Thursday, September 18, 2008

Arghhhhh!

I am stressed. But it's okay, because it's for a good reason.
We are moving, per the Army's orders, to the Savannah, Georgia, area in January.
One of the best things about being in the Army is BAH, or basic allowance for housing. The Army pays our rent, mortgage, etc. We have been paying the full amount allowed to us via Adam's rank to privatized military housing, and it's a waste of money. I know it's hard to understand unless you are current or former military, so let's just say it's a good thing for us at this time.

We decided to pursue buying a house when we move. Why? Because we could find a nice house for a good price and pay considerably less for a mortgage payment instead of giving privatized housing all of our money for duplex living. We've lived in military housing for 12 years, and since Adam's a B.A. we can afford the mortgage on a house.

Cutting through all that crap, I had no idea (well, I did, I was just in denial) how much goes into a home-buying process. We are still in the very beginning stages, too, where we are figuring out the best area to live that has the best elementary school, because besides price and location, the school district is our number one priority for Addison.

Luckily, we do our banking and insurance through USAA, which is for military, and they are SPECTACULAR. They have a realtor, approved by them by background checks, etc., calling me within 24 hours. I guess it's time to work with a realtor and let them know our wants and needs, and let them do the rest of the work. I absolutely hate being bugged, like when shopping for a car or even at a store, when they just won't leave you alone, so I need to take a different tact and realize the realtor is there to HELP me, not try to make me buy a car.

That said, it's a confusing process, but I am feeling good about it all.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good luck as you search for the perfect home! As you work with a realtor to determine what you can afford, please don't forget that your BAH includes an allowance for utilities. You need to ensure you can afford the basic mortgage, property taxes, property insurance, utilities, and still have some funds available to pay for home maintenance and repairs (e.g., lawn mower, applicance repairs, etc) - all things that are likely covered by your rent to the military housing privatization partner while living on an installation. Home ownership is a great investment and you'll be proud to have your own place - just do so wisely to avoid the financial problems others have faced in recently. Best wishes!