real estate listing? I ask only because as someone that was involved in quite a few discussions over whether or not something was indeed a bedroom, you want to make sure you're covered before taking over ownership. I've seen some pretty ugly legal battles as a result of miscommunication (or intentional misleading) on the part of the seller.

The house was listed as 4 bedroom, and the basement room is indeed the 4th bedroom. Aside from the obvious home theater clues (surround speakers still mounted, an RCA jack patch panel mounted into a wall, there is a large, open serving window adjacent to the bar apparently used to convey drinks into the room. There is no closet space, though. There are two closet-looking doors, one conceals the electrical panel and the other plumbing. There is space beyond the bathroom door to put a free-standing wardrobe, which we will likely buy. It is carpeted, and is attached to the basement bathroom, however. I have no trouble using it as a place to store my MIL when she not needed elsewhere in the house. The basement bar is a wet bar, and we'll likely put a small fridge and microwave there.

Another option I suppose would be to abandon hope that the kids will sleep by themselves anytime soon. My son's toddler bed is good enough for him now, eventually we'll get him a twin kids's bed, which is plenty big for my diminutive MIL. This could be kept for now in what will be our daughter's room, however, it seems my wife might be plotting for her mom to eventually come here on a permanent basis and if so, we'll need a permanent accommodation so I'd rather not spend money on something that might not be lasting.

I suggested to my wife that maybe we should just take out the bar but she was insistent it be my "man cave." It would be completely unsuitable for this purpose however if the MIL moves in adjacent to it and the space would be better used for a children's play area. Most of the parties we'd be hosting will attract hordes of kids anyway, and it's nice to be able to send the lot of them to the basement to keep them from being underfoot. Maybe with the addition of a small fridge and a microwave, it will be more of a kitchenette to further keep the MIL out of our hair when she isn't needed.

I thought the main requirement for a room to be considered a bedroom was that it contained a closet. To me it sounds like that room should not be considered a bedroom. Some potential bargaining power? Around these parts you also need direct egress from the bedroom to outside the house so a person does not get trapped by fire. The room also have to have smoke detector and at least one carbon monoxide detector on that floor level.

I am just over 1 year of home ownership and have not had any expenses <knocks on wood>.

[Jeff V]

We already offered (and it was accepted) on the house, so the issue now is fixing some of the things uncovered with the inspection, many which pertained to the bathroom connected to that room. However, I am perfecting willing to take my ball and go home if I don't like their response. It might take a little convincing to convince my wife that it's a hill to die on, though.

I am not nearly as enamoured with this place as my wife is. Throughout this process, I've taken a long-road approach, but she is obsessed with her commute to work (never mind that she's suggested changing jobs several times since the house hunt began!) and the proximity to our current sitter, which is near where we live now and at best has an expiration date of 5 years when the baby starts school. And her mom coming completely nullifies this as a concern.

A few days before our bid was accepted on this house, we bid and lost another house, mostly because she wanted to play hardball with the offer. The house was outstanding, 5 true bedrooms, and seemed MUCH larger than the house we are buying now even though it was listed 100 sq ft. less. I'm sure the punch list from the inspector would have been negligible. It was a somewhat longer commute, however, and the taxes about 50% higher, plus there was a $100/mo HOA (amenities were nice though so I had no problem with that). While I'm not inclined to mourn over missed opportunity, it did make me consider what else might come available in our price range. The house we are working to get now is $20K less; however, there is no way $20K would be enough to make this house equivalent. This house we are getting is on a small pond, which is nice. One thing that might be driving my wife's desire for the home is the schools listed on Zillow, they were rated 10/6/10 (elementary/middle/high). However, after the fact I clicked the link Zillow said provides the ratings, and it shows the house being in districts that rate 3/3/3. But when I click on the good schools that Zillow mentions, this house is within their boundaries. So I am confused on this point. While it's too late to act directly on this revelation, it does give me more resolve to play hardball though.

[Archinerd]

I thought the main requirement for a room to be considered a bedroom was that it contained a closet. To me it sounds like that room should not be considered a bedroom. Some potential bargaining power? Around these parts you also need direct egress from the bedroom to outside the house so a person does not get trapped by fire. The room also have to have smoke detector and at least one carbon monoxide detector on that floor level.

