Houses

[Korndogg]

I would like to start looking around for houses. Im sick of paying rent. Where is a good place to start looking? (websites, paper, magazines?)

Also any other tips or whatever you could give me would be great!

[CobraSnake]

I would like to start looking around for houses. Im sick of paying rent. Where is a good place to start looking? (websites, paper, magazines?)

Also any other tips or whatever you could give me would be great!

give me your email address. Where you want to look. Price range. The details basically and I'll search MLS and email you the results.

Mark

[GRM-REPR]

Go to offices such as Shore West, Realty Executives, Shore Weber and ask to see listings. You don't have to sign any agreements or contracts if you just remain a customer. If you are interested in buying through one of these businesses, then you can make a buyers agreement and become a client.

OR go here and search for yourself. This is the MLS system of Wisconsin (Multiple Listing Service) You can search for yourself if you'd like. ANY home for sale in Wisconsin is on this site....any house!

www.mls.com (select Wisonsin)

or use this link....

http://www.homegain.com/buyer_link/metro_area?hsx_metro_id=214&hsx_state=WI&hsx_metro_link=Milwaukee/Racine%20Area&ht=LL_WI_Milwaukee&entryid=5526&mod=1

If you find a home your interested in, the listing broker will be provided and you can contact them directly with an MLS number and start dealing!

(I'm about to graduate with a real estate degree this December) hope this helps.

Good luck.

[Korndogg]

ok thanks guys!!!!

Im just starting to look and I don't know what I can afford and whatnot so I figured I would try to get a feel so I know what Im doing when I finally decide.

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

I don't know what I can afford and whatnot.

Go your bank, credit union or mortgage co and they will work with you to figure out how much you can afford and what you will need as a down payment as well as figure out an interest rate. Seems to be a buyers market right now. :thumbsup

And keep an eye out for sale signs in areas you might be interested in living, most folks have a preference for the area they want to live in.

[CobraSnake]

Go your bank, credit union or mortgage co and they will work with you to figure out how much you can afford and what you will need as a down payment as well as figure out an interest rate. Seems to be a buyers market right now. :thumbsup

And keep an eye out for sale signs in areas you might be interested in living, most folks have a preference for the area they want to live in.

yes that is exactly what you should do. Unforunately most agents will just tell you the same thing. Because we don't want to show you a 200k house and find out you can only spend 150k you know. Oh and as for Grem or whoever said go to those agencies. Just to let you know you don't have to sign a buyers agreement with any company. That way if you don't like the person you can just move on to a different company and not have to worry. I can take you around and show you EVERYONE listings not just my own. Then if you want to write a offer I help you threw that and summit it to the sellers real estate agent. The nice thing about being a buyer is you don't have to pay anything to any real estate agents because the seller does that. All you have to pay is closing costs but, most or some of the times you can loop that into the mortgage so it literly doesn't have to come out of your pocket right now. Just PM me if you are interested in me helping find your new home.

Mark

[Lash]

Just be careful. Most places will pre-approve you for every free nickle and dime you have. Sure....technically you can "afford" a $300,000 house like they approved you for....but what about paying for utilities, groceries, going out on the weekends and such. They don't take those expenses in account for you.....so you may not even have that $ left over if you spend what you are approved for. You need to figure out your monthly bills and go from there. Be sure to have enough left over for a SAVINGS!!!



Are you in TC's (or TM now) retirement plan? It's be wise to get something started BEFORE you buy a house....that way you can figure it into you're monthly income. This way you're not strapped for $ saying "next year I'll invest" and you never get around to it like so many people do. Then it's too late.


I know of a great person who can help you. She won't charge you a dime seeing as you are a first time buyer. Are you looking to stay in that area?

[Korndogg]

Are you talking about their 401K? because I am going to do that in January since I just got my 2nd year raise.

[Lash]

Are you talking about their 401K? because I am going to do that in January since I just got my 2nd year raise.

Yes....he has a great match on it. Thats one thing is is very good at for his employees.

[Korndogg]

yeah im waiting for Jan to do it. Not sure how much I'm going to put in but well see.

I just wouldnt mind getting a house while the market is still good. I have a pretty decent sized down payment. Nothing huge but yeah. Oh and I want a small house to begin with anyway. I don't want to go crazy and get some huge house first thing.

