Can I ask your opinion on buying a home?

[kozy]

Alright so I know this is ultimately a decision that my wife and I have to make on our own. We have narrowed things down to 2 houses that we both like. Here are links for both of them:

E. Ivanhoe St.

N. Balboa Circle

Each house has it's own pros and cons. Here are some of the main ones.

Ivanhoe

• downstairs carpet needs to be ripped up, want to replace with tile
• upstairs carpets either need deep-cleaned or replaced
• closer to the city, which we sort of wanted
• pool out back needs acid wash and pool pump/filter/gaskets may need replacing
• sq footage of the home is ok, but smaller than the other home by 600 sq ft and BOY is it noticable

Balboa (lots of pros and only 2 MAJOR cons)

• a little further out from the city than we wanted to be, but altogether not TOO far
• house needs nothing on the interior except a few small trim pieces on the wood floors that are broke (that's so minor it shouldn't even be mentioned)
• The home is much bigger, more spacious, and has a neat guest bedroom downstairs
• pool in backyard is clean, also has a hot tub
• The roof isn't concrete tile like most homes out here in the desert. It's a shake roof. And the a/c unit appears to be mounted on the roof instead of on the ground. I'm not positive if it's truly an a/c unit yet or if it's a "swamp cooler" but either way, it's strange.
• This home was built in 1986, as opposed to the Ivanhoe home being built in 1995. Nine years isn't that big of a deal, or at least I don't THINK....

Here's my dilemma. We're having a hard time choosing between the two homes. We can come up with pros and cons for each home, but some pros and some cons have to be weighted differently (i.e. the shake roof and possible roof-mount a/c). As I said in the beginning of this novel, I know this decision has to be made by us and no one else. What my idea was by posting it on here was to get other perspectives on both, maybe something else can be pointed out that we're missing or overlooking. Thanks!!! :worthy:

 

[COP RUNNER]

need more info , do you both work in that area ? If not how far will the drive be ?... Do you have kids , if so , are the schools rated good schools , do you have pets , ect ; ..... .

 

[KJShover]

Being a homeowner who never looked, lived in a few apartments, but couldn't pass it up. ( I own the house I grew up in, so I already knew everything about it )

I would compare the cost of operation of the two.

Up here, thats a sadly over looked area. Some houses leak the heat in the winter time raising that cost significantly. I'm thinking the opposite down there, is it a heat magnet that requires the use of A/C 24/7?

You mentioned the pool of one needs some work. How much exactly? What may seem like a few gaskets and a cleaning may run into some high numbers to get it back running in proper order.

I would look for some of the hidden costs of home operation, and things that will effect the tax base.

 

[kaboom]

How do they compare in the GARAGE department?!?!?!?:biglaugh:

Seriously......I am curious why you think a shake roof is superior?


Wildfires are at least a small concern and slate tile does not burn......cedar shake will......

The all new paint and flooring scares me a little bit......was it done just to update and freshen a lived in and worn house......or are they hiding something????

What kind of foundations are they on?? condition of said foundations??

Get in the attic areas of both and look for moisture or water damage....from leaks or condensation...

Is everything level and plumb?? ..do all the windows and doors work smoothly with no binding or sticking??? Who built the houses???? What is the builder's reputation??

Go over the plumbing and electrical with a fine tooth comb.....

What is the traffic density of the streets???? Corner lots can be busy and loud....proximity to freeway/railroad tracks/industrial/commercial sites??? These can cause noise and air quality issues.....along with potential emergency conditions....

As for the odd roof mounted thing......ANY penetrations through the roof require thorough inspection for leaks.....if it's an add on.....is it installed properly??? is it structurally sound??

Look at all the appliances and HVAC systems.....are they in good shape?? Well maintained?? can you still get parts/service for those brands/models??

Are there deed/association/neighborhood restrictions or mandates???? Do you agree with them???

There's some other stuff I am not thinking of right now......but these should help....

Good Luck....and have fun......it should be happy and fun along with the stress:clapping:

 

[one2dmax]

is it a wood shake or the concrete simulated shake. Probably the age of the house I would say wood but they did make concrete versions back then.

I personally like being farther out. Farther away from crime and nosy neighbors. If the drive isn't all that far and school is good (if you have kids) then that would be my choice. Also, are there any specials on either house. Any rules for the local area (can't remember the word to describe it right now).

