And the differences continue
By Yessie | August 27, 2008
We’ve officially begun our house search in Australia. And boy is it different than our home buying search in the US. First, I’ll start with the positives.
1. We may be able to afford a house in Australia solely on 1 income! In the US, MJ and I had to both work full-time to be able to make ends meet. Meanwhile, according to the all our calculations and the bank people, we may be able to get a house on solely MJ’s income for now. It won’t be the greatest of houses but it’ll be a little more than a rundown shack. Yay!
2. Homeowners insurance is way cheaper than that of the US. Depending on which type of house we choose, the premium will range from $140-$250 a year. Not bad, compared to the $450 a year premium in the States.
3. Tax rates are much lower. In NJ, average yearly tax for the area we lived in was about $6,000 a year. Around here, we’re expecting to pay about $1,500 a year. Major difference.
4. The mortgage insurance points fee (or whatever its called) is much, much cheaper. It depends on how much the house costs but it’s nowhere near what you can expect to pay in the States.
5. First-time home buyers are given money to help with the deposit! Some parts of the US are given money as well but they tend to be if you buy in more urban areas.
6. Realty websites are better organized! And they tend to have lots of pictures. You can have a look yourself: Australia vs. United States.
Now, the negatives.
1. Mortgage interest rates are a couple of percentage points higher.
2. In the US, you can go into any realty agency and say you’re looking for a house. A realtor will work with you and do all the researching, drive you around to see the houses, and will do the negotiation for you. You usually don’t have to pay anything as a buyer upfront. The buyer’s realtor splits the commission of the sale of the house between himself and the seller’s realtor. However, in order to get that same type of treatment in Australia as a buyer, you will have to hire a realtor to work on your behalf and pay a fee. I’m not sure how much is the fee as we haven’t gotten to that point yet but still it’s a fee.
3. When a house is listed in the US, the asking price may be a bit inflated keeping in mind of people who will offer lower than the asking price. In Australia, when a house is listed, they specify that they are seeking “Offers over, $”. So it won’t be uncommon to see a house listed as “Offers over, $300,000″ or “Negotiable over $350,000″. Right off the bat, they’re saying they want more money.
4. In the US, when you sell a house, you have to honestly complete a seller’s disclosure form. Basically it lists every aspect of the house and you are obligated to be honest and list if anything is defective or needs replacement or so forth. In Australia, there is no such form and sellers are not obligated to tell you anything. They can’t lie to you but they don’t have to tell you anything. For instance, in the US you would tell a potential buyer that there is an old oil tank buried in the yard (if you are aware of it). In Australia, unless you specifically ask the question, they don’t have to volunteer that information. So you have to come prepared with checking the place out thoroughly and ask a lot of questions.
Gray areas:
1. It’s routine to have a Home Inspector called in to check the house for any potential problems. In Australia, it’s not as routine. It’s not unheard of but it doesn’t happen as often. So while you can save money by not hiring an inspector, you run the risk of getting yourself stuck with a money pit. Also since they’re not used as often, it’s a bit more difficult to find them. We were lucky to have a friend who is a home inspector in the US. And now we have find one so we’re at a loss.
I’m sure I will encounter more differences but because we just recently started our home search, it’s too soon to tell and I’m not sure what else to expect. I’m sure I’ll pass along our experience. We are going to see a fixer-upper for the 3rd time today and possibly going to make an offer. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Topics: Hmmm... | No Comments »
So lost
By Yessie | August 20, 2008
On Monday, I decided to take a drive to an area of town I have never driven in before and wasn’t exactly sure how to navigate myself through the streets. I told myself that the town isn’t so big and I have a GPS so what’s the big deal. I must have been feeling very confident in myself. Well, even with the GPS I got lost. The GPS was telling to make a right turn and I reasonably explained to the GPS that I couldn’t make a right where it was telling me because there was a sign that clearly said NO THROUGH ROAD so there was no way out of that street if I did turn right! But the bloody bastard kept telling me that I had to take that turn. So I ignored it and kept driving. And that’s when the shit hit the fan and the GPS refused to cooperate with me and purposefully decided to get me lost. 20 minutes and several mini panic attacks, later I arrived at my destination. The entire trip from my driveway to the parking lot should have only been 15 minutes but it took me 30 minutes. On the way back home, I once again got lost because the damn GPS didn’t tell me ahead of time that I will be making a left so I would need to be in the left lane rather than the right! As a result, I had to drive past my exit and backtrack my way back.
Today, I decided to try that little adventure again and I didn’t get lost! I got there and back just fine without incident. Well, I did have a mini panic attack while I was at an intersection. There were so many lines on the road that I momentarily forgot STAY ON THE LEFT! But I quickly snapped out of it and made it just fine.
Yay for me!
Topics: Hmmm... | No Comments »
Go, USA!