Jeff may not be looking in Chicago itself, but most local codes require a certain amount of light and ventilation based on SF to be counted as a bedroom. The most common and easiest way of getting this is a window, though there are cases where sky lights and mechanical solutions are acceptable. Closets, while nice to have, are not required.

[Kelric]

A few weeks into Year 2:

Renovated the kitchen when we moved in
The furnace died and we had the boiler rebuilt shortly after moving in
Replaced the water heater last fall after it leaked
Replaced the floors in both bedrooms, the hallway, and the living room on the first floor thanks to the water heater

And now we're selling it and buying a house that was built in 1898.

[Isgrimnur]

How has New England not just burned to the ground due to these ancient buildings?

[Smoove_B]

I thought the main requirement for a room to be considered a bedroom was that it contained a closet. To me it sounds like that room should not be considered a bedroom. Some potential bargaining power? Around these parts you also need direct egress from the bedroom to outside the house so a person does not get trapped by fire. The room also have to have smoke detector and at least one carbon monoxide detector on that floor level.

Jeff may not be looking in Chicago itself, but most local codes require a certain amount of light and ventilation based on SF to be counted as a bedroom. The most common and easiest way of getting this is a window, though there are cases where sky lights and mechanical solutions are acceptable. Closets, while nice to have, are not required.

Yeah, I figured it varied by state (it's a hot topic) and for the towns I've worked it it's been a function of the septic system as well because that would be designed around the number of bedrooms. Usually that has been the biggest indicator (and legal problem) that something was done without approval. But in general, the bedroom issue was defined by square feet and egress. The other general rule was bathroom access. If you need to pass through the room in question to access a bathroom, it's likely not intended to be a bedroom. Regardless, basement bedroom conversions were usually forbidden simply because they only way out would have been a set of stairs through the kitchen or main level of the house. Without a walk-out option (through the foundation), sleeping in the basement becomes a potential fire trap.

[Jeff V]

Without a walk-out option (through the foundation), sleeping in the basement becomes a potential fire trap.

The exit from the basement is a few feet away from the staircase to the second floor, where the other bedrooms are at. It seems to me that all traffic would route through the same exits. What matters I suppose is where the fire is at...if in the bar, for example, anyone in the basement bedroom would have to traverse the fire. But a fire in the living room could similarly make the upstairs bedrooms vulnerable. I suppose you could jump out a 2nd floor window, but there are two below-grade windows (in window wells) that potentially make it safer to exit from the basement than the second floor.

About half the houses we looked at had at least partially finished basements with the space being used for a bedroom. Having an attached full bath like this house does is unique among those we looked at...most had no basement bathroom at all and cellar-dwellars would have to trudge up the stairs to do their business (and up 2 flights of stairs to shower). Most such bedrooms it seems are typically used by teenage offspring who want a little more isolation from the rest of the family and are willing to put up with such inconveniences.

[ImLawBoy]

If you need to pass through the room in question to access a bathroom, it's likely not intended to be a bedroom.

Do houses in NJ not have master bathrooms that can be accessed only through the master bedroom? This seems like an odd rule of thumb (unless I'm misinterpreting it).

[Smoove_B]

I probably didn't word that clearly. If the only way to get to a bathroom is through another room, that room is likely not supposed to be bedroom. The master bathroom isn't part of this because usually it's an additional (bonus) bathroom that is provided for use only by the occupants of the master bedroom. There would always be another common bathroom in the home that the other bedrooms would have access to. The issue I'm referring to is usually seen in rentals or illegal conversions where they take a bonus room (might have been dining, might have been a sitting or reading room), add some walls and doors for privacy and now call it a bedroom. What was once a room that everyone in the house could freely pass through is now a room with doors that others in the house need to pass through in order to gain access to a common bathroom on that floor.

