Would you buy a house on a busy main street?

[citymama]

We're still house-hunting! We've placed bids on 3 houses so far and been outbid on each one. Not sure about this whole housing slump thing - doesn't seem to exist in the Bay Area where houses are still going for way above asking.

Anyway, so after almost giving up on the possibility of being able to afford a place in a good school district and with a decent amount of space, we saw one this week that meets almost all our criteria (right number of beds and baths, good condition, great yard, 2 blocks from a fantastic elementary school, high walkability score). Except, it's not on one of the many charming side streets this town has - it's on the main drag, the same one you take to exit the highway (although it's nowhere near the hwy). there's a lot of car traffic pretty much round the clock. The only room facing the street is the living room, and the traffic was audible but didn't bother us too much. But it will likely affect resale (this house hasn't had too many offers; the others webid on had 5-8 other offers!). And I wonder whether after a while it will get on our nerves to be on a noisy main street rather than a quiet side street. Btw, there's no commercial properties on the street, just car traffic, residences, and the elementary school. It is a close walk to the park, school, Safeway, restaurants, etc. Very safe neighborhood overall.

So, would you buy a place on a busy street, with 2 very young kids? I should also mention that the place is on the high end if our price range (at the very top of it) but similar places on a more desirable street typically go for $75-100k more. Thanks for any insights or BTDT advice!

[fumofu]

DH and I (expecting DC1 in August) are new owners of a condo in the Bay Area. We landed on this property after looking at over 30 houses. So yes, we are very familiar with your house hunting escapade!

What is your current housing situation? Is it something that you need to get out of soon? I say this because while the number of listings have dropped in the BA, new ones that come up are definitely lower than what they were when we started looking 3 months ago. Houses that aren't selling have lowered in price dramatically.

You are right that desirable houses in the BA are still getting snatched close to, at, or over listing price. BUT, if you've found something that bothers you, truth is it'll be a concern for potential buyers come time to sell the property.

I know how you're feeling, you're tired from looking at a bunch of places that either get snatched up faster than you sneeze, or places that are out of your price range, or places that you would never spend your good money on. You want to settle on a place. But do not give in! Great houses are still out there (we almost didn't even look at our place because we thought we wouldn't like it!), and forecast seems to show that houses will only list lower in the near future.

Good luck!

[doberbrat]

nope. busy street is a deal-breaker for me.

I dont want my kid/dog getting hit when they run out of the house unexpectedly, I dont want to face traffic pulling out of my drieway every day and I dont want the resale hassle.

[happymom]

Yes, but I would want a privacy fence around my front yard.

It sounds like a great choice for you because it has everything you want and the busy street is what makes it affordable for you. I'd rather be on a busy street in a house that is big enough etc, than in a too small house on a quiet street.

JMO.

[Kungjo]

Nope. That would be a dealbreaker for me also. I looked at a ton of houses before deciding on the one we live in now. I searched for over a year. There were a few houses that we looked at, but ruled out because they either backed onto a busy street or were on a busy street. When we bought our house, I noticed that those houses were still on the market and had a few price reductions. Not worth it in my book. A house is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay no matter how nice it is. Busy streets do have a negative impact on price.

[Tondi G]

could you gate the front and hedge it? If so then I would probably be ok with it. While it wouldn't be ideal it isn't a total deal breaker. My mom lives on a very busy street in So Cal so I know about living on a busy one. We did lose a couple of cats and a dog to the street... and we've called 911 many times for accidents that have happened out there. This housing market is a mess still. Down here in So Cal prices are still sky high and the ones that are more reasonable and being snatched up quickly! It's frustrating isn't it.

[goldenpig]

We bought a house on a busy street without sidewalks and the cars are always speeding by. We bought pre-kids and it's a great house but if we had to do it over again we probably wouldn't. DH is always terrified that someday the kids will run out to the street or that our car will be hit as we're leaving the driveway. If we could, I would give up our lovely view for a more family-friendly neighborhood where we could walk to the park etc. But we bought at the peak of the market near the top of our range so we're stuck indefinitely. I would keep looking.
ETA: We have also had two cars run off the road near our house and had our house broken into.

