Bogleg

Welcome HoH!

Another day in a boring conference room. FU GOOGLE.

Happy birthday bud. I will be sure to tip one back in your honor tonight.

Stuck in Indy until Thursday. FU Google.

Beautiful! Love the detail and tone of it. Nice work.

I agree with Boo Yaa. I normally will shop online for rates, then call the mortgage consultants at each lender to get the full scoop - both closing costs and rates. I get to enjoy a VA Loan benefit which has helped me out in the past (at one point I had to carry two mortgages due to our crappy housing markets). In any case, I go about it in this order: 1) Determine the amount we are willing to pay and what the housing market is like price-wise where we are going. 2) Shop for a lender based on closing costs and rate; any additional benefits (i.e. lower rates for automated online payments) I factor in. For example Wells Fargo knocks .25% off if you bank with them and set up automatic payment. 3) Get a pre-approval letter for the max amount I am willing to spend on a house from any of the lenders, it doesn't really matter which one as long as you are confident you can get a loan from one of them. 4) Find a real estate agent in the market. Don't sign anything. Shop around if you don't like them. A good agent is someone you would go back to again and again. 5) Start looking at houses. Once you find one, write an offer - let your agent help you with this. Your offer will normally include earnest money (usually like $1000) to show your serious and capable. 6) One the offer is accepted, go get your loan from whichever lender you've chosen. 7) Take care of your inspection and appraisal, and make sure any other contingencies are met - most real estate agents will stay on top of this for you. Close on the house.

About time you showed yourself on the forums. Welcome.

Btw, xCaliber, congratulations. Owning your own home is a great thing.

You are required to pay PMI (mortgage insurance) if you don't have 20% down; but he doesn't have to worry about that. Generally speaking, I would make sure you have an inspection contingency and a financing contingency on the offer. These alone can help you get out of the deal if something comes up. If you have a good buyer's agent they should help you with the offer and what sorts of contingencies should go into it. Since you are able to put 20% down, you can go with a standard 15, 20, or 30 year fixed mortgage. Your mileage may vary but I prefer to lend from whoever is going to own the loan (i.e. even though I bank at a local credit union, I didn't get my mortgage through them because they just resell it, and it turns out they were reselling mortgages to a bank that failed...). I have had my last three mortgages through Wells Fargo and everything has been fine. The big banks have mortgage departments and mortgage pros who will help you negotiate all the paperwork, closing costs, etc. For the three houses I have purchased, my only expense other than the actual house was the inspection and appraisal fees. Everything else was always covered by the seller as part of the deal - but that's the Midwest for you right now. Escrow for taxes and insurance makes it easier, but you are basically giving the bank your money and they get to collect interest on it instead of you. Since interest rates are sucky right now that's not too big of a deal, but still, you are giving money away. Unfortunately, MOST lenders require them now.

FU Google!

FU GOOGLE!

LOL @Cavey. Btw, I just noticed the 152 deaths you had too. Ow.

Btw, nice work. That's extremely impressive.

So when can the rest of us get a copy of your hacks?

fu google!

I like it when any of the XI women speak, but I have to say I like it when Belle speaks a little bit more. And I will also give a shout out to a non-XI: Olivia. When she says "On me! On me!" I just want to say, "Yes Ma'am!"

About goddamn time!

Stuck on the tarmac at MSP and about to miss my connection. FU GOOGLE!

This day couldn't come soon enough.

Btw Markoff, if you are considering making doors that you can open and close, and windows that you can shoot out, give me a shout. I just recently figured all that out.

I dunno, noears is okay but my real man-crush is for google. I'm pretty sure he's a vampire and probably sparkles in the sunlight.

Well done! Like that you are spending time on detail and lighting.

Getting a bunch of idiots to all to go spectator mode on a ftag server is like trying to herd cats.

Hah! Ok, I meant I would sure like to find out if she is telling the truth.... If I weren't married and completely in love with my totally awesome wife who I adore and will be faithful to until I die.

All I know is I'd sure like to find out if she is in fact telling the truth.