Really the answer is always in the tax assessors documents, the septic design or potentially the sewer/water bill. It doesn't matter what the homeowners say or the real estate agent represents - if the town's documents and permits have it listed as a 3 bedroom and you're selling it as 4, as the home owner you are opening yourself to potential trouble. I spent far more time than I ever thought possible dealing with these issues and getting in the middle of real estate transactions or continued certificates of occupancy (for rentals). It might have been a function of the towns I was working in and a product of the real estate market in the 2000s, but there were quite a few homes that were trying to squeeze out more money or compete with larger homes in the neighborhood by claiming they had legitimate bedrooms.

[Jeff V]

If you need to pass through the room in question to access a bathroom, it's likely not intended to be a bedroom.

Do houses in NJ not have master bathrooms that can be accessed only through the master bedroom? This seems like an odd rule of thumb (unless I'm misinterpreting it).

I was under the impression New Jersey just used outhouses.

[Jeff V]

So, second thoughts.

When the MIL coming was still an unformed concept, the plan was to outfit that 4th bedroom into something convertible -- sofa bed, coffee table with storage, etc. Aside from the fact I still don't like (nor know how we are going to lay out) the two main rooms, the realization that she will probably be coming fairly soon is really making this house seem claustrophobic. Now, I admit I'm still in love with the house we didn't get and this one seems like we're settling for the ugly sister. We are still waiting to see if the seller will fix the list of grievances we submitted from the inspection.

Now, if they refuse on the big stuff, walking away seems an easy thing to do. If they comply, however, walking away seems like a really dickish thing to do. Without trying to put her in alarm mode, I mentioned to my wife she should keep an eye on the listings our agent's bot keeps sending. She responded immediately with a house under development (it's a flip) that has compelling pictures of their prior project. So I think she might be having second thoughts as well.

Have any of you gone this far in the process and backed out for any reason?

[Isgrimnur]

We walked away from an offer. The inspector said that the foundation was out of tolerances. The foundation guy that came out stated that the ground was rising under the house, and the foundation was effectively rubble.

[coopasonic]

If they comply, however, walking away seems like a really dickish thing to do.
...
Have any of you gone this far in the process and backed out for any reason?

We've never been in that position, but you are talking about where you are probably going to live for a long ass time... settling doesn't seem right. It may be dick-ish but you gotta look out for your own.

[LordMortis]

Is the basement bedroom a legit use of the space as such? More specifically, is it listed in the tax records or is it only in the real estate listing? I ask only because as someone that was involved in quite a few discussions over whether or not something was indeed a bedroom, you want to make sure you're covered before taking over ownership. I've seen some pretty ugly legal battles as a result of miscommunication (or intentional misleading) on the part of the seller.

Isn't that a by the state thing? I have a bedroom in my basement I don't have bedroom in my basement but I have a little glowing room but really it's not actually a room but it is.

Legally I have no livable space my basement because 1) You can't bust the windows out in case of a fire. 2) my home does not have a basement point of entry. However, my basement is the size of my upstairs, has a wet bar, cable jacks, and a shower as well as four total rooms. It doubles the space of my house, but it will always sell without the basement as living space and if I treat it as such, I could actually get in legal trouble. But that's all a Michigan thing.

Have any of you gone this far in the process and backed out for any reason?

That's what home inspections are for you. You pay some guy an outrageous amount of money and he will give you several excuses to back out of any house to get your good faith offer back. I did it once based on basement cracks and some jacked up way of putting supports in the basement for a a house that was obviously shifting on its foundation and I actually had the seller threaten to not give me my $7000 back and so I threatened to go court and got my check back the next day.

[Smoove_B]

Isn't that a by the state thing? I have a bedroom in my basement I don't have bedroom in my basement but I have a little glowing room but really it's not actually a room but it is.

Your story's infinite - like the Longines Symphonette, it doesn't rest?

Legally I have no livable space my basement because 1) You can't bust the windows out in case of a fire. 2) my home does not have a basement point of entry. However, my basement is the size of my upstairs, has a wet bar, cable jacks, and a shower as well as four total rooms. It doubles the space of my house, but it will always sell without the basement as living space and if I treat it as such, I could actually get in legal trouble. But that's all a Michigan thing.

