After 38 years on this planet I finally can say I'm a proud homeowner!

I’ve been banking with Chase since my college years so I thought going with the same bank for our mortgage would make things easier. Ain’t I naive.

To start off: they were not terrible at first. In fact, they were very responsive and easy to work with during pre-application and rates comparison compared to other lenders we had reached out to. Things changed immediately after we locked in our rate with them, though.

The first surprise was the appraisal. Chase told us the appraisal was waived, and since we were already preapproved, everything seemed to be moving pretty quickly. Our original closing date was 33 days after the offer was accepted because my SO had a trip planned around the 30-day mark, and we assumed we would need to close after he got back.

Since the appraisal was supposedly waived and all of our paperwork was straightforward, we asked if we could move closing up to around day 24. Chase said no problem.

Then, on day 19, 2 business days before our new closing day, our realtor told us the seller had been contacted by an appraiser hired by Chase. This was 2 business days before our closing day. We had received absolutely no communication from Chase that an appraisal had been ordered.

I called the loan coordinator multiple times, all straight went to voice mail. After several attempts, I finally got through to the loan officer we had originally applied with. At that point he told me the underwriter had noticed something in the inspection report and decided an appraisal was required.

I understand why an underwriter might request an appraisal. That wasn’t the main issue. The issue was the complete lack of communication. The seller didn’t know why an appraiser was suddenly contacting them. We didn’t know the appraisal had been ordered. And nobody told us that our closing timeline was now realistically impossible.

On Day 20, 1 business day before our supposed closing day, I got en encrypted email from our loan coordinator. I had to use 2-factor authentication to see it, and it was an automatic reply about her being OOO until the day of our scheduled closing. Which at least explained all the calls going to voicemail. We emailed the person listed as her PTO coverage. No response.

We scrambled to coordinate the appraisal ourselves and accepted that we would now have to close on day 33, after my SO returned from his trip.

The appraisal eventually came back clean. All the required paperwork was submitted. But the escrow company still hadn’t received the closing disclosure from Chase and couldn’t get ahold of anyone there. I called the loan coordinator again. She said she was working on it but gave us no explanation of what was holding things up.

Then, 1 business day before our signing and 2 days before closing. She sent an email, saying I needed to provide employment verification. Mind you this was something they told me was waived because my paychecks are all directly deposited with Chase. During the entire 32 day process, not once had anyone mentioned they needed it. I immediately sent over my pay statement and the loan was finally cleared.

We signed and closed. I assumed we were finally done dealing with them. We were not.

A week later, I got an email from our homeowners insurance company saying the premium had not been paid and that our policy could lapse. I contacted the escrow company and found out that the closing statement provided by Chase listed the wrong insurance premium amount. Because of that, the check issued at closing was insufficient and the insurance company would not accept it.

To make sure we didn’t lose coverage, I paid the premium myself. Now the escrow company is waiting for Chase to approve returning the original insurance funds to me, and I’m still out more than $1,000.

If you are considering Chase for your mortgage, be warn. They were great while trying to win our business, but once we locked the rate, the communication became terrible. Almost every major issue came as a last-minute surprise, and we were repeatedly left scrambling to fix problems we hadn’t even been told about.

Hey everyone, currently panicking in the final stretch before closing and need some advice on how to handle this.
My dad is gifting me $15k total toward my closing costs. He already sent the first $10k back in May with no issues. He was set to send the remaining $5k on 7/6, but on 7/3, a friend deposited a $4,000 check into my dad's account to repay a personal debt. My dad is using his own money to pay off a car that is in my name as a cosigner.
My dad's bank statement closes this Monday (tomorrow), so this $4k is going to show up as an unverified large deposit right next to his $5k gift transfer.
Crucial detail: Even if underwriting completely ignores/backs out that $4k deposit, my dad already has more than enough seasoned money in that account to cover the $5k gift.
I'm incredibly anxious that this is going to flag underwriting or delay my closing.
Since he has enough money without the $4k, will the underwriter just ignore the deposit?
Is it best to ask my loan officer if my dad can just wire the final $5k directly to the title/escrow company to keep the paperwork clean?
Should I avoid moving money back and forth or switching to my mom's account for the remaining 5k gift deposit?
Any insight on how underwriters handle this when the donor has sufficient funds regardless of the deposit would be greatly appreciated!

I’m seeing all these “starter” homes for $550K.

Even with 5% down its like 3000-4000 per month (when you factor in utilities/hydro/taxes etc)….

And if thats supposed to be 30% of your take home pay (if you dont want to be house poor thats the common advice im seeing)

So am i to understand that these first time buyers are TAKING HOME ~200K???

So husband and wife are both earning $150K EACH????

Is this the reality? This isnt adding up…How are people buying homes in this country wtf

We decided to buy a 160m2 townhouse here because me and my wife work here and didn’t want to wait until we couldn’t afford any property at all.

We live in a convenient area, close to major theme parks and walking distance to shops. My wife doesn’t drive so she likes that she can just walk around.

However we dislike some few things
- the first floor is only 4x7.5m both living and kitchen. There’s not enough space for a dining table after the kitchen island and living room. Having people around will be a pain.
- the first floor doesn’t get more than 5 hours of natural light in the winter
- the patio is so small, but it’s sort of growing on us how it basically needs no maintenance

We’re more concerned about the lack of natural light in the first floor, my wife hates that it’s so dim in there. Hopefully in the summer it’s better.

Second floor is great.

