newbie Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 great commute or so-so neighborhood,-great house and bad commute. PRice same Which would you choose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mert Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Define icky... you don't like it, it needs serious work, it's super dirty? That affects how I would answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keniki Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Define icky... you don't like it, it needs serious work, it's super dirty? That affects how I would answer. :iagree:Also, after buying, are there still resources available to at least take care of the worst of the 'ick'? I'm leaning towards icky house with great commute and neighborhood, but I need to know a little more about 'icky' too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 Sorry. 1. Run down rental. Awesome neighborhood , great commute- 5 min. 2. Awesome home that is a purchase, but it is tucked away up on the hill, so dont see neighbors. So-so neighborhood, no crime or danger, just not tree lined pretty streets. Commute is like 25 min. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 You can fix up a house. You cannot fix up a neighborhood or a commute you don't like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 :iagree:Also, after buying, are there still resources available to at least take care of the worst of the 'ick'? I'm leaning towards icky house but great commute and neighborhood, but I need to know a little more about 'icky' too. Icky is rental, no fixin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 You can fix up a house. You cannot fix up a neighborhood or a commute you don't like. Interesting...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Why must either be selected? Can the run down rental be improved enough to be a home you'd want to live in? Never mind..no fixing? Is this a house that simply won't work for your family then? How much commute time do you have now? I wouldn't pick a long commute unless I had no choice. I hate my husband's current commute but we had no choice. Again, why pick either? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keniki Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Sorry. 1. Run down rental. Awesome neighborhood , great commute- 5 min. 2. Awesome home that is a purchase, but it is tucked away up on the hill, so dont see neighbors. So-so neighborhood, no crime or danger, just not tree lined pretty streets. Commute is like 25 min. Thanks for clarifying. I think I'd go with #2 because I like owning and I like being tucked away where I don't see the neighbors and they don't see me. *To me* that's an awesome neighborhood. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristineW Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 (edited) Great neighborhood, great commute. There are things that can be done to make a house less icky and add value to the house. We moved to a less than perfect house in a better neighborhood and shaved 20 minutes off DH's commute. We're all much happier. A bad commute is hard on everyone; I'm the only one who cares about the gold carpet and the brick red 25 year old kitchen. And we're saving up to fix the carpet--kitchen gets fixed as things break. Christine OK, I see that #1 is still a rental but I'd still go with it. The housing market is still in decline (kaye Schiller home price index for all but 1 area in the US) so if you wait it out a year you might get something that you like with a good commute in your price range. Edited June 20, 2011 by ChristineW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 Why must either be selected? Can the run down rental be improved enough to be a home you'd want to live in? How much commute time do you have now? No fixing on rental and they always can kick you out when lease is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 My friend in Seattle chose an older and smaller house in the school district she wanted and with a short commute for her dh. When we moved here, we chose a (much) smaller house with a short commute over buying a big house because dh would have had a 40 minute or so commute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 No fixing on rental and they always can kick you out when lease is done. Oh! So both of these are rentals and not purchases then? I'd pick the icky rental without commute I think unless it simply wouldn't work. I edited my other after you replied I think. My husband recently got a long commute (transfer) that we have no control over. It's been horrible. I wouldn't choose it. Time matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 You can fix up a house. You cannot fix up a neighborhood or a commute you don't like. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnaM Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I don't know where everyone else lives but here 25 minutes to commute is nothing LOL That aside it sounds like neither really fit what you are looking for. Are these really the only two options you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kebo Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I wouldn't buy a house if I didn't like the neighborhood. Tucked away actually sounds kind of nice, but if you would feel isolated or you didn't like the feel of the area, then it's not a great choice. If you rent you are positioned to look around and buy a house that has more of what you want long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 When you said bad commute I was thinking maybe an hour ? 25 minutes is nothing ;) When you said bad neighborhood I thought you meant you would not feel all that comfortable with living there due to crime or community problems, not the appearance of it. If you found a nice place to purchase with a reasonable commute and safe clean neighborhood, I would go for that over a run down rental. