Home Buying

Ryan and I are starting the process of looking for houses. We got approved for the mortgage and are starting to shop around a little bit. We found a little house in a really nice location with a lot of land that we were interested in, but it went off the market about 2 days after it was listed. So there went that. I was really disappointed. We drove by the house and it was hideously ugly, but I think it was all cosmetic. Who knows, though.

So we're continuing to look. We drove by another one that was NOT in a nice location, as far as convenience or desirability, and I dismissed that one immediately.

Then today, out of the blue, Ryan started looking up empty lots in our area. We were finding that they're not too outrageous. Then we started to consider a modular home. I started doing some research and so far I'm finding that I can get a really big, really nice, brand new house for under $75,000. Most of them are significantly less than that. I, of course, started freaking out and getting really excited about this new discovery. It seems too good to be true. How can it even be possible that we could afford a home like that?

I think the trick lies in the additional work and the timing. We'd have to prepare the lot, build a foundation/basement, and do the finishing after the house was on site. That includes hooking up all of the utilities and stuff. But if we can get an inexpensive lot, we could probably cover the rest of those expenses as part of our mortgage, which shouldn't be a problem, I think..

The other disadvantage would be, because we're renting, we'd have to probably continue to live in the apartment for a month or so while we prepare the lot and wait for the house to be finished. So that means we'd be paying for two locations at once. But I think it might be worth it for the quality of home we'd be able to have. And if we're looking for empty lots instead of houses, we'd be more likely to find one in a good location that we can afford. That would be great.

So, we'll see. We're going to start asking some questions and shopping around, seeing what all is involved, how much it will cost, and how all the logistics work. But I think this might be a really great opportunity for us. I hope so!!

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