I would not buy a house that.......

[DawnM]

How would you know?

 

 

That has/had bedbugs.

 

[cin]

We are hoping to move in the next year, so this is great! I'm getting a lot of conversation starters for DH and myself. ;)

 

 

I never even thought to check for sex offenders!

 

 

And one thing for us, that I haven't seen mentioned, but I haven't thoroughly red through everything yet,

 

We will not buy a house that DOES NOT HAVE GAS. I HATE electric stoves. Plus, during the recent power outages, we were still able to get a hot shower (gas hot water heater) AND, I could still cook for the family. Gas stove and a candle lighter.

[DawnM]

We were surprised when we moved here, it is VERY rare to find gas anything out here further from the city and if you have gas, it is a propane tank in the backyard. We didn't want that. So, we have all electric. People here with gas have lamented the much higher price of it over electricity so that one didn't bother me too much, although I miss having gas.

 

But most people looking in our area don't expect gas. We are on a well for septic too. Can't change that either, but our water bill is $0 :D

 

We are hoping to move in the next year, so this is great! I'm getting a lot of conversation starters for DH and myself. ;)

 

 

I never even thought to check for sex offenders!

 

 

And one thing for us, that I haven't seen mentioned, but I haven't thoroughly red through everything yet,

 

We will not buy a house that DOES NOT HAVE GAS. I HATE electric stoves. Plus, during the recent power outages, we were still able to get a hot shower (gas hot water heater) AND, I could still cook for the family. Gas stove and a candle lighter.

[In The Great White North]

It's really not that difficult or expensive to get propane put in if you live in the boonies.

[Bluegoat]

Unfortunately, if your house is somewhat higher end, you can't get anyone to even look at your house without those things. We got the stainless a while ago but we need to replace our countertops and we were told to not even consider anything other than granite or quartz.

 

Dawn

 

 

I don't know - my parents place is pretty high end (on the top 20 list of homes in our city for its assessment) and has neither, and was considered a pretty desirable house when they had it on the market - especially the kitchen. I think if the kitchen is well done, people will like it. They might not realize it though until they see it, which I guess is the problem.

 

A lot of realtors are, IMO, not very imaginative and I think part of it is the fault of tv design and house selling shows. They have this idea that every house has to have, say, granite counters. Whether or not it looks good with the design of the space, or is totally out of place with the period of the house, or whether it really has the best performance in a working kitchen, or whatever. Which is totally ridiculous when you think about it, and so boring. My 1960 home would look so silly with granite or stainless steel appliances, but it's great with boomerang Formica and would be even more awesome with the pink fridge I'm saving up for.

 

But I think a good realtor should be able to sell a nice home for itself, not by putting in a bunch of cookie-cutter items that they think everyone wants. (And I'm not sure everyone actually does - one one design website I was looking at recently about 52% of readers were hoping for granite counters to go out of style, and 48% liked them, which is a lot less than HGTV would have you think.)

[ThisIsTheDay]

I never even thought to check for sex offenders!

 

I've seen this mentioned a couple of times in this thread. The problem with this is that you can buy that house and have someone move in next door a few weeks later. You have little control over your neighbors.

 

Additionally, just knowing someone is a sex offender is not enough information. The 20 year old guy who stupidly slept with a 15 year old is different than the guy who sought and groomed his victims. And a juvenile who may be a danger to your children will likely not be on the sex offender list.

 

I'm not trying to discount anyone's fears, but I believe these are misplaced. For three years, I worked for a prosecutor who handled every child sexual assault case in our county. I have family members who were victimized as children. I can't think of a single instance where a neighbor-only relationship existed between an offender and a victim.

 

We lived in a house for ten years and had a neighbor (~6 doors away) who was a registered sex offender. He was an old guy, married, and we might have seen him once the entire time we lived in what was a very friendly, relatively eclectic neighborhood. He was a non-issue.

[Pippen]

I wouldn't buy a house during winter months. It's the summer months in our area where homes are more likely to have flooding and show signs of water damage or mildew.

