General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumsany realtors here? We are thinking of changing lifestyles. Selling our home moving
to a downtown apartment. Cost would be the same payment wise but utilities would be different.
Pros:
No household maintenance
No long term driving to get to work-this is a huge bonus because hubby doesn't drive as he is legally blind-he can drive in our home town and does very well but the big city makes him nervous
No utilities
No taxes
No lawn mowing
No painting every 5 years
close to jobs
walking distance to many variety of things
newer space
gated entry
exercise gym
rooftop pool
community room
Cons:
No longer home owners
Can not have both boxer puppies
smaller space
very close neighbors
worry about noise
hubby loses antenna for ham equipment
worries
Time frame in selling the home
will the apartment we want be available
what is the process of "hiring" a real estate person What do you look for in someone who will work with you?
the house has a new roof and several new windows. Needs new carpet but if we are not staying we don't want to install it.
Hubby thinks it will take a while to sell.
I have no fear we will come out ahead equity wise but in the long run, we will always have a payment instead of it being close to being paid off. But we could pay off a student loan in the process if the house sells right.
I told him the first process should be to look at the 4 high rises we are eyeballing to see if we could truly downsize
is this crazy? We are both close to 50 and feel that we would rather spend money doing things we like instead of always putting thing into the house.
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London Lover Man
(371 posts)instead of apartment living - it's basically owning your own apartment space.
- Saying that after 8 years of working for condos and apartment complexes. I've seen the pros and the cons. Even from a non-realtor POV.
Warpy
(111,324 posts)since you're on top of everybody else, you're under the thumb of a condo association, you have to pay a monthly condo fee (rent), you're responsible for repairs, you owe property taxes, and did mention being on top of each other?
My own favorite downsized place is a trailer. They're compact, easy to maintain, cheap to heat and cool, well planned out. If you can plunk one on your own little plot of land, so much the better. Bonus: you get to put up that antenna and keep the dogs if you're on your own land.
Just dig that storm cellar if it's in tornado country.
London Lover Man
(371 posts)Like I said. i don't live in there, just work for them.
I chose to live with my mom with my wife and kid. We are saving up to buy a new house nearby when it is being built. Two pieces of parcels of land nearby were just recently bought up and are building homes there. We'll see if we can pick and choose.
Warpy
(111,324 posts)Single family houses are great when you have kids, nobody's around to complain about the racket the kid makes.
I often think about going back to apartment living, but there would have to be above average soundproofing between units. I am a weaver who keeps odd hours.
Those don't exist in this town.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)Either apartment, pay monthly for life, lose the animals, but no responsibility. Or your own home with your animals safe, a buffer from shitty neighbors, and eventually paid off.
My annual taxes right now are the same as monthly rental of equivalent size and space. When I downsize, possibly to the trailer Warpy mentions above, my taxes will be half or less.
csziggy
(34,137 posts)Many communities limit where you can place one - often they are relegated to more rural parts of the locale or limited to trailer parks. This means you are farther away from public transportation, shopping, jobs, medical assistance, etc.
While they are great when new, if you are in one for more than fifteen years you will run into maintenance problems. And remodeling a mobile home does not increase your equity in the same way that investing in remodeling a house or condo can.
If you have mobility problems a mobile home can be a very real problem. You can build ramps for access, but they will either take up a lot of space or be steep. Doorways tend to be narrower though that is less of a problem with newer ones than in older mobile homes.
That said, my husband and I lived in a mobile home for nearly thirty years. Over that time we replaced the entire heating cooling system, the roof, the windows, the siding, the floors, much of the plumbing, the stairs, the deck and most of the appliances. It still needed s good amount of work done under the floors on the plumbing and the original water heater blew out a fitting the last week we were in the house spraying a jet of water that was eating through the wall board.
The kicker came for me when I blew out my second knee and could not get in and out of the house without assistance. My walker did not fit through the doors so I had trouble getting around the house.
We were lucky to be able to build a house on our property that has everything I need to access on the main floor and that we designed to be wheelchair accessible. I got both knees replaced a few years ago but I still worry about ending up wheelchair bound.
