How are you doing? - Kiwi Farms Wellness Check

Have you bought a house?
I'm probably going to wait until after the election to make any real purchase decisions but I'd like some guidance. I've never done this before. I have the requisite income, down payment & credit score already. But I go to see a place and idk shit to ask. Can I ask for the equivalent of a carfax on the property? Can I ask for things like an inspector electrician or plumber etc to verify any issues? At whose cost are these things? Are they likely to have done these inspections prior to listing the sale & if so do I have access to those reports?
Is it wiser to go to some local realty office rather than connecting through zillow & other apps? I hit "I'm interested" on zillow & I get attacked by dozens of emails, calls and texts for days about various properties.
I have an opportunity to buy directly from an owner; any drawbacks in doing so? Of course I could save a lot if I buy from an owner but does buying through a realtor offer some assurances that I'd otherwise miss out on? Anything relevant is helpful. Thanks.
 
owed to joy said:
Have you bought a house?
I'm probably going to wait until after the election to make any real purchase decisions but I'd like some guidance. I've never done this before. I have the requisite income, down payment & credit score already. But I go to see a place and idk shit to ask. Can I ask for the equivalent of a carfax on the property? Can I ask for things like an inspector electrician or plumber etc to verify any issues? At whose cost are these things? Are they likely to have done these inspections prior to listing the sale & if so do I have access to those reports?
Is it wiser to go to some local realty office rather than connecting through zillow & other apps? I hit "I'm interested" on zillow & I get attacked by dozens of emails, calls and texts for days about various properties.
I have an opportunity to buy directly from an owner; any drawbacks in doing so? Of course I could save a lot if I buy from an owner but does buying through a realtor offer some assurances that I'd otherwise miss out on? Anything relevant is helpful. Thanks.
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Having bought 2 houses and sold 2.
Usually get your own buyer broker who is familiar with the area. They also know all the forms, recommended inspections, who pays for what, etc. You can buy direct but you'll still want a title company/lawyer to do the final paperwork, your bank will probably require it and have recommendations anyway.

You have a period after you send them "earnest money" to do inspections and back out if they fail. Who pays depends on location. Also who pays for repairs for issues found is negotiable. If it's a problem with habitability or an immediate issue then you can usually get the seller to pay, if it's something like "the water heater is 50 years old but still works" and you want it replaced, then it's probably you.
If the seller has done inspections then you can trust them if something is wrong, don't trust them if something is right and get your own verification.
Much of the sales process varies by location. Some places you use a lawyer, some places just a title company does the documents.

My concerns are usually, in order: Structural, Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, appliances, other.

Check for homeowners insurance availability and cost. Check for flood and fire zones.

Be sure to check the neighborhood out repeatedly at a few different times. For instance if you're depending on street parking then you'd want to check in the evening after everyone is home from work, etc.
 
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Whenever I hit the tail end of being sick, I get a huge burst of energy and inspiration and suddently want to do 54 different projects. I've solved at least three different storage/space issues at work and planned two holidays worth of decor, I'm finishing up a freelance comic gig with another already lined up, got scripts for multiple videos written, planning a cure for leprosy, etc...

...hoping I don't launch myself into massive burnout. Again. I'm bad at taking days off. ;)

Also I made a friend at lunchtime, I offered them a meatball.
20240810_143347.jpg
 
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Dad's still dead.

This shit is hard, man.

I knew this was an inevitability, prepared myself and did my best to cherish our time together, but it's still really fucking hard

I'm fortunate that the things I wish I'd said or done differently are few and far between, but they still come in waves.

I regret that I never showed him some of the music I wrote, because I know he would have liked it. It felt egotistical to show it to him. What a stupid reason.

I regret that I didn't help him get started going to the gym when he mentioned it, even though it was too late to have made a difference. I regret that I didn't show him some of the trails I found.

I guess I can stop comparing myself to him now, because his work ethic and selflessness and conscientiousness killed him. His in-laws keep talking about how he was unhealthy, too fat, drank too much, but his vices were what he needed in order to keep doing what he had to. This life kills you.

