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Yes, we are coming up to look at houses in a couple of weeks around Babylon/West Islip. What I see online in the igh 400's is making me a little ill. I mean, does anyone up there EVER update their house?!?
Maybe it will be different when we see some of these homes "in person" but I'm afraid most of these homes were decorated when "Welcome Back Kotter" was a prime time hit.
Maybe it will be different when we see some of these homes "in person" but I'm afraid most of these homes were decorated when "Welcome Back Kotter" was a prime time hit.
What, you got something against avocado green and harvest gold?
It seems to me that some of you who are either buying for the first time, or buying on LI for the first time, think $400K/house is outrageously high. If you think that it's at the top of your budget, IMHO you need to look other than on LI. Actually, $400K is the low end here.
If you want a house to look totally redone, or completely new, then buy a new house. But I doubt you're going to find a new, polished house with all the bells and whistles on LI for $400K, unless it's in a questionable area.
I just put in 2 new full bathrooms a couple of years ago and they ran us $45K. They are not gorgeous, spa bathrooms that are say 14 X 17, like on HGTV. They are standard size bathrooms - large enough to hold a separate stall shower and tub in one, and the other has an over-the-tub shower. Everything was gutted (no cheating, no doing a new ceiling over an old one), new plumbing, new electric. Not bottom of the line either. But not Hans Grohe - just Kohler and American Standard. $45K is a fortune to us. And yet people will be looking at our house in a few weeks and probably complain about the color, or there's no steam shower, or they're too small, etc.
I don't have $75K to do over what would be considered our out-of-date kitchen - ours was done over 18 years ago and the colors aren't "in" anymore.
We did have our front yard landscaped professionally last year to the tune of $7500. We did put in a new front door and storm door, we have to put in a new chimney because the one we had installed 5 years ago now leaks (thanks to gold ol' American industry and shoddy workmanship - something that's hard to escape on LI).
We are painting a good deal of the house now. We can't hire painters because we can't afford them. We also can't afford to put in all new windows, all new carpeting, new garage doors, etc.
To all the buyers out there (particularly first timers who have no clue): it costs a fortune to keep a house looking like HGTV. And keep in mind on those shows, most of the flip-this-house-type shows have free labor, and that's where the savings on the show are.
So, the next time you go to an open house and see the carpeting that has seen better days, ask yourself this: if you were the owner who is selling, would you invest $10K on new carpeting that the new owner will probably tear out because they don't like the color? (We've had that happen already in the past.) Do you have $10K to invest in anything? Or are you just trying to get as much as you can wrench out of the seller?
Andrea, Im glad to see that you had the money to purchase a home greater than $400. Kudos for you! But being 30 years old and only having one income we have no choice but to keep a budget of $425 or as you put it buy "on the low end ". And you can bet your as$ that Im trying to get the best deal possible! Who wouldnt??
So, the next time you go to an open house and see the carpeting that has seen better days, ask yourself this: if you were the owner who is selling, would you invest $10K on new carpeting that the new owner will probably tear out because they don't like the color? (We've had that happen already in the past.) Do you have $10K to invest in anything? Or are you just trying to get as much as you can wrench out of the seller?
I can see your point about a homeowner investing money in updates to a house the new owners may just rip out. When my parents sold their house in Floral park in 2000, the kitchen was probably 3-5 years old at most. My parents had updated the cabinets, appliances, etc. The bathroom was also completely re-done ata some point in the mid 90s. The people who bought the house threw all the appliances out because they wanted stainless steel appliances. They also ripped up all of the carpet which was not brand new but certainly not terrible in favor of wall to wall white carpeting. We never understood this but to each his own. The house was a high ranch. I do not know what they did to anything else. I wish I knew they were doing this with the appliances as I would have taken the basically brand new fridge, stove and dishwasher. Our old neighbor told us the stuff was out to the curb shortly after they moved in. So I can see what your saying. I think right now though, its not the granite countertops or the walk in closets or any of that stuff. I think its a bit more of an issue or at least tougher for people to accept or swallow the imperfections of houses today because the values are much higher than they were even 5 years ago, yet the house is basically the same. I think its just a justification issue at this point so there is a lot of balking and knit-picking. I think thats what I think of when I look around--I see houses that are the same as they have been for quite some time, yet the prices are so much more in a shorter time frame. The same cape that was 225K is now maybe closer to 500K. Its tough for people to accept that for whatever reason, the land the house is on and the town the house is in have increased in value or desire--not necessarily the house on this land. Therefore, you get whats on top just to get whats underneath. However, its all at a higher rate that makes the perception and the reality out of whack. Does that make sense? Thats just something I notice.