Once we finished the new house we tried to sell the mobile home. No luck - we ended up giving it away to a family whose home had burned and had four generations living in an RV. Even if we had trashed it, hauling it to the dump would have cost around $2000 and the dump fees were over $3000. The family that got it now has a house that is larger than the one that burned. Members of the family know plumbing and have done the replacement/repair work that would have cost us thousands of dollars.
We loved our mobile home for years but the money we put into improvements might as well been dumped down a black hole. If we'd built sooner we could have put that work into the new house ourselves and gotten more value from our time and effort. I would not move into another one unless the time frame to live in it was less than 15 years.
demtenjeep
(31,997 posts)that is the way he does things...he worries about all that can go wrong instead of looking at what is going right.
if we are going to own, we would keep our home of 18 years.
If we are going to do this ...we jump in
we just don't know what to do first, where or who to turn to.
The lady that was awesome when we bought our home was great but she is no longer doing homes because she is almost 90
I told hubby I wasn't making any final decisions until we look at places so I guess I have answered my first question...what to do first.
Then what
freshwest
(53,661 posts)And they will not stop as long as they can push the price up. And the population all over is causing more competition for a place. If you can't increase your income, you will find it hard to live there after a while.
Where I live, it took a few years until it was full all the time. The rental increase used to be under my COLA. Then it was equal. Then, it was more. Then twice as much. This year it was three times as much. Next year it will be more as more people sell their homes to retire and buy new ones. The taxes will go up, everything will go up.
Eventually I will have to move. I understand the need to stop with all the other home stuff, and the hassle of the drive. Please take this into account in your math as you choose where to live. For own peace of mind and the sake of you and your husband.
I still had my house and it was paid for, I'd save over $10K a year and could hire help to do things for my house. Good luck.
London Lover Man
(371 posts)Then you want something of a luxury apartments - something that is new, well-kept and always has attentive staff.
The apartment complex I work for isn't exactly luxury, but it is new, simple and easy. Not exactly in downtown location, but it's a fast commute there (from where I live) I've seen the rooms, and know how they look furnished and unfurnished. Some of them have added benefits like nice balconies, even your own storage room in or nearby the apartment.
KentuckyWoman
(6,690 posts)We have professional management but they only carry out what the residents have decided we want done. The whiners call the management company. It works well in small town Kentucky.
Condos in the city I would not have any part of. You have zero control over skyrocketing condo fees, no control over how the money is spent. Oh you can go to the meetings and fuss but they don't have the listen. And warpy is right, the bugs from dirty neighbors, the weird cooking smells, getting burnt out of your home because some idiot smokes in bed or thought turning the stove on then vanishing to surf the web is a great idea. I'm with her, would rather live in a trailer.
If I were in a big multistory complex I'd definitely rent..... I want an out when the lease is up.
daredtowork
(3,732 posts)This is the basic difference between the poor and the rich where I live.
The poor never built up equity in property. They don't have anything to sell when there is a huge property bubble. They don't benefit from the credit that having property brings. They don't have the position to invest in more property.
That said, owning property is a hassle. It depends on where you want your wealth to come from. If you can build wealth from some way other than letting it accumulate in your property value, then renting can keep you mobile.
demtenjeep
(31,997 posts)hubby wants the NY style lifestyle. Walking distance to jobs, coffee shops, restaurants, the Y, entertainment street vendors, things like that.
I would go tomorrow if the space was big enough and we could take the dogs. Realistically, we can't have both 70 lb boxers only one...our daughter or nephew would take one but they have always been a pair...
However, there is no guarantee our home will sell in time to get an apartment we want and we can not carry a mortgage and rent.
In the long run, we would be able to free our finances and could do things we want...more cruises, better furniture, more cultural activities.
so much to think about
msongs
(67,433 posts)demtenjeep
(31,997 posts)in a smaller place. Then go from there.
demtenjeep
(31,997 posts)it would be awesome to move/sell at the same time but that is probably not the way things would work out
cwydro
(51,308 posts)That's my thought.