[dhano923]

I wouldn't get it. When my parents (and us kids obviously) moved from IL to So. CA, they bought a house on a main street because housing here was much more expensive. The house we had was basic but it was better than renting. Over the course of 15 years, they had 3 cars drive up into the front yard after losing control (one of which missed my brother's bedroom window by maybe a foot), we had our bikes stolen from the backyard and the garage, someone fed our dog tainted meat and we had to rush him to the vet because he was foaming, and the dog before him got out of the yard and got hit by a delivery truck. They were thrilled when they were finally able to sell and move out of the area into a residential area.

It's not just the noise factor -- think about the easy access people will have to you and your belongings.

[mom2binsd]

Nope, too many cons- noise, dirt from the exhusts, resale, and the safety issues.

[ha98ed14]

I know what he!! it is house hunting. We did it for over 18 months, also in California and we were outbid time and time again. The deal breaker on one of the houses we looked at was a bomb shelter in the back yard. You may remember that post because I posted the exact same question wrt to that house. The advice I got here was keep looking. And everyone here was right. Now that I have my house, I am SO glad I did not buy that one. The house we bought is not perfect, But it is almost all of what I wanted and it is on a nice street in a quiet neighborhood in a good school district. For us, the "undesirable" is that you can hear the train whistles when the windows are open. It affected the price to some degree, but we decided it was an undesirable we could live with. I could not live with the bomb shelter. So, my advice is don't let the desperation you feel right now make you buy something you would not choose if you were not feeling desperate. At least, that is what I came down to. I would buy this house again. To me, it sounds like you are having to convince yourself it will be ok. I've BTDT. Bad sign. IMO, keep looking, as hellish as that is. :hug:

[fauve01]

nope. DH and I didn't even get out of the car to look inside when the houses were on busy streets.

[elektra]

Our house is on a semi busy street. So my answer is yes.

[TwinFoxes]

No. Bay Area traffic is crazy, I can only imagine the number of cars that drive down a freeway artery, and the rate of speed they're driving is probably pretty fast. Also, it's highly doubtful traffic will get better, and it's very likely the traffic will get worse.

Just try to imagine getting your kids into a car, or shepherding them down the sidewalk with all of those cars flying by. Ugh. If you have another little one soon, you will really have your hands full. If you have a dog or cat, they will also be in danger.

I share your concern about resale. You can change a lot of things about a house, but you can't change the location.

[jess_g]

No. One thing I love about my house is that it is on a little quiet side street. I would never want to live on a busy street. When we were house hunting in our town we looked at a few houses on busy streets. You could hear the cars comming by. It was not awful, just more annoying and I would be so worried about my kids running into the street. Since any house you buy you will likely live in for a while, I would look for something you love on a quite side street. If it is too small, you could consider adding a room onto it. My mom lives in the bay area and in her area a few houses have added rooms ontop of the garage or extended the house a bit into the backyard.

I know that house hunting is hard, but I would just try to keep looking into you find that one perfect house. I would first find a school system you love and then look in that city or town until you find something.

I would love to know where you are looking. Its my dream to move back to California one day, but I don't know where we would live. There is a special needs school in San Rafel that sounds wonderful for my son, and all my family lives in the area.

Jessica.

[oneontheway]

I wouldn't. We lived on mainstreet for many years in a great house. I didn't think anything of it when we bought it but after having kids I hated it. We had a huge backyard but it still didn't matter. The noise, the danger, the dirt from the road are just not worth the saving, especially when you have kids. I couldn't stand for the kids to be in the front driveway especially having more than one child. Even the little things like the trash that accumulates in the yard or the noise of having the windows open. Now granted the speed limit on the road was 45 mph. If it was something like 25 maybe it would be different.

We could of lived in the house a lot longer but sold because it was on a main road.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'd consider it if there were safe outside spaces to play in. If all you have is the street and sidewalk in front of the house, then no.