My basement is about 1/3 the total square footage of my house with the first and second floor making up the other 2/3s (equally). There are basement windows, but they couldn't be considered egress and with only one way in and out (through the kitchen), my basement is not legally considered habitable space (in NJ). Size is just part of the equation (in NJ). But in all of my experience, egress has been the killer. You walk into a home and there's a bed in the basement and no way out other than the way you walked in? Trouble.

[NickAragua]

So, second thoughts.

When the MIL coming was still an unformed concept, the plan was to outfit that 4th bedroom into something convertible -- sofa bed, coffee table with storage, etc. Aside from the fact I still don't like (nor know how we are going to lay out) the two main rooms, the realization that she will probably be coming fairly soon is really making this house seem claustrophobic. Now, I admit I'm still in love with the house we didn't get and this one seems like we're settling for the ugly sister. We are still waiting to see if the seller will fix the list of grievances we submitted from the inspection.

Now, if they refuse on the big stuff, walking away seems an easy thing to do. If they comply, however, walking away seems like a really dickish thing to do. Without trying to put her in alarm mode, I mentioned to my wife she should keep an eye on the listings our agent's bot keeps sending. She responded immediately with a house under development (it's a flip) that has compelling pictures of their prior project. So I think she might be having second thoughts as well.

Have any of you gone this far in the process and backed out for any reason?

Yes. For example, one place, there was (a relatively small amount over established norms of) radon in the basement and the roof structure was slightly damaged by storms from the previous year. Don't be concerned with being dickish. That's what your agent is for. When you're talking about putting down hundreds of thousands of dollars over thirty years, you need to be jumping for joy to get in there. Anything that you see that gives you serious pause now will become a huge and/or expensive pain in your ass later. I made the mistake of "settling" with the first place my wife and I bought (a condo) and it took us like two years, and a lot of screaming at each other, to sell the damn place when we wound up deciding to move. In my experience, pretty much anything non-trivial that the inspector says is grounds to ditch the deal. Worst case scenario, you lose your small deposit.

Edit: I guess it depends on the structure of the offer, but the offers we put down were more or less standard and featured "back out" contingencies in case you're not satisfied with inspection results. And also you don't put down a *large* amount of money until you sign the "purchase and sale agreement", which you generally do after carrying out the inspections. Hopefully your realtor is a professional and uses professionally written offers, rather than the ones that come out of "Joe Bob's Legal Wrangling and Chainsaw Repair" (for the record, he does OK with the chainsaws).

[El Guapo]

So, second thoughts.

When the MIL coming was still an unformed concept, the plan was to outfit that 4th bedroom into something convertible -- sofa bed, coffee table with storage, etc. Aside from the fact I still don't like (nor know how we are going to lay out) the two main rooms, the realization that she will probably be coming fairly soon is really making this house seem claustrophobic. Now, I admit I'm still in love with the house we didn't get and this one seems like we're settling for the ugly sister. We are still waiting to see if the seller will fix the list of grievances we submitted from the inspection.

Now, if they refuse on the big stuff, walking away seems an easy thing to do. If they comply, however, walking away seems like a really dickish thing to do. Without trying to put her in alarm mode, I mentioned to my wife she should keep an eye on the listings our agent's bot keeps sending. She responded immediately with a house under development (it's a flip) that has compelling pictures of their prior project. So I think she might be having second thoughts as well.

Have any of you gone this far in the process and backed out for any reason?

Yes. For example, one place, there was (a relatively small amount over established norms of) radon in the basement and the roof structure was slightly damaged by storms from the previous year. Don't be concerned with being dickish. That's what your agent is for. When you're talking about putting down hundreds of thousands of dollars over thirty years, you need to be jumping for joy to get in there. Anything that you see that gives you serious pause now will become a huge and/or expensive pain in your ass later. I made the mistake of "settling" with the first place my wife and I bought (a condo) and it took us like two years, and a lot of screaming at each other, to sell the damn place when we wound up deciding to move. In my experience, pretty much anything non-trivial that the inspector says is grounds to ditch the deal. Worst case scenario, you lose your small deposit.

Yeah, I agree with this. Sometime soonish you should: (1) decide whether you both want to back out regardless of whether they accept your grievances; and (2) if the answer is yes, talk to your agent ASAP, and they'll figure out the best way to do so.

