Which one? (Sorry another house ? )

[cindys]

So, we have 2 houses we like....Which would be your choice?

House #1

Pros:
Below price point
All hardwood and tile (thru entire house)
Granite in kitchen and bathroom
4 brdrms all with own bathroom
Seperate apt above garage with kitchen and bath
2 garages and 1 workshop
8 acres
Kitchen open to family room
Cons:
1 hr 10min from work
No basement
Can hear interstate cars when out on back deck
Almost 2 hrs from DH family
8 acres but all wooded would have to be cleared


House #2

Pros:
20 min from work
Finished basement with full bath
7 acres all pasture
6 brdms 4 1/2 baths & bonus room
Big deck
huge kitchen
3 car garage and boat door
brand new carpet thruout
50 min from DH family
Huge great room/family room


Cons:
Our highest price point
Would have to replace kitchen flooring (vinyl)
Hate carpet would want to replace bottom floor with hardwood
Kitchen does not open to family room
No dining room
Laminate counters

Thoughts??

Cindy
Mama to 3 boys...21, 6 & 3 :heartbeat::heartbeat::heartbeat:

[mytwosons]

Traffic/hwy noise is a deal breaker for me.

I would also enjoy the shorter commute.

[WatchingThemGrow]

#2 no question for me.

[pinkmomagain]

Traffic/hwy noise is a deal breaker for me.


Same here.

[[email protected]]

#2. The commute for #1 is too long and the hwy noise would ruin any enjoyment of being outside. Any way to make a lower offer on #2 or wait to see if something better pops up though?

Christine

[elbenn]

#2 sounds way better mostly based on commute. If it's at your highest price point, you could upgrade floors and counters later. You can use the money you'll save on gas to pay for the floors and counters.

[knaidel]

#2....you can live with laminate counter, vinyl flooring, etc, and eventually change it.
but you can't change the location of the interstate....unless you become the head of the state highway administration.

Does lack of dining room bother you? if you can live with that, then go with house #2, or wait.

[AnnieW625]

If the commute doesn't bother you then I would go with house #1. It sounds like you have enough bedrooms and bathrooms and since I have never had a house with a basement (they aren't super common in California, although they do exist) it isn't something I would miss.

If you were less than a mile from the highway that might concern me vs. traffic noise. Are you going to be spending a lot of time on the deck?

How are the schools in the two areas? If the schools of house 2 are better than house 1 then that would probably make my decision for me and then I'd start saving for renovations as needed.

How long can you live with the house needing renovations in house 2 if it is already at the top of your budget?

[janine]

based on the info provided, seems like 2 is a no brainer.

[hillview]

assuming you can afford #2 I'd do #2. I'd plan to so the work in a couple of years -- can you deal with a longer timeline?

[vonfirmath]

House #2. NO WAY would I buy an hour+ away from work.

[Jacksmommy2b]

#2 no question.

The cons of #2 (besides the price) are all things you can change. The cons of #1 are all permanent. (traffic and commute)

[speo]

House 2 if those stats are alright. Traffic and commute would be a deal breaker for 1. For 2, the dining room and kitchen not opening on FR would also be a deal breaker for us. The vinyl and laminate would not be a deal breaker. And while we also don't like carpet, it wouldn't be much of a problem here since it is new. There wouldn't be a huge rush to replace it.

[khm]

#2, no doubt.

#2's problems are superficial. It is a home - land, location, feel - not random bits of flooring and countertop materials.

Hardwoods and granite are not enough to make you truly happy if the commute and road noise are such huge downsides to you. Finishes are such little details, really.

As I'm constantly yelling at HGTV "Stop being a granite zombie!!" ;)

[ha98ed14]

#2....you can live with laminate counter, vinyl flooring, etc, and eventually change it.
but you can't change the location of the interstate....unless you become the head of the state highway administration.


She's right. #2.

