Mandy and Sid have been looking for the right home. They know the specific school boundary that they want to live in, but homes in their price range aren’t exactly what they have in mind.

To build, or not to build onto an existing home?

So they are thinking about buying a smaller home that they can improve to meet their needs.

Mandy and Sid want a four bedroom home

They want their home to have at least 2,500 sf of living area, plus a 2-car garage, and a large family room. But homes of that size and characteristics are over their budget.

Instead, they are wondering if it makes sense to buy a small, 1950’s rambler on a good-size lot that is for sale and turn it onto their “dream home”.

They’d like to either build a new home from scratch or use the existing foundation and add on to the footprint, plus add a second story.

What goes into improving an existing home or building a new home?

To keep it simple, a purchaser would buy a small home in a large-enough lot, hire a builder to design and build the new home, and after a few months, move into their dream home.

How much would a dream home cost?

Continue Reading…

Imagine buying your dream home, at the perfect price, in the perfect location.  And once you move in and meet the neighbors, they politely mention to keep your kids away from your next door neighbor. But why?

Do your homework before you buy a home

Well, he’s a registered offender.

What???!!!

How come nobody told you about this when you were first looking at the home?

Why do you find out about this issue now when you can’t do much about it? (Other than putting up your new home for sale?)

And shouldn’t the seller of the home have disclosed this fact?

Surely there must have been some wrong-doing here! Well, maybe. But most likely, no. Continue Reading…