[eavesdropper]

[quote=CA renter] Yep, that’s an awesome house.

Wish we had more houses down here like that to choose from instead of one tacky, two-story, McStucco box after another.

Lord, please, please, please make these big developers/builders die off and allow people to buy their own lots and build their own custom homes again! Amen.[/quote]

CAR, wish I had your faith, but I fear that if most of the citizenry started to design their own houses, it would be worse than what most of the big developers are doing.

They’d have to start a new magazine: “Architectural InDIGESTion” (yeah, I know…that’s really bad. But it’s late in the day here in the east).

Call me a snob. But trust me on this one. If you want to get an idea of what happens when people have a construction loan, a yen to be a “designer”, and a little time on their hands, click on the link: http://homesoftherich.net/2009/06/inside-teresa-giudices-new-jersey-mansion.html

*Don’t miss the video house tour halfway down the page. See something you just gotta have? Link to the catalog for the October 3 bankruptcy auction:

http://www.ajwillnerauctions.com/index.cfm?AuctionID=559&fuseaction=home.auctionDetails

[eavesdropper]

[quote=CA renter] Yep, that’s an awesome house.

Wish we had more houses down here like that to choose from instead of one tacky, two-story, McStucco box after another.

Lord, please, please, please make these big developers/builders die off and allow people to buy their own lots and build their own custom homes again! Amen.[/quote]

CAR, wish I had your faith, but I fear that if most of the citizenry started to design their own houses, it would be worse than what most of the big developers are doing.

They’d have to start a new magazine: “Architectural InDIGESTion” (yeah, I know…that’s really bad. But it’s late in the day here in the east).

Call me a snob. But trust me on this one. If you want to get an idea of what happens when people have a construction loan, a yen to be a “designer”, and a little time on their hands, click on the link: http://homesoftherich.net/2009/06/inside-teresa-giudices-new-jersey-mansion.html

*Don’t miss the video house tour halfway down the page. See something you just gotta have? Link to the catalog for the October 3 bankruptcy auction:

http://www.ajwillnerauctions.com/index.cfm?AuctionID=559&fuseaction=home.auctionDetails

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl] HOWEVER, I’m going up to visit winerie(s) soon. It’s harvest season and time for the “crush” :=D[/quote]

BG, come to DC, and I’ll take you to some Virginia wineries. Wine may not be as good as CA, but after one or two barrels, you won’t notice. And you’ll have the added exciting bonus of possibly running into Michele Salahi, the infamous White House party crasher and newly-tapped Real Housewife of DC.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl] HOWEVER, I’m going up to visit winerie(s) soon. It’s harvest season and time for the “crush” :=D[/quote]

BG, come to DC, and I’ll take you to some Virginia wineries. Wine may not be as good as CA, but after one or two barrels, you won’t notice. And you’ll have the added exciting bonus of possibly running into Michele Salahi, the infamous White House party crasher and newly-tapped Real Housewife of DC.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl] HOWEVER, I’m going up to visit winerie(s) soon. It’s harvest season and time for the “crush” :=D[/quote]

BG, come to DC, and I’ll take you to some Virginia wineries. Wine may not be as good as CA, but after one or two barrels, you won’t notice. And you’ll have the added exciting bonus of possibly running into Michele Salahi, the infamous White House party crasher and newly-tapped Real Housewife of DC.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl] HOWEVER, I’m going up to visit winerie(s) soon. It’s harvest season and time for the “crush” :=D[/quote]

BG, come to DC, and I’ll take you to some Virginia wineries. Wine may not be as good as CA, but after one or two barrels, you won’t notice. And you’ll have the added exciting bonus of possibly running into Michele Salahi, the infamous White House party crasher and newly-tapped Real Housewife of DC.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl] HOWEVER, I’m going up to visit winerie(s) soon. It’s harvest season and time for the “crush” :=D[/quote]

BG, come to DC, and I’ll take you to some Virginia wineries. Wine may not be as good as CA, but after one or two barrels, you won’t notice. And you’ll have the added exciting bonus of possibly running into Michele Salahi, the infamous White House party crasher and newly-tapped Real Housewife of DC.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=AK]Take a look at these groovy original Harvest Gold appliances:

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Rafael/47-Maywood-Way-94901/home/952262

Looks like the kitchen in the house I grew up in … except the cabinets were stained in a matching color.[/quote]

Luv this “vintage” kitchen, AK! The appliances appear in excellent condition for being circa 1977!

Brings back a lot of memories . . . lol . . .

Edit: Just checked out the listing! Luv the WHOLE house and location, too!![/quote]

Holy shit!! It’s the Brady house, transported to NorCal from the San Fernando Valley. Open the harvest gold fridge: I’ll bet you’ll find Sam the Butcher.

Seriously, I would sooooo buy this house. It has classic mid-century bones, and appears to have been well cared for. And the view is awesome – that, alone, makes it worth the price they’re asking.

