I like women also, I just chose one who was smart enough to not want to live on top of other people. Life is all about choices.

The weak on here go for trying to insult the wife.

Can't we all just get along?

I'd like to hear a short version (if there is one) on buying a repo and if that might be worth a go, or not.

my first house I bought was bank owned. Meaning it was foreclosed and bank had bought it. I was 4th highest bid, aka no where near top offer, But I was putting 50% down and said I could close in two weeks. Being prepared and serious can save you alot of money

We bought a "repo" in 2009 that Bank of America owned. After looking at almost a hundred houses, this was the one we wanted. BOA was such a nightmare to deal with. Luckily, Texas Home Lending got it done...after BOA cost us a few thousand in unnecessary fees and probably a few years off my life due to the stress, Tread carefully if you go this route. Funny, we still get weekly mail for the previous owner!

Cash is KING. If it’s a bank owned foreclosure those are easier to purchase if you can beat the REIT’s to them.If it’s a tax lien auction then you have to bring cash/cashier check. Tax liens don’t usually don’t come with insured titles, there can be issues later on with that.

Just curious, do you have school age children?

I will admit, it would be nice, at times, to live on some acreage. I love hunting, but I don't want to do it every day. The variety of things we get to do living in DFW is pretty cool, and my kids and family get to experience a lot of cool things. Having a couple hunting properties 1.5-2 hrs away is great as well and the best of both worlds, IMO.

I would never want to live in a city with a population less than 1000, but I certainly wouldn't call you an idiot for doing so. Maybe you'll learn to recognize that not everyone has the same wants or needs that you do.

In that time frame there were alot of them

I bet now of days there is probably 95% less one out there and probably selling for high prices

I moved to Frisco in 2009 and back then there were foreclosures and short sales everywhere

Dont buy a home near any apartments. As far away as possible

Make sure you get an insurance quote during your option period. Get a CLUE report for info on any previous insurance claims and roof age makes a huge difference in price.

I'm helping my best friend get his first house right now. It's taken 4 months, with me looking at over 40 houses and showing him 12 that weren't trash/waste of time, and making 4 offers, but he's set to close soon. Just went through all the inspections and now just waiting to actually close. Get a good realtor and talk to them about what you want...a good realtor should ask questions, show different properties that match what you want, know about things like which electrical boxes are a problem and will need to be replaced, how to spot foundation issues, etc. Find a good mortgage broker. There are a ton of incentives for first time home buyers out there and a good mortgage broker will help you with those. This can be a stressful process, but one that can be relatively easy if you have a good team on your side. I have learned that the big insurance companies are generally not writing new homeowner polices in Dallas/Tarrant/Collin counties and if they do, they are outrageously priced. My best friend was quoted $4000 - $6000/yr on a 2008 sq ft home in Fort Worth...I remembered I had a family friend that is an agent with Texas Farm Bureau and we got it for $2550/yr. So, as someone else mentioned, find the insurance as soon as possible, because what the mortgage guy thinks it's gonna be (they had figured $1800/yr) and what it actually is, can be vastly different!

Also remember your credit score for cars and credit cards are different than for mortgages. You have 4 different FICO scores...know which is which.

And be honest with yourself and your realtor/mortgage broker on what you can and want to afford. You don't want to have to work to just pay for the house. The house should be your base of operations so you can live a life you enjoy...don't go broke keeping up appearances.