[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by andthentherewere3

I'm thankful to live in a country that allows people the freedom to choose a larger home for their family if they can afford it. If someone wants to live in a smaller home, they can also choose to do so. Heck, if they really want to live the simple life, people can live in a trailer park if they so desire.

I think a major problem with our nation is everyone seems to know what is best for everyone else. Nobody can just live, and let live.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by MetsNY

First off, how do you know your dentist is living paycheck to paycheck and wouldn't be able to afford a home in lower FFC? Have you seen his bank statements, his investments, etc?

Are there wannabe's living in Monroe, Newtown, Trumbull? Yeah most likely. Are there wannabe's living in New Canaan and Darien who really shouldn't be living there, yes there are. Just like there are people who live in Newtown who could easily without question own a home in New Canaan or Darien or Greenwich.

And having more, more and more and bigger and bigger is not a bad thing. If you have it, flaunt it. If you don't that's your own damn fault. You can't compare anything in SC or NC to Connecticut. Did those people live the life in SC and NC? Yes they did, are they in CT? You have no idea how much money they make. Maybe they bought a ranch in CT because the idea of buying a small home down in SC and NC is completey disgusting seeing how the architecture is nothing similar to CT. Maybe they had to buy the biggest house on the block and live in the "posh" neighborhood because that's the only district where public schools have any sort of reputation.

There is alot more that goes into it. But people want a bigger house, especially those with familes. It's common knowledge that when you have children, you want as much space as possible.

LOL Rather than multi-quote I'll just respond to the "bold" above...it's been a long day (Check my post times back to back)

1. Yes...YES I DO. TO THE DIME. Unless you didn't read we were in an embittered lawsuit. His got thrown out. Mine for defamation/slander after he went online taling trash about my company did not. I know what his house is worth, what he owes, what he makes - the entire financial sheet. That's why I said I KNOW FOR FACT.

The guy has a 650K house on a high risk mortgage, a sports car almost 100% financed and debt out the wazoo. But hey, he got to tour me around his house pointing out his wares before all this transpired. (Like I actually gave a crap about the stuff in the first place.)

2. That's just sad IMHO. There is more to life.

3. I guess my wife and I are just plain retarded then. We like our home, are comfortable and don't plan to "upsize" and work for a house. (Do a search, I've said this recently in other threads) I guess the people who raised 5 kids in a 3 bedroom ranch 30-40 years ago were just plain wrong too.

Originally Posted by laulob

Boy, these boards make it sound as though most people's sole qualifying factor in purchasing a home in Connecticut is staus and getting the most size for thier money as possible. I grew up in northern Fairield County and most of the people I grew up with (that chose to stay in Connecticut ) live still in northern Fairfield county because it is close to their family. It's also what they consider home. Many can very well afford lower FFld cty but to most unless it is necessary for their job choose to stay in the towns/area they grew up in and love.

The people I know I Newtown (nice folks by the way/Interesting to generalize people in one of the largest towns in the state by land area) live there because their parents live there and it's an indespenasble help with childcare when the grandparents can pick up the kids from school, ballet, karate etc. Not that it was the sole factor in their decision to move there but I believe it was much higher on the list than say "status"

Exactly! Those are the people I've known who made the town great. The influx of wannabe "look at my BIIIIIIIIIIIIG house that I moved to Newtown so I could afford" people are moving in. Beware.

Originally Posted by goldenband

Boy, if this is the American Dream, then you can count me out. The end result of the above is a world of cheaply constructed McMansions on characterless subdivisions in the middle of nowhere, full of gigantic, half-empty rooms in which each heavily medicated, moderately spoiled child gets to commune, undisturbed, with his or her own PS3 or Blackberry.

Yes, I'm being a little cartoonish in my portrayal, but I've seen something like the above happen over and over again, firsthand. It's bad for the kids, bad for the town, bad for the environment, and IMHO, bad for our country. So "bigger and bigger, more and more" can certainly be a bad thing, because it's one of the main forces that's destabilized our communities, and at a certain point we need to start thinking about what's best for everyone -- not just best for the family that wants to live out its fantasy of having their own isolated, oversized castle made of Tyvek and Chinese drywall.

