No problem man. It's a big investment. Good luck with it. I've personally watched WAYYYYYYY too much of HGTV and DIY network on houses. My best suggestion is to upgrade with a budget and save $5k up incase if you go over budget. Wood floors, renovated kitchens, lots of storage and closets, and spacious baths are major selling points of a home. If something comes up and you have to sell that house quickly, you want to make sure you get that investment back. Make sure you do it right the first time and get it apraised.
Most first time home buyers fall into traps set up by real estate agents suggestions and advise just to sell the house. It happened to my parents 8 years ago through Centry 21 and had to back out of buying the house the day of the closing because of intersecting waterlines from other properties linked to the house they wanted to buy connected to the same well on the property. So after two lawsuits to try to get their money back from the contract, they gave up. The judge on the first case lived on the property behind the house and didn't know it was connected. He dropped the case. The original owner of the house moved two blocks up the mountain and was a state trooper who was the grandson of the second judge on the case. The only way to have a fair case was taking the case to superior court which is just f**king stupid and would cost more than the money they wanted back from the contract.
My parents finally bought a house last month that was a short sale through Remax. It lasted for 10 months. They were asking $176,500. My parents wanted to put in a offer at $152k plus closing cost. The real estate agent told them no, to put in $158k for the offer or they wouldn't accept it. So they did. The bank apraised the house at $154k before accepting the offer and they wouldn't pay the closing cost. My mother did most of the foot work herself for finding out every little detail about the house. Hell she found the house online and the agent was just a third party interfering the whole time. Once again there was more water issues with this house as well but not as minor. The company paid to fix those problems at least. The real estate agent screwed them out of $4k and closing cost. f**king ugly old b***h. God already took care of her since she had lung cancer. On a happy note, my parents love the house. As well as me and my husband if we ever have to inherit it. Painting 8 rooms for them was no easy task when we helped them move in.