And y’all don’t know what you’re talking about: this kitchen qualifies as updated. If I know my fluorescent lighting, that’s an early 90s ceiling fixture you’re seeing there. FYI there’s nothing better to enhance 60s harvest gold and avocado appliance shades than fluorescent lights.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=AK]Take a look at these groovy original Harvest Gold appliances:

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Rafael/47-Maywood-Way-94901/home/952262

Looks like the kitchen in the house I grew up in … except the cabinets were stained in a matching color.[/quote]

Luv this “vintage” kitchen, AK! The appliances appear in excellent condition for being circa 1977!

Brings back a lot of memories . . . lol . . .

Edit: Just checked out the listing! Luv the WHOLE house and location, too!![/quote]

Holy shit!! It’s the Brady house, transported to NorCal from the San Fernando Valley. Open the harvest gold fridge: I’ll bet you’ll find Sam the Butcher.

Seriously, I would sooooo buy this house. It has classic mid-century bones, and appears to have been well cared for. And the view is awesome – that, alone, makes it worth the price they’re asking.

And y’all don’t know what you’re talking about: this kitchen qualifies as updated. If I know my fluorescent lighting, that’s an early 90s ceiling fixture you’re seeing there. FYI there’s nothing better to enhance 60s harvest gold and avocado appliance shades than fluorescent lights.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=AK]Take a look at these groovy original Harvest Gold appliances:

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Rafael/47-Maywood-Way-94901/home/952262

Looks like the kitchen in the house I grew up in … except the cabinets were stained in a matching color.[/quote]

Luv this “vintage” kitchen, AK! The appliances appear in excellent condition for being circa 1977!

Brings back a lot of memories . . . lol . . .

Edit: Just checked out the listing! Luv the WHOLE house and location, too!![/quote]

Holy shit!! It’s the Brady house, transported to NorCal from the San Fernando Valley. Open the harvest gold fridge: I’ll bet you’ll find Sam the Butcher.

Seriously, I would sooooo buy this house. It has classic mid-century bones, and appears to have been well cared for. And the view is awesome – that, alone, makes it worth the price they’re asking.

And y’all don’t know what you’re talking about: this kitchen qualifies as updated. If I know my fluorescent lighting, that’s an early 90s ceiling fixture you’re seeing there. FYI there’s nothing better to enhance 60s harvest gold and avocado appliance shades than fluorescent lights.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=AK]Take a look at these groovy original Harvest Gold appliances:

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Rafael/47-Maywood-Way-94901/home/952262

Looks like the kitchen in the house I grew up in … except the cabinets were stained in a matching color.[/quote]

Luv this “vintage” kitchen, AK! The appliances appear in excellent condition for being circa 1977!

Brings back a lot of memories . . . lol . . .

Edit: Just checked out the listing! Luv the WHOLE house and location, too!![/quote]

Holy shit!! It’s the Brady house, transported to NorCal from the San Fernando Valley. Open the harvest gold fridge: I’ll bet you’ll find Sam the Butcher.

Seriously, I would sooooo buy this house. It has classic mid-century bones, and appears to have been well cared for. And the view is awesome – that, alone, makes it worth the price they’re asking.

And y’all don’t know what you’re talking about: this kitchen qualifies as updated. If I know my fluorescent lighting, that’s an early 90s ceiling fixture you’re seeing there. FYI there’s nothing better to enhance 60s harvest gold and avocado appliance shades than fluorescent lights.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=AK]Take a look at these groovy original Harvest Gold appliances:

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Rafael/47-Maywood-Way-94901/home/952262

Looks like the kitchen in the house I grew up in … except the cabinets were stained in a matching color.[/quote]

Luv this “vintage” kitchen, AK! The appliances appear in excellent condition for being circa 1977!

Brings back a lot of memories . . . lol . . .

Edit: Just checked out the listing! Luv the WHOLE house and location, too!![/quote]

Holy shit!! It’s the Brady house, transported to NorCal from the San Fernando Valley. Open the harvest gold fridge: I’ll bet you’ll find Sam the Butcher.

Seriously, I would sooooo buy this house. It has classic mid-century bones, and appears to have been well cared for. And the view is awesome – that, alone, makes it worth the price they’re asking.

And y’all don’t know what you’re talking about: this kitchen qualifies as updated. If I know my fluorescent lighting, that’s an early 90s ceiling fixture you’re seeing there. FYI there’s nothing better to enhance 60s harvest gold and avocado appliance shades than fluorescent lights.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=jficquette]I am serious when I say this. They need to bring back the no doc loans but require 20-25% down.

Rinse repeat.

John[/quote]

Totally agree here, John. There was absolutely nothing wrong with those programs (with a requirement of =>20% downpayments) and their very qualified in-house appraiser (also not “allowed” anymore). Even though my spouse and I had W-2 incomes, we purchased several properties on “limited doc” programs, always with 20%-35% down. I don’t like banks or government in my business and like to close fast and easy.

Owners having “skin the game” is the key to a stable housing market.[/quote]

I’ll second that. I’m not sure what our elected officials are thinking, but these programs aren’t going to do anything to stabilize the market, and I suspect that some of them will cause even further erosion.