Damn...Rep points. Totally agree.

Originally Posted by goldenband

Really, my beef is less with the size of homes per se, and more with people's tendency to build larger homes using cheap or poor-quality materials, instead of either building something smaller and better, or rehabbing an existing structure. It's true that huge houses cost an arm and a leg to build, maintain, and heat/cool; they also tend to encourage families to isolate themselves both from their environment, and within the house itself, with everyone doing their own thing.

It's true as well that huge houses tend to go along with the kind of car-oriented development, away from walkable town centers and the like, that I think is toxic to communities. But a larger house in an appropriate location can be gorgeous, of course; it's just that doing it right costs serious $$$.

I also loathe the tendency to level large chunks of woods or farmland, whether for a single house or for a subdivision. I've seen some places in Colchester that are like that, where people flatten everything up to their property line so that they can have this gargantuan lawn to match their gargantuan house, and then wonder why their AC bills are so high. I think everyone benefits when construction is integrated into the existing landscape, rather than imposed upon it.

I'm not familiar with Newtown specifically, and I'd certainly be pleased to know that it's an exception to the trend.

X2

Originally Posted by NJ987654

Wow... as the OP, I didn't expect to set off a firestorm. In my observation, you have many type in Fairfield county. Some want land, some don't care about land. Some what mcmansions, some what smaller or older colonials and farm houses. Some are interested in commute only. Some are definitely in it for status (frankly, just so you know, us outsiders are not impressed). I do think that these vast differences are what makes it such a nice place to live (be it an awfully expensive place to live).

I scoured Newtown. I found a lot of nice homes that had no "charm" to them. Cookie cutter type of homes (went in 3 in arow and, besides the paint, I'd swear they were identical). They were fine... they were nice, but they just were not for me and my wife. We have identified some in Brookfield and 1 in Newtown. We are far from making up our minds.

Thank you all so far.

Yep...that's kind of what I was trying to "warn" about in my post. It's there. Some deny it, some can't handle the truth. But it's there.

Good luck to you in your search.

Originally Posted by MetsNY

It's funny because many of the wealthiest individuals in high income towns like Wesport, Easton, Greenwich, etc. prefer their houses not to be seen at all, hence all the large, large stonewalls, fences and trees/bushes.

Holy crap, maybe you do understand the REAL wealth of FFC. There is a reason our trucks are not "signed" and are just blank white trucks. Many of our clients choose us FOR that reason and ask upfront about that.

I don't see that in SOME of the "new" Newtown folks moving in from lower FFC

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I think a major problem with our nation is everyone seems to know what is best for everyone else. Nobody can just live, and let live.

Kid, please don't play both sides. The pot and the kettle are both black.

We can talk more on DM in detail if you like.

[MetsNY]

Many of your clients choose you for your blank white trucks. What do you have against people who want their logos/names on trucks? Just a question.

[Yankeerose00]

Second it is noisy. I am sick of each of my neighbors cutting their grass at different times of the day or doing a noisy home improvement project. In the warmer months, it is rarely quiet for more than a half hour or so each. Hard to enjoy your backyard or deck when someone is cutting their grass 100 feet away. On top of that I have one neighbor that cuts his grass every couple of days. It is also hard to get yard work done in a walkable neighborhood because so many people are walking and they will stop and chat with you when you are trying to do something.

I could have written this post! We lived on acreage in Virginia and now that we are renting a house in a neighborhood, I have all of the complaints you do. After going from country to suburban living, I know for sure that we need some land for us to feel at home. I just hope and pray than when we do buy next year, we can actually find something affordable. I really want to stay in CT. We love it here. But I need my privacy. I feel guilty, but I HATE when I'm pulling in the driveway and the neighbor sees me and wants to chat and all I want to do is unload the car and get into the house!

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JViello

Kid, please don't play both sides. The pot and the kettle are both black.

We can talk more on DM in detail if you like.

How am I playing both sides? I don't see why people are so focused on the lifestyle of others. Newtown, like anywhere, does have snobby people and there are some wannabes - but don't attack solely families who live in a bigger, newer house. Many of the "wannabes" can't even afford that. Furthermore it seems that you're pinpointing the northern towns in FFC, when there are plenty of towns across CT like this, and as you and others mentioned, across the nation.