Yes, it may be slightly dickish, but it's a big commitment of time, money, and happiness, so you want it to be 100% right for you. And as long as you're not setting off a dirty bomb on your way out, the sellers should be able to adjust ok.

[Jeff V]

I was a little unsure as to my wife's love for the house, so I was treading lightly. I asked her point blank if she loved the place, and she said she did not, but liked that it was walking distance from the schools. That's when I let her know that those nice, nearby GOOD schools aren't the ones our kids would be bussed away to. We were immediately in full agreement to punt.

Just as we were having the conversation, the counteroffer from the seller arrived -- they offered to reduce the price $2500 and kick in an additional $1000 seller's credit. While it might be a reasonable offer in the long term, we'd be out-out-pocket more at the start, and we are hoarding our gold because even without this, we have to buy a ton of shit. It gives a casus belli to step away though. At the very moment I was looking at that email, our realtor called. We are arranging lunch tomorrow, and I told her we want to withdraw the offer. We'll still get the earnest money back, so we're only out the inspection fee. Meanwhile I asked her to investigate this house that is under renovation for us. I saw the front of the house on Google Maps and it looks nice from the outside. Their pictures from their last flip look very nice, and it seems they plan to stick with the same formula (hardwood floors, stainless appliances). The only bummer is that it'd be a further commute to work, and I am unsure if there is a viable route to bike on days I'm able and inclined to do so. But we have 3 months until our current lease expires, so time to see more houses.

[Jeff V]

Another question. Has anyone ever needed to procure temporary housing as part of the home buying process and if so, explain what you had to do? Our lease where we're at expires at the end of June. The landlord explicitly moved it to the end of June (we initiated the lease in September) so it could be listed over the summer when we leave. This means begging for a few months extension probably isn't an option.

Our house-buying budget is based completely on my salary, although my wife is now realizing take-home pay around 75% of what I make. Her credit is not well established though, and that means it's best she not be on the mortgage (we'd go from the best available rate to the worst if she were added). Since our approval, we paid off a $13K debt that could, once it rolls off the credit report (up to 3 months!), substantially increase the amount we might qualify for. A 20% increase in approved amount (not unrealistic) greatly increases our options, particularly in the desired school districts. I don't know that we can wait for this debt to clear then re-do the pre-approval in time to close on something by the end of June. We are likely to move out with less than we moved in with, but we still would need to store it somewhere and shack up...where? if things don't shake out by June 30.

[Isgrimnur]

Extended Stay America has some Chicago locations. There also appear to be short-term or by-month apt rentals.

[Jeff V]

Thanks, hopefully that's not something we'll have to pursue. We'd have to put our stuff in storage for however long the duration might be as well.

[stimpy]

Thanks, hopefully that's not something we'll have to pursue. We'd have to put our stuff in storage for however long the duration might be as well.

Where are you looking?
I am putting my house up for sale next week. I'm in Lisle.
It would be nice to not have to pay a realtor commission.......

[Jeff V]

Current candidates are Plainfield, Aurora, Oswego, Yorkville, Montgomery, and Bolingbrook. I suppose Naperville too, although there's really nothing there that fits our parameters (4 beds, <=$250K). Lisle didn't have anything that fit the bill either, IIRC (I kind of stopped searching there). My wife is also rather enamored with newer construction and arbitrarily decreed the house shall be no older than 2000. (for kicks, I sent her a listing for a house that was built in 1890 yesterday).

Commute to my job in Warrenville, her job in Naperville, and the sitter in Bolingbrook are all factors of consideration. If her mom makes it here, the Bolingbrook sitter is probably permanently removed from consideration.

[stimpy]

Current candidates are Plainfield, Aurora, Oswego, Yorkville, Montgomery, and Bolingbrook. I suppose Naperville too, although there's really nothing there that fits our parameters (4 beds, <=$250K). Lisle didn't have anything that fit the bill either, IIRC (I kind of stopped searching there). My wife is also rather enamored with newer construction and arbitrarily decreed the house shall be no older than 2000. (for kicks, I sent her a listing for a house that was built in 1890 yesterday).

