Ask Kate About Buying A House

by Rita
(Wisconsin USA)

Buying a house but well-meaning friends making it harder than it has to be? Here's the solution... In 2004 I sold a house in a suburb of a large metropolis that I had lived in for 30 years. I moved to an apartment in a rural area. This was a great move for me at the time.

I had lost my job and was having difficulty keeping up the house. What a relief it was to move to an apartment where I can make a phone call to fix any household maintenance problem that arises, rather than draining my pocketbook.

I am watching the housing market and it seems to me like it is a good time for me to rethink ownership. I am having a hard time trying to decide what type of housing to invest in. I am really opposed to doing outside maintenance myself, so I am considering some type of condo.

A friend told me to get a single home rather than a condo as the condo fees can skyrocket and the condo can even go bankrupt. She said that I can hire help to do outside maintenance for less than a condo fee. She also said that condos are much harder to resell and do not increase in value as quickly as single family residences.

Another friend said to go with a condo that has the higher condo fee as that means the condo association is providing more and/or higher quality services.

Sometimes I wish my friends weren't so "helpful". I am getting more confused and have stopped searching until I can get some better input.

---

Hi Rita,

Please don't allow confusion hinder you from buying a house.

You will find in real estate that there are always pros and cons. But the rule of thumb in home buying is if you are ready now for buying a house, then right now is the right time!

Sure there are a few drawbacks with condos. You also found drawbacks with a single family home. However no matter what type of property you decide to buy, the benefits are great and prices affordable.

Here's how you can overcome confusion and hesitation. Use my Home Buying Scorecard and take the sigh out of buying a house!

I hope you'll come back to my website Get Your Best Mortgage Rate again in the future. Let us know your experience of buying a house. You can even share a picture of it.

So remember to bookmark Get Your Best Mortgage Rate to your favorites and visit often for up to date homeowner tips, news and advice.

You can also invite friends to comment on this page or create a page of their own like you did.

Best Wishes,





Your Online Mortgage Advice Friend

P.S. Go to my Best Mortgage Rate Blog, an entertaining source of mortgage information. Subscribe now to the RSS feed.

Realtor | Lender | Inspector | Appraiser | Title | Insurance | Escrow
Home Buying Scorecard

After all, who intends to buy a money pit? Learn more about Home Buyer Inspection

The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for financial, real estate or legal advice. You should consult an attorney, accountant, lender or real estate agent, as applicable, for advice regarding your individual situation. Comments and opinions found here are not necessarily those of Get Your Best Mortgage Rate