BG, you may remember that, in a thread a few months back, I mentioned that my stepdaughter and her boyfriend are buying a house. They close next week. The house is part of this Fannie Mae Home Path program. They are taking advantage of several state programs that offer significant cash assistance with down payment and closing costs.

She is in her early 20s, he’s a few years older. No college for him, she has about a year’s worth of credits. Both of them have spotty employment records, and each is in a low-paying retail job that they’ve held for less than a year. Between them, they have about $8K in credit card debt, plus car payments. Yet not only are they buying a $250,000 house, but doing so bringing only $2,000 of their own money to settlement.

I can’t honestly blame them: they’d have to have more money than that up front if they were renting an apartment! And I’d be lying if I said that it makes me feel good to see her so excited and happy. But I’m not holding out much hope for their success in this venture. The house needs work, and will require a lot of regular maintenance, and I just don’t think either of them has that kind of patience. And with only two grand of their own money in it, there’s not much to keep them there when the going gets tough and the value has fallen by another 20%.

I just don’t get it! What is the purpose of providing even more taxpayer-funded assistance to get totally unqualified people into homes that they have little chance of keeping, and who will probably walk away when things get tight? As another Pigg mentioned in an earlier thread, shelter is a necessity, but buying a house is a choice.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=jficquette]I am serious when I say this. They need to bring back the no doc loans but require 20-25% down.

Rinse repeat.

John[/quote]

Totally agree here, John. There was absolutely nothing wrong with those programs (with a requirement of =>20% downpayments) and their very qualified in-house appraiser (also not “allowed” anymore). Even though my spouse and I had W-2 incomes, we purchased several properties on “limited doc” programs, always with 20%-35% down. I don’t like banks or government in my business and like to close fast and easy.

Owners having “skin the game” is the key to a stable housing market.[/quote]

I’ll second that. I’m not sure what our elected officials are thinking, but these programs aren’t going to do anything to stabilize the market, and I suspect that some of them will cause even further erosion.

BG, you may remember that, in a thread a few months back, I mentioned that my stepdaughter and her boyfriend are buying a house. They close next week. The house is part of this Fannie Mae Home Path program. They are taking advantage of several state programs that offer significant cash assistance with down payment and closing costs.

She is in her early 20s, he’s a few years older. No college for him, she has about a year’s worth of credits. Both of them have spotty employment records, and each is in a low-paying retail job that they’ve held for less than a year. Between them, they have about $8K in credit card debt, plus car payments. Yet not only are they buying a $250,000 house, but doing so bringing only $2,000 of their own money to settlement.

I can’t honestly blame them: they’d have to have more money than that up front if they were renting an apartment! And I’d be lying if I said that it makes me feel good to see her so excited and happy. But I’m not holding out much hope for their success in this venture. The house needs work, and will require a lot of regular maintenance, and I just don’t think either of them has that kind of patience. And with only two grand of their own money in it, there’s not much to keep them there when the going gets tough and the value has fallen by another 20%.

I just don’t get it! What is the purpose of providing even more taxpayer-funded assistance to get totally unqualified people into homes that they have little chance of keeping, and who will probably walk away when things get tight? As another Pigg mentioned in an earlier thread, shelter is a necessity, but buying a house is a choice.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=jficquette]I am serious when I say this. They need to bring back the no doc loans but require 20-25% down.

Rinse repeat.

John[/quote]

Totally agree here, John. There was absolutely nothing wrong with those programs (with a requirement of =>20% downpayments) and their very qualified in-house appraiser (also not “allowed” anymore). Even though my spouse and I had W-2 incomes, we purchased several properties on “limited doc” programs, always with 20%-35% down. I don’t like banks or government in my business and like to close fast and easy.

Owners having “skin the game” is the key to a stable housing market.[/quote]

I’ll second that. I’m not sure what our elected officials are thinking, but these programs aren’t going to do anything to stabilize the market, and I suspect that some of them will cause even further erosion.

BG, you may remember that, in a thread a few months back, I mentioned that my stepdaughter and her boyfriend are buying a house. They close next week. The house is part of this Fannie Mae Home Path program. They are taking advantage of several state programs that offer significant cash assistance with down payment and closing costs.

She is in her early 20s, he’s a few years older. No college for him, she has about a year’s worth of credits. Both of them have spotty employment records, and each is in a low-paying retail job that they’ve held for less than a year. Between them, they have about $8K in credit card debt, plus car payments. Yet not only are they buying a $250,000 house, but doing so bringing only $2,000 of their own money to settlement.

I can’t honestly blame them: they’d have to have more money than that up front if they were renting an apartment! And I’d be lying if I said that it makes me feel good to see her so excited and happy. But I’m not holding out much hope for their success in this venture. The house needs work, and will require a lot of regular maintenance, and I just don’t think either of them has that kind of patience. And with only two grand of their own money in it, there’s not much to keep them there when the going gets tough and the value has fallen by another 20%.

I just don’t get it! What is the purpose of providing even more taxpayer-funded assistance to get totally unqualified people into homes that they have little chance of keeping, and who will probably walk away when things get tight? As another Pigg mentioned in an earlier thread, shelter is a necessity, but buying a house is a choice.

[Author]

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