What are you thinking about?

[minutemancl]

2 minutes ago, naptownskinsfan said:

A surprise house hit the market, and we’re looking today.  Probably able to come in with 44% down payment, and able to leverage home equity to make it not contingent on us selling our current house, which I have no concern over because it’s a water front, highly sought-after community.  

But…….we are getting tired of some of the neighbors in and around the community.  We live in between two hoarders- one serious, and one that might just be a junk collector.  Across the street, the neighbors are about ready to sell, and I see a monstrosity being built in their old beach home.  We still really like our house despite those things, but this is an opportunity we can’t pass up. 

This doesn’t change the calculus for time heading to work, is closer to our church and puts us in a better public school system for our future kids.  It’s also slightly more square feet, 2.3 acres instead of .6, a pool, and is well off the road and private.  I know the person selling the house too- she’s 80, and she and her husband built the house in 1978 but she’s finally downsizing.  Monthly payment goes up $800-ish, but we are planning to use some of the equity to wipe out our car payments and my wife’s student loans which more than covers that in minimum payments.  

Can never underestimate the impact neighbors have on your life. My wife and I moved into what we planto be our forever home just a few weeks ago. We love the house, the land, the school district and location, but we had no idea how great our neighbors were. We just hung out with them last weekend (they invited us over for a pool day) and they're awesome. Both next door neighbors are nice, down to earth, normal people with kids similar in age to our kid. Makes us feel even happier and more secure in our purchase.

Go get that upgrade and get away from the hoarders.

[naptownskinsfan]

28 minutes ago, minutemancl said:

Can never underestimate the impact neighbors have on your life. My wife and I moved into what we planto be our forever home just a few weeks ago. We love the house, the land, the school district and location, but we had no idea how great our neighbors were. We just hung out with them last weekend (they invited us over for a pool day) and they're awesome. Both next door neighbors are nice, down to earth, normal people with kids similar in age to our kid. Makes us feel even happier and more secure in our purchase.

Go get that upgrade and get away from the hoarders.

Yeah, we would be the only neighbors around, and while we are slightly off an artery road, the house is fully fenced, with plenty of trees and is private for us.  

[MWil23]

@naptownskinsfan our last neighbor was also a hoarder, to the point of where he kept, in his words, “2 backup water heaters” in his backyard. You read that correctly.

If you wonder what their place looks like 5 and 1/2 years after we moved, well the people who bought our place built an 8 foot privacy fence as overkill.

[D82]

I don't want neighbors ever, ever again. 

When my husband and I go to buy hopefully in a year or two, I want a house on acreage with the closest neighbor at least a mile or two away. 

[MikeT14]

I get that it's always YMMV and that you could be screwed like a lot of you were, but I wish I was closer to my neighbors - in age, relationship, interests, etc. I live in an older neighborhood and it's not turning over that quickly. I kinda wish I lived in a younger suburban neighborhood where neighbors hung out more.

[minutemancl]

2 minutes ago, MikeT14 said:

I get that it's always YMMV and that you could be screwed like a lot of you were, but I wish I was closer to my neighbors - in age, relationship, interests, etc. I live in an older neighborhood and it's not turning over that quickly. I kinda wish I lived in a younger suburban neighborhood where neighbors hung out more.

That's exactly where I am now, and it rules.

You know what else rules? Libraries. Every town should have a really good library. Ours is great- it constantly has free events for kids of all ages, a huge selection of DVD rentals, and they even offer 'museum passes' which basically function as free admission for a ton of museums that are close by. I understand that advertising for your local library just isn't a thing that is done, but it really should be more prevalent as the 3rd place for a lot of people. I know where I'm going the next time my internet goes out and I'm working from home.

[MikeT14]

8 minutes ago, minutemancl said:

That's exactly where I am now, and it rules.

You know what else rules? Libraries. Every town should have a really good library. Ours is great- it constantly has free events for kids of all ages, a huge selection of DVD rentals, and they even offer 'museum passes' which basically function as free admission for a ton of museums that are close by. I understand that advertising for your local library just isn't a thing that is done, but it really should be more prevalent as the 3rd place for a lot of people. I know where I'm going the next time my internet goes out and I'm working from home.

I don't think I've been to a library since like 2017 lol. Good point.

[MKnight82]

40 minutes ago, MikeT14 said:

I kinda wish I lived in a younger suburban neighborhood where neighbors hung out more.

