Home buying thread

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koljec_sl

shitlord
845
2
Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't property taxes pretty much go to the county?

State taxes are collected from other means (sales tax, etc)
Yeah, it should be county. I'm just assuming, maybe wrongly, that Texas doesn't offer as many state services so the property (county) taxes are higher to compensate. If that's not the case, Texans need to grab and shake their county governments.
 

Cad

scientia potentia est
<Bronze Donator>
25,426
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The consolation in Texas is supposed to be the lack of a state income tax, but I think that's probably more a contributing factor for your property taxes than a mitigating one.

So this rental that costs $354 a month in taxes alone, what do the tenants pay for it, and at what point is there not enough margin for you to justify being a landlord?
No matter how you slice it TX has one of the lowest overall tax burdens in the country. The property tax does not make up for lack of income tax.
 

a_skeleton_03

<Banned>
29,948
29,763
Yeah luckily we don't want much changed and our colors will be neutral. The only real big things we are doing is that "server room" upstairs which anyone else will see as a storage closet and network connectivity throughout the house which nobody does around here.
 

Tenks

Bronze Knight of the Realm
14,163
607
It is fascinating that I put $1k down and they are going to build a custom $300k+ house and then hope I follow through and nothing happens between now and then.
Thats actually how I got my house on a pretty good deal. Pretty heavily customized house and then at the last minute the financing fell through for the person who was building it.

-edit-

But like Cad said nothing was off-the-wall. The room above the garage is a standard option, the stamped patio is a standard option, the fenced back yard is a standard option, you could choose like tier 1-4 carpeting, flooring and things like that. They couldn't do anything insanely custom.
 

Cad

scientia potentia est
<Bronze Donator>
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Ask them to build you a hard contemporary all-white with floor to ceiling windows in the front with no privacy walls, pure utilitarian and wrought iron staircases for $1000 down and watch them laugh you out of their office.
 

lurkingdirk

AssHat Taint
<Medals Crew>
46,611
214,507
So we put our $1k deposit in last week and have our design meeting scheduled for Monday.

They are charging me $15k for a 3rd car garage and $650 to close off one end of the game room into a 4 ft "server" closet. I haven't found out how much it will be to put that room on its own breaker. I also don't know how much CAT5/6 throughout the house will be.

It is fascinating that I put $1k down and they are going to build a custom $300k+ house and then hope I follow through and nothing happens between now and then.
That's a good price for the garage, frankly. And rather than focusing on a particular type of cable, make sure if you put Cat 5/6 cable throughout that they put it in conduit. That way you can replace it with whatever cable comes next. As I have been redoing my house I made sure to put huge conduits, four of them, from basement to first and second floor, and across the house. I can run wire from any room to any room without opening drywall. A whole house upgrade of any kind would be pretty simple here.

Now I know the argument is that everything will be wireless soon, but electricity won't ever be wireless, and at least I have flexibility to do whatever is needed.
 

a_skeleton_03

<Banned>
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I refuse wireless, I like good old fashioned hard cable. I am debating on putting ports in strategic locations though to run POE and WAP's to though. That is going to be a long debate though.
 

Eomer

Trakanon Raider
5,472
272
Usually not, they'd just sell it as a spec house if you don't buy it.
Interesting, I had no idea builders would operate like that. My sister and bro when they were building custom homes made monthly progress payments. But those were houses in the 700k-1m range, including the lot. And rebuilds in mature neighborhoods. I'd imagine things are quite different if you're building something out in a new subdivision that looks identical to every other house on the block.
 

Tenks

Bronze Knight of the Realm
14,163
607
My parents spent like 5k to wire their house with CAT5 prior to wifi being heavily present. Anymore with a good router wireless feels exactly like wired. My gaming rig is still on a hardwire but that is only because it is right next to the router and I don't feel like buying a wireless card for it.
 

a_skeleton_03

<Banned>
29,948
29,763
Interesting, I had no idea builders would operate like that. My sister and bro when they were building custom homes made monthly progress payments.But those were houses in the 700k-1m range, including the lot.And rebuilds in mature neighborhoods.I'd imagine things are quite different if you're building something out in a new subdivision that looks identical to every other house on the block.
My last house was originally 685k in a new subdivision identical to every other house on the block.

I know of several developments with higher costs that are cookie cutter as well.

At least in America the price and cookie cutter are not exclusive descriptors.
 

TJT

Mr. Poopybutthole
<Gold Donor>
42,720
109,023
Seeing some properties next week. I have a pre-approval letter that I printed out at various amounts. Going through USAA for the VA loan, and I have a Real Estate Advocate (not sure what this guy does) and a USAA 'approved' realtor assigned to me.

Looking for the usual 3/2:
1. Near Schools
2. Community Pool. Cuz I like having access to a pool all the time
3. Decent yard facing towards farmland (easy).
4. Open floorplan
5. Fuck carpet.
6. High ceilings.

Those are really my main things to look for. But considering whats available I don't think it will be too hard to accomplish this in the area I am looking. Will probably put out some offers next week and see what happens.

Any of you have any tips about this part of the process?
 

Joeboo

Molten Core Raider
8,157
140
How hard is it to get qualified for a home loan in a year in which you also switch jobs? Is it a pain in the ass if you don't have more than a month or two of income records at your new employer?
 

meStevo

I think your wife's a bigfoot gus.
<Silver Donator>
6,493
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I'm sure it's a factor, but it's just more stubs/paperwork in most cases I'd think. I've been at my current job 8 months after being at my prior for 10 years. No problems here except our appraisal just came back an hour ago $9k short. Back to the negotiating table for us.
 

a_skeleton_03

<Banned>
29,948
29,763
Seems kind of unnecessary, just put them in a cabinet with ventilation.
It's also where she is storing Christmas decorations and the like, it's just a good spot for all the cabling to terminate into and be out of sight.

The TV will be mounted to that wall as well.
 

Noodleface

A Mod Real Quick
38,274
15,097
I think the idea of a server closet is cool, I just don't know what I'd put in there. These days when a NAS can fit on a tiny spot on a shelf I don't even know.

I do wish the guy wired our house with cat6 though
 

Tenks

Bronze Knight of the Realm
14,163
607
2. Community Pool. Cuz I like having access to a pool all the time
You really interested in swimming around in piss and shit? I could see if it is a YMCA and an adult-only pool but fuck swimming around with a bunch of toddlers in shitty diapers and kids who think the pool is a giant urinal.