By Yessie | August 17, 2008
I’m not one for sports. I’m too much of a girl…not a girly girl but just a plain Jane who’s just not into sports so I never really watched the Olympics before, until now. After all these years of not watching the Olympics, I’m truly surprised that I’ve watched a fair bit of it but I guess there are reasons for everything. First, there isn’t much on TV here and not many channels to choose from on TV if you don’t have AuStar (cable) so either watch some poor quality show or watch the Olympics. Second, I’m an American living in Australia…from one powerhouse country to another…and both countries are in the Olympics and in many of the same competitions. My hubby and in-laws are obviously cheering for Australia while I go for the US. When the US isn’t competing I cheer for the other country who isn’t Australia just to bother MJ but secretly I’m going for Australia because of course this is where I live now and I love my Australian hubby and son. Third, with someone like Michael Phelps representing the US who cannot get into the Olympics. 8 gold medals. Amazing.
You can check out the current medal tally on CNN’s website.
Topics: Things to do | No Comments »
MIA
By Yessie | August 14, 2008
Well in case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been on in a few days. I haven’t been able to view my favorite forums and blogs for awhile. And I’m going through withdrawal.
LJ has been sick. High fevers, vomiting, whiney, achy, and so forth. I have had my 3rd back muscle spasm in 3 weeks and I’m in a lot of pain. Plus my foot is swollen and tender to the touch for no apparent reason. MJ has something wrong with his knee and he needs to get an X-Ray done to see what’s going on with that. We haven’t been a happy bunch lately and I haven’t had much time to myself because I’ve been taking care of my 2 boys and when I get a chance vegging out watching whatever crap is on TV and lately it’s been the Olympics.
So until LJ is at least better, I won’t have time to update my blog or visit my other virtual hangouts. I’ll try to keep a mental checklist of anything I might want to share with anyone who wants to listen/read!
Topics: Just one of those days | No Comments »
Eating out sucks…
By Yessie | August 9, 2008
at least in Australia. And let me tell you why.
When MJ and I decide to eat out at a restaurant, it’s usually a spur of the moment. Well not totally spur of the moment. Basically if by 3:30pm, I don’t have any idea of what to cook we decide to eat out. Our dinner time is set at 5:30pm. We do have some leeway (give or take a half hour) but we like to be consistent because LJ goes to bed early and he is a fussy eater so we need to make sure that he eats at the same time regularly so his belly is hungry at the same time regularly. And therein lies the problem.
In the US, most restaurants tend to open all day long or open for the lunchtime crowd and stay open or for the really unique restaurants they open around 3ish to prepare for the dinner patrons.
In Australia, most restaurants open for service at 5:30pm the earliest but usually 6pm. For those that open at 5:30pm, there are a couple of issues that may arise. You need to book a reservation ahead of time. Mind you, we probably decided to eat out at 3:30pm and, of course, they’re not open at that time. While cooks and manager may be preparing their meals at work at that time, they’re not answering calls. So how are we supposed to let them know we would like to be at their establishment in a couple of hours? Also, most of the places we have eaten here have very, very slow service i.e. 45 minutes to get the appetizer out (by the way, appetizers are called entrees here). So let’s say we go to the restaurant at 5:30pm, we may not begin eating until 6:15, 6:30. By that time, LJ is cursing the wait staff off in his baby language. As a result, if we know of a place that has extreme slow service we have to be sure we’re there when the doors open that way we can eat dinner at a decent time. Oh, and what really, really makes this whole eating out experience extra-special sucky, is while Australia tends to be family friendly in every other aspect of life, dining out has been overlooked. Kids menus tend to be non-existent or if there is a menu for children, there are some limited and strange choices like a prawn (shrimp) quesadilla. Come on, really??? It’s great to have adult food choices as part of kid’s menus but how about some normal stuff like grilled chicken and mashed potatoes as a kid serving? Also, whether there is or isn’t a child’s menu, highchairs may not exist or if they do exist, they may have only 1 or 2 highchairs, so guess what, they may be occupied by the time you get there and then you’re stuck with a hungry, tired toddler running around screaming his head off.
And, before anyone says that can’t be possible, guess what - all this happened to us tonight. We went to 3 different places today and we ended up coming home and having leftovers because LJ was hungry and couldn’t wait any longer. Thus, eating out in Australia sucks.
Topics: Just one of those days | 3 Comments »
Here ya go, oops nevermind
By Yessie | August 8, 2008
We got our car back again yesterday! The final bill was $1500. Now I know that the mechanic pulled the $1500 out of his ass because supposedly it was costing that much because he needed to schedule the car for a whole day job and not little by little job, so that day was supposedly going to be Monday.
When MJ was told the problem on Monday, he had asked if he could take the car back home to wait until the following Monday. The mechanic said that he had already taken the engine out so he couldn’t take the car. That was quick.
On Wednesday, we were told there were other issues with the car. Some, we said, fix, and some, we said no to because it was obvious he was trying to get more money.
Then the car was ready for pickup on Thursday. What happened to the whole day job? What happened to not being able to work on it little by little?