 

Warm weather also gives a better idea of what to deal with in the neighborhool. In college I agreed to rent an apartment during cold weather months, only to find out when we moved in during summer that I couldn't open my bedroom window due to serious dog doodoo smells from the neighbor's dog.

 

I also wouldn't buy a home in a neighborhood without checking out the demographic trends, especially with nearby schools. The low income and at risk population has increased rapidly at our neighborhood elementary school, at first due to kids that were bused in. Now families who are concerned about the schools their kids attend and can afford choices are avoiding buying in our neighborhood. You'd never know this from driving around and looking at homes--you'd really need to dig into the school district data to see what's happened.

[bkpan]

I would not buy a house that did not have lots of trees on the lot.

[amy g.]

I would not not buy a house that was too close to the road or to neighboring houses. I would not buy a house with homeowners restrictions.

 

I'd rather buy a house that I can remodel myself at a cheaper price, than one that the seller updated with fake stone countertops and fake wood flooring.

 

I really hate that stuff, and it is infuriating when the seller wants you to pay extra for stuff that you can not wait to rip out.

[JFSinIL]

I would not buy a house with a freshly painted basement. What are they trying to cover up?

[Lady Florida.]

-has a dark kitchen that can't be easily and inexpensively lightened up.

-is on a busy street or near an interstate highway

-has an HOA with strict rules

 

 

Unlike others in this thread, I want (and have) a house with an attached garage. I don't want to come home in a Florida thunderstorm and have to go outside to get into the house. Breezeways are useless when the rain is blowing sideways, as it often does in the rainy season. So that means I wouldn't buy a house that doesn't have an attached garage.

Edited July 9, 2012 by floridamom

[DawnM]

Hmmmm......ours was painted 3 months ago. But we aren't covering anything up.....we just FINISHED the unfinished basement and it was complete 3 months ago. :D

 

I would not buy a house with a freshly painted basement. What are they trying to cover up?

[DawnM]

Well, good, then whoever buys our house can put it in if they so desire. We have no interest!

 

Dawn

 

 

 

It's really not that difficult or expensive to get propane put in if you live in the boonies.

[DawnM]

Well, our countertops need replacing anyway. Most people here only want solid surface and not laminate. So, your options end up costing in somewhat the same range.....granite, quartz, corian types......all need to be cut and installed by someone else. We have friends with corian whose house is in the 500K range. They put their house on the market and several of the comments had to do with the countertops and it not being granite or quartz.

 

In CA we had tile countertops, many, many people did.....but here NO ONE and I mean NO ONE wants tile. The immediate comment when I say the word tile is, "I wouldn't want to clean ALL that grout!" It is 100% of the time. Coming from CA I never thought it was an issue.....but it would be a no sale here.

 

What kind do you parents have? All of this could be regional too.

 

Dawn

 

I don't know - my parents place is pretty high end (on the top 20 list of homes in our city for its assessment) and has neither, and was considered a pretty desirable house when they had it on the market - especially the kitchen. I think if the kitchen is well done, people will like it. They might not realize it though until they see it, which I guess is the problem.

 

A lot of realtors are, IMO, not very imaginative and I think part of it is the fault of tv design and house selling shows. They have this idea that every house has to have, say, granite counters. Whether or not it looks good with the design of the space, or is totally out of place with the period of the house, or whether it really has the best performance in a working kitchen, or whatever. Which is totally ridiculous when you think about it, and so boring. My 1960 home would look so silly with granite or stainless steel appliances, but it's great with boomerang Formica and would be even more awesome with the pink fridge I'm saving up for.

 

But I think a good realtor should be able to sell a nice home for itself, not by putting in a bunch of cookie-cutter items that they think everyone wants. (And I'm not sure everyone actually does - one one design website I was looking at recently about 52% of readers were hoping for granite counters to go out of style, and 48% liked them, which is a lot less than HGTV would have you think.)

[DawnM]

Now that we are possibly moving out of our 4th purchased home, here is my list of never moving into:

 

1. Sloped property. The kids need flat to play on.

2. Too few bedrooms (unless there is unfinished space that would be easy to convert.)

3. Structural damage is a given and always has been. Dh is good at knowing that stuff.

4. I want the bedrooms separate from the living areas.....so that if someone needs a nap or wants to go to bed early, they are far enough away not to hear everything.

