[SVT3658]

Starting Monday I'll be working in Warren (near 11 mile and Schoenherr), and I'm trying to figure out where to live that's within a ~20 minute drive.

I'm pretty sure I want an apartment...I don't want to have to deal with a yard or any stuff to do with a house right now. 2 bedrooms would be nice, but I don't need it.

Obviously I don't want to live in a **** hole. I'm guessing paying $600-800/month will be about average? The cheaper the better though.

 

[mrfatride]

first congrats on getting a job so quick josh!! honestly with houses so cheap in this area unless you do not plan on living here very long buying a house is much more economical. I have a 1025 sq ft. 3 bedroom/1.5 bathroom house in Allen Park with a big 2 car garage and full basement for 465 a month (thats mortgage, insurance, and taxes). You could not rent a crappy 1 bedroom apartment for that. If you paid 6-800 for a house you would be looking in the 75-100k house that most likely would be move in ready. I paid 49k for my house and it really only needed to be painted to move in. Granted it took a little bit of time to find a place i was happy with but I am much happier owning my own place vs living in a appt.

As far as places near warren? I would think Sterling Heights or Roseville would be nice. You could look at Royal Oak but places would most likely be more expensive there.

 

[cjmartinyzx3]

yeah Im with Joe, i was gonna say sterling heights or something up along 75 there. Utica is not a bad area either. I think if you stuck near a freeway you could get a little further away without being to far.

 

[SVT3658]

Awesome, thanks guys! Looks like I'll be looking for a house. The only thing that sucks is I don't have any money left for a down payment after this summer, so I'll have to work for a bit to save for one.

I'm gonna talk to a real estate agent today or tomorrow morning, because I am clueless on the house buying.

 

[Nickgt40]

That's OK. As a first time home buyer you don't have to put gobs of money down (although it helps).

Not sure if its feasible and/or the relationship you have with your family but sometimes grandparents / parents are willing to kick down a few K to get you going when its something like buying your first house.

On a side note, holy crap I wish there were livable houses here for under 100k.



In many cases, I couldn't even buy a lot in the sticks with no improvements for less than 50k.

 

[SVT3658]

Yeah I'm pretty surprised, there's quite a few good houses for under 60k. There's even some that are advertised as having appliances, which is awesome.

It seems that a 3% downpayment is what I'll probably need...and I'm hoping that there are some first time buyer things in place still.

The good (and bad in some ways, but it's got nothing to do with this) thing is I'm on salary and not hourly, so I will have a dead consistent income. If I have 3 grand to put down it'll be plenty for a 50-60k house, and from what I'm seeing that will translate to a monthly payment (mortgage, insurance, and property tax) around $500 ... that's totally doable. The only bill I have right now is $110/month for car insurance. I'm going to forgo a new car for 6 months to a year if it means I can buy an awesome house.


I kinda thought about asking family for a loan for a downpayment, but I would rather do it on my own.



I'm going to a real estate office at 9am tomorrow, hopefully they have all the info I need. I might swing by a bank too.

 

[Nickgt40]

Maybe ask Gerald who he used to buy his place.

My mom is a Real Estate agent and I've heard of some pretty crappy agents out there. Just like anything a good referral is worth its weight in gold.

Good luck dude, I wish CA prices were anything close to something I could afford right out of school. Oh well, I guess once you're in then its all relative.

 

[SVT3658]

I planned on asking Gerald but I made this thread after he went to work yesterday and I didn't see him today :lol: He did text me a few minutes ago though, he is going to have somebody he knows call me. Uncle G FTW!

Thanks Nick, I'm hoping it works out as well as me getting a job did.

 

[mrfatride]

FHA is the way to go. 3.5% down and you can ask for up to 6% concessions from the seller to help cover closing costs (do not forget about those) You will not regret getting your own place especially since you are a car guy having your own garage will be awesome. If you have any questions about buying a house let me know always willing to share the knowledge i gained while buying my first house.

 

[SVT3658]

Thanks Joe! I'm sure I'll be talking to you soon

 

[SVT04EAP]

60k for a house ?!!?!?!?!? My freaking down payment was more than that!?!?! I totally bought in the wrong city/state. Back on topic, any advice I can give ya on the purchase Josh, feel free to let me know

 

[norcalfocus01]

Yup FHA is the way to go buddy. 3.5% down you'll need a 650+ credit score to get the better rate FHA loan.

The first thing you really want to do is get pre-approved for a loan. Use a national company, direct lender, not a broker. Text me if you got any questions.

 

[REVSWIN]

You can buy houses in Detroit for $1... For $52k my ex-gf got a 1400 sq ft brick ranch, with finished basement, wood deck patio, and a two car garage in the suburbs.

There were no jobs here until two years ago, house hit rock bottom here.

 

[REVSWIN]

Joe you would recommend somebody to live in Roseville. Not only does it smell like grilled cheese, it's been called Ho's-ville since I was a kid. Super trashy area. That whole east side is a wasteland.

 

[mrfatride]

apparently then i have only been to the "good" side of roseville. didnt think it would be that terrible of an area. sterling heights and closer to royal oak would i would be concentrating on though. he could also creep down this way long as he is fairly close to the highway his daily commute wouldnt be that long.

 

[cjmartinyzx3]

And he could come up this way a bit and not even lock his car at night :lol: being that there are a bunch of freeways around there you could go just about anywhere. Clinton twp, mt clemens area, right near the freeway and not to far away.