NBR: How long did it take to find your house?

[snshne322]

J and I have been serious about getting home listing updates for about a 2 months, but I've been searching casually for about 6.  In the 5 towns we're looking at, there is not one house we want to look at.  We did a few open houses, one we were interested in and the others were more to rule out since it had a lot of what we wanted, but we weren't thrilled with the listing.  The one we were interested in just needs to much work.

I'm not discouraged yet, but how long did it take for you to find your house?  How much of your wish/needs list did you get and how much did you compromise?

We're lucky in that time is on our side so we're able to be picky for awhile, but I'm anxious for new digs and I'm restless. We're fortunate that our wants/needs are the same, however, J is SUPER stubborn and not likely to compromise too much on the house.  I can't blame him truly since we are planning for 20+ years in this house, but I want out of my house.

[ufcasey]

6 months and we ended up going with a community that was being built so we picked our lot and interior finishes (kitchen cabinets, flooring, lighting fixtures etc). Finding a house in the neighborhoods you like, with a layout you like, with interior that is acceptable, without any major repairs/renovations needed, and for a price you want: feels like a Herculean effort. But it's all worth it when you finally find something. Good luck!

[suzannesugarbaker]

Probably about 6-8 months. It felt like forever, because we had just moved back from SC and were renting DH's grandfather's old house from the 1950s. It was teeny tiny and I couldn't wait to get out of there. We are hoping to be in our home until we retire or downsize too. Take your time and try to patient. I know it's hard, but I wish I hadn't rushed. I love our house & the location, but I wish it was a little smaller and had more land.

[booknerd]

We started looking in January and closed at the end of June, so not long at all. I think our offer was accepted at the end of April. But we had to move by then so we didn't have much time to look. We do love our house and yard but we had to compromise on location. We're about ten minutes further out than we wanted to be.

[revjen]

We never have. We still rent.

[ally]

We took about 8 months.  Our realtor had to be annoyed - I was picky and I am ok with that - and asked to see A LOT of houses.  He did learn my deal breakers pretty quick - the kitchen was soooo important to me.  On a Friday night we were going to see the house we planned to make an offer on, we drove by a house and asked to see it on Saturday.  The location was perfect (I can walk to work), while it did not have everything, it had most things and it was in our original price range (we were slowly edging up to find what we wanted).  We made an offer on it on Sunday!  Big plus was that it was was move in ready and met nearly all of our wants/needs. I still wish it had a porch, but everything else is great!

[Wallflower]

I made an offer on a house in September - this was a total surprise to everyone, as it involved an 1,800-mile move. I didn't get that house, but I began haunting the listings. I moved in May, living with my mother. From October to May, there were a couple of houses that were OK, but nothing that made me really excited.

The in-person searching took from the end of May to the end of July, when I finally found the right house.

And as with Ally, I think my realtor was getting tired of my pickiness. But, I bought my condo, thinking I'd live there a few years and got stuck for 15 years, so this time, I was determined to stick to my guns.

The compromises I had to make: the yard is a little bigger and more work than I wanted; the price was higher than I wanted; I have a 4th bedroom, which I don't really need but it has come in handy. Otherwise, I pretty much ticked off everything I wanted.

[labellabarv]

I have a confession: I constantly look at house listings online.

The condo we bought I decided on right after I saw it in person because I'm always looking at houses online. I have a problem. I blame Chip and Joanna Gaines.

[Nonny]

We'd been casually browsing online listings for a few months before we started looking with an agent, but we only went to see 5-6 houses in person before we landed on the one we've been in for almost 13 years now.  We actually thought the process would take a lot longer, but our sellers lowered the price on the house and it fell into my H's search criteria, he went and saw it, then we both went and saw it, and then we bought.

A '70s era split level wasn't my first choice, but it had the location, large lot, double garage, and a good kitchen, and 2.5 bathrooms, which ticked off all of our primary boxes.  We both wish we had a larger master bath (with a tub), and my H wishes we had a taller garage so he could have a car lift, but overall we've been happy.  Someday we'll even update the kitchen and bathrooms to be more modern, but they are fully functionally if a tad dated.

[aurora]

A month or two after we started looking seriously, but we were looking in a place that had a very active market at the time so we had lots of options.

FWIW, the house that we ended up buying we didn't even really want to look at because it seemed overpriced and less ideal than some of our other options, but our buyer's agent was smart and talked us into it and it ended up being perfect (and it was overpriced; we bid low and got it).

[lab7979]

It took us a while but we were looking for a house in a specific neighborhood.  We ended up finding one and it had pretty much everything we wanted at the time.  It's worked out well for us but over the years what we want has changed.  I think we will move eventually although we aren't in a big hurry.  My husband used to be a realtor and has recently got back into it.  It seems like its pretty competitve right now as far as buyers are concerned.  The last few properities he has put offers in on have been multiple offer situations and ended up selling for above asking price.  The last two homes he has listed have sold within one day.  That's insane.

[snshne322]

Apr 19, 2016 13:58:10 GMT -5 lab7979 said:

It took us a while but we were looking for a house in a specific neighborhood.  We ended up finding one and it had pretty much everything we wanted at the time.  It's worked out well for us but over the years what we want has changed.  I think we will move eventually although we aren't in a big hurry.  My husband used to be a realtor and has recently got back into it.  It seems like its pretty competitve right now as far as buyers are concerned.  The last few properities he has put offers in on have been multiple offer situations and ended up selling for above asking price.  The last two homes he has listed have sold within one day.  That's insane.

DH and I were talking about this recently.  I've seen a few go on then off the market within days and since he usually moves slow as molasses I warned him that when the right property comes we may need to be prepared to pounce.  He just laughs and me.  He doesn't think houses really sell over the asking price.  Seriously, DH?

Though our current homes isn't what I'd call desirable, I sure hope we get asking price!

[labbie]

If you count the time from "let's move" discussion to the day we put in an offer, then about 12-14 months.
During that time we had looked online constantly, and gone to several open houses in a few areas we were interested in.
If you count from the time we hooked up with a realtor- 3 days.
But that is only because I'd seen the house online for over 18 months as the price continued to drop. Once it fell into our price range we were so familiar with the area and had had so long to hone our requirements list that we just knew when we walked into the house that it was the one for us. There was a contingent offer on the place already so we were forced to move quickly.