Aaaaaand big news again!

[Gurm]

So I haven't been super active for a while, but that's not unusual. Big news on the Gurm front, though.

We're moving - again. House being sold from under us, so as tenants we were given marching orders. D'oh!

New job - and a great one at that. That's old news (from March) but figured I'd make it official.

Aaaaand... another baby on the way. Yikes!

[cjolley]

So I haven't been super active for a while, but that's not unusual. Big news on the Gurm front, though.

We're moving - again. House being sold from under us, so as tenants we were given marching orders. D'oh!

New job - and a great one at that. That's old news (from March) but figured I'd make it official.

Aaaaand... another baby on the way. Yikes!

Hey, multiple congrats!

[Tjalfe]

congratulations.. it may be a tad early to annouce itmyself, but we have another one due in March too .. and may be moving too, if we can get the house we are bidding on

[ND66]

We're moving - again. House being sold from under us, so as tenants we were given marching orders. D'oh!

So sorry....

New job - and a great one at that. That's old news (from March) but figured I'd make it official.

Congrats!

Aaaaand... another baby on the way. Yikes!

Shouldn't that "Yikes!" sound more like "Oops" ?

Congrats!!!


.

[ND66]

congratulations.. it may be a tad early to annouce itmyself, but we have another one due in March too .. and may be moving too, if we can get the house we are bidding on

Congrats to you too!!!


Looks like we need to create a "Kiddie Korner" forum around here....

.

[Gurm]

Shouldn't that "Yikes!" sound more like "Oops" ?

Congrats!!!

Yes, it should sound more like "exercising every day, feeling better about yourself and thus more 'in the mood', and then forgetting your pills... may cause pregnancy!"

[ND66]

#3?

.

[Jammrock]

Boo! Congrats! Congrats!

In that order.

[Dr Mordrid]

Congrats on the bambino

Tip: the real estate market is very depressed, of course, so you can get many houses for 1/2 to 3/4 what they're worth.

Example: we're buying a $225,000 home for $122,000, one that's in perfect condition with all the extras, all appliances (Kitchen Aid), landscaped, in a nice neighborhood, close to schools (2 blocks from the elementary where Margie works & 0.5 miles from the middle school) and on a dead end street (read no through traffic).

Also;

The Feds have implemented 3% down payment FHA mortgages to help with the housing situation (you can put more down of course). Interest rates are running 6-7.5 percent fixed, 30 years with FHA loan insurance.

If you can come up with a the down payment ($3k for a 100,000 house) and enough to pay 1 year of homeowners insurance up front most times you can get the sellers, often a bank on the hook these days, to pay the closing costs.

Required credit score: 500 (poor) and up, which to be honest all but the worst deadbeats can meet.

You also have to meet income qualifications, meaning you have enough disposable income to make payments, but most employed folks can do that if they can pay rent.

[Gurm]

Congrats on the bambino

Tip: the real estate market is very depressed, of course, so you can get many houses for 1/2 to 3/4 what they're worth.

Example: we're buying a $225,000 home for $122,000, one that's in perfect condition with all the extras, all appliances (Kitchen Aid), landscaped, in a nice neighborhood, close to schools (2 blocks from the elementary where Margie works & 0.5 miles from the middle school) and on a dead end street (read no through traffic).

Also;

The Feds have implemented 3% down payment FHA mortgages to help with the housing situation (you can put more down of course). Interest rates are running 6-7.5 percent fixed, 30 years with FHA loan insurance.

If you can come up with a the down payment ($3k for a 100,000 house) and enough to pay 1 year of homeowners insurance up front most times you can get the sellers, often a bank on the hook these days, to pay the closing costs.

Required credit score: 500 (poor) and up, which to be honest all but the worst deadbeats can meet.

You also have to meet income qualifications, meaning you have enough disposable income to make payments, but most employed folks can do that if they can pay rent.

Yeah, but you're disqualified from this program if your student loans aren't squeaky-clean. Mine will be later this year, and then next summer we ought to have enough saved. Houses in this area run $300k (yeah, welcome to Massachusetts) so we'll need to save up $10k-ish.

[Dr Mordrid]

Detroit housing prices....(gotta check this)

[Tjalfe]

how is detroits job market doing now? if people can't spend $1 on a house, then there is a big problem there

[Dr Mordrid]

Detroit itself is dying - save for some new auto plants getting improved.

GM will be building the Volt at their Poletown plant and Chrysler is spending $1.8 billion on their Jefferson North plant to build a car-based Jeep (Jeeps are selling like hotcakes). Chrysler is also working on some projects to be built in conjunction with Nissan (cars) and VW (a minivan).

Neither is enough to stem the city's problems, especially with Mayor Jailbird in office.

After his removal (a foregone conclusion at this point) maybe things will improve, but with him around no one is willing to risk investment.

Here in the suburbs things are better, sometimes great, and the further from downtown you are the better it is. Up around Traverse City (NW portion of the mitten) things are booming.

[TransformX]

Congratulations Gurm!
I'm with two now and it's more and frustration than I expected but I can't say I'm not proud and happy.
Eitan and Irene:

[Evildead666]

Woohoo
Many Congrats Gurm...

hehe, I was sort of lucky in the fact i couldn't get a student loan...
It didn't help my parents tho, who coughed it all up...for 3 kids...I was the last thru Uni...

I don't have ANY debts tho, and am basically homeless, but hey Whats life...?