5. Single story with a basement would be ideal.

6. No painted cabinets

7. No "colored" tubs.....white or beige only.

8. No HOA

9. No less than 1 acres and lots of privacy/trees

10. No painted kitchen cabinets or painted molding if at all possible.

[coffeefreak]

Did not have an open floorplan.

[mama2cntrykids]

I would be hard pressed to buy a home with only one toilet. Also, if it was in town, while it's not a deal breaker, we'd be looking for something in the country. If we absolutely couldn't find something in the country that suits us, THEN and only then would be live in town.

 

Things that would be a no-go are:

Cig smoke

Bad foundation

Flooding basement

Near RR tracks

If in a neighborhood, it would have to be a good one with out: barking dogs, busy street, shady ppl.

 

That's all that I can think of off hand.

[mama2cntrykids]

Oh, it has to have enough closet space and kitchen cabinet space. Also NO carpet in the bathroom (or dining room for that matter). I have a friend that just got done tearing out the carpet in their bathrooms that the previous owners had in there for about 20 years (YUCK!!). Our current house has carpet in the dining room that the previous owner put in. Why, oh WHY would you have carpet in EITHER of said rooms?? We can't afford to replace it right now either and we're possible looking at putting our home on the market in the next year and a half. So pooh!

[vonfirmath]

(like the HOA. Some people love them. I could not stand to live in one. I had fb friends griping about neighbors setting off fireworks now that it's not exactly the 4th anymore. :confused: It's still summer, just enjoy them. As long as it's not the middle of the night and you don't live in CO, who cares? Those are the type of people HOA's are made for.)

 

Houses burn in places other than CO.

[vonfirmath]

Has no exhaust fans in the bathroom or kitchen.

 

I was looking for exhaust fans in the bathroom when buying. But it turned out not to be a deal breaker. Around here, houses only need exhaust fans in the bathroom when there is not a window. The master has a window...

 

I plan to add an exhaust fan when we have money to spare. But its pretty far down on the future wish list.

[QueenCat]

(like the HOA. Some people love them. I could not stand to live in one. I had fb friends griping about neighbors setting off fireworks now that it's not exactly the 4th anymore. :confused: It's still summer, just enjoy them. As long as it's not the middle of the night and you don't live in CO, who cares? Those are the type of people HOA's are made for.)

 

 

LOL.... I wish our HOA could set rules about fireworks... those are under county/city regulation. I'd love it if they could require them to stop by 10-11pm so dh could get enough sleep before heading to work! HOA's can really vary. Ours is not over the top but does set some basic parameters, which ensures better maintenance of homes and property values. And "type of people"? Really? I guess I'm the type of person who wants her home value to not go down because the neighbors don't take care of their home/property. That's it.... the main reason we only buy in neighborhood's with an HOA.

[Bluegoat]

Well, our countertops need replacing anyway. Most people here only want solid surface and not laminate. So, your options end up costing in somewhat the same range.....granite, quartz, corian types......all need to be cut and installed by someone else. We have friends with corian whose house is in the 500K range. They put their house on the market and several of the comments had to do with the countertops and it not being granite or quartz.

 

In CA we had tile countertops, many, many people did.....but here NO ONE and I mean NO ONE wants tile. The immediate comment when I say the word tile is, "I wouldn't want to clean ALL that grout!" It is 100% of the time. Coming from CA I never thought it was an issue.....but it would be a no sale here.

 

What kind do you parents have? All of this could be regional too.

 

Dawn

 

That's interesting you mention the tile countertops in California - I was talking about that the other day. I like the look of them myself, and I'm told that if they are well sealed cleaning them isn't a big issue, but I've never had to use them myself.

 

I'm sure there are regional differences, but I also think it's the ubiquity of the television design shows that are at work with this trend to have absolutely the same thing in every place. But those shows are basically a scam from builders places like Home Depot. They want a 10 - 15 year cycle on these things so that they will be sure that there will be lots of people ripping out the old fads to put in the new ones. Everyone will suddenly realize that black appliances are the best and so get rid of the stainless ones, even if they are still good.

