New Home Advice...

[Nate]

Well as the market keeps declining my fiance and I are starting to think about purchasing/building a home.

We have close to 70k to put down, we are looking at homes in the 300-350k range.

I have looked at realtor.com and we can't find anything that we "LOVE" so we are leaning more toward building a home, but we don't want a "cookie cutter" home, what are your thoughts and ideas on custom homes, or would you buy a 1-3 year old home even though it's not exactly what you want as far as flooring, cabinets, lot, etc?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Joe]

If this is a long term investment that you have been saving a long time for... I say buy land and go custom.

There are some GREAT deals out there on nice tracts of land that people bought in hopes of doing "small developments" that are now up for fire sale prices. 5 - 10 acre tracts being the most common from what I have seen.

Of course this is dependent on where you wish to live... There are also great deals on homes already built and people sitting on them and "dying" to get out of them...

Upgrading homes right now is not as expensive as it used to be... so if you find a layout and location you love, go for it and use some of the cash handy to do the upgrades you desire...

Or continue to wait as Jim will say and buy a home with everything you want on a lake for $50K cash.... ;)

[fencerider2]

Have a realtor come to your house and log on to the MLX, put in all the criteria into the short sell section, you may be surprised what you find.

[TIM TIM TIM]

if its somewhere you plan to live for a long time then find exactly what you want, or build it. If its not a forever thing then just buy one built that is really close to what you want.

[Greed is Good]

If this is a long term investment that you have been saving a long time for... I say buy land and go custom.

There are some GREAT deals out there on nice tracts of land that people bought in hopes of doing "small developments" that are now up for fire sale prices. 5 - 10 acre tracts being the most common from what I have seen.

Of course this is dependent on where you wish to live... There are also great deals on homes already built and people sitting on them and "dying" to get out of them...

Upgrading homes right now is not as expensive as it used to be... so if you find a layout and location you love, go for it and use some of the cash handy to do the upgrades you desire...

Or continue to wait as Jim will say and buy a home with everything you want on a lake for $50K cash.... ;)


Damn joe i figured you would have said what you where saying in 05 there's no housing bubble just buy a home and you'll be fine. A Home is not going to lose value.:lol:

[Joe]

Damn joe i figured you would have said what you where saying in 05 there's no housing bubble just buy a home and you'll be fine. A Home is not going to lose value.:lol:

Funny... your join date says 07.... ;)

:lol:

[Greed is Good]

[QUOTE=Joe;3631447]Funny... your join date says 07.... ;)

QUOTE

Join date can say whatever. But i know all about you. Don't worry a couple of years ago the problems that are happening today was never going to happen:lol

[Joe]

Join date can say whatever. But i know all about you. Don't worry a couple of years ago the problems that are happening today was never going to happen


I find it amusing that you "know all about me"... :lol:

My, you and Jim seem so much alike... it's almost as if you're related... :roll:

Again... I'm still pulling a profit from my investments... so bitch and moan all you want about the end of the world... It has no bearing on me... :)

[Greed is Good]

All talk nothing to show:lol:

[nipster]

doubtful you will find any buildable tracts of land anywhere in north hillsborough or south pasco, you will have to go into pretty shitty areas (wiaumauma, polk, north pasco, hernando) to find reasonable 10 acre tracts of land that arent swamp or hella expensive

[Country Boy]

Or continue to wait as Jim will say and buy a home with everything you want on a lake for $50K cash.... ;)


I laughed :lol: Thats Coreys advice too. ;)

[corey r.]

To say that house prices will continue to fall to more affordable levels is a fair statement to make. Nothing more nothing less.

[TIM TIM TIM]

doubtful you will find any buildable tracts of land anywhere in north hillsborough or south pasco, you will have to go into pretty shitty areas (wiaumauma, polk, north pasco, hernando) to find reasonable 10 acre tracts of land that arent swamp or hella expensive

where did it say he wanted 10 acres? there are places still in north hillsborough and south pasco with plenty of land. My grandparents just moved up to brooksvile, that place has grown so much in the past 2 years its amazing.

[Nate]

Yeah I don't need 10 acres, just a nice home on a decent lot, I looked at Toll Brothers homes this weekend and they are some damn nice "Cookie Cutter homes" I dont even know if they qualify to be a "cookie cutter home"

[Nate]

I actually prefer a neighborhood with a gated community clubhouse etc.

[nipster]

I actually prefer a neighborhood with a gated community clubhouse etc.

most gated communities you cant just buy a lot and build whatever you want. In fact I have never heard of such a thing... they sell lots to builders, and they build your house. You have some choice at that level, but you still have to build one of their designs.

[Joe]

most gated communities you cant just buy a lot and build whatever you want. In fact I have never heard of such a thing... they sell lots to builders, and they build your house. You have some choice at that level, but you still have to build one of their designs.


Actually, there are a few out there...

You buy the lot. You choose the builder, come up with a design that meets the "requirements of the community" such as square footage, exterior design, setbacks, etc. Then submit the design to the HOA BOD for approval. Once they approve it you start construction.

[TIM TIM TIM]

Actually, there are a few out there...

You buy the lot. You choose the builder, come up with a design that meets the "requirements of the community" such as square footage, exterior design, setbacks, etc. Then submit the design to the HOA BOD for approval. Once they approve it you start construction.

+1 I have seen a few like that... Couldnt tell ya where but I remember some homeowners telling me thats what they had to do

[MiDiablo]

If Brooksville is what you're looking into, then checkout this location:

Southern Hills Plantation: http://www.southernhillsplantation.com/

It is a beautiful gated community, has a community pool, clubhouse, tennis courts, 18 holes of PGA Quality golf, a spa and fitness center too.

My g/f is the accountant there, and they used to only allow a certain builder to contract the homes. Now they've begun to allow the buyers to bring their own builders, basically as Joe mentioned above, with approval from the community based on requirements set forth in the by-laws, etc.

-Josh