[CobraSnake]

If you go to my broker he will calculate all of your monthly bills into account. Then he'll tell you what you can spend based on that. He doesn't want to borrow all that money then find out you can't pay it back. So he goes above and beyond the norm.

Mark

[GRAMPS SS]

Kornn...remember all salesman are LIERS ...look at me :rolf:rolf:rolf:rolf:rolf:rolf :goof

TRUST NONE...:thumbsup

[whitepony]

my suggestion is BEFORE you go to a bank...... OR look. Make out a list of all your bills etc...
ie:
Phone $75
Cable $130
Grocery's $200
Spending money $200
do it on a "per month basis"
For everything but your rent

Then add it up.... Look at your paychecks find out "about" what you bring home a month
subtract your bills from payment. and voila! You have a decent idea what you would like to spend per month on your mortgage payments.... This will help when you go to the banks etc.. SO YOU KNOW what you can afford not someone who doesn't know you or your habits telling you what you cant afford so you get foreclosed on in a year...
Just a suggestion.......
Then you said you had a decent down payment thats awesome keep in mind... You will most likely need to pay closing costs and any repairs or paint you would like to do on the place right away.
When you DECIDE to meet with a mortgage person i know someone who works in West Bend and she is AWESOME! if you give her your budget she can give you a realistic amount you can spend. and what your monthly payments would be.
If you want her info PM me...
Hope that helps
I find it best to have a realistic vision of what you can afford before you make a huge purchase... I bought my condo 2 years ago. and i am still very happy with our purchase.:)

[Breecher_7]

Get in touch with me if you need a Mortgage........

[Korndogg]

I really appreciate the help guy! ill keep everyone updated! thanks

[GRM-REPR]

yes that is exactly what you should do. Unforunately most agents will just tell you the same thing. Because we don't want to show you a 200k house and find out you can only spend 150k you know. Oh and as for Grem or whoever said go to those agencies. Just to let you know you don't have to sign a buyers agreement with any company. That way if you don't like the person you can just move on to a different company and not have to worry. I can take you around and show you EVERYONE listings not just my own. Then if you want to write a offer I help you threw that and summit it to the sellers real estate agent. The nice thing about being a buyer is you don't have to pay anything to any real estate agents because the seller does that. All you have to pay is closing costs but, most or some of the times you can loop that into the mortgage so it literly doesn't have to come out of your pocket right now. Just PM me if you are interested in me helping find your new home.

Mark

Before being an idiot and spelling my name incorrectly to be a jerk, I'm pretty damn sure I know what I'm talking about, maybe you should go back and actually re-read my post before being like too many others on this site Kobra. Since you won't go re-read and admit you paid no attention to what I posted, I will post it here for you: Go to offices such as Shore West, Realty Executives, Shore Weber and ask to see listings. You don't have to sign any agreements or contracts if you just remain a customer. If you are interested in buying through one of these businesses, then you can make a buyers agreement and become a client. In bold, you should know exactly what this means right? Good. I don't need to explain myself any further to you,I have nothing else to say on your account.

[GRM-REPR]

my suggestion is BEFORE you go to a bank...... OR look. Make out a list of all your bills etc...
ie:
Phone $75
Cable $130
Grocery's $200
Spending money $200
do it on a "per month basis"
For everything but your rent

Then add it up.... Look at your paychecks find out "about" what you bring home a month
subtract your bills from payment. and voila! You have a decent idea what you would like to spend per month on your mortgage payments.... This will help when you go to the banks etc.. SO YOU KNOW what you can afford not someone who doesn't know you or your habits telling you what you cant afford so you get foreclosed on in a year...
Just a suggestion.......
Then you said you had a decent down payment thats awesome keep in mind... You will most likely need to pay closing costs and any repairs or paint you would like to do on the place right away.
When you DECIDE to meet with a mortgage person i know someone who works in West Bend and she is AWESOME! if you give her your budget she can give you a realistic amount you can spend. and what your monthly payments would be.
If you want her info PM me...
Hope that helps
I find it best to have a realistic vision of what you can afford before you make a huge purchase... I bought my condo 2 years ago. and i am still very happy with our purchase.:)

A lending agency or a broker can do this for the customer or client, they use 2 types of percentages to determine the size of a loan a prospective buyer can handle. He would need to provide this information to the agency before they go any further. Thing is though, now because of all bad loans and foreclosures, lending agencies want a better credit rating than they demanded before. What passed as a good rate at about 690, doesn't pass as much anymore, thanks to clients that knew they shouldn't have taken loans from shady agencies. Ask Kobra, he should know all about this.