 

I just find it kind of horrible - people update to sell and then the new people want something different and rip it out to get what they want, or when it is no longer the fad. The waste is just sickening to me. And they destroy in many cases very nice homes with a real feel of their period. No one ever likes the last fad, which is why for 60 years people razed Victorian homes and junked Victorian furniture, and then it suddenly became antique and collectible and Victorian homes sell for really good money.

 

And I think there are lots of people who are not looking for a home that looks like a cookie-cutter new suburban instalation. Those people are looking for places with character, which is also pretty hard to find.

 

My parents kitchen has two types of counter. The fitted counters have a nice laminate with a corian edge in a sort of neutral pale marble suggesting pattern. It pretty much blends into the cupboards and back splash. The Island is in black Silestone. They considered using something like Silestone or Corian for everything, but the cost was really high and the functionality wasn't better. This way they could afford to go to the top level with things like faucets and hardware. The appliances are white, my mom is way to anal to live with stainless, she'd spend her life cleaning off fingerprints. And white works well with the cupboards anyway.

 

People here can focus on things like grainate as well though, so I don't think I think what happens is those people get into what is a really beautiful kitchen for someone who really cooks and don't really even notice the laminate. And people who just want a great kitchen that is unique are getting that as well.

 

What may be a difference is that we have steady growth in our housing market, so people don't get the idea they will walk into a home that is 100% perfect for them down to the colours unless they build it themselves.

[Bluegoat]

That's it.... the main reason we only buy in neighborhood's with an HOA.

 

Do they really accomplish avoiding the neighbourhood going down in value though? I wonder - I've found they tend to really stifle any kind of changes that would bring improvement - their vision tends to be very narrow.

[americastamps]

that has been smoked in

that has scented plugins all over (almost as bad as smoke!) or burns candles in every room constantly..the chemicals, like smoke just stick in the walls/flooring forever

busy street or lots of noise (airplanes, trains etc)

probably will never buy with an hoa, I don't like how the price could go up and up on hoa yet I will have little ultimate say on how I take care of my own property and what I do to it. Too many restrictions!

 

has a sex offender living very closeby. (I know, they could just move in later and I would be out of luck)

 

I don't know that there are any other deal breakers. If it was all "renovated" but with the same exact granite countertops and ugly vanities of every other "flipped" house, I would be wary of what was hiding under all the ugly but supposedly brand spanking new renovation. I would much be aware of issues and fix them properly myself.

 

Then again, I am not like most home buyers. Most home buyers will gladly buy whatever looks pretty, smells pretty (scented candles) and not think for a second what's underneath all the fake prettiness.

So, your house will probably sell well if you redo an older bathroom with some generic looking but new cabinet etc :tongue_smilie: good luck selling your home!

[JFSinIL]

Hmmmm......ours was painted 3 months ago. But we aren't covering anything up.....we just FINISHED the unfinished basement and it was complete 3 months ago. :D

 

In which case, I'll buy your house :-) It is the freshly painted unfinished basements that are suspect - our realtor told us beware as the paint could be covering mildew, water marks or other evidence of water seepage. So sellers should NOT freshen the paint in the basement - just everywhere else in the house.

[In the Rain]

I wouldn't buy a house that has:

 

 

That has/had bedbugs.

 

 

Hmm, that one never crossed my mind. The realtor might think I was a creep if I pulled back someone's sheets to look at their mattress. :lol: Just imagine what the homeowner would think if they could tell someone had pulled back the covers. :001_huh: That would be seriously creepy. :tongue_smilie:

[Bluegoat]

 

Then again, I am not like most home buyers. Most home buyers will gladly buy whatever looks pretty, smells pretty (scented candles) and not think for a second what's underneath all the fake prettiness.

 

 

We looked at a house that was being flipped. They had all kinds of shiny cosmetic stuff, but they hadn't bothered to instal gutters on the outside!

