re: What are some things you’d tell a first time home buyer? Give the advice you wish you got.

Advice I received in 2008:

“I know you’re only 22, but you need to buy a house ASAP. Worst you’ll do is break even.”

Advice I wish I had gotten:

“Make sure the house you buy is one you’d be happy with if you get stuck there due to an economic crisis that tanks your home’s value by $50k.”

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Think about resale valve when you buy a house and fix it up.

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And if resale value is good think about if you can keep it and still have another house. My first house in 1980 I paid $40k, sold in 1990 for $110k and felt like I hit the lottery.

It sold last year for $490k. No shite.

Visit the location during several different days/times. Some neighborhoods seem peaceful on Wednesday but are a shite show Saturday at 5pm.

Short answer: Find a realtor who is willing to educate you as you go along and that you trust. Once I achieved this the whole process became very easy and less stressful.

Long answer:
Little known fact, at least to me when I bought, is that if a realtor shows you a house you must use that realtor if you want to purchase that house. I took a look at a house early on and the realtor showed up in shorts and a t-shirt. Couldn't answer a damn question about the house. Not square footage, not HOA, or property lines. Ended up not liking that particular house anyway but I was amazed to find out that I would have had to pay that guy for terrible service.

look at where water drains around the house and yard.

How long does it take to get to work in the morning or to get to a major highway

I will say I was lucky to have some construction knowledge before buying my first house. So I would say try to educate yourself on home systems: plumbing, electrical, drainage etc. Not saying you have to be any expert but knowing some basic things can help before even putting in an offer and finding things that make you want to walk away during an inspection. I do understand that the market is different then when I bought my first house in 2009. Luckily it was a new construction and seemed to be built decent from my POV and the inspectors report agreed. Checking if sockets are wired correctly, knowing where GFCI should be located. Whether a tub drains slow things like that. Look for cracks in the foundations and walls. Usually vertical cracks in sheetrock indicate settling, but horizontal cracks typically show structural issues.

I bought a new house in May of 2020. Once you find a house you like, go back and view it again without the rose covered glasses on and nitpick the hell out of it. For most people, whether buying your first house or your 5th it is going to more than likely be the largest purchase of your life so treat it accordingly. I went back and walked through the house without my wife two days after we viewed the house to looks for everything before I put an offer in on the house. I found that they water heater was leaking (luckily in the garage), some of the stringers on the porch were rotted something that the inspector didn't look for until I pointed it out. If it has an irrigation systems, turn it on and make sure each zone is operating correctly. Find out where the valve box or boxes are (this one bit me in the arse). My system had two valve boxes and not one and had to spend about $300 to have a valve replaced and located the other valve box. I could have replaced the valve myself, but couldn't find the box so I let the company replace it once they located the valve box.

Do not let emotions of yourself or spouse dictate whether you want to buy a house if you know it has issues. My wife loved our first house as soon as she walked in the door. I was leery because of the layout and a small galley kitchen and wanted to keep looking. She already had plans for where the Christmas tree was going to go etc etc... We ended up buying it and she hated that kitchen from damn near day one once we moved in. Luckily I bought the house in 2009 at a very low price point and sold it for about 80k profit, but houses in 2009 with the same price point that we bought at sold for much more with larger kitchens. I got lucky, but not everyone is going to be in the same boat with every Chip and Joana Gaines talking about open concept.

If you are moving into a HOA neighborhood, read the bylaws to the extra fine print. Not just to understand the regular rules, but to use the bylaws to your advantage. And find out who is the “HOA snitch”....Everyone has one, and is usually an old retired woman with nothing else to do.

Prime example: When I bought my home, I was 27, married with a infant boy. At the time, we were the youngest family in the neighborhood.

Well about 2 months later, I get a violation letter for a mailbox I installed. It’s one of those cast iron ones that all the other neighbors has, but the violation said that it was 4 inches too tall.

So, with me having already read the bylaws, I knew this was a knee jerk BS letter. So I got on my ring app and pulled up the date and time the violation was found, and saw that the HOA snitch walked on my property during inspection week, used a tape measure and incorrectly measured my mailbox.

Well I drafted a nicely appeal letter with the clip burned onto a DVD of this woman stepping onto my property to measure my mailbox. Which the bylaws state that “no one, on behalf of the HOA is to come onto a residents property w/o permission.”

I attached a picture of my wife holding the tape measure, showing the correct height. And at the end of the letter I wrote “If this false accusation, harassment, or anyone from the HOA steps foot on my property again, that I will not hesitate to take immediate legal action, and have the local news outlets informed.”....I had the letter notarized and mailed it off.

2 days later, I got a certified letter from the HOA management company basically saying “Our bad, this won’t happen again.” LOL


Like I said earlier, know the bylaws to work in your favor.

If the HOA is responsible for any common ground or common buildings like the pool make sure it is well financed.

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Chose your home inspector wisely.

Keeping in mind the home inspector who causes a sell to fall through is not the one a realtor is going to suggest.

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Don’t use the inspector that the realtor recommends.

I think this was mentioned but but make sure the property drains well. Water can cause issues.

If you have a raised home, or older home, get a video pipe inspection!! It could save you $$$$.