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAS in LA Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 We are basically living in your #1 option: small rental house (all the children are in one bedroom) with issues (we did get the landlord to remediate the peeling lead paint on all the windows!). The rent is low. The neighborhood is pretty good. We have a HUGE yard for the children to play in. DH walks 2 minutes to work. Some days, the size and condition of the house really get to me, but mostly I am glad we're here and remind myself of all the benefits of being here. The yard, Daddy can come home for lunch some days, etc. You can clean the place and usually make "improvements" that aren't permanent but make it livable. FWIW: If you choose option #1, don't avoid having people over because you don't like the condition of your place. Warm hospitality trumps House Beautiful every time. :001_smile: HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 If you rent you are positioned to look around and buy a house that has more of what you want long term. This is an excellent point. When you said bad commute I was thinking maybe an hour ? 25 minutes is nothing ;) That really depends upon the job. We decided against a 30 minute commute because dh *often* works from 6 am until 8 pm and *often* gets called in at 3 in the morning. Living five minutes from his work means he can go to PT, come home, shower, have breakfast, go back to work, he can come home for lunch/dinner on the days he has time, if he needs something from home we are right there and I can run it over, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 (edited) Sorry. 1. Run down rental. Awesome neighborhood , great commute- 5 min. 2. Awesome home that is a purchase, but it is tucked away up on the hill, so dont see neighbors. So-so neighborhood, no crime or danger, just not tree lined pretty streets. Commute is like 25 min. For me, #1 wouldn't even be a consideration. 1. It's a rental. That alone would make me cross it off my list. 2. It's in a neighborhood, which, to me, means not enough privacy. Privacy was at the tip-top of our wishlist when we were looking to buy a house. 3. It's run-down, which tells me that the landlord is probably not going to be doing much for you when there's a problem. My FIL owns rental property, and I can tell you that he is constantly working on his houses, keeping them functional and well-maintained, even though they are all small, older houses in a "less desirable" part of town. But he keeps them clean, freshly painted, and updated, so most of his renters have been with him for several years. As for #2, it sounds perfect: 1. You described it as an "awesome home". You are already emotionally invested in this house. :) 2. It is a purchase, which means you would own your home and would not have to depend on a landlord who doesn't keep up the property and who might evict you at the end of your lease. If you own, you're there as long as you choose, and you coan fix up the house the way YOU want it. 3. It is secluded, which would be the biggest selling point if I were the buyer. Is there any acreage? If so, that would be more points in its favor. 4. "No crime or danger"--you could feel secure on this property. 5. A 25 minute commute is not bad at all! It's a wonderful trade-off for the privacy and the fact that you love the house. We live about 20 minutes from town on 10.25 wooded acres with a pond and a 2500 sq. ft. house that needs repairs but is secluded and private--not visible from the road nor from any of the neighbors' houses. We have lived here for 19 years, and it is great! Edited June 20, 2011 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 If both properties are rentals, and you are not planning on buying, I would pick the house that is in good condition over the icky one. The icky one means that the landlord doesn't care well for his properties and may not maintain the house after you move in. My parents own several rental properties and would never ever show one in an 'icky' state. If you are buying, then I would buy the icky one and plan on making repairs. With the price of gas, you can save enough to pay for repairs gradually. Plus, anything you do to the house will eventually increase value. We bought the worst house on the street because we loved the street and neighborhood. The neioghbors were thrilled to have someone nice in the house and someone to maintain the house. Even now I am not very crazy about our house, but the neighborhood can't be beat and the commute is easy on dh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 probably icky house great neighborhood great commute. dh commute is a high priority. A good commute means he's in a better position to be available to us more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Sorry. 1. Run down rental. Awesome neighborhood , great commute- 5 min. 2. Awesome home that is a purchase, but it is tucked away up on the hill, so dont see neighbors. So-so neighborhood, no crime or danger, just not tree lined pretty streets. Commute is like 25 min. I would be most impressed with a short commute of 5 mins. But in my neck of the woods, the 25 mins. is more common. My DH's job is about 30 mins. from our home, though he now only goes into the office once a week. This is the closest we've ever lived to his job. Before, an hour of commute time was the norm. When I worked full-time in an office environment, my commute was 45 minutes if there was no traffic. Most of the time it took me about 1.5 hours one way. So my own personal choice would be the great house, 25-minute commute. But another consideration is a neighborhood for the kids to find friends. We moved out of a neighborhood with kids, onto a one-street neighborhood with very few kids. We have never had friends in our neighborhood. In fact, we only barely know our neighbors on the right side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Financially, what's a better position to be in for your family, owning a home or renting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I'd go with icky. A five-minute commute is a game-changer for me. A neighborhood means built-in playmates, which gives me more time. If it's a walking area (walk to shops, etc.) then we all get built-in exercise. Ask the landlord if you can paint the house in light, bright colors so it's fresh and clean. Sew some