[DawnM]

Well, if you are selling you really need to go with popular even if a few think it is ugly. I am not even sure what you consider ugly as you didn't state.

 

We have nothing hidden, but people are more than welcome to pull our permits!

 

I don't know that there are any other deal breakers. If it was all "renovated" but with the same exact granite countertops and ugly vanities of every other "flipped" house, I would be wary of what was hiding under all the ugly but supposedly brand spanking new renovation. I would much be aware of issues and fix them properly myself.

 

Then again, I am not like most home buyers. Most home buyers will gladly buy whatever looks pretty, smells pretty (scented candles) and not think for a second what's underneath all the fake prettiness.

So, your house will probably sell well if you redo an older bathroom with some generic looking but new cabinet etc :tongue_smilie: good luck selling your home!

[coffeefreak]

Do they really accomplish avoiding the neighbourhood going down in value though? I wonder - I've found they tend to really stifle any kind of changes that would bring improvement - their vision tends to be very narrow.

 

In our state they bring the values down. They nickle and dime the homeowners, do not hold up their end of the agreements (taking care of the front yards and the common areas), and then slap liens on houses that are "non-compliant." HOAs are the new Mafia protection rackets of the Suburbs.:glare:

[QueenCat]

Do they really accomplish avoiding the neighbourhood going down in value though? I wonder - I've found they tend to really stifle any kind of changes that would bring improvement - their vision tends to be very narrow.

 

Around here, yes. Homes in HOA neighborhoods sell higher than those not... With other things being equal (age/condition of home, school district, size, etc). Our HOA is not as rigid as others we've lived with though. Fences don't have to be approved- just must be wood and built with the ugly side in. Vegie gardens need to be in the backyard. No cars parked on the grass. Simple things that keep the neighborhood looking nice.

[QueenCat]

In our state they bring the values down. They nickle and dime the homeowners, do not hold up their end of the agreements (taking care of the front yards and the common areas), and then slap liens on houses that are "non-compliant." HOAs are the new Mafia protection rackets of the Suburbs.:glare:

 

Not here... The only thing you can get a lien for is non-payment of dues ($65/year). The dues have not gone up in the 6+ years we've been here. One special assessment for a major drainage issue. That was less than $50/home. No one drives around looking for violations. If one is reported, a gentle reminder is made. We don't tend to have many major issues, and they've been resolved fairly easily. In another home we lived in, in another state, it was stricter but the whole town was that way.

[macpuffins]

Most folks have spoken to many of the issues I would have in buying a new home, but I guess my take is rather different, and you should have seen our checklist when we started thinking about buying a home, many of them are things folks don't think of unless they have health issues:

 

would not buy a home with:

1] attached garage - too risky w/ fumes getting into the house, I'm already chemically injured by petrochemical fumes, don't need to be adding insult to that

2] mould/mildew or a bathroom w/o a fan

3] smoker's home

4] carpet

5] leaky basement

6] wiggly windows (winter sucks money out of a house, don't need it LITERALLY sucking it out too)

7] lawn care company that uses anything I can't eat or drink on the property

8] creosote or Wolmanized or other permeated wood product for a deck

9] anyone who can not or will not provide me w/ the specific product usage and dates of most recent usage for vermin eradication had better be certifying the lack of presence of those beasties!

10] recent paint unless a low-to-no VOC brand used, but I would prefer to do my own

11] cracks/grooves/etc in the tub surround materials - this one is non-negotiable unless they're willing to put in a completely new fixture & surround that doesn't require toxic glues/adhesives to seal! been nailed before.

12] storage of cologne in bathroom medicine cabinet, obvious copious use of bleaching agents, smelly candles, room freshener, etc. - then again, I can't even BE in those houses any real length of time, so the risk of buying one is limited.

13] another non-negotiable item - house MUST have 2 forms/sources of heating, at least 1 of which is independent of power.

14] dodgy electric system, drippy faucets, or dusty power junction box indoors; outside I want to see a nice, neat, power/phone/etc inlet area, not something that looks like "attack of the spaghetti monster"

15] no overhead lighting in rooms - our current living room is a black hole, even with 4 lights in it, pale green walls, white ceiling, etc. I don't care if the lights are switch-controlled, but they just have to WORK (or be easily made workable).

