Douche, your credit score is good enough. That is if you have continued to pay your bills on time and have regularly used a credit card and paid it off. You still need to have it checked again and get pre-approved prior to doing any shopping.

As for why you should get a real estate agent. They make sure your sale goes through smoothly. They have access to search homes before you do. The internet sites are on a delay, I have seen at least 4 houses before they were even listed on the market. The real estate agent will do the leg work and find out how much people owe on their houses so you can do a better job of determining what price you want to buy at. You could go to town halls and get this info and in some towns it is online, but your real estate agent should take that work out of your hands. Also, you will find that they help you write out the contract for buying a home as well as sort everything out as far as down payments.

As a buyer you shouldn't really give a shit about paying the real estate agent. They are being paid by the seller and the price currently set by the seller is going to include that price. Now, you could negotiate a percentage out (3% usually) and reduce the price further, but the mental state of the seller doesn't usually offer this type of option.

I strongly suggest you find someone who has a good reputation and can help you find some good homes.

One other thing they usually do is act as a first round home inspector. They have WAY more experience than the average person and can judge the problems that a home will have even if disclosures aren't necessarily offered up front. These people live and breath buying and selling homes.

Jeebus, there are tons of homes in that price range no matter where you live, but you probably wouldn't want them.

In Connecticut there are ~250 or so http://is.gd/T1iF

Douche, make yourself familiar with a few sites:

1) http://www.bing.com/maps/ (Bird's Eye View)
2) http://www.trulia.com
3) http://www.zillow.com

Good luck!

Douche McCallister wrote:

UsaSatsui wrote: Try another bank. So long as you're paying your loans back on time, and you can show you can afford it, 798 oughta get you SOMETHING. It's hard to qualify for a loan right now, though. I don't have to pay them back until sometime after I graduate. Today I just paid off my credit card $2200, my school tuition balance $1600 and the laptop I bought recently $764. I can't see how thats gonna look bad but I'm sure it will.

Try going to a mortgage specialist. With good credit like you have, you should be able to get some form of loan.

Hey Douche,

How is this going for you?

Douche McCallister wrote:

I BOUGHT A HOUSE! My girlfriend and me purchased a house at the beginning of this month in an incredible nieghborhood. Pics to follow... Added Bonus we get the $8,000 tax credit, we have a deck and a connected pool, oh and I'm back! Now to catch up on threads.

Congratulations! Well done sir!

I have a great suggestion for you since I bet you could use some cash right now. Go to your tax guy and have them file an amended tax rebate for 2010. You will get a check in the mail for the 8,000 PLUS interest. If you wait until next year then you have waited a full year and you only get the 8,000. In the end the interest will pay for the tax person to file the amended return, so it is a wash, but you get 8k a year earlier.

Oh, and welcome back!