How long did it take you to find the right house?

Perhaps I am an idiot. I put an offer on the first brownstone that was shown to me after looking at three others, and got kinda lucky and kinda not. On one hand, everything I can't change is great, which is why I put an offer down in the first place. I like my neighbors, I like my train access, I like the character of the street, for the most part.

But everything that I can change must change. The house itself is a piece of shit, it was a big fat rotten stupid drywall lie that I spent months being ashamed of. It's getting gutted and rebuilt, slowly, while I am living in it, and that is a bit of a bummer.

Now I figure that no house is perfect, and that by having to do so much work, I am at least getting things that I never would have dreamed of having, like radiant heat in the floors, and exactly the right kitchen layout.

In general, I think that it's impossible to find the "right" house. I think you find an appropriate house, that has the things you want and can't change, and can provide you with at least some of the things you want and can get.

And I think that in some ways I made the stupidest possible decisions because I was scared and wanted to move as fast as possible, like jumping off a high-dive. But in some ways, that wound up focusing me on what is truly important. I don't regret what I bought, even though I gave it a shockingly small amount of research or rational thought. I wouldn't buy this house again, but it will teach me every single thing I need to know about buying the next house.

In short, I would open up my mind if I were you. If I looked at the place I bought as it was, like I am living in it now, I would have hated it as much as I currently do hate it. I saw its possibilities, and I saw it in relationship to what else I could afford, and I was not wrong about those visions, even though they are far off.

Posted by: guest at November 3, 2007 3:50 PM

I go to open houses every weekend. I never feel desperate, and I am looking for reasons NOT to buy. Over the space of 2 months, bid on 2 houses. Got screwed on first house, because seller was just looking to shop our bid. Reasonably happy with our house. Good condition, livable but we chose to gut everything anyway. In case the market tanks, we're happy to stay here for the next 20 years.

Posted by: guest at November 3, 2007 8:29 PM

3 years, and that was 4 yrs ago when the Brooklyn market was different.

Posted by: guest at November 3, 2007 9:11 PM

Over 5 years ago it took us almost 2 years, but we looked all over, including queens. We almost gave up and signed a contract for a farmhouse in CT and then we finally found this house the same week.

Posted by: guest at November 4, 2007 7:41 AM

Time looking is always well spent, especially in the first purchases. This is because you can learn a lot out of seeing properties: both about options out there and about things you like and not. See things above your price range too, and don't despair, the more you know the more likely it is you will find the right place (right for you, not neccesarily for everyone). Good luck.

Posted by: guest at November 5, 2007 9:32 AM

We looked for about six weeks BUT we were moving into Brooklyn from another city and had only limited time. I wanted to rent while we looked for a house to buy but my husband couldn't bear moving again and again, and in the end it was for the best. We got a great but not perfect house and even though I have continued to look at listings since we bought the place (a year ago), I haven't seen anything that made me say, "Oh, this would have been so much better." For one thing, the prices continue to creep up and for another, no house is perfect. Also, we have owned three previous apts/houses, for 3, 4, and 5 years respectively, so we know that we do not have to live in our house forever if something happens.

I should add that we almost doubled our price range and changed neighborhoods three times when we were looking--sometimes that's part of the process.

Good luck!

Posted by: guest at November 5, 2007 10:56 AM

Searching for over a year. Many bids. Still looking.
Feels like a part-time job.
I hate it

Posted by: guest at November 5, 2007 12:12 PM

It can take up to 3 years. It is a process that cn be painful, but is necessary IMHO. You need to look a lot just to figure out what you like, don't like, and what compromises you are willing to make. You'll probably bid on something, do an inspection, and get cold feet when you figure out how much it will cost to fix the place. Then you'll bid on a place and some other person will bid with more cash and snatch it out from you. Finally, you'll bid asking price and find out that the sellers weren't serious. Eventually you will know when the place is perfect for your needs, you'll bid the right price and it will be your's. It takes time.