Andrea, Im glad to see that you had the money to purchase a home greater than $400. Kudos for you! But being 30 years old and only having one income we have no choice but to keep a budget of $425 or as you put it buy "on the low end ". And you can bet your as$ that Im trying to get the best deal possible! Who wouldnt??
Hey roc-
Im in the same boat as you. 30 years old and a budget that I would like to be right in line with yours. Except I have a house in northeast FL I'm in now and I'm working down here, but with a fiancee up on LI and our wedding in the Fall up there. This scenario, due to many variables will affect my abilities to purchase a home in the short term. If the 400s is truly the "low end", you'll have company as I'll be slumming it with you LOL (no pun intended)
Good luck.
It seems to me that some of you who are either buying for the first time, or buying on LI for the first time, think $400K/house is outrageously high. If you think that it's at the top of your budget, IMHO you need to look other than on LI. Actually, $400K is the low end here.
If you want a house to look totally redone, or completely new, then buy a new house. But I doubt you're going to find a new, polished house with all the bells and whistles on LI for $400K, unless it's in a questionable area.
I just put in 2 new full bathrooms a couple of years ago and they ran us $45K. They are not gorgeous, spa bathrooms that are say 14 X 17, like on HGTV. They are standard size bathrooms - large enough to hold a separate stall shower and tub in one, and the other has an over-the-tub shower. Everything was gutted (no cheating, no doing a new ceiling over an old one), new plumbing, new electric. Not bottom of the line either. But not Hans Grohe - just Kohler and American Standard. $45K is a fortune to us. And yet people will be looking at our house in a few weeks and probably complain about the color, or there's no steam shower, or they're too small, etc.
I don't have $75K to do over what would be considered our out-of-date kitchen - ours was done over 18 years ago and the colors aren't "in" anymore.
We did have our front yard landscaped professionally last year to the tune of $7500. We did put in a new front door and storm door, we have to put in a new chimney because the one we had installed 5 years ago now leaks (thanks to gold ol' American industry and shoddy workmanship - something that's hard to escape on LI).
We are painting a good deal of the house now. We can't hire painters because we can't afford them. We also can't afford to put in all new windows, all new carpeting, new garage doors, etc.
To all the buyers out there (particularly first timers who have no clue): it costs a fortune to keep a house looking like HGTV. And keep in mind on those shows, most of the flip-this-house-type shows have free labor, and that's where the savings on the show are.
So, the next time you go to an open house and see the carpeting that has seen better days, ask yourself this: if you were the owner who is selling, would you invest $10K on new carpeting that the new owner will probably tear out because they don't like the color? (We've had that happen already in the past.) Do you have $10K to invest in anything? Or are you just trying to get as much as you can wrench out of the seller?
I completely understand where you've written. A couple of years ago I had my house on the market (long story, I'll save it for another thread) and I had my house looking good to show, but was aware that certain things (then 10 year old kitchen ) could be a set back. Worse yet was the fact that 2 of the bedrooms were very small, as the house is a cottage. Some people who looked at the house couldn't see the potential to expand (despite leaving the plans on the kitchen table) others could see living within the footprint after completely gutting the place.
I wasn't about to drop $$$ building an addition to sell, or $$$ on new kitchen cabinets and appliances. My new neighbor bought a 'new' house (old knock down) and completely gutted the new kitchen! She never used the appliances! As you've written, why spend money on something the new owners will probably tear out?
HGTV can be an interesting diversion, but many people get sucked in by the allure of the professionally planned and designed home and fail to see the good bones in the fixer upper in their price range.
It also seems to be a case of I want it now, perfect and I dont want to do anything. When I was looking at houses ; ok, it was 4 years ago, I was looking at the house, bones, setup, land, neighbourhood, school district.
Me thinks now people want the best school district, best house on the block, cheapest price, and I hate to say but you cannot have it all. Two years ago we were selling ; we didnt sell but at the one and only open house the comments were ; you dont have granite, dont have stainless steel, dont have hardwoods, so you should drop the price at least $40,000. The house was only 4 years old then. We decided not to sell which was a good idea.
Years ago it was ok to buy a start house and move up when you could afford it. Not that does not seem to be the case.
Without moving more east on the island I would say $400 is def. a low end number. Not to mention the $ and work to update it. But hey, what are ya gonna do? Looks like I will have alot of projects ahead of me!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Samrai309
Hey roc-
Im in the same boat as you. 30 years old and a budget that I would like to be right in line with yours. Except I have a house in northeast FL I'm in now and I'm working down here, but with a fiancee up on LI and our wedding in the Fall up there. This scenario, due to many variables will affect my abilities to purchase a home in the short term. If the 400s is truly the "low end", you'll have company as I'll be slumming it with you LOL (no pun intended)
Good luck.
Nice picture Clarkstreetkid! Exactly what I have been seeing. But where did those recessed lights come from? Didnt know they had them in the 70's?
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