Commute to my job in Warrenville, her job in Naperville, and the sitter in Bolingbrook are all factors of consideration. If her mom makes it here, the Bolingbrook sitter is probably permanently removed from consideration.

The commute would be nothing from Lisle!!
I got the 4 bedrooms. The <=250K part? That would be the absolute bare minimum I could walk away with.
And you seem fussy.......

[Jeff V]

And you seem fussy.......

I'm just a conduit. Wife is the fussy one.

[stimpy]

And you seem fussy.......

I'm just a conduit. Wife is the fussy one.

I've spent so much time fixing little things up here and there that I don't want to leave now.
We'll never find a house in as good of shape.
But the woman is not happy with the idea of adding an extra 40 minutes or so to her commute, so off I go.

[LordMortis]

I'm just a conduit. Wife is the fussy one.

[coopasonic]

I'm just a conduit. Wife is the fussy one.

[Fitzy]

Extended Stay America has some Chicago locations. There also appear to be short-term or by-month apt rentals.

Dear god no.

Extended Stay Americas are crappy hotels without the features. Everyone is in a tiny space. All your stuff, except the few items you can cram in there, is in storage. I can't even imagine staying in one for very long with kids. However I don't like kids, so maybe you'll love it.

Some apartment complexes will do short term leases. You'll pay extra, but you can probably get enough space so that you don't wind up the lead story in the Chicago Tribune.

[mori]

You cannot underestimate the amount of time it takes to actually purchase a home and get moved. So looking for short term housing now is a smart move. In my situation I got the eviction notice on Dec 12. Decided to buy a house Dec 14 and contacted a realtor a day latter. Begged the new building owners to let me stay through February. Found the house I wanted and had my offer accepted the first week of January. It still took till February 27 before I could close and begin moving. I closed on Friday and started moving or else would of been out on the streets on Monday. It was that close. Everybody involved knew this had to be expedited, including the sellers, and there will be no f'n around and dragging feet. Everything went smooth but the process just takes time.

[Jeff V]

We have 3 months but the realtor is pushing us relentlessly. We had lunch with her yesterday, and she arranged for 4(!) showings yesterday evening, starting at 6 pm. We were done by 8, and I'm waiting for her to get me the offer documents to sign on the last one.

The first three (Oswego) all had about the same balance of plusses and minuses. None had a particularly good kitchen, all had spacious bedrooms, one basement unfinished (and smelling a little musty, which is a warning sign). Two others had finished half-basements that weren't all that compelling. One had a nice deck, one a concrete patio, one an unloved deck that might take a painting but likely needs to be replaced.

The 4th house (Yorkville) is what my wife was most anxious to see. It's a little down the road from the place we loved but didn't get (as if we need to be even further out in BFE). The kitchen is really nice, big, granite counters, nice appliances. The house was built in 2009 and a new middle school is 2 blocks away. Other first floor spaces (sitting room, living room, dining room, family room) are all sufficiently sized and will be easy to decorate and furnish. Bedrooms are large, master bath lacks the separate tub my wife wants, but there is actually enough space that I think it could be done.

The basement and back of the house is where things are potentially interesting. The basement is unfinished, but there is a patio door at ground level in the yard along with windows on both sides. There are patio doors off the kitchen upstairs...the house is built into a hill, so the main level is ground level in front but second story in back. There is a small landing crowded with a grill and two chairs, and a staircase going to the ground. There is no patio or anything but grass on ground level. My wife would like that structure replaced with a balcony, but I'm guessing it's the way it is because of fire codes requiring a second exit (and not through the basement). My though is it needs to be replaced by a proper deck, probably midway between the main floor and basement, with stairs leading to a paver patio outside the basement patio doors. That would be an expensive project not likely to be done this year. More imperative would be to at least start to finish the basement; tile the floor, frame the walls, at that point, we can at least banish the kids there during parties. That could be done quickly and inexpensively. We also want to put in a bathroom down there, as well as a kitchenette with a sink (possibly a wet bar, although I more favor getting a portable bar that could be brought out for entertaining and stowed when not needed).

I initially wasn't keen on having two major projects (deck and basement) on the to-do list, but after seeing the space, the potential got my creative juices flowing. All we need now is a crap ton of money!