BUY MY HOUSE or I'll...

[shereads]

... do something, something you won't like. I know where you live!

This is getting serious.

Market is down way too much to do this on my own, so I signed a contract with a realtor today. Their cut will be humongous. But what really makes me want to weep is that the state of Florida will receive $3,000 for something called "stamping fees."

What kind of stamps are these? Hand-carved by Maori artisans? Or is it the ink that's special?

Oh, who cares. Just buy the house and let's get it over with. I want my life back.

 

[cloudy]

We're in the middle of buying a house right now. Too bad you don't live up this way, or we could've bought yours (it looks lovely from the few pictures you've shared).

 

[_Lynn_]

My home was listed with a realtor last week.
At the price she feels it will sell at, costs add up to over $13,000.

*sigh*

 

[shereads]

We're in the middle of buying a house right now. Too bad you don't live up this way, or we could've bought yours (it looks lovely from the few pictures you've shared).

It IS lovely! And it can be moved, I'll bet!

 

[AvoidingRealWork]

Round here you can get a 2000 square foot, 4-bed, 2-bath house for $125k. Unless every business in town suddenly closed its doors, I can't foresee prices getting any lower.

We bought in a trough. Just gotta keep telling myself that. We bought in a trough. Nowhere to go but up.

Hell, our house is so cheap, a 10% price drop is less than the cost of a compact car, so no worries here.

 

[shereads]

My home was listed with a realtor last week.
At the price she feels it will sell at, costs add up to over $13,000.

*sigh*

How much of that is "stamping fees?"



I nearly ripped my eyeballs out of my head when she told me what her commission would be. But the best part was when she said, "If it's going to happen, it'll be within the next two months."

If?

Yikes.

 

[Lady_Kit]

Will you swap for a gently used place in the frozen north? Its in good shape...really. The roof only leaks in a one spot, most of the windows open, the furnace works just fine, as long as you want it to blow all the time, and the yard has mature walnut trees, unlike avacadoes, when a walnut falls on your head you can still function without medical assistance. The neighborhood is nice, tornadoes are infrequent, and you can hardly see that huge billboard just one street over.

Whadda ya say? Trade me keys?

 

[_Lynn_]

I won't even go there. I nearly ripped my eyeballs out of my head when she told me what her commission would be...But the best part was when she said, "If it's going to happen, it'll be within the next two months."

If?

Yikes.

I'm in the middle of a divorce. The profit was to be half mine.

 

[shereads]

Round here you can get a 2000 square foot, 4-bed, 2-bath house for $125k. Unless every business in town suddenly closed its doors, I can't foresee prices getting any lower.

We bought in a trough. Just gotta keep telling myself that. We bought in a trough. Nowhere to go but up.

Hell, our house is so cheap, a 10% price drop is less than the cost of a compact car, so no worries here.

I bought my house fifteen years ago, very cautiously. Had already been caught up in one disastrous real estate bubble - the first one on record, as far as I know - when the oil industry tanked back in the 1980's. I was determined that wouldn't happen to me again.

So I bought a small house in a good neighborhood, and saw prices climb and climb and climb. Neighbors invested in their homes; the 'hood only got better.

Then came Hurricanes Katrilma. Katrina-Rita-Wilma, two of which did serious damage over a huge part of South Florida, only a few months apart. Which created two problems that are only exacerbated by the "bubble."

- Prices for windstorm insurance have shot to the moon - if you can get it; some companies won't write new policies in this market until the state legislature allows them to raise prices even more. (I considred keeping this place as a rental property and waiting a few years for the market to recover, but as a landlord my property taxes and insurance would be so high, I'd have to earn a ridiculous monthly rent.)

- Had to cash-in some home equity to pay for hurricane damages not covered by insurance, including landscaping and damage to shade trees, which are a big selling point in this neighborhood; got carried away and invested in a new kitchen and bathroom and other improvements. What could it hurt, right?

Wrong.

I won't lose money on the house (knock on wood) but neither will I make anything approaching the amount I could have made before the hurricanes. I could have retired on the amount my neighbor up the street was offered before Katrina, for his smaller lot and less attractive house. Back then, this market was so hot that strangers used to leave notes on our car windshields asking to buy our homes. But rents were high, too, and unless you were ready to leave the city, it wouldn't have made sense to sell. Or so it seemed....

Weather sucks!

Greed is painful!

 

[shereads]

Will you swap for a gently used place in the frozen north? Its in good shape...really. The roof only leaks in a one spot, most of the windows open, the furnace works just fine, as long as you want it to blow all the time, and the yard has mature walnut trees, unlike avacadoes, when a walnut falls on your head you can still function without medical assistance. The neighborhood is nice, tornadoes are infrequent, and you can hardly see that huge billboard just one street over.

Whadda ya say? Trade me keys?

How many opossums? My place comes with free 'possums.

 

[keeblercrumb]

... do something, something you won't like. I know where you live!

This is getting serious.

Market is down way too much to do this on my own, so I signed a contract with a realtor today. Their cut will be humongous. But what really makes me want to weep is that the state of Florida will receive $3,000 for something called "stamping fees."