Other houses in the area. Size and value. Are they similar. Any new lots not built on yet. Any restrictions from a smaller house coming in and bringing down your houses value?? The age isn't all that big a deal but it will mean you will likely need to start replacing some things like roof and big appliances sooner then the newer house.

Sean

 

[kozy]

The school systems that both homes fall into are both rated well, so that's not an issue.
Drive time to/from work for both the wife and I is the same for both homes. One house is closer to my work and further from hers, the other house being vice versa. But the most we'll have to drive to work will be 30 minutes.
The smaller house has an HOA (home owners association) that was mentioned. The larger home has no HOA, so no fees and no rules for conformity with the neighborhood. And the road that both homes are on aren't busy roads.

KJ - I'm not sure about the efficiency of both homes with the heat. It's something that I should look into. And about the pool, it does need to be cleaned and i know for sure the filter and gaskets need ot be changed. Not sure about the pump. That's for the home inspector to determine.

Kaboom - I didn't clarify as much as I should have. The shake roof DOES concern us. We don't think it's superior. Pretty much everything you mentioned will be something that the home inspector should be able to determine. That's more work than I'm able to do.

Sean - I'm thinking it's not concrete-simulated shake, but I'm not 100% for sure.

 

[tfisher65]

One thing not to over look is the neighbours. Nothing worse than finding the right home but with a bunch of a-holes beside or behind you. Also the neighbours may have some insightful info regarding the house.

 

[Frosty72]

I would say garage and closet space are the two biggest reasons we sold our last house, that, and we were tired of walking up two stories from the basement TV room to go to bed!!

So make sure you have plenty of space in the garage and closets.

 

[one2dmax]

We aren't in a hot climate all the time (though we get good extremes both ways). My parents have had their shake roof on since 1985 and it's still in great shape. They are maintenance free generally and nothing I would specifically worry about. Either way you can ask them to either adjust the price or give credit towards replacing the roof with more modern materials.

Note that if it wasn't made to support the weight of concrete tiles then you may want to look at a metal roof (they look good now-a-days). A simulated tile roof would probably be ok.

Sean

 

[06VMAXIMUS]

My opinion of course, but you do not want to be part of a HOA community. I know it has its pros and cons, but a good friend of mine lived in a HOA community, and he had nothing but problems. They didn't allow him to have ANYTHING parked in his driveway...all cars had to be in the garage at night. Grass had to be mowed and maintained to a certian height...if you missed it by a day or two, they would come and mow it for you, and send you the bill. Any changes to the house or property had to be approved by the "association". No loud motorcycles were permitted in the area...even friends! The pros to it are that you don't end up living next to some pigpen. I keep my house well maintained and my yard is not cluttered, but I don't need someone to play dictator and tell me how,when and the way things should be done. Just my .02

 

[EvilD]

2400 sq ft for $179k, I'm moving!!! Seriously, you will regret the smaller house. Age, means nothing, my house was build in 1950, my mothers in 1927, my first house in the 1930's. I would never pay hoa fees, but thats me. don't forget to figure in taxes, here in oppressive tax land, on that 2400 sq foot house they would be $6-7000, and the house would cost $225k+

 

[Jdk203]

My opinion of course, but you do not want to be part of a HOA community. I know it has its pros and cons, but a good friend of mine lived in a HOA community, and he had nothing but problems. They didn't allow him to have ANYTHING parked in his driveway...all cars had to be in the garage at night. Grass had to be mowed and maintained to a certian height...if you missed it by a day or two, they would come and mow it for you, and send you the bill. Any changes to the house or property had to be approved by the "association". No loud motorcycles were permitted in the area...even friends! The pros to it are that you don't end up living next to some pigpen. I keep my house well maintained and my yard is not cluttered, but I don't need someone to play dictator and tell me how,when and the way things should be done. Just my .02

+1 my first home was in a HOA. I plan to never move into one again. It would have to be a really good deal or great HOA. I don't know what its like out there but here in NJ they suck. Theyre run by greedy management companies and theyll do anything to save a buck and you complain complain complain and get knowhere. Go to the meetings and try and get changes and they just talk you in circles until your blue in the face. Then god forbid you have a large box out on your back patio until recycling day and those a holes will have the nerve to take a picture of it and send you a nasty gram.