[Korndogg]

well last I checked my credit was very good. Like in the 800 range. So I should be pretty good.

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

Yes I would think the days of giving out 300k loans to folks who can barely afford 150k are over, I been wrong before tho.
Also the best person to know what the person can afford is the person, if you are honest about it there wont be any trouble.

[whitepony]

A lending agency or a broker can do this for the customer or client, they use 2 types of percentages to determine the size of a loan a prospective buyer can handle. He would need to provide this information to the agency before they go any further. Thing is though, now because of all bad loans and foreclosures, lending agencies want a better credit rating than they demanded before. What passed as a good rate at about 690, doesn't pass as much anymore, thanks to clients that knew they shouldn't have taken loans from shady agencies. Ask Kobra, he should know all about this.

Yes, i agree credit scores will also make a difference in the type of loan you get and for how much. You can also look into 1st time home buyers which is a program that helps out... as stated... 1st time home buyers... Depends what your yearly income is tho. Ours was too high so we didn't qualify. But, something to look into. Good Luck:thumbsup

[jbiscuit]

good luck dog!

[Prince Valiant]

Buy a house you can EASILY afford...don't do anything that'll stretch you thin, or something where you look at and think "Well, I'll probably be making more in a few years"

Remember...starter homes are just that, starter homes. Don't look at is as a permanent place, so don't worry if the neighborhood ISN'T the greatest, or it doesn't have great schools, etc. It's just a place to build equity.

Me, I bought a street near da hood...now my street cred and smarts are through tha roof. :goof

Ideally find one that was decently maintained, but needs updates (paint, landscaping...in your case, new AC/heating, lol) but things you can do easily. Roofing could fall into that...avoid something that has bowing/cracked in walls in the basement and no support beams, looks wet, etc.

Again, the school issue should be off little concern...while you and your woman may someday soon want kids, they won't actually be going to school for a quite a while. You can sell and get out long before then, with some equity built up and everything.

Go for a conventional loan if you can...maybe you can't get 20% saved up, but DO come with 5-10%, it'll make a huge difference in your PMI payment then (mine was all of 45.00 month when I first bought with a 10% down payment). Had it off within two years...IF you can swing it, see about a 20 year loan vs 30...not terribly important, but it'll help you get ALOT more equity to roll into your next house sooner, for not that much more a month (150-200 maybe?).

I found several houses that met all the above...then decided based on the back yard. Mines pretty decently big and fenced in. I didn't care about the garage (1.5 car). Couldn't be happier though going for the better yard...in the end, has made my place feel much more like a home.

First year was tough adjusting to sizeable electric bills, repairs, etc....but the second year, it felt like money was flowing out the wazoo.

[CobraSnake]

Before being an idiot and spelling my name incorrectly to be a jerk, I'm pretty damn sure I know what I'm talking about, maybe you should go back and actually re-read my post before being like too many others on this site Kobra. Since you won't go re-read and admit you paid no attention to what I posted, I will post it here for you: Go to offices such as Shore West, Realty Executives, Shore Weber and ask to see listings. You don't have to sign any agreements or contracts if you just remain a customer. If you are interested in buying through one of these businesses, then you can make a buyers agreement and become a client. In bold, you should know exactly what this means right? Good. I don't need to explain myself any further to you,I have nothing else to say on your account.
ok no need to get antsy I was just letting him know that He never has to sign a buyer agreement with anyone it is something that is not needed. Even if you like the guy and the company I still wouldn't sign one. It is not required for the sale its just so that you don't leave him or her to go to another company. It guarantee's that agent gets paid thats all. So like I said don't sign a buyers agentcy agreement EVER.

Mark

[sloLs1]

everyone has brought up good points... let me know if you have any questions about home buying and such... i can let you know what i had to go through. also dont forget closing costs and such. i got fvcked when it came down to it... when i was signing papers all of a sudden of these other hidden costs just magically appeared!


all in all i am glad i bought my house! let me know, you have my number!

[Prince Valiant]

ALWAYS negotiate that the seller pays the closing cost (~1200-2000 bucks right there in some cases). When I bid my house, I offered for the full-cost of the house, but appliances/treatments included, AND for them to pay closing cost....