The fact that it's a residential vs mixed use area makes me feel more positively about it.

Beth

[SammyeGail]

I don't live in a large city, but have lived in a 'city', as for my personality I couldn't do it. Even with a lovely wrot iron fence installed, I'd hate the idea of everyone gawking at us when we were outside. How big is the backyard for playing?

I live in the country now, our street is residential and not busy, but people drive by fast. You go up a hill and then a curve so everyone speeds up here. Our front yard is the only part level (back really slops) and I extremely dislike it.

House before this one's street was a bit worse as for fast drivers. Pre-kids and sold when they were 16 months old. Lost one cat and had 2 others ran over. One was a kitten and he tumbled beneath the undercarriage (I witnessed that one). One AM our other cat's back leg was broken. Her knee was shattered, it couldn't be fixed, pre-kids so we shelled out the $$$ to bring home a 3 legged cat :). She adapted very well.

Exhaust was not an issue, but a very well brought up point by PPer if there is constant traffic.

Sincere best of luck on house hunting. What is the adv. % the houses are oversold for? (10%15%, etc) Thats what I would put in my next first bid on one at.

[sidmand]

Yes because that's what we have. It's not a highway but it's one of the busiest streets in our town and the main road off the exit. The house is set a decent ways back from the road and only in the front rooms can you even hear the traffic at all (sitting on the front porch is another story!).

We don't have a privacy fence but the backyard sits mostly behind the house and there is a gate that goes across the driveway so the kids can play in the backyard and we don't have to worry about them heading for the streets.

FWIW we didn't have any kids when we moved here (although it was likely but not definite) and DH says if we knew for sure we were going to have kids we wouldn't have moved here.

But I loved it. It was everything we were looking for (and had a separate office which I really needed at the time). It was much less money than similar houses just around the corner because we are on a busy street.

The only problem is our driveway. Only so many cars can fit and there really isn't anywhere else for people to park w/o having to cross a very major street! And now taking a left out of our driveway is getting very tricky.

[brittone2]

Probably not. If it was "town busy" vs. "city busy" maybe but I'd have to budget for a serious fence for front and backyards.

[alien_host]

We decided that the busy street was a deal breaker for us. Our last home was a side street off a busy street and it still had issues. We were near a school and ALL the school buses travelled down our street twice a day. We hadn't consdered this when we bought the house (pre-kids) and it was annoying. FWIW the school wasn't on our street but two streets over.

Besides wanting a quieter street for DD to play outside, other reasons I worry about a busy street are...trying to get out of your own driveway safely in a car, parking addtional cars if you have a party.

Good luck with what you decide...House hunting is so stressful.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Our house backs up to a busy main street. There are a number of issues with it, but we're making it work for us - for now. We're inactively looking for another - bigger place, but we're holding out for a cul-de-sac or such- for the long-term. We have bamboo that reaches up to the power lines, and greenery abounding, so it doesn't FEEL like it's on a busy road. However, I can hear the truck brakes all day in the back of the house, with new windows, but not over the birdies and kids. For a few years, it's okay. My kids have never ONCE not gone directly to the van when we've gone outside, and that was a major worry of mine. We have plenty of street parking in front, plus a nice neighborhood for our other activities. If it were JUST on the highway, then I don't think we could do it.

[lchang25000]

I definitely would not, for ALL the reasons PPs mentioned. It was a major dealbreaker for us even if the house itself was perfect. I'm glad we kept looking cause we are living in our dream house now!

[alien_host]

The more I thought about it, can you find a house on a quieter street that is maybe lacking in something else you are looking for that can be fixed? Unfortunately you can't fix the location (busy street) onc you buy a house, but you could fix other things like updating a bathroom or whatever....perhaps there is something out there that might be less money, needs a little work that doesn't push you over budget but gets you a quieter street? Just a thought.