FWIW, we bought at the top of our price range 2 years ago and are still living with most of the things we would like to change. We did redo one bathroom. But even with all the fixer issues, I am still happy to be here.

[cindys]

We are leaning towards #2 but the $50,000 price difference is scaring me :(

And it bugs me to pay top $$ and then have to go in and replace flooring and counters.

But overall, I think thats probably where we will be happier.


Now we just have to hope that no one swipes it from us before we get out there with the Realtor on Sunday..

Both houses are FannieMae Homepath properties.

Thanks for all the input!!

ETA: Schools are great in both counties.

Cindy
Mama to 3 boys...21, 6 & 3 :heartbeat::heartbeat::heartbeat:
Mama to

[mom3boys]

Good luck!

I would have said #2 as well. We are looking at houses and while it's annoying to have to replace some things, I try to concentrate on the lot, the location, and overall house size/layout, i.e., things that are tough or impossible to change. We recently redid our kitchen in our current house and I am not looking forward to another kitchen remodel (and we have hardwood floors and hate carpet) but I could live with a house with those things if I could get the lot and location I want!!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I can hear the highway at my house. So not a big deal! Far enough away that it's like white noise. An hour commute is unacceptable for us though. I'd get 2 and slowly work on your wish list...laminate counters never killed anyone.

[twowhat?]

#2.

But keep in mind that if you plan to stay in this house for years, your 20 min commute may not always be a 20 min commute. What if you change jobs? If you changed jobs, would you then have to move? If you had to move, would you have to upgrade flooring/counters in order to sell the home? That will be a money pit if you had to move soon after purchasing the home. Is your job stable such that you don't expect anything like that to happen? Is the location of #2 such that it is more desirable? (closer to downtown, better schools, etc). How big is the price difference between #1 and #2? (If you put the amount equivalent to the price difference between #1 and #2 towards renovations, would you be able to do everything you want?) Is #2 priced appropriately for not being updated? Anyway lots to think about for sure! But with the info you gave, I'd vote #2.

[cindys]

No chance of changing jobs or locations.

Been at the same job and location for 18yrs...Our company owns the building, so this part is not my concern.

About a $50,000 price difference.

Option #1 Schools and area are really wonderful...Small towny..

Otpion #2 Schools and area are also really wonderful.Small towny and yet close to everything.

Decision decisions....

Cindy
Mama to 3 boys...21, 6 & 3 :heartbeat::heartbeat::heartbeat:

[Philly Mom]

No brainer, number 2. Commute would seal it for me. We paid more for less for our house so I have a 20-25 min commute tops vs. a bigger house, more land, hitting more of our wish list, but having a longer commute.

[TwinFoxes]

Add me the the chorus of #2. That commute is a deal breaker for me. Also, I don't mind a closed kitchen, keeps down on smells/noise, and if you have a few things on the counter it doesn't make the whole area look messy. (We have an open kitchen, and those are the drawbacks that bug me.)

[kmkaull]

Location, location, location!

Not only is your commute shorter with #2, you have to think about resale with the highway noise. I you are hesitating, you know a future buyer will hesitate. The rest of your cons are just cosmetic and can be fixed in time.

[lhafer]

#2 and negotiate it down.

You can live with everything in house #2 and change it out over time.

It would be hard to enjoy a deck with loud noise.

Long commutes suck.

It would be a long hard process to clear all that land. And during that time you wouldn't be able to enjoy the property.

$50,000 over the course of 30 years is only a few hundred dollars/month. Know what your willing and able to spend and go in with your best offer. You may be suprised!

[kmm]

# 2

less commute time = more family time= priceless!

[AnnieW625]

Still playing devils advocate here regarding why I might chose #1:

commute, is this total time including sitting in traffic or it is open road total time in car, 1 hr. 10 minutes? In my area 1 hr. 10 minutes can almost be a regular for some people, but it is only 30 miles from their home. That would stress me out way more than driving for 75 miles each way to work on a regular basis with no traffic as long as I could afford the gas. esp. if I loved the the feel of the town I was living in, the house had everything I wanted, and the schools were then I'd probably chose #1.