[CobraSnake]

basically you can have the closing cost looped into your mortgage so you don't have to pay it out of pocket right away. Oh and another thing its a buyers market so good luck on have the seller do anything but safety concerns


Mark

[jbiscuit]

I would never pay closing costs. Eff that. So good point. Make sure you negotiate that into any offer you write. If they don't want to pay the costs, then make sure you counter with an offer much lower to compensate for that

[WhatsADSM]

I would never pay closing costs. Eff that. So good point. Make sure you negotiate that into any offer you write. If they don't want to pay the costs, then make sure you counter with an offer much lower to compensate for that

I agree with all that said negotiate in the closing costs. Also pay close note to the good faith estimate that your broker/lender gives you which outlines all of the closing costs. Unlike what was said above, there should be NO surprises or last minute expenses that come up at closing. I had a cashier's check written down to the penny at my closing.

Also remember in this buyers market, plus the fact that you are a first time home buyer really means that you hold the cards. Your offer means A LOT because your offer wont including any contingencies for selling another house.

Good luck with the home buying. I just got done buying my first house after about 6 months of searching, but in the end we got a steal and couldn't be happier. If you need any help or anything feel free to PM me. I even have a bunch of unbiased referrals if you would like.

[Berettaspeed]

There are a ton of different first time loans and maybe government grants out there depending on how much you make. Alot of houses on the market and alot of people losing houses. Banks want to get rid of them, so be carfull. make sure its something you wont have any compromise with. since you will be living there for some time.

Same here i had no surprises with closing costs or anything. they gave me what exactly i will pay if i pay the whole 30 yrs and everything. id say look around at houses you like them see how much you can get a loan for. Also when you get a loan alot of places will sell your loan to other places which then may have different rules on late fees and such. IMO get a loan that they are not allowed to sell.

[CobraSnake]

There are a ton of different first time loans and maybe government grants out there depending on how much you make. Alot of houses on the market and alot of people losing houses. Banks want to get rid of them, so be carfull. make sure its something you wont have any compromise with. since you will be living there for some time.

Same here i had no surprises with closing costs or anything. they gave me what exactly i will pay if i pay the whole 30 yrs and everything. id say look around at houses you like them see how much you can get a loan for. Also when you get a loan alot of places will sell your loan to other places which then may have different rules on late fees and such. IMO get a loan that they are not allowed to sell.

Is that even possible?? I think my loan got sold like 8 times then it ended up at country wide I believe and they haven't sold it yet.

Mark

[wrath]

#1: Make a list of what you need. Make a list of what you want. Make a list of what the future holds for you. I ended up with these: Must have a yard that I can keep crap in and the dog can play in (fence). The location needs to be within 9 minutes of I94 and can't be west of Highway 83. I'd like 3 bedroom 1-2 bath. I can live with a very outdated house as long as it hasn't been molested.

#2: Research municipalities. Brookfield's fence and outbuilding rules are borderline retarded. Elm Grove is nicer on the fences but isn't so great about outbuildings. Find one that fits what you are.

#3: Find neighborhoods/areas you want to live. It'll make your life a lot easier. The market is such that you can be picky. Keep in mind that you'll likely want to stay in the house for at least 3 years unless there are unforeseen circumstances. I believe the days of 1-2 years in a house are gone. Even if you have to spend time driving around looking it'll save you a lot of time later.

#4: Figure out how much you can afford. Assuming you're currently paying all your utilities except for garbage (and you'll likely live in a place that has garbage pickup) you can safely assume that you can afford a mortgage, mortgage insurance (if necessary), property taxes, and insurance that totals the same as your rent. You know better what you can afford than anyone else. You don't want to overextend yourself but you also don't want to be in a house you don't really like or that you are planning on moving out of as soon as you're done moving in. Usually people's wages increase with time but your house payment remains the same. So, assuming you're a young person your wages should always out pace inflation. You can read this also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt-to-income_ratio

#5: Find a lender. You want to find a lender with the lowest APR (the APR includes the entire cost of the loan, minus up front costs) combined with the nicest terms and lightest closing costs. A truth-in-lending/good-faith-estimate report isn't a guarantee. Closing costs on any fixed-rate loan whether traditional, conforming, or FHA shouldn't be much more than $1,300. A lender should let you refinance within 60 days without paying any loan exiting fees. They should also let you refinance based on the APPRAISAL amount, not the original purchase price.