Well, I picked up the car and was told the car was in excellent running condition now. As soon as I pulled out of their parking lot, I heard a noise. And I continued to hear the noise all the way back home. I didn’t want to bother MJ at work regarding the noise just in case it was just something shifting around the back. After dinner, MJ and I went for a drive so he could hear the noise and he heard it.
Now it’s Friday, and the car is back in the shop. I’m having a crappy day…nevermind, I’m having a crappy week. Well, I guess I should look on the bright side: Australian car mechanics are just as shady as American ones that I have encountered.
Topics: Just one of those days | No Comments »
Looking for a house
By Yessie | August 7, 2008
I’m in desperate need for a cubby house.
LJ cries whenever he sees one. His cousin has one and he loves it. And we were in Kmart not too long ago and there was a display cubby house which was really flimsy and small (he had to duck his head to be in it) and he refused to get out. I had to get on my hands and knees and pull him out. I had to drag him away kicking and screaming while I felt like the most horrible mommy there is. So in short, he wants one so bad. And since I had wanted a playhouse/treehouse in the States when I was a kid and never got it, I really want to get him one. But damn! They’re a mortgage payment! WTF?? It’s just wood!
There are prefabricated ones and DIY ones but they’re so expensive, plus the cost of shipping it here. For a plain decent one, it’s about $1500. And if MJ ever gets around to building one, it will cost just the same if not more. We really can’t afford to pay more than $500 (and even that is pushing it) but I can’t seem to find anything decent for that price. And I’ve scoured the net looking for something. There are lots of Australian websites for cubby houses but they’re all very, very, very expensive. I even found cubby houses big enough for all of us to live in! So I gather, Australian children and their parents sure do love their outdoor cubby houses. And LJ deserves to be like other Australian children! Anyone know where I could find a good cubby house that is big enough and sturdy enough to fit an adult as well for under $500???
Topics: Shopping | 2 Comments »
Stuck at home…again
By Yessie | August 6, 2008
In the past couple of weeks, I’ve become more courageous and I have been driving myself places….ON MY OWN! Familiar places, such as the post office, Kmart, supermarket, park, and places of the sort. I won’t go somewhere I’m not entirely too sure how to get to (even though we do have a GPS but who the hell can work one of those things when they’re lost and in a sheer panic??). I will only drive somewhere I’ve been many, many times and that I know I will be able to find good parking without fear of bumping and crashing into other cars or pedestrians. But, of course, just as I was becoming more comfortable with driving, the car broke down a few days ago. No, it wasn’t my fault although MJ did ask if I hit anything as if it was my fault the damn coolant was leaking!
The car has been inoperable for the past 6 days and in the shop for 3 of those days and I’ve been stuck at home. So, I’ve been bored and miserable as I’ve been contemplating the massive repair bill (originally $1200, then it was $2300, now it’s down to $1500). I think the mechanic is just trying to rip us a new a**hole but after MJ spoke to him this morning, it seems it’ll stay at $1500. Bloody Holdens!! (Sssh, don’t tell MJ, I said that).
Anyway, it seems we won’t have the car until early next week. Luckily the weather has been pretty decent and I have been able to take LJ out for more walks and treks through nature.
Topics: Just one of those days | No Comments »
I need a slice
By Yessie | August 5, 2008
Oh I have been craving pizza. Not just any pizza. A real New York slice of pizza with it’s floppy dough base, crunchy crust, terrific tomato sauce, and thick melted mozzarella.
There are plenty of pizza places around here but they all have that generic Pizza Hut base and taste. I need a real slice of pizza.
Oh man, I would gladly pay someone to Fed Ex a pie from Romeo’s in NJ, if it were possible.
Topics: Just one of those days | 1 Comment »
My hubby is a revhead
By Yessie | August 4, 2008
MJ loves cars. I mean, he LOVES cars. He loves them so much he knows a lot of useless crap about them. I’ll be fair…sometimes, just sometimes, the crap isn’t completely useless and he does know his way around a car and he’s able to play mechanic at times. Today we found out that our car needs to have its welsh plugs replaced. That was exactly what he said when he saw that the coolant was leaking. So he diagnosed the problem and explained the cure but unfortunately he can’t provide the treatment and we have to shell out $1200 to get those damn plugs replaced.
Anyway, I’ve gone off on a tangent.
MJ loves his cars - especially fast ones that are part of the Holden Racing Team. So being the loving wife that I am, I got him tickets to see his favorite racing team as an early Christmas gift. I had hoped on surprising him but he was insisting on buying the tickets immediately so I had to fess up. He was so happy. I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t seen him that emotional since LJ was born.
So while he spoiled the surprise, it was still great to see him very excited…although why anyone would get excited about blurred cars just zooming past us is beyond me. Oh and did I mention I’m going as well? And did I also mention we have a 3 day pass? Fun. I have visions of drunk Australian rednecks spitting on the ground and scratching their balls. This is what marriage is about…putting up with your loved ones weird hobbies.
Topics: Hmmm... | No Comments »
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