:bag how many more years do you plan on working? I notice you have a 21 yr. old child, so if this place was my dream house and I had maybe 10 yrs. or less until I was able to potentially retire I might consider this as well.

how long would it take you to recoup the $50K in price difference? IE: gas prices, and the cost to have the 8 acres cleared? If that is going to cost you $50K in say less than a 3 yr. time span I might reconsider, but if not esp. in this economy I'd be tempted to go for the home with the lower price tag.

We have white freeway noise in our area too, I am used to it, but it was far enough from the freeway (DH works in environmental engineering so this is a big thing for him) to not get all of the nasty fumes from the highway.

[cindys]

We can afford #2, I just would really love a smaller mortage :)

Yes, we can wait on some projects but I would really love to get the flooring and counter tops done before we moved everything in.

But, we will see what happens...If I have to suck it up for a year or two I could..

ETA: DH can do all the flooring himself...

I will be working at least another 10 yrs...And the commute from #1 does not take into consideration traffic and I will also have to travel an interstate.

No interstate involved in traveling to work with #2.

I do work off hours 12-8pm so thats a plus...

I did ask a friend here at work who used to live in the town of house #1 and she said it sometimes took her 2hrs to get home... yikes.. She moved closer to work recently...

I have always had to travel for work (worked in DC and commuted from MD) and living here in Ga has been no different...It might be nice to not have to travel so far everyday.

Cindy
Mama to 3 boys...21, 6 & 3 :heartbeat::heartbeat::heartbeat:

[hellokitty]

#2 for sure. The commute alone makes it worth it. The improvements you want to make ate purely aesthetic. So, you can take your time doing them, plus it sounds like 2 is bigger, that makes sense that it costs more.

[twowhat?]

We can afford #2, I just would really love a smaller mortage :)

Yes, we can wait on some projects but I would really love to get the flooring and counter tops done before we moved everything in.

But, we will see what happens...If I have to suck it up for a year or two I could..

ETA: DH can do all the flooring himself...

I will be working at least another 10 yrs...And the commute from #1 does not take into consideration traffic and I will also have to travel an interstate.

No interstate involved in traveling to work with #2.

I do work off hours 12-8pm so thats a plus...

I did ask a friend here at work who used to live in the town of house #1 and she said it sometimes took her 2hrs to get home... yikes.. She moved closer to work recently...

I have always had to travel for work (worked in DC and commuted from MD) and living here in Ga has been no different...It might be nice to not have to travel so far everyday.

Cindy
Mama to 3 boys...21, 6 & 3 :heartbeat::heartbeat::heartbeat:

DEFINITELY #2 then!!! And I wouldn't jump straight into renovations - set up your furniture and just live in the house for a year...decide how you use the space and start collecting ideas. Then you can better prioritize what you want to do first that will make the biggest impact on your quality of life. And if you're moving into a larger home than your current one - wait a few months to buy furniture! Our real estate agent gave us this tip and it's a GREAT one - you really want to evaluate how you will use your space, which spaces you will use most often, which spaces you want to keep casual vs formal, etc...then you can make more educated furniture-buying decisions:) Have fun!!

[oneontheway]

#2. Sounds very nice!

[AnnieW625]

With all of that said then I would probably chose #2 as well then. I think I would do the counter tops first before moving in and let the carpet go as long as possible, unless it is white.

[MamaMolly]

#2 no question.

The cons of #2 (besides the price) are all things you can change. The cons of #1 are all permanent. (traffic and commute)

:yeahthat: I was thinking the exact same thing. You can change everything but location.

[indigo99]

The cons of #2 (besides the price) are all things you can change. The cons of #1 are all permanent. (traffic and commute)

:yeahthat: or I would wait for something else.

