Power Lines in Steiner Ranch, deal breaker or no big deal? (Dallas: cul-de-sac, sales)

[JLO]

Hi Everyone:

I have transfered from the Dallas forum to the Austin forum. My husband received an opportunity in Austin that we just couldn't refuse. So, I received much needed advice regarding Dallas, but now need some help in Austin.

I have 2 kids. One is 4 (going into pre-k or kindergarten, still on the fence), and a stepson who's 14 and going into high school. We need to act fast and buy soon. I have done all of the research.

We bid on a house in Spicewood Estates in the wonderful RR school district (Spicewood EL, Westwood) but the home was at the top of our price range ($400K and needed extensive fixes which the seller refused.)

Now I am back to looking again. The big criteria ... I want good schools and a pool. I found a listing in Steiner Ranch (love the lot sizes in the old section) but it backs up to power lines. You can't see them from the pool in the yard, but the home has extensive upper decking (with lake views ... uhhh, through the power lines).

Calling all realtors ... what are your thoughts on resale? I know power lines are a no, no. But, the house is beautiful, the pool is spectacular but you can see the hills, Lake Travis, and the powerlines. Should I bother? We need a house to resell if necessary. I learned my lesson well here in Dallas ... you never know what to expect as life has a funny way of throwing you a curve ball. Given the state of the economy ... I want to make a wise choice.

Can't afford to put in a pool. Need to have it under the mortgage. Brokers aren't doing that now. Any suggestions?

Can I get away with the Power Lines on a resale? They don't bother me. They are far enough away. But, I need an arguement for my husband as to whether or not to consider this home.

Thanks

[gigi927]

I think it depends on how far away the power lines are, first and foremost. Some of those houses in the old part of Steiner have power lines pretty much on the back property line or just beyond. Those I would never personally buy (I am a realtor on inactive status, and hubby is an active realtor) regardless of view, what the house looked like, etc. If they are waayyyyy off in the distance, like across a canyon, not as big a deal IMO.

Second - how do the power lines affect the views from both outside and inside the house? if you look out from the kitchen or family room and the power lines are hanging right there cutting through the view - I would stay away. In other words, do you first notice the view, or first notice the power lines?

Third - what level of power line are we talking about? The ones with the ugly giant metal towers, or telephone lines? People seem to be much more tolerant of the smaller telephone lines than the lines from the big old towers.

As far as resale, well, every house can eventually sell given the right price and right situation, but just realize that your pool of buyers will be significantly smaller, your time to sell may be longer and your sales price may be affected. Only you can answer whether you are comfortable taking those risks just to have the pool and view. Good luck.

[JLO]

Thank you so much gigi927 for your candor. VERY much appreciated. Needed a second opinion. Thanks

[Trainwreck20]

Power lines are like railroad tracks.....you get the house a bit cheaper, and you sell it for a bit cheaper .

[AustinTexan]

I'd stay away from homes close to power lines. In our old neighborhood, there was a power station and power lines on the opposite side of the street and the neighbors all pitched in and had some company come out to test the "radio activity" of the power lines and from what I remember, it was not good. Supposedly, there was a tv special (20/20 or Primetime) that investigated power lines and how they can affect your health and I don't exactly remember, but I know they talked about cancer rates increasing for those who lived close to power lines. One of the neighbors did in fact develop stomach cancer and died rather abruptly. Since then, most of the people on that side of the street have moved elsewhere. I'm not trying to persuade you not to buy your dream home, but if I had kids, I wouldn't be taking the chance.

[dfarmer002]

Ill throw in on the power line discussion....Id agree and say stay away from them as it is an eyesore and was an automatic deal breaker for us when moving to steiner a year ago. Location, location, location.. that includes powerlines, backing to busy roads, etc.

However, in Steiner there is enough on the market at that price point I would think you could find a non-power line home and likely on a greenbelt/canyon.

[datacity]

Originally Posted by dfarmer002

Ill throw in on the power line discussion....Id agree and say stay away from them as it is an eyesore and was an automatic deal breaker for us when moving to steiner a year ago. Location, location, location.. that includes powerlines, backing to busy roads, etc.

However, in Steiner there is enough on the market at that price point I would think you could find a non-power line home and likely on a greenbelt/canyon.

Two things to note if you believe that power lines have a negative effect on your health:

1) The higher the voltage, the more likely there is an effect; so if you have a stepped down power line (wood pole or steel), it has a lower impact than the really high voltage lines that transmit power regionally and/or across states.

2) Distance affects the impact too so the further you are the better. However, note that most research in the past indicates measurable effects as far as a mile or more, so even if you are not right next to them, you are still impacted by them. Indeed, many people will live close enough to some power line.

However, if you have line right behind you, the view is another consideration of course. it is ugly to have giant lines in view from your backyard. One can also argue that if there is a harmful effect from high voltage electricity, it might be just as bad or worse to be close to an electrical substation.

For a balanced opinion on this matter:

The Straight Dope: Electrifying: Is living under power lines harmful to your health?

[mm57553]

I live in Steiner, probably not far from the house you are talking about. We back up to a greenbelt, and there are power lines behind our house. Frankly, we never even notice them. We are on a hill, so the lines are higher up. We can only see them out of our guest bedroom window.

And as far as safety goes, just because you can't see something, doesn't mean they're not there. A lot of lines are buried nowadays, so you may be near power lines and not even know it.

The cul-de-sac, greenbelt, and large lot far outweighed the power lines. They have really been a non-issue for us.