Gotta move to the fan bro

[MikeT14]

2 minutes ago, MKnight82 said:

Gotta move to the fan bro

If I moved to the city, I'd go closer to Cary than the Fan. Or more north by Bryan Park. West would have it's options too. But not the Fan

My sister is over there now though, near lamplighter. She likes it. I'm only like 8-10 minutes from downtown anyway. It's all good. Quicker to get to the Fan than to parts of Midlo.

[MKnight82]

13 minutes ago, MikeT14 said:

If I moved to the city, I'd go closer to Cary than the Fan. Or more north by Bryan Park. West would have it's options too. But not the Fan

My sister is over there now though, near lamplighter. She likes it. I'm only like 8-10 minutes from downtown anyway. It's all good. Quicker to get to the Fan than to parts of Midlo.

I live in the fan. I walk outside with my 5 year old and he has like 10 kids to play with instantly. Its great.

[naptownskinsfan]

5 hours ago, minutemancl said:

That's exactly where I am now, and it rules.

You know what else rules? Libraries. Every town should have a really good library. Ours is great- it constantly has free events for kids of all ages, a huge selection of DVD rentals, and they even offer 'museum passes' which basically function as free admission for a ton of museums that are close by. I understand that advertising for your local library just isn't a thing that is done, but it really should be more prevalent as the 3rd place for a lot of people. I know where I'm going the next time my internet goes out and I'm working from home.

Our local library is pretty great, it’s right down the street and will host all types of events, community meetings, etc.  There is even a branch at the big shopping mall designed specifically as a kid-friendly space.  

[naptownskinsfan]

7 hours ago, MWil23 said:

@naptownskinsfan our last neighbor was also a hoarder, to the point of where he kept, in his words, “2 backup water heaters” in his backyard. You read that correctly.

If you wonder what their place looks like 5 and 1/2 years after we moved, well the people who bought our place built an 8 foot privacy fence as overkill.

I believe that, that is actually an item of discussion that we’ve talked about but I don’t think he is long for the neighborhood though.  But it’s not pretty over there, it’s been cleaned out once by his brother and I think it’s filling up again.  

[naptownskinsfan]

Offer is in, now we wait.  It was only the second day of showings and my cousin/agent said they’re pretty booked Thursday and Friday.  

We went a little over asking with officially 33% down, and the finances ended up with a contingent offer.  We also put in a closing date almost two months away, which was a request they were hoping for.  They have A LOT of stuff to move out of the house- I know the owner, and she’s basically allowed one of her kids to live there for 6-8 years, with two of her own kids, and the rooms upstairs are full of stuff.  Additionally, it looks like one of the daughter/kids runs some kind of business out of the house based off the amount of fake flowers in there.  

The 2.3 acres haven’t been well maintained since the husband passed away, especially along the fence line, but the yard is clear.  Once they get rid of their stuff, I think it would be great for us.  My only fear is that a developer/rehabber has the cash to make the deal, as well as give them the same two month waiting period, to totally re-do the house/grounds and try to double the return.  

[minutemancl]

11 hours ago, naptownskinsfan said:

There is even a branch at the big shopping mall designed specifically as a kid-friendly space.  

Oh I love that.

Malls have been dying since COVID, and I think they represent such an opportunity to do something cool. I know real estate developers have 0 imagination and 0 interest in doing anything besides making as much money as possible, but I imagine turning these giant, dead malls into apartment complexes with giant shared communal spaces, or giant kid friendly spaces like you mentioned, and I get so excited. There's opportunities there to do some really cool, really helpful and useful things.

[naptownskinsfan]

8 hours ago, naptownskinsfan said:

Offer is in, now we wait.  It was only the second day of showings and my cousin/agent said they’re pretty booked Thursday and Friday.  

We went a little over asking with officially 33% down, and the finances ended up with a contingent offer.  We also put in a closing date almost two months away, which was a request they were hoping for.  They have A LOT of stuff to move out of the house- I know the owner, and she’s basically allowed one of her kids to live there for 6-8 years, with two of her own kids, and the rooms upstairs are full of stuff.  Additionally, it looks like one of the daughter/kids runs some kind of business out of the house based off the amount of fake flowers in there.  

The 2.3 acres haven’t been well maintained since the husband passed away, especially along the fence line, but the yard is clear.  Once they get rid of their stuff, I think it would be great for us.  My only fear is that a developer/rehabber has the cash to make the deal, as well as give them the same two month waiting period, to totally re-do the house/grounds and try to double the return.  

Got word that they went with another offer.  They don’t know the details but suspect the offer wasn’t contingent on the sale of the other party’s house.  Them’s the breaks.