pretty drapes in patterns you love. Keep the decor simple. Keep an eye out for other houses in the same neighborhood so you can pounce on one fast when it comes up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I would choose option one and head to IKEA to see what would make the rental pretty. A short commute and a great neighborhood would make it a quality of life choice for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I'd chose the icky house with the great neighborhood and commute. You can't change your neighborhood, but you can certainly clean and fix-up an icky house. The commute is a no-brainer. Figure out how much extra time you'd have over the course of just one year with whoever is doing the commuting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Great commute. I don't even look at houses that don't offer a great commute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I would not even consider a house in a not great neighborhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Neither. I'd wait until I found what I wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 When you said bad commute I was thinking maybe an hour ? 25 minutes is nothing ;) When you said bad neighborhood I thought you meant you would not feel all that comfortable with living there due to crime or community problems, not the appearance of it. If you found a nice place to purchase with a reasonable commute and safe clean neighborhood, I would go for that over a run down rental. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Neither. I'd wait until I found what I wanted. That. I would never live in an icky house - home is my sanctuary. And 25 minutes is an easy commute for my husband, but we've always lived that far from his job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 That. I would never live in an icky house - home is my sanctuary. And 25 minutes is an easy commute for my husband, but we've always lived that far from his job. This is my thought. Another plus is it is a better neighorhood for dd 2, she can join a Musical Theater program, whereas living in great neighborhood there is none super close. Its not dh commute, its my commute to take dd1 to school everyday. I dont want to do Public tran, my choice. I probably am just being snobby about the area. Its not bad, just not what I prefer. We probably can rent the house in five years and buy something else in a better neighborhood. Maybe prices will go down a lil. Also, it is a bigger home and kids have a lil more breathing space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Sorry. 1. Run down rental. Awesome neighborhood , great commute- 5 min. 2. Awesome home that is a purchase, but it is tucked away up on the hill, so dont see neighbors. So-so neighborhood, no crime or danger, just not tree lined pretty streets. Commute is like 25 min. In this case, I'd pick #2. I wouldn't care about not seeing neighbors, don't care about tree-lined streets, and a 25 minute commute sounds great to me (DH is used to 45+ min.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 If it's your commute to take your dc to school every day, definitely pick the 5 minute commute. 25 minutes four times a day (to and from in the morning, to and from in the afternoon) is quite a lot of time AND gas to use. With the 5 minute commute, that's only 20 minutes out of your day. So almost 1/4 of the total time and gas from the other commute. Do you drive a Prius, perhaps? Then I guess I wouldn't care as much. Still 25 minutes both ways twice a day. That's a lot and would get old real quick. Plus extra trips for extra curricular activities or ball games or open house. Mmm. My vote is definitely the 5 minute commute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgr Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I'd say first consider if it really has to be between just those two choices - ie how pressed for time you are, etc. Then I'd consider how easy it would be to move out of the purchased home, i.e. How easy would it be to sell/rent out. Also, do you know anything about the landlord of the rental? My final thought - and I have been in thus situation several times (heck, the movers just left for the day! :D) - listen to your gut forgetting all the logical pros and cons. If nothing else, give that choice an extra point for pulling at your heart. When we moved here, we chose nice house and bad commute over OK house and excellent commute. We knew we'd be here at least 5 years and wanted a true home. This time, we picked less desirable home and neighborhood in favor of a 10 min commute- we hope to find our dream home or build it, and move out ASAP- this house should be super easy to sell. Good luck in your decision - it's not easy, and everyone's criteria is different... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Sorry. 1. Run down rental. Awesome neighborhood , great commute- 5 min. 2. Awesome home that is a purchase, but it is tucked away up on the hill, so dont see neighbors. So-so neighborhood, no crime or danger, just not tree lined pretty streets. Commute is like 25 min. Number 2!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Normally I would go for icky in a good neighborhood, but considering it's a rental, it would be a no go unless it was absolutely the only option. The house sounds good! You'd own it, so any work you put in you'll be around to enjoy. Only problem with a hill would be in case of heavy snow or ice. If you're in snow country, you may want a snowmobile and you can park the car at the bottom of the hill. Less than a half hour commute doesn't sound bad at all. Houses in the country generally aren't on the tree lined streets. You can make your own yard as pretty as you like. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 (edited) Take the rental with the great commute and keep looking for a nicer house while living there. You are more likely to eventually find a better house in the decent commute zone than you are likely to find better job closer to the long commute house. Gas prices are only going up and you have to factor in wear and tear on your vehicle. You would need to have two vehicles because you won't want to be driving DH in to work so you can have the car......no cutting down on your expenses by going down to one vehicle. Also, a bigger house means higher utility bills........ Edited June 20, 2011 by Rainefox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 Take the rental with the great commute and keep looking for a nicer house while living there. You are more likely to eventually find a better house in the decent commute zone than you are likely to find better job closer to the long commute house. Gas prices are only going up and you have to factor in wear and tear on your vehicle. You would need to have two vehicles because you won't want to be driving DH in to work so you can have the car......no cutting down on your expenses by going down to one vehicle. Also, a bigger house means higher utility bills........ Its the same size house. We defenitely cannot buy in this area. Its way too expensive. We would only rent in this area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 It sounds like you've really made up your mind to me? You're buying the commute house, then, or renting it as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Does dd have to go to a school 25 min away? Can she go somewhere closer? An icky rent house sounds like what you're leaving--you don't want to do that again! The only real drawback I see to house #2 is the school commute, so I'm hoping that is fixable. And house prices? I don't think I'd *count* on them dropping much more. Not that they won't, you know, just.... :grouphug: Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Icky is rental, no fixin. I vote icky. You'll get used to home. Commute can be huge energy drain. Neighbors and hoods can become nightmares. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 Does dd have to go to a school 25 min away? Can she go somewhere closer? An icky rent house sounds like what you're leaving--you don't want to do that again! The only real drawback I see to house #2 is the school commute, so I'm hoping that is fixable. And house prices? I don't think I'd *count* on them dropping much more. Not that they won't, you know, just.... :grouphug: Good luck! Unfortunately, yes, she has to go to school here.I think next year, I am going to dorm her. Dh was against it this year. But next yr. she will be 18. You are sooo right about icky rental, thats the sit. I dont want to be in again. Dh is pleased , maybe b/c house 2 is a purchase. I dont know, just getting the willies and we have to be out of here Aug 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) No fixing on rental and they always can kick you out when lease is done. The history of this house is they are dead set against fixes and kick out good renters at the end of the year? Or is that your thought on what rentals are like? We are in a rental we have fixed up to make like we like it--lights in front that come on automatically when you drive/walk up, fixed the fence when part of it fell over, fixed the threshhold for the door that was letting bugs in, etc. Oh and a new light fixture in the kitchen. Yeah, there's stuff we will not do because it is not ours. But we live here. We need it to be liveable for us. Oh and new blinds on all the windows that had none/had broken blinds when we moved in. We'll be starting our third year in the same house in August -- they have no desire to kick us out because we pay, on time, every month. We keep up the yard and the house, etc. We would NOT buy this house -- 2 bedroom, shoddily built, etc. But its serving as a great home for now. Edited June 21, 2011 by vonfirmath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 The history of this house is they are dead set against fixes and kick out good renters at the end of the year? Or is that your thought on what rentals are like? We are in a rental we have fixed up to make like we like it--lights in front that come on automatically when you drive/walk up, fixed the fence when part of it fell over, fixed the threshhold for the door that was letting bugs in, etc. Oh and a new light fixture in the kitchen. Yeah, there's stuff we will not do because it is not ours. But we live here. We need it to be liveable for us. Oh and new blinds on all the windows that had none/had broken blinds when we moved in. We'll be starting our third year in the same house in August -- they have no desire to kick us out because we pay, on time, every month. We keep up the yard and the house, etc. We would NOT buy this house -- 2 bedroom, shoddily built, etc. But its serving as a great home for now. This is our first time renting in 20 yrs. and we were excellent tenants and she knew we were long term. But, she is kicking us out.= I dont want to take that chance again. And we did fix the place up. But, no amt. of fixing fixes mold, bad windows and plumbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 It sounds to me like you need to keep looking. There is a lot that can be done to a house to make it look good and be liveable. So much depends on your definition of icky. However, with gas prices what they are these days I'd be factoring in the cost in time and dollars with a longer commute. Especially if this isn't a forever home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I'd choose the second option, if the commute were still reasonable, even if not preferable. And I see that later you said commute is only 25 minutes, which doesn't seem awful to me, so I'd definitely go with number two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 This is our first time renting in 20 yrs. and we were excellent tenants and she knew we were long term. But, she is kicking us out.= I dont want to take that chance again. And we did fix the place up. But, no amt. of fixing fixes mold, bad windows and plumbing. I would NOT rent or buy a house with mold issues. And I'd be quite pleased to move out of one if discovered it had it. Bad windows I can and have lived with. Plumbing -- depends on the issue. Haven't had great plumbing but have had "good enough" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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