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I've never heard that before, LOL. I've seen some pretty cool nests though built in some not so beautiful trees. The nest is what you make it. It just depends if the tree is a priority too.
Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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We built so it was all about locating the right property. We even chose our lot by how the house would be oriented on the lot. Max sun in the back since we had a pool built also. We also took into consideration how the power lines went across the property. They run along the back.
We already knew we didn't want to be too far from stores, banking, post office and doctors etc... But we did want easy access in and out of the neighborhood. Not buried so far in that it takes several minutes just to get to a main road.
It also had to be close enough to the mother-in-law in case ... We are 15 minutes from door to door. Yes, we timed it out while looking. We are also only 15 minutes from the ocean. A really nice beach. And 15 minutes from shopping like the mall, Best Buy, Pier 1 etc...
We didn't like any of the lots the builder had so we looked at other lots throughout the area and physically went and walked them, drove around the neighborhoods at different times until we finally found this lot.
This is our forever home so we weren't going to 'settle' on just something that was close to what we wanted. This was our first home purchase because we knew that we didn't want to retire in the other states/areas that we had lived previously. We chose to rent during that period of our life.
I'm 56 and hubby is 60. We definitely take our time, huh? To be fair, this is the second marriage for both of us and we had been homeowners in our previous marriage. We've been together since 1996 and we were married in 2000.
We chose our house because it had everything we were looking for.. Location, room sizes, and a large backyard. That was our list of 'must have's'.. none of which we were willing to compromise on as they were all equally important to us.
With out next house we'll have the same criteria, only smaller.
I'm researching condominiums, and my location vs. home ratio is 65/35. I have some non-negotiables for my home, like counter space in the kitchen (I like to cook), no mirrors in the bedroom (mirrors in a dark room creep me out), and must be third floor or higher (safer and brighter). But for the most part, my condominium will be like my current apartment: a "recovery pod" from work and partying. I want to be comfortable there, but it won't be a space where I spend much time.
However, I absolutely must live in a dense, walkable area. Doesn't have to be a busy downtown in a skyscraper; that's way out of my budget. But I do want multiple stores, restaurants, bars, and parks within walking distance, as well as a rail line or at least a bus route, so I can easily get by without a car, if need be or if I so desire. Fortunately, many suburban downtowns in the Chicago area are like that. Not to mention, as a single childfree man, I'll be as welcome in a family neighborhood as pork in a synagogue (Jewish humor). So I want something with a more urban feel and a decent number of young professionals like myself.
Want a good location as well as a great house. "Good location" to us doesn't mean being closer in to the city. It means being near major and minor amenities, good schools, low crime, and overall the area is on an upward trajectory and not declining. But the house itself does matter to me and I'm willing to commute to have the house I desire vs. living closer in and living in a home that I wouldn't like or having a small lot.
I was very lucky in my last purchase. I found in some very nice homes in a variety of good locations. In the end location swung the deal. The house had almost everything I wanted, and what it didn't have I could add or live without. The location was close to what I needed, bike friendly and a nice neighborhood.
I didn't *have* to move, it was a choice. Location was important because I wanted to increase the odds of my son getting into the middle school that was our first pick (we have a choice system here and you don't automatically go to the closest school) but equally important was having some features in our new house that were lacking in the one I owned at the time. If I hadn't been able to get that combination, it's entirely possible I would not have moved.
In the end, I got a house that is just about perfect for us, within my budget, in the location I wanted, with my son getting into his top choice school. Can't really ask for more than that!
My criteria for "location" means nothing more than a non-crime-ridden area in a particular city. The city is predicated by wherever my son finally lights permanently - he is an academic and thus has fewer choices regarding location than most professions.
Other than that I don't care about location. I care about the house and the yard.
We did not have to compromise. By luck we found an amazing house in an amazing location.
There were locations we liked better and houses we liked bette, but no better combination of the two.
In the past, we have compromised location for a house we love. We buy a house to be a home, not an investment. So we choose a home we can love and figure out how to deal with any location related issues. IF the location reduces the enjoyment of the house (like too close to a train) then it becomes a house issue.
Of course our house did not come with any location at all. We had to find one and put it there, but both practicality and the purchase terms required we keep it in the general location (same township).
Last edited by Coldjensens; 05-03-2017 at 02:07 PM..
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