First Meeting with our Realtor

One rainy afternoon, two people drove to their realtor's office, starting their official search for a home. 

Prepared, they had a list of 10 features that they wanted for their perfect future house. Then, sadly, the realtor said, "So you basically wanted what everyone else wants."

Crushed! This was going to be a bumpy ride. 

We looked at listings of homes that had been recently sold in our preferred areas, to get a better idea of what our budget could actually get us. The truth: some scary sh*t….

Sitting in the office, I started thinking that whatever house we purchase will need to be 50-75% repainted and remodeled, and that's just cosmetic. We didn't even discuss structural repairs (HVAC/plumbing/insulation/ landscaping). I'm praying we don't have to replace a roof or water heater anytime soon. Although, that would free us up to install a tankless water heater….

Another big factor that we included in our search was that the ouse had to be in a excellent elementary school district. I openly admit I have no clue what to look for in this realm, besides parent reviews. An elementary school-aged kid probably won't be in the picture for another 10 years. Can you project which schools would be acceptable that far in the future?

The moral of this story is to go in with realistic expectations. When your agent is openly saying that there are some junky properties that are being sold above your budget, then maybe I should be buying that DIY manual sooner rather than later.