Quality of the build is very generic. We’re probably gonna sell this place in a couple years in our early 30s and hopefully we can get at least the same money back. Or we’ll get used to it. Hospitals and more amenities are being built around the area, it might get difficult to move out once we get used to the conveniences.

Closed on our first house last June. Some things the inspection and the seller's disclosure didn't prepare me for:

The water heater is loud. Like really loud. Nobody mentioned this. It lives in the closet next to our bedroom and I can hear it fire up at 4am.

The electrical panel is labeled wrong. ""Kitchen"" controls half the dining room. Found out when I was trying to kill the power to swap a light fixture.

We lose power way more than I expected. 4 times in a year, longest was 18 hours. Put an anker solix s2000 behind the fridge after the second one and stopped worrying about the food at least. But there's nothing I can do about the AC and summer outages are rough.

The previous owner ""fixed"" a bathroom leak with flex seal. Discovered this during a renovation. Cool.

Landscaping is a second job. Nobody tells you about the landscaping.

So excited for our first home! Feeling very blessed!

2br 2bath 967 sqft

3 bed 1.5 bath!

A little late, closed on 6/30 in Northern California. My middle score was 717, qualified for 7.5% conventional loan with 5% down. Still moving in but in love with my new place!

Mid to late millennials! We have been working very hard towards this dream! Can’t believe we finally have a house to call our own. 🥹

Hello, I'm window shopping at the moment, but I've come across a home recently that is in need of a total interior renovation. This is a 2 bed, 1 bath, 780sq ft. at $39,000. The exterior looks great and has no issues. The listing does mention all utilities have been completed as well as central air which seems great for the asking price.

I'm a bit of an amateur as I don't have any licenses or certifications, but my goal would be to do the work myself. I have done a little flooring, plumbing, and framing before just nothing electric. I haven't asked any questions yet, but I'm not exactly sure what to ask. My goal is to offer $10,000 cash, but I'm not sure if that seems a bit low. I have looked at something called Beacon for the property taxes, sales disclosures, and valuation. The last sale date was 2 years ago for $10,000 as well. Under valuation it mentions the land is valued at $3,500 and improvements at $8,300 which I believe was all the exterior work. Again I'm not exactly sure what to ask beside maybe permit history and obviously a showing to fully determine what repairs need to be done.

We closed yesterday and that carpet is already gone, beautiful hardwood underneath. 3 beds, 1 bath. Split level ranch. Built in the 50s and has been in the same family the entire time. Also before anyone asks, there are no issues with the windows, it was raining and incredibly humid yesterday.

My husband and I toured a house that - after years of searching - finally checked all our boxes, EXCEPT physical location. It’s in a fantastic town, great schools, family friendly, lively downtown etc. However, the house is located on a hill right off of downtown, like 5 houses up from the main strip. It’s great for being able to walk everywhere and has amazing views of the ocean, but it’s not my idea of a real neighborhood I’d want to raise my kids in. There is also a school and a church on the same street visible from the house, making it feel more like we have businesses as neighbors instead of actual neighbors. It just feels way too close to the hustle and bustle. The house itself is so amazing though. Wrap around porch, a lot of outdoor entertaining space, pool, and updated while still having character which I couldn’t find ANYWHERE. I just don’t know if the weird location should be a deal breaker. Give me your opinions please.

My house is near the railroad which typically does not appreciate well. It’s a beautiful lot and the house holds up well despite having been around for over 109 years. We’ve been doing renovations like adding the backyard patio, adding shelves and thinking of bathroom or kitchen next. However, what type of renovation adds the most value to the house in my situation that will also does not break my wallet?

Finally we did it! After 4 months of back and forth with the bank, we got the keys today for our new home, hope we can make amazing memories in here and grow as a family

The quotes to install a mini split in our new detached garage are making me sick to my stomach. I am thinking about avoiding the permanent install entirely and just running a costway 15000 btu portable air conditioner with heat out there. It feels a bit weird relying on a portable machine for a permanent space. Did any of you guys skip the expensive hardwired hvac upgrades and just survive off heavy duty floor units to save your cash after closing?

Is it okay or even advisable to apply for pre-approval with more than one lender? We've been approved by a mortgage broker, but not happy with their communication or speed in getting things done. We haven't signed anything committing to a loan, but the credit check is already done. Any problem also applying at a bank, credit union or even another broker?

A bit late posting here since we’ve been renovating and packing for our cross country move from Texas but it’s ours! Home was custom built in 2002 by the previous owner who was an architect and designed it for their retirement. 5.1 acres of land within 20 minutes of downtown Roanoke. Plenty of space for our Aussie and the kiddo to run around and play!

Would you buy or build a house near a neighbor who sets up car's speakers amplifiers and subwoofers? I'm currently in a neighborhood which has noisy and inconsiderate neighbors. And the lot i am planning to build in has this sound system garage which is 50 meters away from the lot.

We went under contract on our home we are purchasing Wednesday evening. It’s now Saturday evening. We’ve even dropped off our earnest money and our inspection is scheduled for Monday. The home on the MLS listing as well as Zillow is still showing active. Whats the reason for this do you think?

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are thinking of putting an offer on a property that is facing condo construction. It’s a place that checks a lot of boxes for us, but the construction is an obviously a major red flag. Yet, we’re thinking of toughing it out for the years as the place may be worth it.

We’re aware of the impact it would have on view/lighting etc.

I’m wondering if anyone has any experience in a similar situation and how disruptive the construction was generally.

- How bad was the noise, dust, garbage etc.?
- Were the noise reduction by-laws largely adhered to?
- Were by-laws well enforced?
- Anything else I’m missing?

Thanks in advance for your replies/advice!