My mom told me apropos of nothing that she wouldn't hold it against me if I killed myself. Which probably sounds fucked up if your life is better than ours but I needed to hear it. Maybe because it means she won't be hurt if I'm not around. I was already struggling before this, but now I just don't see myself ever getting better. Which is stupid, I know I will because I have before. But it's tough in the moment.

I really, really want to be a piece of shit, get drunk and isolate and play video games and eat trash and backslide into all my vices. Right now I'm just trying to focus on not drinking or shooting myself, and helping however I can without jeapordizing my own wellbeing. And forcing myself to be around people instead of withdrawing.

I'll probably eat pizza and play Skyrim or something. Probably better than being dead.

I love you dad. But you knew that already.
 
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Shitted Scaredless said:
Today I found my old LPS toys in the attic after assuming for years they were lost or sold. I am not ashamed to say I cried a little.
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Your comment has inspired me to go check my parent's attic tomorrow & search for my old LPS collection 🐶🐱🐭. I was weird, I remember really loving the purple tarantula one that came with a Blythe doll.
 
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Eventide said:
Your comment has inspired me to go check my parent's attic tomorrow & search for my old LPS collection 🐶🐱🐭. I was weird, I remember really loving the purple tarantula one that came with a Blythe doll.
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You definitely should! I apparently had a lot of cats and dogs, but I found a pink tarantula today myself! And some I don't even remember having, which is fun.
 
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Those race riots in the UK man, that shit scares the hell outta me.

You hear about this stuff in the history books and it sounds like some landmark thing that turned every thing around, but it feels like there's no end in sight. I hope something good happens soon. Anything.
 
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Got crazy drunk on Saturday night, ended up just listening to music and engaging in some kind of creative reverie until ~8am Sunday morning.

Felt like a loser after, if I'm honest. My wife wanted to go to a cafe in the country and maybe a small walk, but I was literally still steaming drunk at like 2pm in the afternoon. Slept most of the day, total time warp to Monday.

I'll probably repeat the experience in 3 months or so.
 
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ShiftyBoi said:
Those race riots in the UK man, that shit scares the hell outta me.

You hear about this stuff in the history books and it sounds like some landmark thing that turned every thing around, but it feels like there's no end in sight. I hope something good happens soon. Anything.
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I've been stuck in that for a while. Things simmer down, but fire back up and I just wonder when the comforts will cease and hard times begin.
 
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owed to joy said:
Can I ask for things like an inspector electrician or plumber etc to verify any issues? At whose cost are these things? Are they likely to have done these inspections prior to listing the sale & if so do I have access to those reports?
Is it wiser to go to some local realty office rather than connecting through zillow & other apps? I hit "I'm interested" on zillow & I get attacked by dozens of emails, calls and texts for days about various properties.
I have an opportunity to buy directly from an owner; any drawbacks in doing so? Of course I could save a lot if I buy from an owner but does buying through a realtor offer some assurances that I'd otherwise miss out on? Anything relevant is helpful. Thanks.
Click to expand...
The most you can expect from a seller is that they will have had an appraisal done to find the market value of the property. An inspection is something entirely different and will be on you to pay to protect yourself. Keep in mind that the seller is going to know damn well that there are issues that he's sick of dealing with and wants to sell you his problems. If you don't have a background in construction or some form of trade you'll probably have a hard time doing it yourself.

Inspections can be pretty pricey based on how comprehensive you want the report to be. A cheap one may just be a guy making sure the dishwasher turns on and a quick walk through the house. You can also pay someone to climb inside and on top of the roof to make sure everything is in good shape and there's no signs existing or patched leaks. If you don't know the signs of water damage, a gallon of Kilz will cover up a future mold problem pretty quickly. Spending $1,000 on an inspection could save you having to drop ten grand on a new HVAC system in the middle of winter.

Buying directly from an owner or using a Real Estate agent is up to you, if you have an opportunity lined up you can save yourself some costs not paying an agent. And remember that a sales contract is still a contract, hire a lawyer to read through that shit.
 
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