Finally moving out - getting a place to call my own...

[tiesto]

So the last few months, I've been heavily looking for a place of my own. Been looking at townhouses all over the island with a family friend who is a realtor. I made an offer in a place out here in Suffolk where I currently live and am starting to get the willies about it.

The cost of living in the region I'm from is absolutely ridiculous, I'm sure you SoCal types can relate (though it's not quite that high here)... basically on the island, the closer to the city you live, the more you pay... unless it's in a ghetto area (and yes, Long Island has some very shady areas, it's not all Gatsby-land interspersed with Levitt home whitebread picket-fence suburbia). So the most bang for the buck was a bit east of where I currently live now. The one I'm looking at has some questionable carpeting (purple rugs!) that I will have to replace, but other than that it's in good shape, has a private yard, 2 br, 2.5 baths, washer/dryer, garage, in a community with pool/tennis courts, and most importantly is VERY reasonably priced (super low taxes [by LI standards], yet in a top-tier SD). Currently in the process of bidding, but it seems every time I try to bid, these old farts who are still stuck in 2005 expect to get more out of me, which is annoying.

Anybody else on the lookout for a new home as well? Or any tips for first-time homebuyers? I've been doing a lot of reading and picking the brains of other friends who recently picked up a house.

I'm soon to be 29 and REALLY need to move out (live with my overbearing Italian mother, nuff said), my main worries about moving are expanding my 45 min commute to Nassau for work (g/f and most of my friends live in Nassau too) to 55-60 min, and doing maintenance/repair work (I'm not exactly the most handy person but I'm decent at cooking and a very orderly person).

[Himu]

is your mom's place the house where you recorded the vid of proof of your fucking that one chick

btw that was amazing

and congrats!

[Bebpo]

Congrats Tiesto!  Hope you get the place.

I'm in a similar situation.  Been looking at condos and apartments and stuff for the last couple of months and everything is all So. CA expensive and it's tough figure out what I want to do.  I want to either buy a 2br 1000-1500sq ft. condo a little further out (because the taxes in the local city are bullshit [12k a year on a 300-400k property]), or rent a 1br 700sq ft. apartment in the local expensive area for a while until I find a condo.  Logic is telling me that I should just wait until I find the right condo since doing the whole moving thing twice within a 6 month period or so will be annoying and expensive, but I need to get out asap because like you, the parent situation should not exist at this age.

[tiesto]

Himu: Yeah, that was in my room, haha. It sucks trying to take girls back to my house right now, in fact my girlfriend lives at home as well and we never really get any private time, which really sucks (also makes it so our relationship is kind of at a "standstill", but I can totally veer WILDLY off-topic with all the issues the 2 of us have).

Bebpo: Holy fuck at the 12k a year taxes...  the place I'm looking at is $2800/yr pre-STAR... but I've seen places that are over 9000 (no pun intended) a year for taxes, on 300-400k places. You have to decide what's important to you, before buying a place. Taxes will only go up, and if you can barely afford 12k a year now, who knows what will happen in the future? Personally, I don't like the thought of giving some random-ass person rent money with nothing to gain for it after I move out, so I don't rent. And also I am used to living in big-backyard suburbia, so moving into a tiny converted-apartment condo in traffic-heavy parts of Nassau isn't at all appealing either. The downside to that is either a longer commute or a down payment I can't afford... but if you went out a bit more, got a bigger place, look to the silver lining - more time to drive your hawt new car. It really depends on what type of living standards you're accustomed to.

I could:
-Live in a small one-bedroom converted-apartment building near to work, pay exorbitant taxes
-Purchase something a bit closer to work, in an upper-middle-to-high-income area with an excellent SD, pay exorbitant taxes... and live paycheck to paycheck off ramen noodles
-Purchase something a bit farther out, in an upper-middle-income area with an excellent SD, pay low taxes... and have a bit of spending money for hobbies, vacations, food
-Purchase something near to work in a shady ghetto area, that I won't be able to resell if I wanted out... and have to worry about robberies and shit

So right now I'm looking at choice 3, though was highly considering choice 2. Maybe if I get married to someone who can support herself (my girlfriend can't, and that's a major issue I'm having with her), I can move out to 2 in the future.

[bork]

but I need to get out asap because like you, the parent situation should not exist at this age.

Eh, you were in law school up until recently, right?  Nothing wrong with living at home.

And if you think it's bad alone...try living with your folks with your wife/girlfriend.   :'(  We were really damn happy when I got a job last year and could move out!   

[Bebpo]

Yeah, I was going to school like 10 mins from my parent's place and then studying for the bar.  I didn't mind the dating side because I didn't have time to date anyhow during that, but being surrounded by parents all the time is suffocating after a while.  I miss freedom :X

Anyhow, yeah the taxes here are crazy.  In Irvine, which is the nice place to live here where all the new stuff is, there are horribly Mello-Roos taxes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mello-Roos) that pay for streets and city stuff.  The newer the houses, the higher.  Older places are like $300 a year, but recent stuff in the last decade is 3k-3.5k per year.  Then you have 3.5k a year in Home Owners Association and then 1% property taxes so 3-4k on a 300-400k place.  Which brings you to 10-13k taxes per year on top of your mortgage payments :\  At least by ditching the Mello-Rooss you bring it down to 7-8k.

[bud]

is your mom's place the house where you recorded the vid of proof of your fucking that one chick

... where can i see this?

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Congrats, tiesto!

[Rman]

Living in NYC, I kinda gave up on the dream of ever buying a place.  Oh well.  Maybe if I move.  Don't see that happening anytime soon.

[tiesto]

Living in NYC, I kinda gave up on the dream of ever buying a place.  Oh well.  Maybe if I move.  Don't see that happening anytime soon.

Co-ops, possibly? It's not officially "yours", you just own the stock, but it's still something. A number of my friends own co-ops in the city and the island. Although, I've seen full-fledged condos in Queens for ~300k and low taxes, but of course they were pretty tiny (600-700 sq feet).

[recursivelyenumerable]

I didn't realize having girlfriends while still living with your parents was even possible. Uh, props?

[Oblivion]

Congrats, yo! I'm actually in the opposite situation. After years of living on my own, I'm living with my mom again (but it's MY apartment, this time, damn it! )

Also,

is your mom's place the house where you recorded the vid of proof of your fucking that one chick

... where can i see this?

This.

I didn't realize having girlfriends while still living with your parents was even possible. Uh, props?

This too.

It also doesn't help when said mother is an ultra-religious right winger who doesn't believe in pre-marital sex. :/

[Akala]

good luck with the house hunt tiesto! kind of hard to give blanket advice (sounds like you've researched, you know the basics), but if you have questions, there are quite a few homeowners on the board that can help.

as far as choosing a house you can barely afford, sounds a bit unwise. especially as it seems your gf won't be contributing. then again, a gf that doesn't help out will get real old once you close and the bills start rolling in. you will then start looking for a sugar momma. 

It also doesn't help when said mother is an ultra-religious right winger who doesn't believe in pre-marital sex. :/

remind her that it is your house?

[Oblivion]

remind her that it is your house?

Oh, I have free reign to do pretty much anything, but something like that would absolutely devastate her.