Post by ElizabethBennet on Aug 13, 2012 8:51:58 GMT -5
Going in blind. We have family that is about 5 hours away that could take a look at it and I was thinking of flying out there for a weekend to check things out.
Also, are you thinking long term? Short term? Schools? Public transportation?
Somewhere between the two :/. It won't be our forever home most likely but we do want to keep it for awhile. We will probably be there for a few years at least.
I need to look at the school districts though. Public transportation doesn't matter to us.
Post by EmilieMadison on Aug 13, 2012 9:38:49 GMT -5
Is there a reason you can't or dont want to rent first? The idea of making such a huge decision with limited info, and no first hand knowledge of the area sounds...really scary. What if you like the house you buy, but find out you dont really love the neighborhood? What if the neighborhood is good but the house just isnt working for you?
IMO, I would strongly suggest you use the same resources to find a rental (house, apartment, whatever) in the area you think you want to live in the new city. Then you can get a really good feel for what you want/like/need and the quirks and uniqueness of the different neighborhoods while still having the flexibility of changing your mind.
Go to a website like this www.city-data.com/ and ask the locals about neighborhoods. On our local message board, out of towners always post their budget, what type of feel they'd like their neighborhood to have, how long they want their commute to be, etc. and locals make suggestions. Seems to work pretty well, esp. if you can't visit in person.
We're still weighing all our options. Buying would mean our monthly payment would be way less then renting something comparable.
Way less in terms of what? Are you including property taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and the potential cost of selling sooner than you'd hoped because you aren't totally happy with where/what you bought?
Even if the cost of buying is (on paper) less than renting something comparable, you're still making a huge commitment. Obviously, your comfort level may be much different than mine, but I'd rather spend more money for a year and take that time to really get to know the area and then choose the specific neighborhood I want, rather than paying less and being locked into something. JMO!
Post by kellbell191 on Aug 13, 2012 10:17:54 GMT -5
Do you have jobs lined up? My parents did this, from CA to MD. They booked three days for house hunting, got realtor recommendations and neighbordhood recommendations through my Dad's employer and future coworkers and did it that way.
We're still weighing all our options. Buying would mean our monthly payment would be way less then renting something comparable.
Way less in terms of what? Are you including property taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and the potential cost of selling sooner than you'd hoped because you aren't totally happy with where/what you bought?
Even if the cost of buying is (on paper) less than renting something comparable, you're still making a huge commitment. Obviously, your comfort level may be much different than mine, but I'd rather spend more money for a year and take that time to really get to know the area and then choose the specific neighborhood I want, rather than paying less and being locked into something. JMO!
No, I know you're right. It's just prices and interest rates are low and we can buy so we're considering it.
The payments do include taxes and insurance and all that.
Do you have jobs lined up? My parents did this, from CA to MD. They booked three days for house hunting, got realtor recommendations and neighbordhood recommendations through my Dad's employer and future coworkers and did it that way.
Post by pantsparty on Aug 13, 2012 10:40:02 GMT -5
I'd see if you could rent first. A few months of rent wouldn't kill you and you'd be able to get a good lay of the land. You could definitely start working with a realtor now. But I wouldn't be comfortable buying a house blind.
Post by sawyerthedestroyer on Aug 13, 2012 10:43:39 GMT -5
We moved from Central Florida to Branson, MO because we thought being used to a touristy atmosphere, the proximity of restaurants and stores (TARGET!) Branson wouldn't be that much of a change for us. We didn't even want to consider the small town down in Arkansas that H would be working in because we thought we couldn't live without certain stores or restaurants being close by so H commuted every day. Turns out our needs and wants were a lot different after living in the area for several months. We learned that we didn't like the traffic, we were sick of tourists, and being so close to Target was trouble for our bank account. The little town H was working in wasn't so bad after all, it was actually kind of cute, very family friendly with lots of community activities, and Target is only thirty minutes away, which isn't so bad.
Because of everything Emily said we rented first when we moved across the country. There is no way I could commit to buying a house I've never seen.
Once we got used to the area we got some realtor recommendations from locals and went from there.
In Canada the Military provides the liaison to help find neighborhood info, realtors, etc eyc. Is there not a military family resource center where you are moving too!? That way you can contact people already there that volunteer for this exact type of outreach...
There probably is. This is our first real military move so I'm still trying to figure everything out. I'll see what I can find.