Hello
everyone! I have become such great
friends with Brenda Hanson, Realtor Superstar at Friemann Companies Real Estate Services, I almost forgot we met while I was trying to find a house
a couple years ago! So first, let me take you back to where it all began…
My husband and I (or fiancé at the time), got engaged in October of 2011. I had lived in Mankato and he lived in the Twin
Cities here in MN. After three and a half years of mostly long-distance dating,
one of us had to move eventually, and it was only logical that I do it since he
was in school yet in the cities. I found a job in the Twin Cities in April and
had started apartment hunting! We decided to wait until marriage to move in
together, so I was trying to find a place to stay until we got married that
coming October, 2012. So, my mom and I packed up the car for the afternoon one
Saturday and went hunting! I will always remember the first place we went to…I
won’t even say the name of it! It was terrible looking on the outside but we
thought we would give it a chance. I can tell you that when I asked if they had
mice problems (not really sure why I asked that, I guess it seemed to be
appropriate after looking around), she said “Amanda, all apartments have mice.
Go for the top floors if you are worried. They usually don’t make it that far.”
Like, are we serious!!! Okay, okay, I know I grew up quite spoiled but come on
now, was she nuts!? We walked right out of there and didn’t say a word to each
other the rest of the way to the next place. We looked at two or three more
that included mold-infested areas that I wouldn’t put my worst enemy in. We
decided to completely switch areas after driving through one without even
stopping in due to noticing the bars all over the windows. Now, don’t get me
wrong, I am not saying there are not some great apartments out there, just none
of the ones in my budget at the time! These places were the prices of a house
payment, and I couldn’t understand how anyone would pay that! We were both
pretty discouraged and the last studio apartment we saw that would have fit me,
a bed, and possibly an ottoman (pending the size), led us straight home. We
both needed a drink by the end of that day! My cousin randomly, by a gracious
act of GOD Himself, offered his new place for me to stay until I found something.
THANK YOU!
So, I moved in with them in April and the house journey
began. My fiancé was working full-time and in school full-time, so I was doing
most of the leg work until we needed to make some decisionsJ. I walked into the
bank and talked to a Mortgage Loan Officer, which was a great experience. She
was great and really helpful! Be warned though, the price range they give you
isn’t necessarily the price range you should look in. Just for the sake of easy
numbers, say that you qualified for $400,000. You may be able to possibly pay
the monthly mortgage for that, but you have to consider your other expenses.
What do you like to do for activities? How much do you spend on entertainment?
Do you like to give a lot of gifts? Do you throw a lot of events? How much goes
in your savings every month? How much to you like to splurge on different
things? Do you like to travel? Will you be able to afford it when you have
kids some day? Will you be able to save for their graduations/college some
day? NO ONE wants to be house poor.
So my venting session on that is done, but I just want you
to consider this before going in to speak to the loan officer. Our lender, who
was amazing-did I mention that?- recommended Brenda, who was also amazing-did I
mention that either?-to me since I didn’t know any agents or have anyone I knew
of to work with. I called her right
after I left the bank, left a voicemail, and heard back from her that night,
and so starts the Brenda chapter of my life. J
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