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I have lived near tracks and it really does negatively impact your life. While I didn't consciously hear the train every time, I felt so much better once I moved. I was more rested, more relaxed, etc.
Incidentally, everyone who visited me was annoyed by the train and I rarely had anyone spend the night specifically b/c of the train.
No overnight guests that sounds like a plus to me!!
I agree. HOA would be a dealbreaker, as would an overregulated city.
Cat pee is probably also a dealbreaker.
Cigarette tar/smoke/smell - I would have to love the house and it would have to be really cheap. more likely to buy if it has plaster walls, if drywall and a smoker, then I would only buy it if I was prepared to gut it and replace the drywall (and carpet)
There is a very wide range when it comes to HOAs - from intrusive HOAs which control the color of your front door, and whether or not you put a plant out on the porch, to ones which cost hundreds of dollars a month, to those like the ones I've been very happy with, which cost about $10 a month (for upkeep of common areas) and which simply enforce reasonable restrictions such as house size, structural changes needing to be approved before being implemented, and type of building materials, whether or not you can park an RV on the lot, number of dogs or cats people can legally own per house, whether or not a car can be left up on blocks or parked permanently on the street, etc.
Some restrictions protect property values and that's good for everyone in the neighborhood. And sometimes there are amenities like a neighborhood pool or tennis courts or parks which require some upkeep and hence some cost to the residents. I'm OK with that sort of HOA.
It's funny to read all these comments about an HOA being a deal breaker, when I wouldn't buy a residential property that WASN'T part of an HOA.
Now - property out in the country is a different matter, but come to think of it, I probably wouldn't buy property out in the country...
I would prefer no HOA, but they tend to be a fact of life in any newer development. The one I'm in now is pretty laid back. People park their RVs by the side of the house. The HOA president even complemented me on my walking my chocolate lab off leash, as he was petting her. Sometimes there are vehicles parked in the street and some people leave their vehicle in the driveway all the time. But the houses all look nice and there is no hint of trashiness. Contrast that to some of the more onerous rules, like no BBQ in your back yard, no pickup trucks allowed and everything has to be parked in the garage and if you walk your well behaved dog off leash people would freak out.
I would prefer no HOA, but they tend to be a fact of life in any newer development. The one I'm in now is pretty laid back. People park their RVs by the side of the house. The HOA president even complemented me on my walking my chocolate lab off leash, as he was petting her. Sometimes there are vehicles parked in the street and some people leave their vehicle in the driveway all the time. But the houses all look nice and there is no hint of trashiness. Contrast that to some of the more onerous rules, like no BBQ in your back yard, no pickup trucks allowed and everything has to be parked in the garage and if you walk your well behaved dog off leash people would freak out.
Oh I agree - I'd never buy in a neighborhood with an overly controlling HOA but a laid back HOA with minimal fees is something I consider a positive. I don't want my neighbors running a puppy mill out of their garage next door, or leaving junk cars up on blocks in the street, or parking their 18 wheeler or school bus out front.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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HOAs can change on a dime and that's the problem. My HOA started out extremely laid back and is now insane. Yup, I attend meetings and vote. Heck, I've even served on the board.
Never again will I buy into an HOA. I did not appreciate the true extent of their power until a neighbor had issues with ours. Things got so bad that, despite winning a court case, she still sold and moved. A lawsuit that the rest of the HOA members (including her) had to pay for, btw. I had no idea how few laws there are to protect you from an HOA.
a garage
3 bedrooms
decent back yard, best if fenced
bathroom on the ground floor
decent kitchen
dining room
Well we were adamant about having a bathroom and bedroom on the ground floor. Both of us had worked in a rehabilitation department at a hospital and saw plenty of traumatic accidents or health conditions that caused a person to not be able to climb stairs.
Ironically that is the one thing our house lacks - no shower or bedroom on the ground floor.
And, one thing that we really value but we didn't know about before we moved here was that it is a very tight-knit, friendly group of neighbors that all meet twice a year. It's a short street and that's the way it has been for many many years.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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Reputation: 9885
Quote:
Originally Posted by hhwtm
Had to have:
Well we were adamant about having a bathroom and bedroom on the ground floor. Both of us had worked in a rehabilitation department at a hospital and saw plenty of traumatic accidents or health conditions that caused a person to not be able to climb stairs.
I forgot that this is an absolute must in my next house. I think I may actually go for a rancher for those reasons. I injured my knee running and the stairs to our front door and to get to the upstairs were a huge problem for me.
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