I am not like that at all, but my brother in law is.

_________________

+1 and I would also ensure your purchase offer is contingent on your approval of a professional home inspection. But based on my limited experience they may not catch everything and appliances always seem to go out in bunches.

And if it is your first house you will need stuff like a lawnmower, perhaps some furniture, etc. And people sometimes underestimate their monthly utility cost and/or don't realize they may have to pay for stuff like garbage and water when they didn't previously.

_________________
"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

Another tip, you can ask your realtor to get a yearly average of utility costs for any house you're serious about (they'll get it from the sellers).

_________________

We will be doing the FHA loan. We are looking for houses in the 140-160K range, which is on the high end is less than double our respective incomes, so (hopefully ) we should be able to manage with everything.

Saw the first one we really liked last nite in Oak Forest not far from George Dunne golf course. Needs some painting and landscaping work, but really thats about it. Nothing else really major, just some cosmetic fixes. Had a new roof, new skylites, and 1 bathroom redone with in the last 18-24 months.

_________________

Since it was talked about earlier, I actually paid down enough to get to 22% of my total house(needed 22% to cancel the PMI) and in terms of savings on PMI and interest I will be saving about 5 total payments over the next 3 years.

Paying 20% at the start saves a lot of money, though paying 10% is often better than renting.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!