Looking at buying a house. What should I look out for? Wanting a really small house.

hire an inspector he should be able to give you a write up

look for water lines up wall in basement, black mold
old windows, old roof
ask how old furnace is, hot water heater

Thanks TMommy. Yes, I'm still looking at 1 floor houses with no basement or attic. good to get advice.

I'd get a building inspection done so you know what condition it's in as some things the average person can't see. Also if you have white ants there a pest inspection is a must from a reputable firm or guy.

Maybe write a list of what you want in your house so you have an idea when you go looking as sometimes you can overlook things.

I'd pay attention to the kitchen and bathroom as they are the most expensive to get done up, the better condition they are in the better for you.

You're also going to need the day off. Along with a wrist brace by the time your out of the Lawers office.

About hiring a home inspector; make sure he's a reputable inspector, check him out, make sure he doesn't work for the realtor. Not all home inspectors or services are the same. Do your homework. There's a program on TV called "Holmes buy it right" where he shows some of the things to look for. It may be on Netflicks or somewhere.

Smaller things you can do, assuming you are looking in Idaho, is to ask for a look at heating bills for the winter for the house you like. Some are wonderful in summer, but cost you a mint when winter winds blow.

Also, in preparation for getting your loan, pay down all your credit cards. Lots of loan officers like to wait until the day you are going to try to close, to suddenly tell you the loan wont go through because your debts are too high. I had that adventure on my first house. I actually asked directly, well in advance, whether I should use part of my down payment egg to pay down credit cards, or save it for last minute fees that the mortgage people refused to tell me in advance, and they said save it. Then the day of the loan closing, they called to say "no go because of your credit balance." Fortunately, I was prepared, and drove directly to my credit source and paid them off, and had them contact my loan idiot. I mean officer. All went well after that.

Smart to get into one as young a possible.
I bought my first, a condo, when I was 25.
I think I have bought/sold about 16 homes.

By law now, all sellers must provide you
with a disclosure form, listing everything
they know about the house/land. You can
ask to see this even on your first visit
to a place.

I would always use an agent to buy, not
necessarily to sell.

Check your tax section on homes (or ask a
realtor) to see how the house is taxed..for
example, here in Oregon, it is taxed on the
number of bedrooms..when I lived in California
it was taxed on the number of bathrooms, you
need to know how Idaho taxes. (In Texas it is
your outside perimeter, on one floor, in square
footage that they tax by.)

IF you are looking at a 1 bathroom but they
are taxing your 3 bedrooms instead, you are
better off with a 2nd bathroom than the extra
bedrooms, see?

And the idea ^^^ of getting copies of all
recurring bills for the property for the prior
year is a great one.

Be aware of flood zones, I am in one and with no
competition, the government charges what they like,
it can be more than your mortgage payment..and
mandatory.

Thank you for all the advice everyone.

If it's a tiny house...make sure the tires are in good shape.

Buying a house is not always a great financial plan for someone who will want something different in less than seven years or at least one third the course of the mortgage.

If you think living in a little house sounds dreamy now it could sound like a real nightmare if you need a different location or space because your needs change and there is no market for your little home.

Renting anything if you you don't have substantial resources can put you on the fast track to bankruptcy. Not the best way to start a relationship.

If you could be depending on shakey employment or family support to carry a mortgage can often have disasterous results if your relationship status changes too. Especially when pregnancy often becomes a factor.

While I strongly agree with the advice about having a highly reputable/skilled inspector having an independent knowledgeable real estate contract/financing lawyer look at the contract you are signing so it is as much in your favor as the sellers or the banks is also very important.

dear catinidaho,

my council would be for you to research property and ownership laws.
no one really 'owns' house,properties,etc. unless the deed is 'allodial'.
i shall insert some information in order to better help you decide/choose/buy.
best wishes to you and Yahweh bless you...:)

vagyrnomad111
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You own no property, slaves can't own property. Read the Deed to the property that you think is yours or ask someone who owns property. You/they are listed as a Tenant.

ALLODIAL: Recognizes you as the King of your land. You
make the rules on your land and nobody and no government can
trespass upon your property. You the King, are revered and
respected and have an absolute right to use lethal force to
protect your property. No government can tax your land, and
the title is passed down from parent to child or husband to wife,
etc! No Bank will ever lend money against an Allodial property
because the Bank has no way to foreclose against it but it will
lend money against your chattel (livestock or crops).

FEE SIMPLE: Recognizes you only as a Tenant on the
property. The State makes the rules on your land and anybody
can trespass upon your property. You actually lease the property
from the Land Trust, which belongs to the Holy Roman Church.
The Deed can only be passed down to family members upon
your death but not before your descendants open an, Estate in
Probate, which means that the State receives a percentage of
everything the decedent once owned!

In the small type of all Fee Simple Deeds, is the wording that
specifies that the buyer is the Tenant and not the Owner! Your
lawyer set up that little piece of fraud, never told you about it
and then charged you a fee for his services!

In the small print of the Deed is a poorly
worded contract between you and the state government,
wherein you consent to pay the property taxes on this Deed and
directs the state to send the tax notice in care of your name and
address and by signing all of the deed transactions, you have
agreed to another fraudulent debt! The tax debt guarantees that
you can never own or reside on that property without paying!
Whatever happened to that “nest egg” we were taught to
believe in?