16] spare oil tanks in the house or on the property that aren't currently being used to provide heat (spent $500 getting one of THOSE removed from this house)

17] downwind from industrial things, OR an abattoir or pig farm!

18] seeing vermin traps on the property unless they are to catch a nuisance mammal-type critter!

 

things that do NOT detract:

1] in need of paint - no fumes there [post-1970s home though, so we don't worry about lead]

2] hardwood floors need some sanding/staining

3] no garage &/or gravel driveway

4] close to major thoroughfares is ok if there is a greenspace buffer, or it is at least 1km/0.6mi away!

5] removable storm windows and removable screen windows - some folks think it is a nuisance, but seriously, not so much!

6] anything I can sand, paint, scrape, crackfill, etc., not a problem, even bad wallpaper is no big deal!

7] if I can fix it w/ insulation, and simple draft-prevention techniques, I'm ok with it.

 

and things that ATTRACT:

1] lots of screaming kids in the neighbourhood

2] clotheslines

3] basketball/hockey/etc nets in ppl's driveways

4] dandelions :) we LIKE dandelions

5] falling down wood fence, tree stumps, etc... I prefer UNmanicured areas!

 

We currently live in a 46yo home, the one my hubby grew up in. We know the majority of the home's history of upgrades, defects, etc. We know it has not had to be fumigated for wriggly critters. We know there's no termites! We even knew which floorboards squeak! We know it doesn't flood, the basement is dry and does not leak, the attic is clean though dusty, and even if the fixtures were Harvest Gold, Avocado, or worse yet, Lilac, it wouldn't have mattered. :) Yeah, a couple places in the neighbourhood have HAD lilac fixtures in the loo!

We knew what things needed doing when we moved in, and some of the things would have been deal-breakers had the price not been so sweet, or the solutions not so easy. There is something to be said when you can eat your dandelions, rhubarb, and raspberries w/o fear of chemical residue :)

[Julie Smith]

I must say I have been finding this thread interesting, and enlightening to how most people (I assume most people) house hunt.

 

The long lists of some people are making has me wondering if we really aren't as rich as I think compared to the average american family. (I personally think we are very well to do :))

 

When dh gets a job we make sure we can afford to live close to his work before he accepts said job. We also make sure various things are also close by (Grocery, library ...)

 

Then we look for houses in our price range close enough to said work. That usually leaves us to pick from 1 to at most 3 houses.

[DawnM]

So far my husband's jobs are always in the heart of the city in the sky-rise section. The only places to live nearby are condos and apartments. No thank you. There are a few homes that have no yard at all, one car garage, and cost a fortune for the privilege of living in the downtown area.

 

 

 

I must say I have been finding this thread interesting, and enlightening to how most people (I assume most people) house hunt.

 

The long lists of some people are making has me wondering if we really aren't as rich as I think compared to the average american family. (I personally think we are very well to do :))

 

When dh gets a job we make sure we can afford to live close to his work before he accepts said job. We also make sure various things are also close by (Grocery, library ...)

 

Then we look for houses in our price range close enough to said work. That usually leaves us to pick from 1 to at most 3 houses.

[Julie Smith]

So far my husband's jobs are always in the heart of the city in the sky-rise section. The only places to live nearby are condos and apartments. No thank you. There are a few homes that have no yard at all, one car garage, and cost a fortune for the privilege of living in the downtown area.

 

I can understand that, my husband has gotten job offers in Toronto. He couldn't accept them since we couldn't afford living in the city.

 

As for living in a condo or apartment. As long as we could have a good place to store bikes that are safe and easy to use that would be fine with me.

 

City prices can be crazy.

 

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1160462--toronto-parking-garage-costs-more-than-a-car

[Scuff]

I must say I have been finding this thread interesting, and enlightening to how most people (I assume most people) house hunt.