[ourbabygirl]

Please pick house #2 and don't make the same mistake that DH & I did! We live far away from family and have a longer drive to get everywhere... it's going to be a while until we can recoup some money and sell.

That commute & being another hour from your DH's family would be deal-breakers for me. Also traffic (and air traffic) noise, that's a deal-breaker for me, too.

Good luck; I hope you get the house you want for the price you can be o.k. with! ;)

[KonzaPrairie]

I agree with a shorter commute. I recently quit my job mostly because my 30 mile interstate commute was taking me close to an hour in stressful traffic. I Absolutely Hated It. No amount of money was worth that kind of stress to me.

Also, I think the resale on a house that is near road noise can be tough. I was helping a friend house hunt a few weeks ago and we found the perfect house, but it backed up to a busy road. It wasn't a highway, just a busy road, and the noise was ridiculous. I think this house will have a hard time selling solely because of the road noise.

[ShayleighCarsensMom]

I'd go for #2 as well. To put into perspective it's about $230 more a month on a 30 yr loan. If you went with option #1 you'd be spending probably close to that amount (if not more!) on gas and wear/tear on your vehicle because of the longer commute.


Valerie
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Staraglimmer]

#2 because more of the cons are changeable. You can't change noise.


-Stephanie
Mommy to Hailey Michelle 4/08
& Leah Claire 6/12

[cindys]

**UPDATE**
We got all our paperwork in order for house #2..We bid the price of the home since we have been outbid before..

Before the paperwork got submitted the house went Under Contract!

Its been on the market since 6/22/12...

I just cant believe it...

Cindy
Mama to 3 boys...21, 6 & 3 :love-retry::love-retry::love-retry:

[KpbS]

Oh man!! Well, now you know it was not meant to be. Hope the "perfect" house comes on the market this weekend. :hug:

[cindys]

Apparently no house is meant to be since this is the 4th house we have lost out on :(

The search continues...

Cindy
Mama to 3 boys...21, 6 & 3 :love-retry::love-retry::love-retry:

[niccig]

I'm sorry. It sounds like the day you see the house is the day you need to decide to put a bid in. We had to do that when we bought. I hope the next house is yours.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Apparently no house is meant to be since this is the 4th house we have lost out on :(

The search continues...

Cindy
Mama to 3 boys...21, 6 & 3 :love-retry::love-retry::love-retry:
:grouphug:(this is my family hugging yours) We have put in 4 bids on 3 houses and have nothing to show for it either! The right one is coming up soon!!!

[JTsMom]

:hug: You'll find the right one. There's no way I'd voluntarily do an hour plus commute in ATL. DH had to do that for a very short time, and it was a nightmare. There were several occasions where it became a 2 hour commute.

North, south east or west?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'm sorry. It sounds like the day you see the house is the day you need to decide to put a bid in. We had to do that when we bought. I hope the next house is yours.

:yeahthat: Sounds like you need to just start being totally impulsive! I know that one was on the market longer than the others so it really stinks that you just missed it! Good luck!!

[TwinFoxes]

Sorry the house is under contract. :( Are they accepting backups? You never no what will happen. Since your market is hot I would just make sure all paperwork is ready to go so you can submit a day of offer. Good luck, your house is out there!

[khm]

Ugh, I'm sorry. I had a sinking feeling when you said "waiting until Sunday".

To beat the rush, don't wait. Do offers on a Tuesday, Monday, any day. Don't wait. If it is your realtor who isn't available until Sunday, use someone else. Most people do wait until the weekend. The people who win are those that don't.

[JMS]

Assuming you can afford house #2, even at the high end of your price point, I would definitely pick #2 over #1. All your cons are easily fixable. You can't add a basement or move your family/work closer to house #1.

eta: So sorry- just saw your update. There's a chance the other contract/offer falls through. I would tell your realtor to notify the listing realtor that you are serious about this house and to please contact you immediately if anything changes.