2022 Real Estate Observations (cabinets, cabin, food)

[msRB311]

Ive never lived in a house that had a pool. I can see where it might nice to have one during those summer months that kids are out of school but that's about it. My kids would love to have a pool. For what it costs to put in a nice in ground pool these days they seem overrated to me. Buying a house that already has a pool seems like the way to go for most people.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

People put pools in here. That's dumb.

I grew up with a pool that had black passive solar heating panels on the big barn roof next to it. With a good thermal blanket, it would hold temperature from April to November. My dad swam laps every day. We had the beach a mile away but that is a mid-June to mid-September season and the tide has to be right.

If it’s just a lawn ornament and nobody is using it as an exercise station, then I agree, it’s limited value in New England. I miss the hot tub I had at my Vermont place. That saw a lot of use after skiing. When I was wintering there, it got used 4 or 5 days per week.

[matrix5k]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

I grew up with a pool that had black passive solar heating panels on the big barn roof next to it. With a good thermal blanket, it would hold temperature from April to November. My dad swam laps every day. We had the beach a mile away but that is a mid-June to mid-September season and the tide has to be right.

If it’s just a lawn ornament and nobody is using it as an exercise station, then I agree, it’s limited value in New England. I miss the hot tub I had at my Vermont place. That saw a lot of use after skiing. When I was wintering there, it got used 4 or 5 days per week.

Originally Posted by GeoffD

I have several sets of retired friends with big houses at ski resorts and near the beach. The logic is that the grandchildren will want to visit. It’s a very effective strategy.

Originally Posted by lrfox

Yep! Our parents have adopted this approach. We visit my in-laws quite a bit as they're near skiing. My parents sold the ski house (my fiancee and I have property in the same town) but both are on the water in different areas so we go visit for boating/beaches. We love our families, but having things to do nearby is definitely added incentive to visit more frequently.

It's posts like these that make me LoL when boomers and older say millennials have it easy. The majority of millennials will never be able to afford these luxury vacation homes on the water or at the ski resort in addition to their primary home, if they can even afford to have one.

[msRB311]

Quite honestly I've seen some of these bigger homes people are talking about cause problems down the road. Not everyone wants to be there at the same time or really even can be there at the same time even if there are multiple bedrooms (some people do have 3 or 4 kids a piece still) You have to get along and want to be there together all weekend in those situations. For some it's great, but Ive seen it not end well either.

A friend of mine's father in law had a nice place on the water in CT. she had her husband had no kids and enjoyed many weekends down there. The husbands sister's married people and had like 3 or 4 kids a piece. Eventually people had to choose weekends to go there and my friend was hardly ever able to be there anymore. Places just change as families grow...even big places. It's kind of sad because the parents/grandparents had good intentions of welcoming all their kids and grandkids...but sometimes people want their own space even on the weekends and yes not everyone gets along.

I wont even get into some of the stories I've heard once grandparents or parents die and it's time to sell or keep the house.

more reasons to not build big homes

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Ive never lived in a house that had a pool. I can see where it might nice to have one during those summer months that kids are out of school but that's about it. My kids would love to have a pool. For what it costs to put in a nice in ground pool these days they seem overrated to me. Buying a house that already has a pool seems like the way to go for most people.

.

We almost put a pool in but we never got it all organized and picked a vendor. We belong to a nearby country club so we really didn't have to. Most of my neighbors have pools and the 2 youngest wanted one. Glad we didn't now.

I've heard so many horror stories of people just showing up uninvited, not to mention them traipsing through the house, dripping wet, to use the bathroom.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

.

We almost put a pool in but we never got it all organized and picked a vendor. We belong to a nearby country club so we really didn't have to. Most of my neighbors have pools and the 2 youngest wanted one. Glad we didn't now.

I've heard so many horror stories of people just showing up uninvited, not to mention them traipsing through the house, dripping wet, to use the bathroom.

Yes ! That would be my fear as well. Having to host and having people over because you have a pool.

One family I know who built an outdoor kitchen with pool also built a bathroom attached to the outdoor kitchen thing. So no one has to go in the house wet.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by simplexsimon

I know someone who built out a fantastic outdoor patio living space. It's covered and has speakers built into it and I could see spending a lot of time there as it is quite comfortable. This is in California.

I have no idea why people here do it other than they grossly overestimate how much it will be used.

I know a few people who ended up with pools (i.e the house they liked came with a pool) and they were all surprised how much they liked having them.

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

People put pools in here. That's dumb.

People spend $100k on a Range Rover when a $5k car can get you from A to B just as reliably (or more, considering how reliable British automobiles are). Or $500 on wine when Trader Joe's sells something it for $3.49. People value things differently. It isn't stupid.

What's stupid is trying to judge what everyone else does with their money with how you value things.

[msRB311]

An outdoor kitchen does seem a bit excessive particularly when you have a perfectly nice indoor kitchen just steps away. Clearly these people aren't thinking about their overall carbon footprint and how much additional energy they're sucking up. Just because you can purchase something doesn't mean you should

I also wonder how some of these peoples neighbors feel about having to listen to them outside all day/evening.

[matrix5k]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

I know a few people who ended up with pools (i.e the house they liked came with a pool) and they were all surprised how much they liked having them.



People spend $100k on a Range Rover when a $5k car can get you from A to B just as reliably (or more, considering how reliable British automobiles are). Or $500 on wine when Trader Joe's sells something it for $3.49. People value things differently. It isn't stupid.

What's stupid is trying to judge what everyone else does with their money with how you value things.

Range Rovers, pools in New England, and $500 wine are all stupid.

[msRB311]

What about outdoor kitchens?