Moving to Pitts: Does the Incoming WholeFoods Hurt Property Vaule (California: home, neighborhood)

[Anne518]

Yes, I got the feeling that Westminster is more established just driving through it once. Seems no one is fond of Fieldgate.

Originally Posted by leavingmc

I agree that Blairmont is a beautiful street in a great neighborhood! That neighborhood (Westminster) is much better than Fieldgate because you can walk to the high school, etc. Even though the house is older, it would be worth it and most of the houses on that street are at a higher price (so you can put $$ into it and not be the most expensive house on the street).

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by Anne518

You know USC better than a realtor!!! The Watterford, Watterson and Wellington house are all beautiful, but priced higher than our budget. We went to see the house on Blairmont. It was good but a bit compartmental. You are right, maybe we should check out the new constructions by Bedner Estates. Thanks again!

If you are in bedner estates get mine subsidence insurance, there was a new house on the back side of the hill that sank, the mines are real close to the surface.

[Anne518]

Thanks for the information!!! I'll check out Trotwood and Dominion. I heard about the horrifying property tax in USC and thought OK, it would be like paying tuition for private schools. So schools in USC are at private school quality, right?

Talking about pool, it seems that the only indoor pool in the region is in the new Rec Center? My mom often comes to live with us for extended periods of time. She is a swimmer. It would be great if we can be close to an indoor pool so she can go swimming even in the long winters.

Originally Posted by leavingmc

My child did not start in USC schools until middle school but I do not think that one elementary is better than the other and I have heard wonderful things about Eisenhower from my friends and neighbors. I know that you seem to want "newer" construction but you may find more of a community in some of the "older" neighborhoods like Trotwood West, Trotwood Hills, etc. (although these homes are at a lower price point than you've been looking at). Deerfield is nice but it is at the south end of USC and will be a longer commute for your husband to the T and to downtown. Another neighborhood off of Cook School is Dominion which has a community pool. There is also a nice development off of Morrow (whose name is escaping me at the moment). One thing to remember about taxes is that you can't use the current owner's taxes as a guide to what you will be paying because the school district will protest your taxes and request that your home be reassessed to the purchase price. We bought a home in USC that cost almost $400,000 and our taxes are now about $12,000. Our sellers had paid much less but we lost our appeal. There are so many nice neighborhoods in USC and the schools are great. I'm sure you will love it here.

[Anne518]

Gosh!

Originally Posted by guy2073

If you are in bedner estates get mine subsidence insurance, there was a new house on the back side of the hill that sank, the mines are real close to the surface.

[Anne518]

Thanks for saving my life in the future cross fire!!! I'll wear a helmet when I shop at any of the stores you mentioned.

Originally Posted by TheYO

I'd be careful if I were you. That area of USC has three rival gangs operating in close proximity. The Market District Maniacs currently claim the turf where the Whole Foods is being built. Right now, they are existing relatively peacefully with the Fre$h Market Freak$ and TJ's Tyrantz, but the addition of a Whole Foods could spark a turf war.

[Anne518]

I'll watch you being chewed up by Volvo drivers...run!

Originally Posted by _Buster

be careful even crossing the street. these gangs have been known to street race their Volvos at speeds sometimes reaching 35 mph ( if it's daylight with good weather and visibility ), with little regard for their own lives let alone others.

[youngabe]

Originally Posted by jay5835

I buy a lot of things cheaper at WF. My #1 loss leader is St. Andre (cheese), 10.99 at WF, 20.99 at MD. They may recently have lowered the price to 14.99, the cheese looks so ammoniated.

I'm FLOORED at how much cheaper Whole Foods is on health and beauty items. I buy Dr. Bronner's soaps a lot. The largest bottle at Whole Foods is $11.99 if memory serves me right. It's $17.99 at every Target I've been to. I actually returned a bottle to Target for that reason--and I generally don't "petty return" things.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by youngabe

I'm FLOORED at how much cheaper Whole Foods is on health and beauty items. I buy Dr. Bronner's soaps a lot. The largest bottle at Whole Foods is $11.99 if memory serves me right. It's $17.99 at every Target I've been to. I actually returned a bottle to Target for that reason--and I generally don't "petty return" things.

A friend turned me on to their unscented bar soap (365 label). It's $1.99 per bar, at least in DC, and it literally smells like nothing (I like bar soap better than shower goo, but it's always been difficult to find a so-called unscented one that didn't have some smell).

I also buy what little meat I eat at WF, as well as eggs, butter, and cream. The cream is better (not ultrapasteurized) and usually cheaper than what they sell at GE and even Stop & Shop (WF qt. for $5 v. S&S qt. for $6). Also, WF is the only place I know on the East Coast where you can get West Coast butter at a popular price. I have a West Coast butter dish, designed to hold short, fat West Coast sticks of butter (long, thin East Coast sticks of butter are too long for it). And WF has eggs the chickens presumably suffered less to produce. I go back and forth on eggs: cheap v. chicken suffered less, but usually I vote in favor of the chickens.

[Geeo]

I think the most fascinating thing I learned today that there is such a thing as "east coast butter" and "west coast butter!" I wonder why the difference?

[doo dah]

Originally Posted by Geeo

I think the most fascinating thing I learned today that there is such a thing as "east coast butter" and "west coast butter!" I wonder why the difference?

Me too!

"The other ones are called "Western Stubbies"."

LOL!