Blessedchaos Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 If you found a house that you and your dh both loved, everything you are looking for BUT the house was on a busier road than you'd hoped, would you still buy it? We have been looking at homes for some time off and on. We don't have to buy, but we want a larger home, our "forever" home, if you will. We found a foreclosure we both love in a beautiful, prestegious community very convenient to freeways and shopping, with tons of walking/hiking trails and other amenities. The price of the home is great, the yard is large and backs up to a huge open area surrounded by other homes. The only downside is the traffic on the street. It is a residential street tucked back into this community, but it is a thoroughfare leading from one main road through the development to another. I have sat outside the home at various times of day and counted cars for 5 minute intervals. I count between 5-10 cars per 5 minutes - not heavy enough to interfere with anything like getting out of the driveway, no noise at all, just a bit heavier than what I always said I wanted. There isn't a sidewalk in front of the home, but there is one across the street and just down the street. Also there are many sideroads/trails my kids could bike on that are very quiet. I don't have small children and would trust them completely on a road like this. I just worry more for resale value than anything. The other thing is that while there are houses to one side of this home, across the street is a large group of (very nice) townhouses. I would prefer a more "neighborhood" feel to this section of the develpment. What do you think? Would you go for it or keep looking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I would not. Keep in mind that many people would find it a negative, so resale will be lower as compared to a less busy area, and it will be harder to find people to buy in general, if/when you want to sell. Also, the townhouses would keep me away also. JMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I would not. I've lived on a busy street that wasn't as busy as most. It always made me uncomfortable, plus it was annoying watching cars speed by. Cars always seem to speed even with signs and warnings and periodic police setting up watch points. We sold the house and moved. A couple years later we learned from an old neighbor that one of the children of the people who bought our house died from being hit by a car in front of the house. People live on busy streets all the time without anything bad happening. Personally I would not. I have a 4 year old, grandchildren, and pets. I just feel better about it. Plus I don't like speeders, loud car music thumping by at all hours, etc. Just my thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I would keep looking. You will find the right one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Ugh, what a difficult decision! But I guess that no home is perfectly perfect. What if you rated the various predominant features on a scale of 1 to 5 and then see if the scores lean more to the positive or more to the negative? FWIW, I settled for the house I'm currently in. It wasn't everything I wanted but I figured it would be okay and we purchased with the idea that we would live in it until we were too old to navigate the steps. 6 years later and I'm not happy with our decision to settle. I wish we had continued looking. And with the economy being the way it is, we don't expect we'll be able to move anytime in the next 5 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 You did say that this is your forever house, so selling in a couple of years isn't something on your radar. DH and I are in a house that is considered a kind of busy road. We knew when we purchased it three years ago that we would be selling within 5 years. We are going back on the market after the holidays after being on for 5 months this past year. Our road is an issue for many people - it wasn't for us. Truthfully, I have lived on cul de sacs where neighbors and pizza delivery people speed in and out and at least living on a sort of busy road, I am not lulled into a false sense of 'traffic' security. does that make sense? At this point, I'd say it's a judgement call by you and your dh. At this point in my life, if I LOVED the house, I'd say pshaw to everything else and buy the house I love. I'm sure that wasn't much help -- but dh and I are there are as well, and when we find the house we LOVE, I am about ready to overlook alot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedchaos Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 Thank you. Although I love this house and general location/development, I am not comfortable. Dh thinks I'm crazy, but this has always been important to me. My gut says no. Just needed confirmation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 For a forever home... no. You can always make a home the way you want it, but you can't unmake the traffic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I think it would depend on how much you like the house and the neighborhood and all the other things you mentioned vs. the road issue. Is the neighborhood as built up as it's going to get, so that the traffic should not increase? We bought a new house in a new subdivision and knew the area would be more built up as time went by. However, we didn't realize that the street we lived on (with a dead end on one end - one block away) would change to the entrance to a new school. It is far enough away that we don't get the school noise too much, but the traffic on our once very quiet street is now quite busy twice a day, and there's more traffic in general. So is there any chance the traffic on your road could increase? If it did, would that make you regret purchasing the house? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 We live on a busy road, almost exactly as you describe. We do have a sidewalk on our side, which makes a huge difference and we live very close to a bike trail. We can get on the bike trail without crossing the busy road. For us it was one of many factors and we ended up liking everything else, in particular the yard which is very large for this area and the proximity to the trail. We are technically part of the neighborhood behind us but I do feel like we have less of that "neighborhood" feeling than people who live on the streets behind us. That is a bit of a downside but not a huge issue. And when we moved here I told dh that I plan to grow old with him IN THIS HOUSE so resale wasn't a huge issue for us. ETA: We have a big bay window in the kitchen that looks out on the road. We eat breakfast there and sometimes do school. It's actually a frequent source of entertainment for us with a lot of foot traffic and bike traffic and yes, car traffic. My kids like watching everything. That was kind of an unexpected bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 traffic doen't usually lessen. You will someday have grandchildren. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedchaos Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 I think it would depend on how much you like the house and the neighborhood and all the other things you mentioned vs. the road issue. Is the neighborhood as built up as it's going to get, so that the traffic should not increase? We bought a new house in a new subdivision and knew the area would be more built up as time went by. However, we didn't realize that the street we lived on (with a dead end on one end - one block away) would change to the entrance to a new school. It is far enough away that we don't get the school noise too much, but the traffic on our once very quiet street is now quite busy twice a day, and there's more traffic in general. So is there any chance the traffic on your road could increase? If it did, would that make you regret purchasing the house? No. This neighborhood is completely developed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I wouldn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I have sat outside the home at various times of day and counted cars for 5 minute intervals. I count between 5-10 cars per 5 minutes - not heavy enough to interfere with anything like getting out of the driveway, no noise at all, just a bit heavier than what I always said I wanted. I don't consider 5-10 cars per every five minutes to be a busy street. I have lived in a few culdesacs and at the end of a dead end road. We also lived on a school bus route, within a neighborhood, that was used by neighborhood traffic to get to a traffic light. It was a busier-than-average street, but still not considered "busy." From what you've described, it wouldn't be an issue for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 You both love the house? It has everything you're looking for? In a beautiful community with lots of amenities and a large yard and so on and so forth? And a good price? And your only concern with your not young kids who you trust to be safe near a road is that 5-10 cars went by in a five minute interval? Um, YES, I'd buy the house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 If your gut says no, then don't do it! When we were buying our first house, I told my sister that we were about to make an offer, but I felt sick at my stomach. She said to listen to my gut, and not do it. I'm so glad I listened! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 It sounds wonderful to me. Having things close enough that you can walk would definitely counter the very light "traffic". I would think you'd spend most of your outdoor time in the backyard instead of the front, so I don't really see it as a negative. Your children are old enough, but if there were younger ones, I might fence in the backyard for added safety. A convenient location is just as much a positive as the other might be thought of as a negative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 If you found a house that you and your dh both loved, everything you are looking for BUT the house was on a busier road than you'd hoped, would you still buy it? We have been looking at homes for some time off and on. We don't have to buy, but we want a larger home, our "forever" home, if you will. We found a foreclosure we both love in a beautiful, prestegious community very convenient to freeways and shopping, with tons of walking/hiking trails and other amenities. The price of the home is great, the yard is large and backs up to a huge open area surrounded by other homes. The only downside is the traffic on the street. It is a residential street tucked back into this community, but it is a thoroughfare leading from one main road through the development to another. I have sat outside the home at various times of day and counted cars for 5 minute intervals. I count between 5-10 cars per 5 minutes - not heavy enough to interfere with anything like getting out of the driveway, no noise at all, just a bit heavier than what I always said I wanted. There isn't a sidewalk in front of the home, but there is one across the street and just down the street. Also there are many sideroads/trails my kids could bike on that are very quiet. I don't have small children and would trust them completely on a road like this. I just worry more for resale value than anything. The other thing is that while there are houses to one side of this home, across the street is a large group of (very nice) townhouses. I would prefer a more "neighborhood" feel to this section of the develpment. What do you think? Would you go for it or keep looking? No. It is a huge negative from a resale point of view. Not to mention, my 2 year old dashed out into the road at our first house, that was also on a somewhat busy road. No. Wouldn't do it. Every other house has been on a dead end, middle of the subdivision road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 We just went through the same decision-making process. We ultimately decided against it. In speaking with the realtor, there had been four other interested buyers ... but ultimately, all felt the same way we did. The house is still on the market, and has gone from $145/sq.ft (typical of our area) down to it's current $87/sq.ft (typical of foreclosures in the area). If we had planned to stay put 15+ years (through payoff), I'd buy it. We want the flexibility to re-sell in 3-5, so for us it was a smarter decision to walk away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 (edited) Nope. Because it will be the first thing that will stymie a potential resale, and you don't want to loose $ on what could be your biggest investment. I live right on a road, but it's a residential neighborhood, the best street in town and there are *maybe* 20 cars that pass here all day. There's not heavy traffic, but for house owners, and I can still walk to town. I just made the post on