if I hadn't already.

Also, check out clock's recent diary with link to 30 megs worth of collaborative space.
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"You bring the weasel, I'll bring the whiskey." - kellnerin

it's more fun in the fall when Congress reconvenes and we can start talking about steroids, cheating, drugs and monopolistic behavior.

When your mortgage is only $100 or $50 a month, you have a lot of leeway. For a more normal mortgage, it took us about 2-3 months from putting an offer in to  closing. I'd start looking 5 months before your lease is up.

It's a trap.  Home ownership is a scam.

Just bought a dishwasher last night, mine started leaking.  Dripped through into the basement, all over the washer & dryer.  I've had enough water issues this month I'm starting to worry about mold.

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man, i need a beefy taco now.
-gzt

it appears it is national TPD is blown away by fellow husi-ites awesome MP3s day here on Husi.

Not sure what chord you play at 1:14 (if there's one thing learning (or at least try to learn the guitar) has taught me it's that I have no ear), but it's so out of the blue yet fits brilliantly.

why sit, when you can sit and swivel with The Ab-Swiveller^TM

Half of it depends on when the folks selling will move out. If they are already out of the house, and it's vacant 'ready to move in', I'd still think it'll take at least a month from your initial offer. I'm sure I'll forget lots of steps, but figure:

• Make an offer
• Haggle on offer/counter offer
• At the same time, get your loan lined up (a FIRM loan commitment from mortgage broker or bank)
• Appraiser comes out to check the house for the bank to approve the loan amount
• Find more cash if the appraiser doesn't agree with the price you and the sellers agreed on, or go back to haggle with them again because the appraisal came in too low
• Get a house inspection
• Give time for home-owners to either fix stuff from home inspection, or counter-offer a lower price to offset costs to fix problems found during inspection
• Closing -- get a lawyer or title/escrow company to handle the details, show up and sign about 50 pieces of paper.

As much as I HATE the "for dummies" book, the home buying for dummies was a very useful book. I'd send you our copy, but we've lent it out to so many friends that bought places, I don't know where it is right now.

Depending on what the house comes with (ie what major appliances they leave) you can spend over $8k getting the necessary stuff -- fridge, washer/dryer, chest freezer, paint and a bazillion little things like paint trays, rollers, brushes, and tons of little crap that will have you going to home depot/Lowes EVERY FRIGGIN DAY for 3 weeks. Glad those days are long past..

And you don't want just any statue of a black man, you want a black JOCKEY, holding the lantern. That's the right one, and hope your neighbors don't lynch you for it ..

Anyway, Bob, you should venture down to Tex-ass to jam with those other mopes.

They have at least 3 or 4 more games this season before they go on summer vacation!

Oh and enjoy being up by 1/2 a game, I'm sure it's not going to last too long. Come Friday when they play a series against Detroit they're going right back down.

then live in a van, down by the river, until your new place is ready.

"To this day that was the most bullshit caesar salad I have every experienced..." - triggerfinger

on the home purchase front, you should get pre-qualified for a mortgage before you start looking.

also, having a house inspector already picked out helps quite a bit as well.

closing depends on a billion different things.

It's very common in the real world.

In re: the other. There is no rule about "how long" it takes. It's rarely less than 30 days, though. You have to factor inept title search companies, mortgage agents who are constantly missing a piece of paper you gave them months ago, &c &c &c.

Ask webwench out inspections. You can find the "perfect" house and the inspection turns up a problem. It might take a couple of months for them to fix it or you might back out of the deal, then you have to fight to get your money back.

The sellers might have a clause that they have to close on the new house they're buying at the same time. Then that deal could mess up your deal.

The title search company could find a problem.

Then only thing you can count on is that it won't go smoothly.
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They're all over here in Ole Virginny, but this is The South.

You don't have to buy all the stuff at once. Buy it as you need it. I doubt you'll need a lawn mower and snow thrower on the weekend. Or even in the same month.

Look at the list of "attached chattel", or whatever they call it, to see what comes with the house. Washer/dryer often do.

Earth First!
_{(We can strip mine the rest later.)}

At least where I am, once a lease expires it's automatically converted to a month by month deal. I don't really see why you'd want to commit beyond that.