If you were to buy a house, what is most important to you?

[jgln]

There are a lot of obvious things to look for but one thing I rememebr was not being too far from a major interstate (assuming I wasn't planning on relocating evey time I changed jobs). I made sure my drive to a major highway was not too far so I could quicly get to places if I had to change jobs. You move too far from a major highway your next commute to work could be an hour plus. I also was able to live out in a rural area, nice and quiet.

 

[podz]

Of course the houses that are on the market are either 1) the ones nobody wants, or 2) way overpriced.

Appropriately priced houses with decent features, environment, etc... are snapped up as soon as they hit the market. You've got to be very fast. Best thing is if you have a realtor working for you and tell her exactly what you are looking for - not to waste your time trying to show you everything else. Even then, you've got to be very fast - if you are the first to see it and you like it, you can not wait til tomorrow to make an offer because somebody else will offer before you - you need to step around the corner with your spouse, talk it over for 10 minutes and then make the offer immediately.

That is, if you want to find a decent house then you need to understand how to shop for houses.

 

[paulster2626]

Of course the houses that are on the market are either 1) the ones nobody wants, or 2) way overpriced.

Appropriately priced houses with decent features, environment, etc... are snapped up as soon as they hit the market. You've got to be very fast. Best thing is if you have a realtor working for you and tell her exactly what you are looking for - not to waste your time trying to show you everything else. Even then, you've got to be very fast - if you are the first to see it and you like it, you can not wait til tomorrow to make an offer because somebody else will offer before you - you need to step around the corner with your spouse, talk it over for 10 minutes and then make the offer immediately.

That is, if you want to find a decent house then you need to understand how to shop for houses.

This is not really true though.

There are many reasons why a house may be for sale, and there are many reasons why it would not be bought right away.

There are some situations where multiple buyers appear, but to say that any houses on the market and not bought within a week are crap is absurd.

For instance, we moved last summer. We had no offers for 2 weeks, then suddenly 2 buyers were intersted and we had a bidding war. The home we purchased had been on the market for 2 months.

 

[brew_ny]

what are the taxes

 

[TallDan]

This is not really true though.

There are many reasons why a house may be for sale, and there are many reasons why it would not be bought right away.

There are some situations where multiple buyers appear, but to say that any houses on the market and not bought within a week are crap is absurd.

For instance, we moved last summer. We had no offers for 2 weeks, then suddenly 2 buyers were intersted and we had a bidding war. The home we purchased had been on the market for 2 months.

Yeah, this is definitely a situation that varies one market to the next. In big sellers markets, that is the case, a house that is priced right will have offers within days, but in smaller markets and if there is a lot of inventory for sale that won't be the case.

Also, if a house is initially overpriced, but then lowered (as is the case with one I looked at this weekend) it may sit on the market at an inflated price for a long time before it is sold.