View Full Version : Bought a house with Sis
After talking about if for over a year, my sister (also single with no kids) and I decided to buy a house together near her work in coastal SoCal. We put in an offer and it was accepted. It's a small (1,000sf plus a 2 car garage) 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1950's style tract home with a large yard for the Barkinator (my little dog) at the end of a quiet street in a culdasac (sp?) with only one house next to it and one house behind seperated by both of the large yards. Because we will be splitting the costs to buy, we are able to pay all cash so will be mortgage free (YAY!) and have less overall expenses because they will be shared equally. We agreed to keep the place for 2 years and after that we can decide if we want to keep it toether or sell it - and hopefully make a profit as housing prices are risin around that area. So it is both a financial investment for us - especially when my "house" money from selling my place last Jan. is earning only around 1% just sitting in the bank - as well as a larger place for my sitter and all her "stuff" and a built in house and pet sitter for me so I can travel without the dog for as long as I want. And I'll still be only an hour and a half from my beloved mountains!! And I get to be closer to the BF too - always a plus :-)! So, if all goes well with inspections and things, we'll have the place by the end of the year if not sooner.
Tussiemussies
11-7-12, 1:19pm
Congratulations Spartana, I didn't realize on my other post that you already found a house. Sounds like the whole situation fits your list of needs. Great for you!:). Christine
Wow. I've been dithering about getting rid of this albatross for the 25 years I've been in it, and you move every couple of months. My hero! This sounds like a good move to me, and I bet the Barkinator will love the big yard.
Wow. I've been dithering about getting rid of this albatross for the 25 years I've been in it, and you move every couple of months. My hero! This sounds like a good move to me, and I bet the Barkinator will love the big yard.
Well I move into furnished places with everything included and no long term contracts so nothing to move except the dog! Other than my clothes, I am down to one small box of important papers, photos, and momentos, my bike and bike trailer and a few odds and ends. Not even enough to fill up the back of my truck! Sis will supply the household furnishings, all I will need to get is a bed and night stand for myself. Sweet is right! I would hate to move if I had lots of stuff. UGH - even the thought of having to help move all my sister's stuff makes me crazy.
Gardenarian
11-7-12, 2:55pm
Wow! Sounds like a perfect home base Spartana - Congratulations!
Great solution, congratulations! Also, I LOVE the handy feature of having a live-in petsitter. Awesome! Enjoy your new home!
Great solution, congratulations! Also, I LOVE the handy feature of having a live-in petsitter. Awesome! Enjoy your new home!
Yeah that was the clincher for me right there! I owned a house last year when I had three dogs (one a big dog), but after 2 of them died (old age) and I only had one small one left I sold the way too big place thinking I could travel full time with the dog. After almost a year of trying I found that didn't work out so decidd to move back near my sis and rent a place so she could pet sit occasionally. Since she wanted to get a bigger place, and I wanted to find a better investment for my house sale proceeds instead of the banka, as well as have someone I trust watch my dog (she also loves the dog), this works better. I have a home base and pet sitter, and Sis has a bigger house at much less expense then her current tiny place cost, and a roommate that will be gone alot. Best of all world's! Now it's time to start looking for cheap airfares to Europe in Spring!!
awakenedsoul
11-7-12, 9:54pm
That's great. Market timing...When I was dancing and traveling all the time, I would rent apartments and have no furniture except a mattress on the floor, a card table and chairs to eat, and a boom box. I spent all my time taking dance classes! Now that I have a house, I love finding unique furniture. I try to stay clutter free, though. It's true that once you start to accumulate, it's much more work to move.
That's great. Market timing...When I was dancing and traveling all the time, I would rent apartments and have no furniture except a mattress on the floor, a card table and chairs to eat, and a boom box. I spent all my time taking dance classes! Now that I have a house, I love finding unique furniture. I try to stay clutter free, though. It's true that once you start to accumulate, it's much more work to move.
Yeah I really like renting vacation rental houses as an alternative to regular long term renting. They are very inexpensive in the off season if rented by the month or for multiple months, come fully furnished with everything - linens, towels, utensils, etc.. and usually all utilites, cable, phone and internet. Plus you don't have to do a long term contract or lease. Just get it for as long - or short - as you want and put it on the credit card! I'll still use them when I want to travel with the dog as it's the best way for me to go. For instance I was just looking at monthly rentals in different places in the US on Homeaway.com and lots of off-season places - like Maine for the winter - have monthly rentals of beautiful homes for around $500/month! Usually must rent for multiple months for that price but still, not too bad. Looked at some places that are warmer too like Florida, Texas, Southwest & Gulf Coast states and they have very reasonable monthly rentals too. One nice house in Austin, Tx was going for $600/month all inclusive but they wanted someone to pet sit their 2 dogs too. Things like that are very tempting to me! And if you are flexible, it's a good way to take a very inexpensive long vacation to a great part of the country (or world). Probably really great if the costs are split between two or more people.
Since I pre-payed for my vacation cabin in the mountains I'll have the ski chalet in the mountains and the house by the beach at the same time. I'll feel rich!! Well... for a little while at least :-)!
Closed on the new (old) house yesterday so am now officially a homeowner again. Time for those endless trips to Home Depo again. Also time to start looking for old retro 1950's things too. Photos soon of the original (everything!) mint green & dark green tiles in the kitchen, and pink in one bathroom, baby blue in the other. Very mid 1950's!
awakenedsoul
11-28-12, 3:32pm
Our Salvation Army has lots of vintage stuff. A friend of mine in NY ordered a vintage rotary style phone for his apt. It's fun to keep the old style decor.
sweetana3
11-28-12, 4:12pm
We used to have a 1939 house and tried hard to keep to the period. It had good bones and we found some wonderful 1939 lights and kept the glass kitchen and glass bathrooms with vintage tiles.
We still have the 1930's phone and it works perfectly. Also heavy as anything and a good alarm. When it rings, we are upright and out of bed before we realize it is the phone.
awakenedsoul
11-28-12, 8:44pm
We used to have a 1939 house and tried hard to keep to the period. It had good bones and we found some wonderful 1939 lights and kept the glass kitchen and glass bathrooms with vintage tiles.
We still have the 1930's phone and it works perfectly. Also heavy as anything and a good alarm. When it rings, we are upright and out of bed before we realize it is the phone.
Yeah, lighting makes all the difference. I've found some gorgeous antique lamps at thrift stores and the Salvation Army. I've slowly shifted to all antique furniture, too. It really makes you feel like you're stepping back in time. The older stuff was so well made. I'm much happier with my antiques than any new furniture that I bought.
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