[wencit]

I personally would not. When DH and I were first married, we rented an apartment right next to a busy street. I thought it wouldn't bother me much, but it really grated on my nerves! You couldn't open the window to let in some fresh air without constantly hearing cars, trucks, and motorcycles -- honk! honk!, loud Harleys, the loud engine of commercial trucks, etc, especially during morning rush hour. It would give me a headache within a few minutes of opening the window (and I don't usually get headaches easily). Never again!

I lived in the Bay Area for a long time, so I know how housing is there, but a busy street would be a deal breaker for me, too. My vote is to keep looking. Back in 2002 when we were searching for a house, we kept getting outbid by $50-$100k, too; it was so frustrating! Eventually we found our lovely little house in a QUIET residential neighborhood. :) Good luck!

[twowhat?]

Didn't read all the replies but a resounding NO from me for 2 main reasons:

1) house on busy street impacts resale

2) 2 dogs, 2 kids...if anyone accidentally got out the door before I could get to it, I would rather be on a quiet interior street where cars are more likely to be moving slowly.

[happymom]

Everyone keeps mentioning the safety aspect- fear of kids or pets running into street G-d forbid. But if you put a privacy fence around the house with a locking gate at the entrance, your kids will not be able to run into the street. Of course you have to be ok with the idea of a fence around your front yard.

[twowhat?]

Everyone keeps mentioning the safety aspect- fear of kids or pets running into street G-d forbid. But if you put a privacy fence around the house with a locking gate at the entrance, your kids will not be able to run into the street. Of course you have to be ok with the idea of a fence around your front yard.

And the HOA (if there is one) would have to be OK with it too...

[ChefGirl]

We are the second house in from a busy street. When we are in the backyard playing and swimming, we cannot hear any traffic noised, at all. But, when we are upstairs in our bedroom and two of the kids bedroom, we can definitely hear the traffic. I didn't notice that until after we moved into the house and laying in bed, hum...I can hear that! It hasn't bothered us nor the kids. It's something you just sort of gotten used to. Sicne we are the second house in from the street, safty really is not a concern for us. Besides, we do have a driveway gate so we can "lock" our kids inside to play...

[ThreeofUs]

I know what it's like to search for good housing, esp where you are. So even though my personal answer would be "he!! no!", I have to say I know a few families who have done it well.

As PPs have suggested, they all put up tall fences with significant bushes to screen where the kids would play from the street. They also made sure their play yard had significant and (at least with one family) rotating interest items - any kind of big toy, including boxes, that would hold the kids' attention. And they always make sure an adult is out there with their kids.

For me, I'd rather have a too-small house on a side street. But that's what you get from an ER experience....

[Karenn]

No. We had a house just off of a main road. I didn't like it. It was noisy There was truck noise, noise from the intercoms of nearby businesses and sirens that woke the babies from their naps every. single. day. It was dirty. There was exhaust from cars and pedestrian trash like McD's bags. There was a lot more crime. Because there were more people around there seemed to be more crime of opportunity- car break-ins, etc. Resale was hard.

All of those things might not be an issue where you're looking, but they're things I didn't think about when we bought that house.

[AnnieW625]

if this is going to be a forever house or at least a house where you can see yourself living for many years and if the schools are top notch then yes I would buy a house on a busy street, esp. if it meant saving oodles of money. Now if you think you'll be moving in the next 5 yrs then only then I'd be worried about resale.

For non CA residents unless you live on a large farm all residential places have fenced backyards.

[SoloMelody]

We bought a couple of months ago. We steered away from houses within 1/2 a mile of the interstate, just too much noise for us. Having said that we bought a house on a semi-arterial, corner lot.

There is a stop sign by the front of our street, and it is a fairly busy street. Speed limit is 35 on both the adjoining streets, but there are times that people do close to 50. In summer its a little annoying and we can hear this traffic on the top floors. I am worried of DD running out in the front onto the road. So I do not let her play in the front yard rather use the back yard which is enclosed. We intend to put up some hedge for privacy and noise reduction.

This was a bank owned house and nobody lived in it for a year and the bank was selling it at about 20% lesser than other similar houses in the neighborhood. We knew we did not want to go over our budget (we bought on the lower end of our budget). That was the decision making criteria, we were ready to put up with some noise for the price point.