What kind of stamps are these? Hand-carved by Maori artisans? Or is it the ink that's special?

Oh, who cares. Just buy the house and let's get it over with. I want my life back.

But hand carved stamps by Maori artisans..... not a bad idea.


-KC

 

[cantdog]

Only Maori artisans I actually met were working on the roads. My daughter was very forcibly impressed, especially by one well knit fellow who was shirtless.

 

[Katyusha]

Round here you can get a 2000 square foot, 4-bed, 2-bath house for $125k. Unless every business in town suddenly closed its doors, I can't foresee prices getting any lower.

Where the HELL do you live that's "not that far from Chicago" that you can get THAT size house for THAT cheap? Where I live that's "not that far from Chicago" that size house is still going for $350k. OUR little tiny postage stamp of a house is $140k at fair market (county assessment) and it ain't nowhere NEAR 2000 sq ft.

Speak up buddy!!

 

[neonlyte]

...

Greed is painful!

Greed is relative... or relatives.

Greed grows with age... usually yours.

 

[matriarch]

Round here you can get a 2000 square foot, 4-bed, 2-bath house for $125k. Unless every business in town suddenly closed its doors, I can't foresee prices getting any lower.

We bought in a trough. Just gotta keep telling myself that. We bought in a trough. Nowhere to go but up.

Hell, our house is so cheap, a 10% price drop is less than the cost of a compact car, so no worries here.

Ye gods, that equates to around £68k........where we live, all you could buy for that would be a luxurious caravan (trailer) or bungalow on a holiday/residential site where you have to move out for Jan/Feb, or a bed/sit flat (one room for living, sleeping eating and a bathroom), and not a big one at that.

This the reason why Min and I are still renting.

*sigh*.

House prices over here are extortionate. One with the same facilities as your's would be around £300-400k, maybe even more (around $600-800k).

 

[Chantilyvamp]

I agree with mat, and i so need to go back to the states and snap up a bargain on a house. I could damn near pay for at least a 1/3- 1/2 or more with the profit from ours converted to dollars!

 

[shereads]

I agree with mat, and i so need to go back to the states and snap up a bargain on a house. I could damn near pay for at least a 1/3- 1/2 or more with the profit from ours converted to dollars!

How about an entire jungle compound? With free opossums?

 

[Just-Legal]

Mine was 100k (sterling) private sale. Would have been less but the guy who was selling it needed a deposit.

Repayments HURT. Council tax sucks.

 

[Chantilyvamp]

How about an entire jungle compound? With free opossums?

*giggles* hey that might work...I have a little monkey that would just love that

JL *boggles* that was all you piad? And yes council taxes do suck!

 

[Liar]

Sorry, she. I'd have nowhere to put it.

 

[SensualCealy]

Suggestion, copy link to the thread to show the real estate ad.

Many of us will be snow birds within a few years, possiblility of a winter get away for some is high!

C

 

[oggbashan]

... But what really makes me want to weep is that the state of Florida will receive $3,000 for something called "stamping fees."

What kind of stamps are these? Hand-carved by Maori artisans? Or is it the ink that's special?

I'm sorry. It's a legacy from when you were colonists. Stamp Duty was charged on all property transactions from a sale to a month's lease. The agreeing parties had to sign and then the document had to be stamped by the official seal to confirm that it was legal. The confirmation cost money - originally to pay for the administration costs but soon afterwards the government realised that it was a useful way to raise money. Back in the 17th century the clerks who did most of the work of the government weren't paid but made their living from the stamp duty. Samuel Pepys became reasonably rich from the stamp duty on Naval Officers' commissions.

In the UK stamp duty on house purchases is a sore point. The levels at which it was charged used to be changed to keep pace with inflation. Now the levels are the same but house prices rises mean that most people have to pay stamp duty.

Below a basic level no duty was charged, then 1% on the whole price and a higher rate of 3% on the whole price if £300,000 or more. But as house prices increased dramatically the majority of house sales attracted the 1% duty and many the 3% duty. The government just rubs its hands with glee at rising house prices because more and more of the sales pay tax.

Stamp Duty, not the tax on tea, was one of the causes of the American Declaration of Independence. The money from Stamp Duty went to the UK, not to the 13 colonies.

Of course, once the US had won their War of Independence, they could have abolished Stamp Duty. You know they didn't. They just kept on taking the money. When did governments ever abolish taxes?

Og

 

[bluebell]

Sher, maybe it would help if you recreated the pencil-drop picture in paint on your front door.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

SHEREADS

Welcome to Florida. The same scenario occurred in the 20s. The landboom went bust.

But you can make money if youre patient. My daughter bought a house for 125K three years ago. She sold it this week for 200K. Its nuthin special, but its in a great location to get to everywhere in the city.

Another daughter sold her 300K house for 200K. Ouch. Bad location.

I have literally sold a hole in the ground filled with old cars and refrigerators. It was what the buyer was looking for.

Dont lose heart.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

We had to move (due to DH's work) and put our house up on the market in August. And there it sits. Due to be put into foreclosure, soon. Even tried doing a "short sale" but to no avail. Doesn't help that we live in MI - the "recession state" - talk about bad markets. :x

I feel ya... good luck!