#6: Come up with a game plan and start looking for houses.

#7: Find houses. Compare them to others. Compare the sales prices in the area. Compare tax data.






The part I don't know about is how the realtor part works. It seems to me that Wisconsin has some hokey law that says if I contact the listing agent directly that I must use them for the transaction. The whole real estate agent thing is beyond confusing for me. In fact, the crazy real estate agent laws here is probably why I still haven't purchased a house.

[Slow Joe]

wihomes.com -- That's where I look and that's where my dad found his house... Pretty much a MLS listing site...

[CobraSnake]

#1: Make a list of what you need. Make a list of what you want. Make a list of what the future holds for you. I ended up with these: Must have a yard that I can keep crap in and the dog can play in (fence). The location needs to be within 9 minutes of I94 and can't be west of Highway 83. I'd like 3 bedroom 1-2 bath. I can live with a very outdated house as long as it hasn't been molested.

#2: Research municipalities. Brookfield's fence and outbuilding rules are borderline retarded. Elm Grove is nicer on the fences but isn't so great about outbuildings. Find one that fits what you are.

#3: Find neighborhoods/areas you want to live. It'll make your life a lot easier. The market is such that you can be picky. Keep in mind that you'll likely want to stay in the house for at least 3 years unless there are unforeseen circumstances. I believe the days of 1-2 years in a house are gone. Even if you have to spend time driving around looking it'll save you a lot of time later.

#4: Figure out how much you can afford. Assuming you're currently paying all your utilities except for garbage (and you'll likely live in a place that has garbage pickup) you can safely assume that you can afford a mortgage, mortgage insurance (if necessary), property taxes, and insurance that totals the same as your rent. You know better what you can afford than anyone else. You don't want to overextend yourself but you also don't want to be in a house you don't really like or that you are planning on moving out of as soon as you're done moving in. Usually people's wages increase with time but your house payment remains the same. So, assuming you're a young person your wages should always out pace inflation. You can read this also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt-to-income_ratio

#5: Find a lender. You want to find a lender with the lowest APR (the APR includes the entire cost of the loan, minus up front costs) combined with the nicest terms and lightest closing costs. A truth-in-lending/good-faith-estimate report isn't a guarantee. Closing costs on any fixed-rate loan whether traditional, conforming, or FHA shouldn't be much more than $1,300. A lender should let you refinance within 60 days without paying any loan exiting fees. They should also let you refinance based on the APPRAISAL amount, not the original purchase price.

#6: Come up with a game plan and start looking for houses.

#7: Find houses. Compare them to others. Compare the sales prices in the area. Compare tax data.






The part I don't know about is how the realtor part works. It seems to me that Wisconsin has some hokey law that says if I contact the listing agent directly that I must use them for the transaction. The whole real estate agent thing is beyond confusing for me. In fact, the crazy real estate agent laws here is probably why I still haven't purchased a house.

That is true for the buyer or the seller side. But, it is not required when buying. Although if your selling a house thats a different story because the realtor is doing all sorts of advertising and is asking there(most likely) 6%.

Mark

[wrath]

That is true for the buyer or the seller side. But, it is not required when buying. Although if your selling a house thats a different story because the realtor is doing all sorts of advertising and is asking there(most likely) 6%.

Mark

Can you explain this better for me? This is something I've been battling with for a while and I've only had one agent that seemed to be honest with me thus far.

Say I'm a buyer (and I am). I have a non-contracted agent (I was "given" one from a relocation company) that I've never met... and haven't spoken to since march... and honestly don't have any intention of using for a transaction. I go to open houses without my so-called agent. From my understanding:
If I put *my* name down on the piece of paper that says I went to the open house then I'm under contract to use the listing agent of that house if I were to pursue that property.
If I contact the listing agent with regard to a piece of property then I must use the listing agent of the property.

What I do know is that in a dual-agency in Wisconsin that the real-estate agent need not have the buyer's best interest in mind. That means they can knowingly not provide critical information and not get the best "deal" for me as the buyer. In fact, they essentially get paid the entire commission... and it's best to screw me the best they can because a percentage's payout goes up with the amount of the transaction.