Note our long term plans do not involve living in this house but we will hold this house long term.

[Puddy73]

We bought a house on a busy street without sidewalks and the cars are always speeding by. We bought pre-kids and it's a great house but if we had to do it over again we probably wouldn't.

This is us exactly. We live on one of the main streets of a large subdivision and there are no speedbumps so people are coming directly off the highway at a pretty high speed. I never let the kids play in the front yard and watch them like hawks when they go out to check the mail box or meet the ice cream truck. We have a big grassy back yard, but it is not ideal for bikes and riding toys. A busy street would be a deal breaker for us.

[carolinamama]

Honestly? No. Our last house was absolutely perfect - great floorplan, yard was nice an flat, good driveway, good location. You get the picture. Except for one thing - it was on a busy street. We wil NEVER do that again. When we moved to our current house, DH and I would walk outside in the evenings just to hear the lack of car noise and talk about how wonderful it was to be away from it. But,of course it is just our opinion at this point after btdt.

[HonoluluMom]

Yes, if there are enough safe places for your LO's to play, the house is in a good school district, it's a good neighborhood, nice neighbors, and meets all your criteria, I would say yes.

My house backs up to a semi-busy residential road and I have a huge privacy fence for the back yard. It's in a good school district and I have the best neighbors. The fact that it's on a semi-busy residential road has apparently not impacted its value (although real property in Hawaii is CRAZY). It was recently appraised for $200k more than what I purchased it for.

[gatorsmom]

Maybe. I think it depends on the size of the yard. I grew up in a house on a busy street but our yard was Huge. My parents fenced in the back yard and we really only played there. The busy street was just not an issue because we never played in the front yard. Our house now is on a pretty busy street and we redirect the kids to the backyard . They rarely play on the front because all their toys are in the back.

However, one of the houses we lived in pre- kids had no yard on a busy street. I wouldn't do that again because it just wouldn't have been safe for children. So, I think the yard size would be the deal breaker.

[citymama]

Maybe. I think it depends on the size of the yard. I grew up in a house on a busy street but our yard was Huge. My parents fenced in the back yard and we really only played there. The busy street was just not an issue because we never played in the front yard. Our house now is on a pretty busy street and we redirect the kids to the backyard . They rarely play on the front because all their toys are in the back.

However, one of the houses we lived in pre- kids had no yard on a busy street. I wouldn't do that again because it just wouldn't have been safe for children. So, I think the yard size would be the deal breaker.

the backyard is HUGE. big enough to put in a small swimming pool! currently has a hot tub, 2 decks, patio, grassy area. with a high wooden fence all around it; totally private and enclosed.

[Ceepa]

I would hesitate because I don't like a lot of street noise, but if you don't really notice it inside or else you do most of your living on the back part of the house then it may not be as bad.

[ett]

nope. busy street is a deal-breaker for me.

I dont want my kid/dog getting hit when they run out of the house unexpectedly, I dont want to face traffic pulling out of my drieway every day and I dont want the resale hassle.

:yeahthat:

[WatchingThemGrow]

the backyard is HUGE. big enough to put in a small swimming pool! currently has a hot tub, 2 decks, patio, grassy area. with a high wooden fence all around it; totally private and enclosed.
That sounds pretty nice - and similar to what we have. Well, if you take away the hot tub and replace it with a LT baby pool with a slide... Are there other DC in the area? I think that would be something important to consider.

[SnuggleBuggles]

That sounds great, imo!

Beth

[gatorsmom]

the backyard is HUGE. big enough to put in a small swimming pool! currently has a hot tub, 2 decks, patio, grassy area. with a high wooden fence all around it; totally private and enclosed.

That sounds really nice! You could always add a small cement pad for the children to ride their bikes on. And if you didn't mind the noise (this was never a big deal for me, but it was for my DH. I probably didn't mind because I grew up on a busy street and was used to it) it could work fine. jmho