Not sure what you'd want to discuss over DM.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by MetsNY

Many of your clients choose you for your blank white trucks. What do you have against people who want their logos/names on trucks? Just a question.

LOL Nothing! We are just more descrete with our services and sometimes do subcontracting work for other large companies (National Franchises) and they also prefer not having "BOB'S SUPER SERVICE" in 3 foot letters on the side of the box truck/van/pickup.

To be honest, it just grew more out of me putting off lettering the first truck when we first got started because I put the cash into other areas and was just flat busy. Then I started getting comments about "so and so said you did excellent work for them. We would like to have you out, we would also prefer if you can use one of the unmarked trucks." That got me thinking more.

One day the owner of a veeery large national development company (Starts with a K and ends with an R) who owns a large chunk of the top of Avon mountain and a 7500sf house volunteered some info and said he just prefers if people don't know who is coming and going at his property and for what. His reasons made total sense when he put it to words.

Then we also started getting calls for sub work and asked if we had any unlettered trucks. It went from there so we just leave them blank and let our work and referrals do the talking for us.

Originally Posted by Yankeerose00

I could have written this post! We lived on acreage in Virginia and now that we are renting a house in a neighborhood, I have all of the complaints you do. After going from country to suburban living, I know for sure that we need some land for us to feel at home. I just hope and pray than when we do buy next year, we can actually find something affordable. I really want to stay in CT. We love it here. But I need my privacy. I feel guilty, but I HATE when I'm pulling in the driveway and the neighbor sees me and wants to chat and all I want to do is unload the car and get into the house!

You and Jay should stop talking like this. People are going to get the wrong idea and start to think we are NOT cold, angry "Yankees" up here.

I do know what you mean, our neighborhood can tend to get like a zoo sometimes. But for me, as much as it's frustrating, it's also nice to have folks to chat with and/or call over to help move a sofa etc and we all keep an eye on each other property/kids/pets etc.

Last year we had a 4th of July Party and most of the neighborhood stayed for our fireworks show instead of the towns and we lined the street with chairs and everyone came. It was kind of cool.

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

How am I playing both sides? I don't see why people are so focused on the lifestyle of others. Newtown, like anywhere, does have snobby people and there are some wannabes - but don't attack solely families who live in a bigger, newer house. Many of the "wannabes" can't even afford that. Furthermore it seems that you're pinpointing the northern towns in FFC, when there are plenty of towns across CT like this, and as you and others mentioned, across the nation.

Not sure what you'd want to discuss over DM.

I guess I misunderstood you then. Sorry. And for the record, if you think I'm just after folks trying to get a better home it's not the case. People like yourself are NOT who I'm talking about.

[Yankeerose00]

You and Jay should stop talking like this. People are going to get the wrong idea and start to think we are NOT cold, angry "Yankees" up here.

The two most exaggerated comments about CT are the horrible winters and the "cold" Yankees. Please. Winter was nowhere near bad as I expected and people have been extremely friendly. I'm living in Avon and all I heard was how snobby people are around here. I don't see that at all. People have been very friendly everywhere we've went. If they aren't outwardly chatty, they are at least polite. So far the rudest person I've dealt with was oddly enough the waitress at an oh so famous pizza place in New Haven.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by NJ987654

Wow... as the OP, I didn't expect to set off a firestorm.

Hopefully someone will apologize to you for allowing that to occur(and continue, actually). I can't imagine that it was of any help to your search.

[NJ987654]

Thanks Stratford. All is good. Threads get way off topic a lot but those tangents sometimes get interesting.

We made an offer on a home in Brookfield but we think there may be another offer already on it. We are not getting our hopes up yet. We are continuing to look

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by NJ987654

Thanks Stratford. All is good. Threads get way off topic a lot but those tangents sometimes get interesting.

We made an offer on a home in Brookfield but we think there may be another offer already on it. We are not getting our hopes up yet. We are continuing to look

Good luck with this. I hope it works out. Keep us posted. Jay