More real estate whining.

[Carrie12345]

Background refresher: There’s almost nothing in our market that meets our family’s needs, forget wants. We’re still investigating building, but even land is limited and the whole thing stretches our budget.

So we saw a house today that checks almost all of our needs. Except the kitchen remodel they did just 3 years ago chopped the downstairs layout into tiny spaces!!! It was a major remodel, including moving plumbing and electric, and even adding support beams to stick it smack in the middle of one side of the house. RE-remodeling at this price point isn’t reasonable. So no roomy dining space for future guests/partners/grandbabies, and no big living area for lounging as a crowd.

And yet, the upstairs, finished attic, basement area, yard... oh, it’s so good. 🤯.

Other people must be having the same issue, because there are no offers yet (but a bunch of appointments this week.) It’s been on the market for a few weeks, which is an anomaly.

I know so many people are into downsizing as kids grow, and reject open floor plans, but I want family to come and congregate. And a few select friends, lol.

I should just forget about it, right?  Right???

[Jenny in Florida]

All I can tell you is that we have adamantly refused to consider anything that isn't a single story, because both of us have knee/joint issues and we aren't getting any younger. 

Today, we are about to put in an offer on a two-story house that is nearly double the square footage we've been looking at, because it otherwise checks all of the "needs" and most of the "wants." It's in our price range (barely), and the location is good. And none of the things I would ultimately want to do (painting a few rooms, for example) absolutely need to get done before we could move in.

We realized at some point this week that we were going to have to learn to love a house that wasn't "perfect."

[mommyoffive]

16 minutes ago, Jenny in Florida said:

All I can tell you is that we have adamantly refused to consider anything that isn't a single story, because both of us have knee/joint issues and we aren't getting any younger. 

Today, we are about to put in an offer on a two-story house that is nearly double the square footage we've been looking at, because it otherwise checks all of the "needs" and most of the "wants." It's in our price range (barely), and the location is good. And none of the things I would ultimately want to do (painting a few rooms, for example) absolutely need to get done before we could move in.

We realized at some point this week that we were going to have to learn to love a house that wasn't "perfect."

Good luck.

Good advice.

[mommyoffive]

55 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

Background refresher: There’s almost nothing in our market that meets our family’s needs, forget wants. We’re still investigating building, but even land is limited and the whole thing stretches our budget.

So we saw a house today that checks almost all of our needs. Except the kitchen remodel they did just 3 years ago chopped the downstairs layout into tiny spaces!!! It was a major remodel, including moving plumbing and electric, and even adding support beams to stick it smack in the middle of one side of the house. RE-remodeling at this price point isn’t reasonable. So no roomy dining space for future guests/partners/grandbabies, and no big living area for lounging as a crowd.

And yet, the upstairs, finished attic, basement area, yard... oh, it’s so good. 🤯.

Other people must be having the same issue, because there are no offers yet (but a bunch of appointments this week.) It’s been on the market for a few weeks, which is an anomaly.

I know so many people are into downsizing as kids grow, and reject open floor plans, but I want family to come and congregate. And a few select friends, lol.

I should just forget about it, right?  Right???

Could you add on to get the space for the dinning room? Is the basement finished in a way that you could use it as the gathering space? 

If everything else is awesome, I think I would learn to be ok with some part that isn't.  We were looking for land during the summer and every piece there was something we didn't like.  I finally realized we would have be ok with not the perfect location.  We are not going to get perfect in our price range. 

[kristin0713]

I am so with you. Except that I need some spaces for my family to get away from each other, not a huge open floor plan. But I do want a sizable kitchen and family room for hosting holidays. 

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, Carrie12345 said:

 

I know so many people are into downsizing as kids grow, and reject open floor plans, but I want family to come and congregate. And a few select friends, lol.

I do like open floor plans because they are generally more wheelchair friendly. My mom needs a wheelchair, my husband’s late grandma needed a wheelchair. Air circulation is another thing that makes us prefer open floor plans.

[Carrie12345]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

Could you add on to get the space for the dinning room? I

Is it physically possible? Yes.

Is it financially possible? Well... maybe someday. It’d definitely push the overall cost beyond our budget today. And I’d still want to remodel the kitchen (cosmetically) someday. The current owners’ taste is much different from mine, but at least that doesn’t impact function. 

