Westchester is super expensive in spots but quite reasonable in others

much cheaper then the city though

Ossining, Peekskill, Tarry Town, Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, upper Yonkers, Croton all of these are decent little river towns.

All of them are also on the Metro North line so getting to the city is again not terrible

@Deleted User APMEX, Provident Metals, or Gainesville Coins are my go-to online bullion dealers, with Provident being my #1

@Deleted User Sorry, was AFK. Buy at the local coin shop and become friends. You will never pay spot, usually spot plus the shop premium, ~3%, but building he rapport is better than buying online, some states charge tax for buying gold and silver, there are transactions that may not apply to &c. and they will inform you after due time.

@John O -#7072 Sorry for the doom & gloom, my dude. Acknowledging and understanding the warning signs can be a powerful tool in itself though. I'm right along with you in the house-hunting boat--working with a realtor in Colorado right now...

Economists Urged to Use Fertility to Predict Recessions: https://archive.is/bo5i4

lol, they should have done that a generation ago when they had the ability to warn of demographic decline.

@Argument of Perigee Yeah, I know it's dumb to buy my first house rn, and I'm not going to. I'm just worried about being ruined if there is another depression

@John O -#7072 fwiw, if I could afford a house that I wanted to live in for 20+ years, then I would just buy it now.

^ For long-term, buying now is probably always better.

Here's what I'm worried about. I want to buy a house, and I have enough saved where I can buy something decent and put down 1/3 of the cost and still have savings rn. My biggest apprehension is, if the economy absolutely shits itself, will I be able to keep working? I do construction, so I'm not very insulated from the whims of the market. Plus, I'm only 23. My credit score is something like 650, but I'm not sure if my age is detrimental to my loan prospects

I've got other things to do with my money, though. I just hope I don't become destitute if the bottom drops out from the economy like @Argument of Perigee was saying

@John O - to judge that a measurement that's commonly used is what % of your income would be used to pay the mortgage. There's varying %s I've read that are good: 28% is a number I hear pushed a lot as "good". Sometimes 33% is considered OK. What number is right for you is usually based on what your income is and how stable it is. If you pull a million a year then even 50-60% is fine since you'll have so much left over. If you pull in 50k then you probably don't want to top 30%. Just to give a rough idea.

Hey guys, I'm tired of renting and am trying to buy a house soon.
I still need to go through all the bank stuff first, but does anyone in here have any advice? maybe things to avoid or watch out for? anything that might make this process easier?

There is a first time homebuyer tax credit.

If a veteran, ask USAA questions.

@Goose i am happy to help but could you perhaps be a little bit more specific. Is there anything you are worried about in particular?

obviously look up the demos of your area and see how good the schools are. issues with the property should be disclosed to you prior to you buying it. lenders usually require an appraisal and an inspection so i wouldnt be too worried about getting sold a shitty house

@Zyzz nothing construction-wise (I'm familiar with that end) right now deciding on which company to get a credit card with

@Freiheit - CA thanks. You think i should go with USAA to get a credit card?

I've heard good things but, USAA I'm told for home loans is good for veterans insurance etc. No personal experience.

First time home buyer credit is something like $7k IRS deduction.

@Goose

Sadly, the tax credit is no longer available.

Wtf

That was really only a 2007 thing.

There should be a state one. I think.

Definitely worth checking into based on locale.

If we're talking military/veteran stuff, I can speak about alot of that. I have accounts with USAA, Navy Federal Credit Union, & Pentagon Federal Credit Union. For credit cards, it all depends on how deep into the credit card game you want to go with perks and how disciplined you intend to be with it. It can get really interesting if you can qualify for an American Express Platinum Card as active military, because they waive the $550 annual fee--it is a charge card though, not a credit card.

Charge vs credit...explain @Argument of Perigee

Credit cards have a revolving balance if not paid and you assume a finance fee (interest) to your balance if not paid in full each month. A charge card MUST be paid in full each month, no exceptions.

Cool

What's the charge limit? Does a charge card affect credit score?

Yup, same general principles apply. The spending limit will be based upon credit worthiness/trust with issuer--could be a few thousand, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, no limit. The almost-mythical American Express Centurion (Black) card is said to have no spending limit whatsoever.

I'm just trying to get a credit card for basic expenses so I can establish a good credit score so I can qualify to buy a house

Not using it for large purchases otherwise

@Argument of Perigee I've seen a black Centurion...sold a guy some stage lighting.

Solid titanium, yea?

I stay in contact with him from time to time...