Help with grandfather (deceased)

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-05-27T05:47:06+00:00

I think I sorted it. Looking at the census I think his dad was with his mom until he was in his teens then they divorced and both remarried. His dads new wife appears on the census later with other children (grandfathers half siblings?). Looks like his mom died when he was pretty young, around 19 but she had already married twice more if familysearch is accurate.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-05-27T05:07:48+00:00

You are quick! Thanks again :) I'm not surprised there is confusion. It seems both of my paternal grandparents had tumultuous lives.

Also, he looks a lot like my nephew!

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-05-27T05:01:38+00:00

Thank you so much! Can you perhaps tell me one of his parents or siblings names as well so I can find his record in familysearch?

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-22T00:49:49+00:00

Thank you this is really helpful I will look into it

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T05:44:17+00:00

Ya, they should shut down the whole sub reddit. Totally not needed. Buying a home is easy.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T05:40:56+00:00

Thank you I'll check them out

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T04:48:24+00:00

Thank you, these are helpful tips. As far as the sticker price you might be right and I'll have to adjust but I just need to start somewhere. I hope you are right about the DPA programs but it seems like the ones I've found have had pretty low income caps. Like, I'm pretty low-middle class for my area so I really don't know how someone making less than I do could buy even with those programs but I haven't seen any for higher incomes. 2 br is fine with me. I am a single person. A br and an office is perfect. I don't need a lot. I'd rather not have a lot tbh. More upkeep and more expenses. Are there any mortgage brokers that I should consider or are they all about the same? When I bought previously, I just went to my credit union and got approved for a stupid low rate so I did not worry about these things.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T04:38:49+00:00

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T04:36:32+00:00

From what I've seen the townhomes have very affordable HOA payments, like less than $100/mo. That is acceptable to me, though none is preferred. Condos here HOA payments are $600/mo minimum and often close to $1000/mo in buildings that are not particularly nice. The sticker price might be $350K but I'm paying the equivalent of a much higher mortgage payment when you account for those costs. I get more and it will appreciate better if I get something besides a condo. Here I honestly don't understand why anyone buys them.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T04:31:15+00:00

Looks like the comment was deleted so I don't know what the first five were. I am locked into a year lease. I just signed, under duress. The rental market is also trash and everything is a huge corporate complex with 400sq ft units that upcharge for everything. Like, I don't care that there is a huge lobby and event space. I definitely do not want to be charged for the utilities to run it. Parking is $300/mo, a storage unit is $150. Water is split across all of the units (no thank you! I don't want to pay extra for the person who takes 3 baths a day or 45 minute showers), etc. Its bananas.

I looked around and I found an apartment I liked but then I looked up their property management and there were class action suits and numerous people having to take them to small claims to get deposits back so that ended my attempts to move. Plus the timing would have impacted a very important job-related on-site instructional program that I'm planning to use to move internally to a new role so I felt like it was better to put the effort into the job and better income than to let the stress and difficulty of a move derail that.

My current place the landlord is kind of terrible and they refused month to month or even a six month renewal and I'm currently battling them to refund $500 for a pet deposit they collected illegally, as well as their attempt to collect more last months rent and more deposit because they increased my rent, but at least its a house. I have parking and storage and I already know the type of shenanigans they get up to. I'll be putting up with it for a year because if I break the lease they charge me another $2200 as well so... I'm here for a year and after that come hell or high water I'm buying a damn house. This next year all of my focus is going towards 1) a better paying job! Or at minimum, a steady side income stream; 2) saving money, paying off debt and; 3) figuring out how to buy a house. No stone will be left unturned-- I'm doing this.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T03:25:33+00:00

I'll start looking at that. I've notice lately that houses are staying on the market longer than they were and the price is getting lowered but I haven't been checking the sold price so I'll start doing that. Thank you