[prairiewindmomma]

Real estate season doesn’t really begin until late March. Hang in there.

[Carrie12345]

39 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Real estate season doesn’t really begin until late March. Hang in there.

It’s not due to the season. Inventory is down more than 30% in the NE compared to this *same* time last year, and even more in our specific location. 

[Arcadia]

53 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Real estate season doesn’t really begin until late March. Hang in there.

We are wondering how California’s eviction moratorium extended through June 30, 2021 would affect our local supply. We are seeing less homes available than last year before COVID. 

[JustEm]

The NE real estate market is a HUGE sellers market because of the low inventory.  We are selling a house in the spring or summer and are hoping in our area inventory stays low.  But for your area  hope everyone decides to list their houses so you find something

[prairiewindmomma]

Our inventory is down 30-40% as well, but even still....those that are thinking of selling this year are planning to list in spring.

We're kind of waiting to see what happens when the mortgage forbearances start to expire and when unemployment stops being extended. I think we'll see more of a jump there than in the eviction moratorium for rentals.  Downtown luxury apartments are already opening up---it's houses in the 'burbs where things are hot.  

 

 

[Starr]

Think creatively how would you socialize in the small spaces. If you really can't see it happening then maybe this isn't the house for you. 

[Carrie12345]

We officially passed, and it hurt! But I’m also pretty proud of myself, lol. The market has made me feel desperate even though I know that moving is a (desperate) want, not an absolute need. I know I’m susceptible to making a regrettable choice, but I’ve proven some strength!
 

But, oh, those bedrooms!!! 😣

[mommyoffive]

Ugh that stinks.  I hope you find the house that fits all your wants. 

[Jenny in Florida]

5 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

We officially passed, and it hurt! But I’m also pretty proud of myself, lol. The market has made me feel desperate even though I know that moving is a (desperate) want, not an absolute need. I know I’m susceptible to making a regrettable choice, but I’ve proven some strength!
 

But, oh, those bedrooms!!! 😣

We've faced a couple of those close calls, too. We have twice put our realtor through the hassle of prepping offer paperwork, only to decide not to sign after we think about it overnight. We are also trying not to give in to desperation and over-pay or buy something we end up regretting. This is our first time at the house-buying rodeo, and we plan for it to be the last. Whatever we buy is supposed to be the forever home, where we can retire and age in place. 

It's not easy.

[matrips]

11 hours ago, Jenny in Florida said:

We've faced a couple of those close calls, too. We have twice put our realtor through the hassle of prepping offer paperwork, only to decide not to sign after we think about it overnight. We are also trying not to give in to desperation and over-pay or buy something we end up regretting. This is our first time at the house-buying rodeo, and we plan for it to be the last. Whatever we buy is supposed to be the forever home, where we can retire and age in place. 

It's not easy.

If this is your retire and age in place home, then I do suggest you wait for a one story.  Unless the home has a first floor master suite.  

[Laura Corin]

3 hours ago, matrips said:

If this is your retire and age in place home, then I do suggest you wait for a one story.  Unless the home has a first floor master suite.  

We bought two storey,  but I  insisted on all essentials on the ground floor - bedroom, sitting room, shower room, kitchen/diner, utility, sunroom.  If we become unable to use the stairs, the upstairs becomes the guest suite, or we can rent it out.

[Jenny in Florida]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

We bought two storey,  but I  insisted on all essentials on the ground floor - bedroom, sitting room, shower room, kitchen/diner, utility, sunroom.  If we become unable to use the stairs, the upstairs becomes the guest suite, or we can rent it out.

We are currently negotiating for a two-story, but the master suite, kitchen, living and dining rooms, etc., are all on the first floor.

The second floor has additional bedrooms--which would be our home offices and hobby spaces--and a bonus room that would be a home theatre and kitchenette. There would also be a guest room.

The idea is that we would be able to spend large chunks of time on each floor, minimizing the number of times in a day that we need to go up and down the stairs.

Basically, after looking at a fair number of houses, we realized it was going to be very difficult to find everything we wanted in a house on a single story.

Edited February 19, 2021 by Jenny in Florida