KentuckyWoman
(6,690 posts)Even Warren Buffett will tell you this. Yes there are ways to take advantage of the bubbles if you have the special skills needed to flip a house but at some point you at best break even when ALL costs of living in a house and trading up are calculated in the mix. If the interest rates are low enough, maintenance costs are low enough, taxes yada yada..... the stars are aligned with the 7th moon blah blah.
For almost everyone though that equity at the end of paying off a mortgage means they also paid 3-4 times that amount in interest over the life of the loan. Add in improvements, maintenance, taxes, insurance, lifestyle additions that don't pay back.
And we won't even talk about the value of your labor out whacking the bushes, the weeds, sweating up on the roof, digging the bird nest out of the dryer vent, and cussing at the damn air conditioner that dies on the hottest day ever in the history of ever. Not to mention the roots of those charming trees along the driveway that 10 years later have grown roots big enough to bust the heck out of your concrete driveway and wormed their way into the sewage line.
Most of us prefer a single family home over multi-family living for a reason. Equity should not be one of them. The math only very rarely adds up.
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)There are advantages and disadvantages both to owning and renting.
I bought the little place I now live in seven years ago because I did not want to be giving rent money so that someone else would eventually profit. I have a small, manageable back yard. Not every home comes with lots of labor-intensive landscaping. My mortgage payment is a bit less than my rent was for the year I was renting before I bought. I don't know if I'll live here forever, but someday this place will be sold and there will be cash left over even if I were to sell in the very near future. If I'd simply been renting these seven years and wanted to move on, I'd have absolutely no cash to take out of the rental. None. And I'd have been paying more in rent than my mortgage.
And mortgage interest is deductible, which helps.
While landlords are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of their property, not all of them are fully responsible about those things, any many renters can tell you.
Owning your own residence generally means you cannot be evicted. If you're renting, the landlord can simply decide he wants to let his son-in-law have your apartment, and you get the joy of moving. Happened to my brother once.
If I ever do move again, I would take a close look at a condo, because I'd have the benefits of ownership and not have to have as much responsibility for maintenance. I know that people here say that all condominium associations are complete spawns of the devil, but they're wrong. There are good ones, and it's really a matter of doing your own due diligence before buying.
So anyway, owning vs renting, single family home vs condo/apartment style, or buying a trailer and putting it on land you own out in the country, it's all a matter of personal preference. I think the OP is doing the right thing, asking questions and trying out the change they want before fully committing. That's always good to do.
KentuckyWoman
(6,690 posts)I totally agree with you that ownership has a lot of lifestyle advantages for most people and the overall costs are usually less than renting. (Not always) I was not actually speaking to the lifestyle issue of ownership... only the math.
I just wanted to remind the crowd that the "equity" in a primary residence does not usually mean you made money. It means you get to pay some of your costs to yourself instead of someone else.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)In the event of a depression, if you don't have a home that is paid for you do not have anything. I believe this is true. If you have a roof over your head and do not have to pay rent, you can always scrounge food: through charities, churches, hunting, planting vegetables. And if you have a permanent home, you have a permanent address.
I keep a little place in West Virginia that I own rented out as opposed to selling it because of the above statement. I do not have the place I currently live in paid off; I have 17 years left on the mortgage. I converted my downstairs into an apartment which I rent out to make the monthly mortgage payments.
I certainly would not give you advice on this important decision you have in front of you. I am just giving you something to think about. Best of luck to both of you in making your decision.
Sam
roody
(10,849 posts)
dem in texas
(2,674 posts)We paid off our home about 8 years ago. It is too much house for us since the kids are gone and yes, there is upkeep involved. But there is a lot to be said for not having to worry about a house payment in your old age. We will stay here until we can no longer care for ourselves. We have a large fenced backyard so the dog can get plenty of outdoor life. The neighborhood is quiet with very light traffic, lots of trees.
Your husband will probably exchange one set of worries for another. There are lots of hidden costs and fees in condo living. My daughter's home was paid for, she lived in a Dallas suburb. She decided she wanted to move into town to be closer to art, entertainment and shopping, so she rented a condo in a high end area just north of downtown, thinking she'd buy it. Thank goodness she did not sell her home. She found that crime was higher, taking her dogs out was a problem and the parking and traffic were terrible. Found out the owners of the condos were having a lot of extra upkeep expenses. She moved back to her house in the suburbs and said she was so over wanting an uptown lifestyle.
demtenjeep
(31,997 posts)if we didn't like it
packman
(16,296 posts)No "serious" maintenance like replacing a heat pump, water heater, etc.