 

The long lists of some people are making has me wondering if we really aren't as rich as I think compared to the average american family. (I personally think we are very well to do :))

 

When dh gets a job we make sure we can afford to live close to his work before he accepts said job. We also make sure various things are also close by (Grocery, library ...)

 

Then we look for houses in our price range close enough to said work. That usually leaves us to pick from 1 to at most 3 houses.

 

I think it might just be the sampling of responses. We're american and many of these posts describe our house. :lol:

[DawnM]

Yeah, we would not! We need a yard of some sort and adequate storage space.

 

Dawn

 

I can understand that, my husband has gotten job offers in Toronto. He couldn't accept them since we couldn't afford living in the city.

 

As for living in a condo or apartment. As long as we could have a good place to store bikes that are safe and easy to use that would be fine with me.

 

City prices can be crazy.

 

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1160462--toronto-parking-garage-costs-more-than-a-car

[Berta]

I would not buy a house that does not have a fireplace. We weathered a cold snap during a power outage and the fireplace was an absolute lifesaver.

[Happy]

Do they really accomplish avoiding the neighbourhood going down in value though? I wonder - I've found they tend to really stifle any kind of changes that would bring improvement - their vision tends to be very narrow.

 

They can. A neighborhood near me was hit hard by the crash a couple of years ago. Their HOA rules really kept the place from falling in the trash. Now that housing is making a comeback here, the neighborhood is really a terrific place.

 

I understand many people not wanting to live in an HOA. I used to be one of them. I live in an HOA now and while I don't love it, I see the value.

 

As far as out of control HOAs...Texas recently passed some wing clipping laws. That was a good thing.

[curlylocks]

Haven't read the whole thread...but I would *NEVER* buy a house that had carpeting in the bathroom. YUCK!

[BamaTanya]

Haven't read the whole thread...but I would *NEVER* buy a house that had carpeting in the bathroom. YUCK!

 

BTDT. It was the master bath, but with 5 dc, you can bet there was plenty of kidlet traffic in there. The overflowed toilet led to pulling it up THAT NIGHT. :glare:

[Audrey]

I must say I have been finding this thread interesting, and enlightening to how most people (I assume most people) house hunt.

 

The long lists of some people are making has me wondering if we really aren't as rich as I think compared to the average american family. (I personally think we are very well to do :))

 

When dh gets a job we make sure we can afford to live close to his work before he accepts said job. We also make sure various things are also close by (Grocery, library ...)

 

Then we look for houses in our price range close enough to said work. That usually leaves us to pick from 1 to at most 3 houses.

 

 

Actually, I have never house-hunted in my entire life. My house (which is not perfect but getting more perfect through our efforts) came with the farm, which came with the farmer, which came with my bout of complete insanity that brought me all the way out here for that thing called love. :D

[KungFuPanda]

Do they really accomplish avoiding the neighbourhood going down in value though? I wonder - I've found they tend to really stifle any kind of changes that would bring improvement - their vision tends to be very narrow.

 

In my area, when the housing market dropped, the HOA places dropped slower and less drastically. In a buyers market, people seemed to WANT all of those community amenities like landscaped pools and bike paths and a guarantee that your neighbor won't put cars on blocks in the front yard. Ours isn't really invasive though, but people do have to go through them to make exterior changes. It keeps you from living next to an orange house shaped like a shoe (Fun for the homeowner, but not for neighbors who want to sell their investment.)

 

 

In which case, I'll buy your house :-) It is the freshly painted unfinished basements that are suspect - our realtor told us beware as the paint could be covering mildew, water marks or other evidence of water seepage. So sellers should NOT freshen the paint in the basement - just everywhere else in the house.

 

 

I've never heard this. I can't imagine selling a house and NOT cleaning and freshening the paint on every part of the house.

[ThisIsTheDay]

Do they really accomplish avoiding the neighbourhood going down in value though? I wonder - I've found they tend to really stifle any kind of changes that would bring improvement - their vision tends to be very narrow.

 

It may depend on many factors. We sold an older, 50s style ranch home in an established neighborhood. A then-friend flipped because she lived in a nearby, new, planned development with very strict HOAs. Our house sold for about the same amount that hers was worth, although our square footage was significantly less, we had tiny bathrooms, dated appliances, single car garage, tiny galley kitchen, smaller bedrooms, etc.