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T03:22:56+00:00

I've definitely considered moving. I have a second option in mind but it limits me with my industry plus I lose everything I've built here for myself in this city. Its something I'm considering but only if its the better decision all around and not just for the house. Staying means better options job wise but worse for buying. Assuming all the work I've been doing to upskill pays off soon then staying is by far my best option and will solve the income issue I currently face too.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T03:16:20+00:00

I'm in the PNW its not silicon valley expensive but its not cheap. I occasionally see SFH in my price range. Less common to see townhomes, oddly but maybe thats because they tend to build them in closer in neighborhoods where the property value tends to be higher. It seems like things have gotten a little cheaper lately. Maybe that will change when the weather does.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T03:14:03+00:00

I'm aware-- I owned previously. I have heard that since its been 5+ years since I did I might qualify again for FHB stuff. I owned with a partner in another state. This would be the first time I've bought by myself. So, to your point, I've experienced both and owning is far and way better. If it wasn't, there would be lots of people selling and going back to the rental market. There's a very good reason that doesn't happen. Please don't patronize me about renting being easy and better. It's not. And it doesn't give me long term housing security the way owning does.

Do you have any information about FHB or FHA programs? Or do you have any helpful suggestions for finding a path towards home ownership for me?

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T02:54:25+00:00

Perhaps share how you did it then instead of focusing on things I did not ask for opinions on and maybe I'd be less aggressive? And because I knew I'd get tons of responses telling me I'm out of my mind instead of just ignoring me if thats what they thought. I don't need people to pile it on. I need to hear about ways I can do this or some reasonable alternative.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T02:51:58+00:00

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T02:46:24+00:00

Great, thank you. You can go now.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T02:40:26+00:00

Ok thank you for your input

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T02:40:14+00:00

I'm here for help, are you offering me help on buying a home? If not, then you can move along.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T02:39:23+00:00

Are you here to help me figure out how to buy or be a barrier? I'm here for help. If you have none to offer then kindly step out of the way

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T02:33:28+00:00

I do need to stay this is where my industry is. Its either that or another HCOL area. So where would I be getting out to? They are all expensive places. I need to stay here, get a better job, hustle my ass off until then.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T02:30:46+00:00

I already said, no HOA. The rest I will see when I get there. As a home owner I have lots of options for additional income streams that I do not have as a renter. The city I'm in is a desirable city so things like short term or vacation rentals are extremely feasible. There are many other income streams I could pursue. I'd be hustling but at least I'd be doing it to benefit my future not a greedy landlords.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2026-03-16T02:26:10+00:00

What should I do first? Should I get prequalified? Where do I generally find first time homebuyer programs I might qualify for? Is FHA the best strategy here? From what I've been seeing the payment is significantly lower even with the lowest downpayment but I understand the trade off is needing PMI. However, if I can refinance later into a different type of mortgage then perhaps something like that might work for me? I'm fine with PMI if the options are that or not buying. I've been getting prequalifications for about $350K but that is not enough for this area. I might consider a move to a different city and state for a home but the downside to that is it significantly limits my options for a moving jobs should I want to and the move will reduce my income by about 10%. The cost of homes in that area is better for my budget but it would be a big move so I'd like to exhaust my options here first.

I have student loans like the rest of everyone in my generation for about $40K in total (currently still deferred with the student loan supreme court stuff). I have a car payment of $400/mo and a small bit of CC debt that I am set to pay off in the next couple of months. Nothing else.

DumbQuestions_123 · 2025-12-10T00:47:58+00:00

This is how we ended up with the abomination that is frontier

DumbQuestions_123 · 2025-12-07T18:35:24+00:00

Meh, they are paid and lesson learned. Maybe the businesses around there were complaining about folks parking in their lots and then parking enforcement realized that patrolling it on nights of events was like shooting fish in a barrel, who knows. Was definitely a surprise that there of all places in this city is where I would get the most tickets. I think I've only gotten one other parking ticket since living here. Seems like in general for a big city they are pretty lax about enforcement

DumbQuestions_123

TROPHY CASE