No upstairs or downstairs neighbors
No taxes
No lawn mowing (usually this is included in rent, at least mine)
May get same amount of space for hobby rooms, etc.
May have a garden
May be part of homeowners assoc. with health club, pool, etc.
Can pick up and leave any time
My house was picking me and my wife to death with this and that. We left and rented and I regret we didn't do it years ago. Nice neighborhood and I haven't spent a dime on yard upkeep or maintenance.
If you are especially lucky there are some great houses that the banks have foreclosed on and are literally begging for renters to live in them to prevent damage and vandalism.
underahedgerow
(1,232 posts)Second, it depends on how much equity you have in the home, and how much you can get out of it once you've sold it & paid off the mortgage. I would rather be paying into a mortgage that increases my assets rather than to a rent company to increase THEIR assets. You get a lot of tax advantages with a mortgage that you don't get with a rent payment.
Without a property to mortgage, you have no assets to borrow against as security in the event something big comes up. It looks good on your credit report to have a paid mortgage however but you can't sell a credit report.
You should definitely consider a condo if there are good quality properties available in the area you're considering. As another poster said, having a paid-for home as an asset when you're aging is very important. Yes there are fees, but to pay a simple fee for the hassle of all your common areas being cared for by the association is the advantage. It's usually quite low and can often be paid for quarterly or annually. If you find a condo building you like the looks of, google the heck out of it and knock on doors, talk to the neighbors, do your homework. If you've got a substantial profit coming from the sale of your home, you flip as much of that as possible into the condo mortgage to reduce your monthly overheads, maybe even paying cash for the new home. HOC's aren't such a big deal as people make them out to be. It's very normal in every place else in the world! But it's important to review them so you are informed as to any potential restrictions that could be an issue, although I've never come across any that were genuinely a hassle. It's more about the conditions of common areas, I don't see what the big fuss is that most people yammer on about. If you inform yourself, you won't get any surprises. Homework, homework, homework.
For a real estate agent, look in the local homes for sale adverts. See who's name is most prominent and again, google is your friend. Someone who has a lot of experience in selling your neighborhood homes will have the biggest advantage as they know the area, the demographic and true value of your home. That's your first stop; have that person come on in and give you an assessment, it's free to talk! Do NOT SIGN ANYTHING ON THE FIRST VISIT. You'll learn the value of your home and can do your maths. That person can tell you the average time that your home should spend waiting for a buyer. Listen, listen, listen to your estate agent and their opinions on what can make your home sell like a hotcake. A small outlay of cash and modest improvements can substantially increase your profit and speed of sale.
Whenever I've bought and sold my own homes, I always did every improvement, down to paint color and decor, even the color of the door, with the eye to a future buyer. Consequently, all my properties sell to the first buyer that walks in the door. I always got over 100% profits in 2 years.
Do any improvements out of pocket, or if they're pricey, on a small loan that you pay off on the sale profits.
Another option to consider as another poster said, is renting your home out. You could do this for a year and try out the city living you're interested in, renting your own flat in the city. If you're happy with city living, you can take the time whilst in the city to find the perfect condo. Keep a short lease on the house, and when you decide to sell it after all, terminate the lease and get rid of the tenants so it's empty on sale.The rent will cover the mortgage in the meantime and could add a bit into your pocket. BUT you have to make sure the home is habitable for tenants, you have to make any general improvements to reduce potential problems and you have to take a huge security deposit and an air tight lease. If you discover that you don't like the city you can move back home, so you have a double safety net. Try to avoid renting to anyone who is less than stable, with as few kids as possible, do NOT allow pets; check every single work history and personal reference and don't be a sucker for a sob story. It's nice to be kind, but inevitably it can cost you a fortune. Impose a big penalty for late payments as well.