 

I still can't believe how angry she was! She came and snuck one of our sale flyers when I was gone one day, because she didn't believe our asking price. A neighbor knew her and told me! (She was also very unhappy because she'd received notice from her HOA that they had to paint their home or suffer fines until they did.)

[DawnM]

And the truth is, I LOVE house hunting! I love looking at houses.

 

I would make a good house shower, but I hate sales or I would be a good realtor! ;)

[Pippen]

Haven't read the whole thread...but I would *NEVER* buy a house that had carpeting in the bathroom. YUCK!

 

I did. We ripped it out and put in vinyl flooring. My husband didn't understand why I was so insistent because he grew up with carpet in the bathroom, but when we had baby boys it became very clear.

[macpuffins]

I must say I have been finding this thread interesting, and enlightening to how most people (I assume most people) house hunt.

 

The long lists of some people are making has me wondering if we really aren't as rich as I think compared to the average american family. (I personally think we are very well to do :))

 

When dh gets a job we make sure we can afford to live close to his work before he accepts said job. We also make sure various things are also close by (Grocery, library ...)

 

Then we look for houses in our price range close enough to said work. That usually leaves us to pick from 1 to at most 3 houses.

 

We are average, standard-issue for our demographic in our area. We are fortunate to live in an area that has a reasonably low cost-of-living per sq foot for housing in many desirable areas. :) That being said, we are less than 2 miles form homes that reasonably sell for 3-5x our asking price; homes we would not consider because of their location, lack of trees, and fact they're less centrally located to the primary regions we frequent.

 

We can walk to everything but our church and hospital (both more than 1mi away at 7 and 2-ish respectively). My husband is a 5 minute walk to his work, as am I. When this house was built and shortly thereafter, many parts of the area developed in support of the new suburban areas. Over the last decade, the development in our portion of our city has been exponential; everything from new subdivisions, mini-malls, big-box stores, etc., have sprung up within a 5km/3.1mi range toward the northwest. As a result we are a 1-car family, and that reduces our income requirement significantly, and we only refill our Toyota Echo every 10d or so, depending on visits out of the area to visit hubby's folks.

Our community is currently NOT a public transit/alternative transit friendly area (bus service is on lockout, things don't look pretty, talks broken off again, etc), but even with traffic as it is, we can make it from one end of the tri-community area, to the extreme opposite in under 20 minutes, 30 during 'rush' periods or accounting for detours due to construction season. We are in a tri-community area of approx 125k people, with our primary city being about 65k, with 2 significant communities attached in a contiguous and interlinked manner.

 

A recent MLS listing search of our area, putting in our specifics in requirements, yielded roughly 40-50 in our price range, prior to having some culled from the list by an agent who knows more information than that placed in a listing. And given the laundry list I alluded to previously, we could reasonably expect to pay 10-25% more than the current value of our home. Most of the homes in that price range in our area (especially our immediate mini-subdivision) do NOT stay on the open market any real length of time. One of the houses on our street recently was sold within 3wks of placing it out. Another home, slightly less desirable due to having a couple more items needing work, is on the market, has been for about 10d, and we expect it to be sold before the end of the month.

 

BTW - Canadian, living in Moncton, NB: less than 45 minutes to the highest tides in the world, Nova Scotia, the warmest water north of VA, and the coldest water south of the Arctic Circle. We get more snow than any other community our size or larger in Canada (but we are barely a shadow in the rain department), we have a temperate northern maritime climate with 4 distinct seasons that can be intense, and vary between 8h15m of sun time in December to 15h45m in June. Low pollution index, high quality of living, and a culturally diverse, bilingual area that is economically diverse as well. :)

Edited July 11, 2012 by macpuffins
typo

[DawnM]

Or very yellow! :lol:

 

I did. We ripped it out and put in vinyl flooring. My husband didn't understand why I was so insistent because he grew up with carpet in the bathroom, but when we had baby boys it became very clear.

[LaxMom]

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