[wrath]

wihomes.com -- That's where I look and that's where my dad found his house... Pretty much a MLS listing site...

wihomes is a PITA unless you're going to use it for location searching. You also can't really bookmark stuff.

I like to use: http://www.wilakelistings.com/Search_for_Homes.htm
It doesn't update as often though since it pulls data from wihomes.

I like to use Shorewest's website also since it's easy to bookmark properties (shorewest.com/MLSID). Shorewest doesn't seem to like to show all the other agency's listings though so it's a bad idea to use it as your only source.

All of them, except the listing company, suck at showing other listing company's open houses and pictures. Shorewest doesn't even list all their open houses on their "open house" page.

buyhomes seems to be the most popular FSBO around here.

[CobraSnake]

Can you explain this better for me? This is something I've been battling with for a while and I've only had one agent that seemed to be honest with me thus far.

Say I'm a buyer (and I am). I have a non-contracted agent (I was "given" one from a relocation company) that I've never met... and haven't spoken to since march... and honestly don't have any intention of using for a transaction. I go to open houses without my so-called agent. From my understanding:
If I put *my* name down on the piece of paper that says I went to the open house then I'm under contract to use the listing agent of that house if I were to pursue that property.
If I contact the listing agent with regard to a piece of property then I must use the listing agent of the property.

Well your not under any contract unless you physicially sign it. So no your are not binded to that agent by ANYTHING, unless you sign a buyers agency agreement.
Basically what I tell people is this "if you go into a open house write my name down so they know you have a agent." Basically it so they don't bother you and try to sell you on the house. I never sign a contract with a buyer because I feel that person should stay with me as their buyers agent on the fact that they like me not because they signed a contract with me. Also if they are interested in a for sale by owner. I tell them to just get the phone number and I'll try to negotiate with the seller. If they seller ABSOLUTELY won't pay any commission then I'll help with the offer for free. Because I don't want to stand in your way of your dream house. Even if it doesn't mean I don't get paid.

I hope this answers your question. If it doesn't just ask me some more and i'll try to answer them.

What I do know is that in a dual-agency in Wisconsin that the real-estate agent need not have the buyer's best interest in mind. That means they can knowingly not provide critical information and not get the best "deal" for me as the buyer. In fact, they essentially get paid the entire commission... and it's best to screw me the best they can because a percentage's payout goes up with the amount of the transaction.
Basically real estate is a 100% disclosure business. Meaning you MUST disclose everything. So that statement is true but also not true. I honestly don't know a whole bunch of the specifics of dual-agency so I really can't help you there. I'll ask my mom and get back to the thread shes been in real estate for 20+ years.

[Slow Joe]

wihomes is a PITA unless you're going to use it for location searching. You also can't really bookmark stuff.

I like to use: http://www.wilakelistings.com/Search_for_Homes.htm
It doesn't update as often though since it pulls data from wihomes.

I like to use Shorewest's website also since it's easy to bookmark properties (shorewest.com/MLSID). Shorewest doesn't seem to like to show all the other agency's listings though so it's a bad idea to use it as your only source.

All of them, except the listing company, suck at showing other listing company's open houses and pictures. Shorewest doesn't even list all their open houses on their "open house" page.

buyhomes seems to be the most popular FSBO around here.

Hrmm, I like WI homes since you can search by location, imo that's the easiest way to find a house... Obviously you'd be searching in a certian area. Also they have the MLS number and listing agent, so that way you can go to the listing agent's site and search to see if there is more info on that house.

As you said, shorewest limits you to their listings for the most part, so I don't even search there.

[Berettaspeed]

Is that even possible?? I think my loan got sold like 8 times then it ended up at country wide I believe and they haven't sold it yet.

Mark

Yes some banks and credit places do offer it in some plans. I went with anchor bank and they had plan that they will not sell the loan.

I had a First time buyer loan for a duplex, and i only needed 3% down, also got a gov. grant for 5k. no PM insurance at all, but i had to pay closing costs. If i wanted no closing costs i would have had to get PM insurance which is a duh IMO. it was just a plan they had or may still have. Since i made under 28k a year i got the gov. loan. I also can sell the house whenever i want and wont get any breech of contract crap. The only thing that sucks is i need flood insurance on this house, which is alot, but its okay.
I really need a driveway so my next place sometime in the next 5 years will have a nice huge driveway for my 18 million cars