Likely and unlikely outcomes of selling a house under the new rule.

@Remy Just remember that pretty much everything about a mobile home, or home, can be changed but the location. Oh they are called "mobile" because they got there on wheels, but you never want to have to move one unless you are a wealthy flipper.

If you don't have the physical ability to change things yourself, then you do have to have money set aside, or be able to set aside some cash monthly, to update and change things.

I think all these cursed home-flip shows on TV have given buyers the impression that they deserve a turn-key home. Or that all homes should look turn-key.

In reality, there's a lot of messes out there for sale. You can buy it, but realize you don't want to overpay for a mess, and when you move in, it's still going to be a mess and there ain't no one to clean it up but you.

It means many decisions will have to be made about how to fix it and if decisions make you stress out, them maybe you do want to buy that all-white flip with the ugly gray fake wood floors? Personally, I hate pure white walls and gray floors, but some people are not bothered by them.

As with most of life, "Know Thyself" as a buyer is very importabnt.

What kind of buyer are you?
https://ohmyhome.com/en-sg/blog/what-type-home-buyer-are-you/
https://www.realtor.com/advice/buy/which-type-of-homeowner-are-you/

Many kinds of home inspection options . Know about them.
https://www.redfin.com/blog/types-of-home-inspections/

A WaPo readiness quiz:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2024/quiz-should-i-buy-house-afford-mortgage/
 
Jules said:
And not all agents are honest. They are looking after themselves.
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How true that is! We found out the hard, expensive way when we moved from AZ to PA and relied on a "reputable" agency in PA to help us relocate. He fought us every step of the way. He was no help at all and had never done a relocation even though he was 70 years old. He didn't even know how to handle the electronic transfer of Earnest money. It was the most stressful move we'd ever made and my late husband was 80 at the time.

He would not do a video walkthrough. Said he didn't know how. He wanted to know why we needed to know about the furnace, the roof, the carpet. I asked him who to contact for homeowners insurance and he wouldn't tell me because he said he didn't want us coming back to him if we didn't like who he recommended. It was a struggle all the way. He lied about many things in the house. He told the listing agent that we didn't care about the condition of the house because we were only going to use it for the summers.

The list goes on. We should have fired him at the beginning but we were in a tight squeeze to get out. Our house in AZ had sold in less then 24 hours and we were unprepared for such a quick sale and inventory was very low at the time and it was January.

Needless to say, when we arrived in PA, we immediately had to be at the title company to sign papers. Never even saw the house until we signed and had the keys. What a shock!! He was there and collected his portion. It was a nightmare and a lesson I'll never forget.
 

@Colleen I really do try not to be judgemental but there needs to be special consequences for people like that so called real estate agent you so sadly got stuck with. And consequences is not what I really want to say. I'm thinking of some place much hotter.

What is wrong with these pieces of sh*!, don't they know one can still make a nice living being honest. What a nightmare.
 
@VintageBetter I don't have time tonight but will check out the links later. Thank you. I don't go for that flipper crap either. I like white walls, that's fine. I have plenty of pictures to hang up. I think HGTV did people who are weak enough to fall for it, a great disservice. I remember one twit stating that bathrooms and kitchens needed to be updated every 20 years. What the... And what a waste.

My poor decisions are based on a lot of complicated things. Including that damn house I bought. It's getting scary but I have to find something. And I don't mind doing some fixing of things but money had to factor in also.
 
@Remy Yup. I know. Money is usually the #1 factor for single retired people. No one wants to hire us, in spite of AARP spouting the fibs that some companies do.

I have an innovative idea for Social Security: I think divorced or windowed MOMS should get a monthly bonus for the number of children they raised. I know of a woman who birthed and raised 12 children - 12! She did not work outside of the home very much in her lifetime, gee I wonder why with 12 kids, and her husband died many years ago. She is in her 90s and I was wondering how much her Social Security must be monthly after all those years of work? It was certainly not enough to afford rent on anything but a government subsidized apartment.

I'll bet it's smaller than mine, and mine is pretty small.

She has survived by living in an RV near her children. She has moved from one kid's place to another, in an RV so as to not be too much of a bother. Was always there to help with childcare so her kids could go to their jobs. As she got very old and was not safe to drive anymore, she has moved from kid to kid's home, living with them.

Isn't raising 12 kids worth a bump from Social Security? Twelve new taxpayers, a few of whom served in the Armed Forces. Some of them gave birth to new taxpayers too!

Our system is very much in need of some serious tweeks and re-prioritization of policies, IMO. Why should any mom who gave birth to 12 new Americans be so poor after her husband's death that she has few choices other than living in an RV?

In the meantime, Jeff Bezos & others build fun trips to space for the wealthy. Priorities. What do we value as a nation?
 
VintageBetter said:
She is in her 90s and I was wondering how much her Social Security must be monthly after all those years of work? It was certainly not enough to afford rent on anything but a government subsidized apartment.
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She gets her husband's SS.
VintageBetter said:
I think divorced or windowed MOMS should get a monthly bonus for the number of children they raise.
Isn't raising 12 kids worth a bump from Social Security? Twelve new taxpayers, a few of whom served in the Armed Forces. Some of them gave birth to new taxpayers too!
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Sorry, it doesn't work that way. SS isn't welfare, it's based on what people and their employers paid in. Those who remain out of the working force and don't pay taxes (for whatever reason), do so with eyes wide open.
VintageBetter said:
Why should any mom who gave birth to 12 new Americans be so poor after her husband's death that she has few choices other than living in an RV?
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Bigger questions - why should anyone give birth to 12 if they're so poor that they'll end up living in an RV? And why are those 12 children not pitching in to help their mother?

Edited to add: Social Security was NEVER intended to be people's sole retirement income stream.
 

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