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Well, if you are asking about historic/older properties, there are certainly online resources dedicated to older homes but they are of course just a subset of what is out there. Some of the sites I enjoy just browsing occasionally are:
But nothing beats just driving around neighborhoods/areas you are interested in considering. There will be lots of other homes that people don't list on these "classifieds" websites that you'll just run across. If you can find a good Realtor that specializes in those same neighborhoods and really understands what you are looking for(i.e. older historic homes) that can be a tremendous help. To find a Realtor like that, you might contact the local neighborhood association or historical society as they may know who specializes in their area.
But the sites above are still helpful in getting a feel for the local markets, neighborhoods, and maybe even of course finding a property you like..... and just frankly a lot of fun to "window shop" regardless
You might even look at some of the commercial properties, especially on Preservation NC. I've seen some great deals on downtown properties, where you could live upstairs, and rent to a business at street level. Or you could in theory convert the whole structure to lofts/apartments.... lots of very cool options.
And of course there are generic MLS sites like realtor.com. These sites are also good for general research, and sometimes you can whittle down the 100s of search results to find it useful. You just have to play with it since it is totally dependent on how people enter the data. More often than not I just browse an entire zip code
This question reminds me of an anecdote someone related to me once. She was in a toy store and a guy was looking at the Matchbox cars. He said "I wish they would just tell you which ones are going to be worth the most as collectors' items; it would be a lot easier!"
Right, and it would be good to know what stocks were going up, too.
Yes, if property owners are subject to guidelines and rules requiring certain maintenance activities, building will depreciate less than they would with no HOA, all else being equal, and property values will be higher. This appears to positively affect the rate of appreciation. But it matters not.
For the effect of an HOA on land values is probably negligible. So the presence or lack of an HOA has little effect on the appreciation of *your* house in particular.
Having been there and done that I totally disagree. HOA are great at time of sale for your neighborhood curb appeal is more predicatable.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/art..._increase.html
According to the Community Associations Institute (CAI (CAI.org)), some 57 million Americans live in association-governed communities (eg, those with homeowners associations). And, 78% of them believe that their HOA "protect and enhance" their property value. Only 1 in 100 believed their
association hurt property value.
Following are three key ways Homeowners
Anyone interested should read the link for the three key ways and determine for themselves the impact of. In summary they are but the link gives more detail.
What do you guys think of Durham? There are some low prices there. Im sure there is always a reason for low prices. I guess I'm looking for something in a neighborhood that is not so great now but is looking to be getting better and somewhere I don't feel unsafe.
I don't personally believe that safety (per se) is the issue for future Durham home prices. I think it's more of an overall supply & demand issue. That said, safety concerns, whether founded or unfounded, will affect demand over time, as will other issues of consideration. From a pure population projection perspective though, forecasts for Durham Co. relative to Wake Co. through 2030 don't appear to make a case for home value increases in Durham Co. based on demand alone.
The projected population for Wake and Durham Co.'s in 2010 is:
Durham Co.: 267,086
Wake Co.: 920,298
The projected population for Wake and Durham Co.'s in 2030 is:
Durham Co.: 309,651
Wake Co.: 1,230,382
So, a net increase of population for Durham County over 20 years is projected to be 42,565. Compare that to a projected net increase for Wake over 20 years of 310,084. That might help you think about it objectively. According the link below (where the data comes from), it's projected that between 2010 and 2030, Wake County will add more residents than the entire projected population of Durham County in 2030.
Another way to look at housing demand of Wake relative to Durham is to look at the population of one compared to the other over time.
In 1970, Wake Co. was 1.72 times as poulated as Durham Co.
In 1980, Wake Co. was 1.97 times as populated as Durham Co.
In 1990, Wake Co. was 2.34 times as populated as Durham Co.
In 2000, Wake Co. was 2.80 times as populated as Durham Co.
By 2010, Wake Co. is projected to be 3.45 times as populated as Durham Co.
By 2030, Wake Co. is projected to be 3.97 times as populated as Durham Co.
From a pure population projection perspective though, forecasts for Durham Co. relative to Wake Co. through 2030 don't appear to make a case for home value increases in Durham Co. based on demand alone.
Just because you have more people demanding some product (like housing) does not mean that the market price of that product will increase. What matters is the level of demand relative to supply. The market price for housing is simultaneously determined by the demand for housing and the supply of housing. I see the increase in population in Wake County relative to Durham Couny as having zero effect on housing prices in Wake County.
Everybody demands toilet paper, and yet toilet paper is an increadibly cheap product. But by your logic, it would be hyper expensive.
I have two crystal balls and neither one is working at this time so I'll go with the area that has appreciated the most in the past years...INSIDE THE BELTLINE!
I'll avoid comment on Vicki's balls, but I think she's right ... past appreciation is probably a pretty good indicator of how certain areas will fare in the future.
CH Transplant,
Where are you from? Do you like CH? What do you think of Cary?
Having been there and done that I totally disagree. HOA are great at time of sale for your neighborhood curb appeal is more predicatable.
Why Homeowners Associations (HOAs) Increase Property Value - Associated Content
According to the Community Associations Institute (CAI (CAI.org)), some 57 million Americans live in association-governed communities (eg, those with homeowners associations). And, 78% of them believe that their HOA "protect and enhance" their property value. Only 1 in 100 believed their
association hurt property value.
Following are three key ways Homeowners
Anyone interested should read the link for the three key ways and determine for themselves the impact of. In summary they are but the link gives more detail.
I'm not arguing that HOAs are bad or hurt property values. I am arguing that the effect of HOA presence on housing prices is negligible, except for how they force a homeowner to maintain his property beyond how much maintenance said homeowner would undertake in the absence of an HOA. But that effect is specific to the homeowner's house as I mentioned in my earlier post. If the homeowner is diligent, and he maintains his property whether he lives in an HOA community, or not, the HOA does little to contribute to the value of the homeowner's property.
Are there benefits to HOAs? Of course. The activities they encourage make the neighborhood a more pleasant place to live.
Should someone who highly values well manicured lawns and pleasant landscaping worry about finding a community with an HOA? Absolutely. Should someone who is searching for maximum return on his housing investment and who is a diligent homeowner regardless of whether he lives in an HOA community, or not, worry about finding a community with an HOA? I argue, no.
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