Posted by: guest at November 5, 2007 2:38 PM

I've looked on and off for over 2 years. I usually intensively look for 3 or 4 months then circumstances change and I find a sublet or move out of town for a while and no longer need to look.

The property I should have bought was in a downturn in 2003 or something, it was a wide center slope duplex in a limestone building for less than 700k, if I remember. Probably go for 1.4 now! this was when park slope was "the suburb where lesbians live" rather than anything the ny times cared much about.

Looking is best when it is a buyers market (duh). It is nice to see a place and make an offer slightly below ask and know that will probably secure it unless the owner is a lunatic.

For several years now the market is just too horrible. I won't throw money over ask at a place just to cut out other buyers. If they want it that bad they can have it. I can sense the market is turning to a buyers one now. Brokers tell me the owner is "motivated" they followup when you visit an open house, you make an offer and it is rejected and the house (this is the amazing part) is still listed as available a week, or several weeks later. I'm looking forward to open houses this month. I think sellers need to recalibrate their price expectations, to put it mildly! I'm not expecting to find that duplex for 700k but I do expect to see prices I saw a year or two ago.

Posted by: guest at November 5, 2007 3:13 PM

We looked for about 2 months earlier this year. Went to open houses every weekend and had meeting with brokers once or twice a week during lunchtimes. We saw 20-some-odd houses, and it was really helpful to narrow down what compromises we were willing to make and what we weren't: we wanted a house that got some sunshine, that had some original details, that was close to transportation. The house we ended up buying is narrow -- 18 feet -- which we didn't mind, because it's fairly deep and has a long backyard. It's in a good location in the north slope, though it isn't the world's most beautiful block. We were despairing of finding anything we'd like in our price range, when we found this one. I don't know if I could have taken one of these 3-year searches -- it's so stressful. Good luck!

Posted by: guest at November 5, 2007 4:07 PM

4 months of serious looking. i'd like to have looked at least another 8 months, to see a full year's cycle, but we had timing issues that made a compromise purchase sensible for us. we wound up with a place with great potential, but needing serious renovations.

Posted by: guest at November 5, 2007 4:08 PM

Started looking seriously last May. Looked at probably 50 townhouses under a million (nd a couple over) bid on 5, got outbid on two, backed out on three accepted offers, then finally found one in september that we could afford, that was livable, and that was actually a better deal than any we had seen all summer. Closed two weeks ago. Sitting in it now. Have discovered since moving in: asbestos, carbon monoxide issues, plumbing issues, boiler issues, black mold under the linoleum issues, carpentry issues, etc, etc, etc. But we can deal with all of it, we love it, and it's going to be fun. Don't be afraid, but do poke around EVERYWHERE in any place you are bidding on. Look at everything, even ones you know you aren't going to buy. It was like a full-time job, and I'm just now getting back to my real job.

Posted by: guest at November 5, 2007 6:12 PM

if you know the neighborhood you want to buy the house in you might not need as much time as some people. the hard part is finding something when you're not intimately familiar with the neighborhood because you have to try and piece out good and bad streets, train access, traffic patterns, parking, proximity to desired services and other comfortability factors, etc. we found a house in our neighborhood very quickly because we knew the area. when something popped up at a great price we jumped on it. it also helps to have any construction experience to see potential, or at least construction-knowledgeable people close to you who can give you their opinions.

Posted by: guest at November 5, 2007 6:20 PM

took us 4 years no kidding around I just could not win a bid or i was unhappy with what i saw. But let me tell you this i was not happy those 4 years very tired from looking and i was stressed to the max. Now we found a townhome and we are very very happy. But there is a lot of work to do so i am not that happy.

Posted by: guest at November 5, 2007 9:47 PM

We were fortunate. Starting looking in January. Found house in Feb closed in June.
The closing could have been even faster though...

Posted by: guest at November 6, 2007 2:59 PM

One week - dream property owned by wonderful people for the prior 50 years just landed in my lap - I think it was just meant for me! No brokers involved - it was amazing. Must admit it is turning out to be a money pit - but what a beauty. No regrets.

Posted by: guest at November 7, 2007 8:12 AM