Oh and BTW I wish home prices were like that in NJ.

 

[one2dmax]

Screw the HOA's!

We have it relatively good here for home prices. With the economy down we were able to score our house for much lower then it normally would have been. 3006 square foot, built in 1997, 2/3rds of an acre. Fenced in yard. 3 car attached garage for $177,000. Normally it would run $235-$250,000 which is still cheap compared to many places.


Sean

 

[Rusty McNeil]

Good quality 30 year archetectural (sp?) shingles are excellent, wouldn't touch a shake roof with a 10 foot pole.

Closet space can make or brake a home in the long run.

HOA's can be a pain in the ass for sure, depends on the rules..some of them are way too overzealous, dictating roof and paint colors, fence hieght etc. Be damn sure you read the deed restrictions before you buy.

They can also be your friend that can keep your nieghbor from building metal buildings in a sub-division, hanging window units, putting up an ugly ass antennea, building a ****** looking carport, leaving trailers, junk cars, motor homes parked all over the place, sticking up a chain link fence, never mowing his lawn etc. or other things that over time can run down the propert values of a nieghborhood.

This is especially true in Houston where there is almost zero zoning, which is a great spur to economic activity, HOA's have stepped in to protect the dignity of nieghborhoods, while letting the lack of zoning do it's job outside of the nieghborhoods of spurring economic activity.

There nothing wrong with any of the things that I mentioned, they all have their proper place, but no one wants to move in to a high end nieghbor hood and have someone come in and **** up everyones property values and quality of life.

The only other piece of advice I have is that if you can in any way afford it do a 15 year note, run the numbers and you'll find that the 150-250 bucks a month extra are worth it compared to not having much equity in a home even after 20 years, taking 30 to pay it off, and paying 2 1/2 times as much for the house as the priginal principal financed, and most importantly not being 65 or so and still carrying a big fat house note.

 

[kozy]

Well general concensus (sp?) is that HOA and their fees can all go to hell. LOL

The 2nd home altogether is bigger. The kitchen, the closets, the rooms. Everything's bigger. We really want it, but the shake roof and a/c are the only things making us think twice, as I said before. If these 2 things weren't an issue, we'd already be closing on it. I'm almost tempted to have a home inspection done on the bigger home that we like more to see what he comes up with in regards to the roof and a/c.

About the garage though....we definitely want a home with a pool. And of course, I'd love to have a 3 car garage that way the Vmax has it's own bay. But.....the possibilities of finding a home out here that meets BOTH of those needs, is in our price range, and is within a acceptable distance from the city for us is near impossible to find.

 

[88vmx12]

All I have to say after being a home owner of three houses now. Depending on your ability of fixing things. Get the house that you can sell and make money in 5 years.
just remember weather you are willing to admit it or not. you might want to move in couple of years. So don't pinch yourself financially, make sure you can make some money if you sell it in a couple years..

Scooter

 

[kozy]

All I have to say after being a home owner of three houses now. Depending on your ability of fixing things. Get the house that you can sell and make money in 5 years.
just remember weather you are willing to admit it or not. you might want to move in couple of years. So don't pinch yourself financially, make sure you can make some money if you sell it in a couple years..

Scooter

Oh I hear ya. Right now though, I could buy a home out here that needs nothing and when 5 years comes around, the house will already be more than we got it for. The market is just beginning it's rebound now, so we're buying at the best time. If you look at both the links I posted, you'll be able to check out the value of the homes before the recession hit. It's a LOT higher than they are now.

 

[terrywilliams]

All I know is damn... houses are cheap out there.... I paid a hell of a lot more in Pensacola 4 years ago... great deals out there!!

 

[gamorg02]

i'd always get a home inspector kozy. bought a house 3 years ago now. its well worth the couple hundred.

 

[kozy]

i'd always get a home inspector kozy. bought a house 3 years ago now. its well worth the couple hundred.

Oh most definitely. Actually, I found a fellow brother Vmaxer on this site who's a home inspector around here. I'm sure he'll chime in eventually.....
He and his wife are great folks too. Just goes to show ya how riding a Vmax ties you in with SOOO many people and every one of them are all friendly!