Depressed about house hunting in Alex./Arl. (Leesburg, Fredericksburg: leases, month-to-month)

[robbobobbo]

You can definitely find this in Del Ray, Rosemont, or the other neighborhoods near, but outside of, Old Town. So many of the 1930's era homes have been renovated and extended. I don't know how much availability of SFHs there is in Old Town itself. i haven't checked the market lately, but winter isn't known as the best time. Perhaps this is playing a factor in the scarcity of listings that you're observing.

[robbobobbo]

Originally Posted by Montacute

Do people renovate the older houses much to have fewer but bigger rooms? I would rather do that than be further out but am a total novice about renovations. Is it an awful idea?

I've seen some 3BRs reduced to 2BR in Del Ray, with the back blown out to have an open kitchen.

[Montacute]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

For the price of the Terrett house and your budget, you could tear down the garage if it's not valuable to you and have a really good sized lot for Alexandria.

Not a bad idea. Would tearing the garage down effect the value of the house much?

[Montacute]

Originally Posted by robbobobbo

I've seen some 3BRs reduced to 2BR in Del Ray, with the back blown out to have an open kitchen.

That would suit me!

[Montacute]

Originally Posted by robbobobbo

You can definitely find this in Del Ray, Rosemont, or the other neighborhoods near, but outside of, Old Town. So many of the 1930's era homes have been renovated and extended. I don't know how much availability of SFHs there is in Old Town itself. i haven't checked the market lately, but winter isn't known as the best time. Perhaps this is playing a factor in the scarcity of listings that you're observing.

I just toured one today on Commonwealth. Hated the inside--possibly one of the very strangest kitchens I have ever seen in terms of chopped up counter space-- but love Rosemont. Rosemont would be ideal but the only other one I've seen for sale lately went under contract before my scheduled tour. The backyard faced the metro on King I later learned, so that would be tough to make a little private oasis. Inside looked nice though.

So April is traditionally a better time for more listings? My landlord really screwed me--I had been renting year to year, Sept to Sept. After a year I asked him to go month to month. He said ok, but in May he said he was not comfortable with month to month anymore because he wasn't going to take a risk that I would leave in winter-- so it was another year or nothing. He basically used my month to month request to position himself favorably and me unfavorably so I am the one looking in winter. I would have been better off staying with the lease ending in September. I have rented many times before and never had a landlord take back a month to month lease.

[Montacute]

Originally Posted by Montacute

I toured Queen and it was really cramped. Galley kitchen. There were many rooms, but small, so lots of wasted space. I couldn't think what I would do with some of those teeny rooms.

Forgot to mention this huge negative for Queen as well--it was surrounded by paved mini-parking lots on two sides, but none of it belonging to that house.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by Montacute

So April is traditionally a better time for more listings? My landlord really screwed me--I had been renting year to year, Sept to Sept. After a year I asked him to go month to month. He said ok, but in May he said he was not comfortable with month to month anymore because he wasn't going to take a risk that I would leave in winter-- so it was another year or nothing. He basically used my month to month request to position himself favorably and me unfavorably so I am the one looking in winter. I would have been better off staying with the lease ending in September. I have rented many times before and never had a landlord take back a month to month lease.

Your landlord didn't "screw" you; he was protecting himself. Winter is a horrible time to find a good rental tenant. You, in no way, had to accept his terms for another year-long lease. Yet, you did accept it. Because you didn't realize that it wasn't in your best interest in terms of buying a house, does not mean he "screwed" you.

[Montacute]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Your landlord didn't "screw" you; he was protecting himself. Winter is a horrible time to find a good rental tenant. You, in no way, had to accept his terms for another year-long lease. Yet, you did accept it. Because you didn't realize that it wasn't in your best interest in terms of buying a house, does not mean he "screwed" you.

I'm sorry but agreeing to go month to month with no intention of honoring that beyond a few months is disingenuous and dirty. If you don't see that then I am glad I don't have to do business with you. I would not have asked to go month to month if he had told us his plan. My realtor told me in DC it is law that after a year leases go month to month. He couldn't pull month-to-month reverting to a year there. We have been perfect tenants and even payed him early a few times when he said he was going on vacation and asked us to. Who in their right mind is going to move to an entirely new place when they are looking to buy soon? He knew we were looking to buy because we were forthright and dealt with him with good will, telling him this is WHY we wanted to go month to month when we asked to do so. He knew he had us over a barrel when he sprung the year lease again. He has started asking 6 months early what we intended to do at lease end. Guess who is saying "I don't know" until exactly 60 days before the lease ends, which is when we are required to give him notice? He has destroyed any good will we had toward him.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by Montacute

I'm sorry but agreeing to go month to month with no intention of honoring that beyond a few months is disingenuous and dirty. If you don't see that then I am glad I don't have to do business with you. I would not have asked to go month to month if he had told us his plan. My realtor told me in DC it is law that after a year leases go month to month. He couldn't pull month-to-month reverting to a year there. We have been perfect tenants and even payed him early a few times when he said he was going on vacation and asked us to. Who in their right mind is going to move to an entirely new place when they are looking to buy soon? He knew we were looking to buy because we were forthright and dealt with him with good will, telling him this is WHY we wanted to go month to month when we asked to do so. He knew he had us over a barrel when he sprung the year lease again. He has started asking 6 months early what we intended to do at lease end. Guess who is saying "I don't know" until exactly 60 days before the lease ends, which is when we are required to give him notice? He has destroyed any good will we had toward him.

So, you would have felt better by not agreeing to go month to month at all? Essentially, you'd be tied into a lease until September. Would that make your situation better?

[Montacute]

Originally Posted by spencgr

So, you would have felt better by not agreeing to go month to month at all? Essentially, you'd be tied into a lease until September. Would that make your situation better?

100% yes. I would have had some of summer to look as well. Having the Spring/Summer season to look for a house is preferable. If everyone would have been honest about their intentions, we could have come to a better situation than what we have now.