Remember with pets, city living is different. You have to walk the pooch several times a day. Consider your neighborhood, is it safe to walk pooch at night, and who is going to do it in allll sorts of weather. In a condo you absolutely cannot allow pooch to wee or poo in any common areas. Will doggie be happy in an apartment? You have to have a huge supply of doggie litter bags on hand! Dog fights, doggie escaping leash, is there a dog park nearby? But it's also a great way to meet neighbors, explore your neighborhood and make new friends!
Shopping is another thing to consider. Carrying grocery bags, taking out the trash, everything is different in an apartment, you don't just walk from the driveway to your house unless it's a condo type situation.
Sorry to run on, but you're making a big decision here. You're not spring chickens and any decision you make has to be made with an eye to the future. If you decide to simply sell and rent, where are you putting your money? What savings and investment vehicles will you be using to earn yourself as much gains and tax reductions as possible? Talk to your tax person as well during this process, and a trusted financial adviser. How will you save for your retirement and old age? You've still got a 30 - 40 years in front of you to consider, a time during which one of you could become unwell (life insurance is a great investment, BTW) and is that potentially bank breaking possibility covered by insurance or an investment plan?
There you go. The business of life and planning.... Lots to consider, but do your homework! The internet has lots of great info out there and you've been directed to talk to the right series of people, so good luck!!!!!!!
KentuckyWoman
(6,690 posts)We have about 10 years on you but just recently went through that. My husband has multiple issues that make taking care of the responsibilities of a house a challenge. It generally falls on me.
The money is what the money is. That's easy to put in a spreadsheet and decide if the math works. It's the intangibles you don't know. That fear that making the leap from the devil you know to the devil you don't and wondering why in the blue hell did we do this to ourselves if it doesn't work out.
Hire someone who specializes in housing for the disabled and elderly. You aren't quite there in age but your husband's vision issues create a special need. This type of agent will understand what you need to look for and has a lot of experience selling homes that have issues with outdated decor.
This is actually the 2nd time we've reinvented our lifestyle. The first was moving from the big city to a family farmhouse in rural Kentucky. Recently we gave up the farmhouse and moved into a rented condo closer to town ( a small town) We put a lot of stuff in storage until we were sure the new living arrangement would work. We also decided to sign the house with the real estate agent as a rental for the first year at least so we could come back if we made a mistake. They took care of everything and believe it or not TurboTax online was enough to make sure the IRS was satisfied.
We rented out the house for 2 years and then shopped it out to family. We were lucky, a family member wanted it and bought it for a fair price. We just recently finally finished wading through the storage unit. Tough choices that.
You won't be able the put the doggies in storage but maybe a kindly family or friend will foster them for a bit. If you rent out the house the radio tower can stay put until he is sure he can live without it or can't. It's a huge thing to give up for a man who can't see well but can hear just fine. A link to the world when he can no longer read the internet screen. Is there an operator nearby who's willing to "take him in" - share equipment so he can still participate.
At some point he'll lose his ability to drive even locally. Moving to the city now will give him a chance to get the lay of the land while he still can see.
Please don't hesitate to PM me if I can offer more tips. But really, an agent who specializes to special needs will be a huge help. Don't hesitate to contact the senior centers or the council on aging as well. I know you feel you are too young but you are old enough for AARP ....haha.
Good luck.
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)Last edited Sun Jul 26, 2015, 11:56 AM - Edit history (1)
What happens if in a few years the rent is no longer affordable? At least with a mortgage you have the same payment monthly. Rent goes up with each lease renewal. Are you prepared to move every few years when the rent becomes unaffordable?
Also, for every apartment I've lived in I still had to pay for electricity and water. Those summer electric bills were awful, since the air conditioner units were always undersized.
Edited to add: if you want to downsize, I would maybe look for a newer built smaller house. Get a home warranty, that would cover things like broken air conditioner, plumbing issues, etc.
sendero
(28,552 posts)... who leases houses to other people also.
I'm not sure what dire eventuality your husband is trying to mitigate against as there are no shortage of possibilities that are a real and present danger, but if I were you I'd make paying off the mortgage my priority, not putting myself in a position where I am paying all of the costs you are now plus a profit for your landlord.
