Without getting into the nitty, gritty details, Kyle and I have decided it’s finally time to buy a place of our own. We’ve been saving money for a down payment for nearly two years, and while it’s been slow going, we’ve finally met our goal.
It’s amazingly stressful, not that I thought that it would be a breeze. Number crunching has got us both stressed, more Kyle than myself, but we have to start somewhere.
Last night we looked at four different places, three houses and a townhouse, with our Realtor and came out with a pretty good view on things.
Our first stop was an interesting little modular/maybe a mobile very close to where we are now. Pros: Nice big yard, good area. Cons: Dirty, close to highway. Verdict? Nay
Our next stop was the townhouse which was a private sale. Pros: Central AC, nice and clean, low strata fees, allows pets. Cons: Very small yard (but enough for Daphne to pee on), one parking spot, being very close to the neighbours. Verdict? We’re keeping this on the “List of Considerations”
Our third house was in an older area of town. It looked really nice online, but it was slightly more deceiving when we walked through. And the basement? It didn’t have a staircase, but a ladder. Terrifying. Pros: Close to the University. Cons: Needs a lot of updates. Verdict? Nay.
The last place was Downtown in a nice quiet, reputable area. We’re pretty sure it used to be owned by a Grandma & Grandpa type. Pros: Good area, decent yard. Cons: Needs work (possibly electrical), appliances need updating. Verdict? Not too sure.
We’re hopefully going to go look at a couple more next Wednesday, but we’re feeling really good about our hunt this time around. Last time we were looking it was right before the cutoff for 0-down payment and we felt rushed. This time? This time we have time to really look at what we want, and in better areas of town too.
Overall, the hunt is going good. Our Realtor is an awesome guy and really laid back; we don’t feel pressured by him to hurry up and pick a place. He gets that we’re first-time buyers and wants to make sure we find the right fit. :)
So there you have it! Part 1 of “Kara and Kyle’s Great House Hunt”
She Writes Words 
Sounds like it’s going pretty good! Excited for you guys!!! Good luck, can’t wait to hear more!
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House hunting must be so exciting (and a little bit stressful)! I hope you guys find the perfect house, and I can’t wait to hear more about the house hunt :)
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Anything you consider a “maybe” should be a “no”… You’ll know the right place, even with its flaws.
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That’s so exciting! We started looking in February and didn’t actually buy until May ~ we should have waited to jump into the market since the recession hit a few months after we signed our lives away on a 40 year mortgage but what can ya do? :) Looking forward to more posts about the house hunting experience!
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Wow, I’m so impressed that you guys are in a position to buy after such a short time? What are house prices like in Kamloops?
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The average house here in Kamloops is actually about $325,000, so it’s not great, but you can find a few little gems in decent neighbourhoods for an okay price. It’s still really hard, but we’re happy with what we’re able to find so far.
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Don’t forget that Kamloops has VASTLY different neighbourhoods. Is that average of the South Shore AND the North Shore combined? I would guess the average on JUST the south side of Kamloops is higher…(No offense if you guys are considering buying on the North Shore!! :) )
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