going carless? If that development gets bigger, there will be more traffic and that could be a big problem. Edited December 14, 2011 by justamouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Sure. Our town has about 25,000 and we live on the main road that goes through town. We hear no traffic noise inside and raised our kids here. The grands come visit and we just don't worry about the traffic- it's never concerned us. We get much more than 10 cars in 5 minutes, but the tradeoff is that we can walk to the library, downtown, hospital, ice cream store, dh's work, parks and pool, etc. We moved from the country, where everything required a drive...this was a wonderful choice for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I don't see how it would contribute to losing money on resale unless the traffic gets worse. The house isn't moving, the price now presumably reflects the fact that there is some traffic, and will reflect that in the future. The same house on a quiet street might be more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I don't see how it would contribute to losing money on resale unless the traffic gets worse. The house isn't moving, the price now presumably reflects the fact that there is some traffic, and will reflect that in the future. The same house on a quiet street might be more expensive. which means that it won't appreciate (hardee har, har -oh the irony) as much as another house in a better location-when the market turns around. It's still true about location-and with each house I bought, I learned that more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 No I wouldn't. My best friend had a car run off the road and come through her loungeroom wall and landed on top of the chair her son had been sitting in 5 minutes earlier. An internet friend had a speeding car come through her ROOF (of a two story house) :001_huh: and kill her son who was sleeping in the bed beneath. Once when I was asleep I heard a loud explosion outside my window - a car had run off the road and into the garbage bins of the house across the road narrowly missing the side of their house. No way -we always buy in a cul-de-sac now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 (edited) As they say, location location location. I would not buy a house on a busy road. I'd buy a less perfect house with plans to update in a more perfect location over the perfect house on a busy road. Everyone I know with children that bought a home on a busy road have regretted it and ended up moving sooner than expected. Just for the record, we live about 4 blocks from a main road with many stop lights. We are walking distance to a University and it's museums and gym, 2 coffee shops, gift shops, a neighborhood grocery, schools, etc. But still hardly hear traffic and don't worry about our kids crossing the streets to a friends house. We knew where we wanted to be, but we had to wait for the right kinds of house to come on the market. This is when the market was definitely a seller's market too, so it was painful. But WELL worth it in the end! Good luck! Edited December 14, 2011 by kck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedchaos Posted December 14, 2011 Author Share Posted December 14, 2011 (edited) Thanks everyone. Most of you just confirmed what I was already feeling. Even though the road really isn't THAT busy, it is still busier than I'm comfortable with. Also, I REALLY want that neighborhood feel, not looking out my front window at a townhouse complex. Since we really want this to be our forever house, I just can't see being at this location forever. And, of course, if we need or want to sell in the future I want to be able to do so. We are in a situation where we can wait or not move at all. We own our home free and clear; we just want something a bit bigger with certain features that we don't have. We don't NEED these things, we just want them, so if the "perfect" house never materializes so be it. This house has those things and the general location is great; the immediate neighborhood isn't. The other thing about this house I didn't mention that made me a bit uncomfortable is that I found out the school district is the neighboring one that is not as well rated as our current one. Since we afterschool and my kids are older, this is very important. I could probably keep them at the same schools and since the boundary is literally about a house away they could probably even take the bus, but since it would be an out of district transfer it is not guaranteed. Part of the reason we want to move is that there is no way I will allow my children to attend our zoned high school. It isn't a huge reason as we can always try to transfer them, but it is a consideration (especially if we are going to spend the money to buy a new home). Again, thanks everyone. I really needed to hear everyone's feedback. It was extremely helpful. Edited December 14, 2011 by Blessedchaos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Nope. Resale will stink. Also if you think it's kind of busy, the roads are always busier than you think. Busy roads drag up a lot of household dust, it's noisy when you open windows and the traffic noise alone, with loud boom boxes and engine noise, teenagers and cars....never. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpidarkomama Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 We love our house on a little bit busy road. :) The road in front of the house isn't so busy, though. It's the road on the side of the house that has a fair amount of traffic, especially M-F during rush hour. Weekends are pretty quiet. Everyone I talked to about the house said they would never buy a house on a corner, mostly because they were worried about their children's safety. Our (fairly small) back yard was fenced already, though, and we just finished fencing our (very huge) side yard. I really don't have any safety concerns. We also have great new-ish windows in the house, so we don't hear the cars at all inside. We're excited, because it's much more land (1/4 acre) than we would have had with any of the other houses in the neighborhood. We now have 500 square feet of veggie beds and 5 chickens, with 1,000+ more square feet of beds to come + 18 fruit trees and 50 tilapia (first run at raising fish here). So... for us it was TOTALLY worth it!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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