which house is better ?

[abcde]

This thread is useless without pictures.

[jacob]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

On the other hand being backed up to retail that has parking lot lights on 24 hours a day can be a PITA! Especially during cricket season. YUCK! The stores, retailers and developers don't turn off the lights on the property for safety reasons. Those lights are brighter than the highway lights. You also have more freight traffic to deal w/ as most freight deliveries are done in the wee hours of the morning. If you back right up to the wall seperating your house from the retail center you could have 18 wheelers sitting there for hours on end running all night long. Not a thing you can do about it either. Then the issue of the smell w/ the dumpsters behind them and the rodents they attract. A plus being backed up to a walmart - YUCK! Not hardly.

What if the house doesn't back up to the retail. Instead the community retaining wall backs up to the retail. And the house is say 3 houses away on an inner street. From the house #1 in my post, retail parking lights are not visible. There is a bestbuy, homedepot, frys so probably there wont be a major dumpster / rodent issue. Right ?

[loves2read]

grand homes are not so grand
and why just these two homes--there are hundreds for sale

[RE Diva]

Jacob,

Why does it have to be limited to these 2 homes? Are you in situation where you need a home in a hurry? Neither of those 2 are particularly high on the re-sale list in buyer's minds. You'll hear feedback from other prospective buyers about either condition when you go to sell. However, is that what you're buying the home for? How long do you want to live there? Every home has its right buyer. It'd also help to know if this is in Plano, Frisco, Irving, Keller, Trophy Club?

I would encourage you to do your due diligence on Grand Homes. It surprises me that in a new construction n-hood they would not be burying cables and you would be able to see power lines.

As long as the retail is nice and well maintained, that should not be a detracting feature - esp. since you do not back up directly to them. There are many communities with this type of situation.

My mom sells very high end/expensive patio homes and had 4 backing up the Dallas North Tollway that had no backyard & the home was very close to the brick fence. They put a "water feature" in each of the backyards - fountain or something where the water moved. She sold all 4 of them w/in 6 weeks in a down market.

Happy to help,
T. Hayley

[loves2read]

where are your working and is that likely to change in the short term future--as in 2-3 years?
do you have children and is that likely to change anytime soon

[jacob]

this is in irving. in coppell school district.

comparison is between emerald valley (house 1) and grand homes (house 2)

[rosscountry]

location is important whether its under a powerline or near the freeway.
You should also take a serious look at the overall development.
New construction tends to mean young trees and a construction zone for the next couple of years so you should ask yourself how long do you plan to stay. You will get the best resale out of a more mature looking community. There are plenty new construction communities all over DFW so there is more competition for you when its time to sell.

Being close to retail by some is considered an amenity(for those of us who like the suburb feel but have the need to be a small walk away from retail). being under a powerline specifically to me is a big turn off.

Having quick access to the freeway is not such a bad thing either considering how long it takes to get out of some of these subdivisions just to get to one of the main free ways. I am sure plenty can relate to taking 20 minutes just to get to the free way to start your 30 minute freeway/tollway commute in the morning

With the way the current issues are in Dallas (traffic, commute times, gas) having a place nearby the freeway may actually be a big plus.

Also the power lines could be an eye sore.

Then again the power lines could be gone in a few years as some areas are putting them underground to.

good luck - buy low sell high