Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My husband just got a job in Buffalo and we will be moving to one of the suburbs with a good school district (I've done lots of research here already).
I am wondering what things a homebuyer would need to be aware of in the area? For instance, where I am now we have termites and you need to look for damage/infestation and have a termite contract, etc.
What do we need to be aware of around Buffalo? Sinkholes, termites, snakes, bears etc?
I've never heard of anything bear, snake, sinkhole, or termite related. The only persistent problem I've heard of is foundation problems in Amherst. That is because they built houses on swamp land and some houses weren't built for it. Others that were built for it need to have their foundations wet at all times. When there is a dry season like there was a few years ago, people seem to be unaware and their foundations dried up and cracked. Other than than that there are houses that are built too close to creeks and there is always flooding or erosion that causes the houses to slip in. Good luck.
Start by looking for a house on a high lot or where there a hill; avoid areas close to big creeks. Even our little creeks will flood out of the banks on a really wet rain or snowmelt. If you can and are looking now, look at low spots in the property, or grass which is really wet and definitley look at basement walls for signs of wetness. look in the sump pump hole; we are in an area near a creek, but our sump in laced across w/ spider webs... a pretty good clue it doesn't flood into a basement. I would also look for mold in basements and baths. We have snakes; a neighbor got a few in her basement and had a professional remove them. It is unusual to see anything other than garter or milk snakes. We do have bear and coyote and all other animals -- the bear and coyote are mostly away from people. The deer will eat anything. I haven't heard of termites in 40 years, but we do get the carpenter ants and we get carpenter/boring bees: they bore tunnels into posts. Have a professional look for them in spring. There are no big "sinkholes" but several roads have lost dirt into creeks and have lane closures - personally, I would avoid living next to any big creek.
Other things to look for? Lots of insulation. Good venting for bath and kitchen and -- if you have one -- woodstove or fireplace. Get a home inspector. A newer ( hi - efficiency furnace); gas heat & stove and dryer (cheaper).
Any thought something might not be "right", get a home inspector and also a pest inspection. Everyone does the first; not too many do the second.
I would just worry about the houses sinking into the ground, otherwise, you'll have your pick of 50's-60's era housing
With the exception of the Ken-Ton area the vast majority of suburban homes have been built since 1970. In Amherst alone 1,836 new single family homes were constructed from 2000 - 2009. For Niagara County as a whole 20% of all homes have been built since 1980 and fully one third of the housing units have been built since 1970. If you exclude Niagara Falls well over 50% of the homes in the County have been built since 1970. For some towns such as Clarence, Lancaster, Wheatfield and Lockport most have been built since 1980.
If you are really looking for a home from the 50's and 60's you best bet would have to be the Ken-Ton area and perhaps parts of Cheektowaga
Thank you all for the great information. I think we're narrowing our search to Grand Island, hoping to check it out before it starts snowing there. I appreciate all the input so far!
Thank you all for the great information. I think we're narrowing our search to Grand Island, hoping to check it out before it starts snowing there. I appreciate all the input so far!
Wonderful stable town with a slowly growing population, 3% increase estimated for the 2000-2010 period. FWIW 1,019 (14%) of its 7,300 housing units have been built since 1996.
Most of the native wildlife has been exterminated in the suburbs though deer are making a curious comeback in Buffalo itself as vast areas have been bulldozed or abandoned. Be very careful if choosing first ring suburbs, especially Cheektowaga. The decay of the eastside of Buffalo has accelerated into Cheektowaga and the schools that were once ok (Cheektowaga Central, Maryvale)are becoming increasingly questionable. As with any neighborhood, do a nightime drive-by to get a feel for the area. Amherst has some nice neighborhoods but you have to remember that many of those homes were built over drained swamps and wetlands, thus sinking foundations can be an issue. I wouldn't consider Buffalo itself, HUGE decay issues in neighborhoods. Buffalo and its first ring suburbs have much in common with Detroit and its suburbs. Be careful.
If you're a regular viewer of HGTV, and are moving to Buffalo from a housing market where granite countertops and stainless steel appliances are the norm, you'll be in for a shock in Buffalo. Compared to other parts of the country, the interiors of houses in Buffalo are more likely to very dated. Why?
* People don't want to spend $40K to renovate a $150K house (which might be worth twice or three times as much in another part of the country).
* Buffalo has a very large population of senior citizens. To them, harvest gold countertops, avocado green appliances and pink tile bathrooms are perfectly up-to-date.
* Buffalo still has a strong blue-collar culture, and many people find things that are ornate and "fancy" to have great visual appeal. You'll see a LOT of houses that are "mobbed up", as one of my friends puts it, much like in some parts of Staten Island.
Buffalo is NOT a mini-Detroit. I'm not some blind Buffalo booster, but when you hear someone say that Buffalo and Detroit are one and the same, they're way off the mark. Buffalo still has a sizable middle-class, vibrant neighborhoods, ethnic diversity, old money communities, and the like. There are parts of Buffalo that look like Detroit (the East Side outside of Kaisertown, Lovejoy, and Treehaven; run-down former heavy industrial areas), but such areas make up a much smaller part of Buffalo than of Detroit.
Duly noted on the outdated interiors there! We aren't afraid of doing our own renovations, and will probably end up in a suburb anyway so maybe won't find so many things "mobbed up".
The Buffalo area really seems like a good opportunity for us, despite all the bashing. We won't be living in downtown Buffalo, or anywhere near, and my husband was lucky to secure a great job, so we're actually excited about it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
etc?