MineralMan
(146,324 posts)I'd also ask about where that home is.
The real estate market is recovering, and in some markets, selling prices are back up to almost where they were at the peak of the market in 2004-5.
Where I am, it's a seller's market, and move-in-ready homes are selling ultra fast, and there are even bidding wars. That said, the vacancy rate in good apartments is very, very low, which means that rent prices are high, and going higher.
So, location will be important.
Apartments are cool, since you aren't responsible for landscaping and other exterior issues. However, you're only assured of having your apartment during the period of your lease. If a landlord wants you out, the rent will increase drastically at the end of your lease and you may have to move again. Also, apartment buildings get sold, get converted to condos, and have other issues at times that make continuously living in one for decades iffy.
Rental rates tend to rise, especially if the vacancy rate is low. You could easily find yourself priced out of your apartment in just a few years. That's something to consider.
How soon will your house sell? That depends on the current state of the market where you are. It also depends on the desirability of your particular home. That old carpet, for example, could slow down the sale. My wife and I just managed the sale of her mothers home. We went ahead and installed all new carpeting (needed), had the entire interior repainted professionally and installed a brand new, upgraded countertop in the kitchen. It made a world of difference, and it sold in a month for more than the asking price. The cost? About $12,000 for the updates. It was an excellent investment, and more than repaid itself.
Equity matters. How much you actually realize from the sale can be hugely important. If you have no substantial equity, you might as well be renting anyhow. If you have a large equity position, you'll realize some actual cash when you sell. Both situations need to be studied, depending on your situation.
If you want to get info on your home's value and how the market is doing, call a well-known realtor/broker who has recently sold properties near you. He or she can give you the information you need, and will be happy to do so. You'll get a pretty good estimate of what it will sell for, as-is, and with updates. You'll get a pretty good idea of how long existing homes stay on the market before they are sold. It costs you nothing for this evaluation, but be aware that the broker/agent will want very much to sell your home, and may apply some pressure on you to put it on the market. Remember that it's your decision entirely. Don't allow yourself to be pressured.
With info on listing price and average time on market in your particular area, you can begin apartment shopping. Hopefully, you'll have the funds available to commit to a lease, based on projections of selling time. If not, and if homes are lingering on the market, you'll want to wait until you have a purchase agreement signed before committing to a lease. Escrow periods in most markets are typically in the 30-45 day range for well-qualified purchasers. Insist on a pre-authorization from a lender before accepting an offer. Listen to your listing agent on this.
Good luck.
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)Am I the only person here who is bothered by this?
How in the world does he pass the vision test when he renews his license? Or do you live in a state that never bothers to retest vision?
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)He drives in their town, but if he's truly legally blind he shouldn't be driving at all. Legally blind means his eyesight is no better than 2/200 (the last I looked it was 20/200) while wearing corrective lenses, so he shouldn't be driving at all!
B2G
(9,766 posts)demtenjeep
(31,997 posts)that wasn't the point of this question so please don't turn it into this
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)Legally blind is 20/200 with corrective lenses.
KentuckyWoman
(6,690 posts)It's also classified for someone who is down to 20 degrees on peripheral vision and can be used to classify for someone with other visual / brain issues. If someone has a driver license they still have a legal right to drive unless a doctor moves to have it removed or if the state finds a reason to take it.
I know a few classified as legally blind who are safe to drive. They really are limited in ability to earn income and/or need special medical care because of the vision challenges. However, with care and strong self editing they are perfectly safe to drive. In fact, a few of them I'd put their driving up against someone who fiddles with the radio, GPS the damn cell phone while simultaneously putting eye makeup in the rear view mirror in the far left lane any day. (As seen in downtown Atlanta this past week)
My apologies to the OP for contributing to possible hyjack thread. I just wanted to help clarify what is legal blindness since it came up.
demtenjeep
(31,997 posts)in one eye he is 20/200 in the other he is 20/100+ with correctives he is 20/60+ He had to go to a special driving school He has to take a driving test every year when his license is due. When we dated in our small town he was zipping all over the town. It the big city he is a bit more reserved. He drives maybe 2% of the time if I need him to. It isn't that he can't, he just knows his limitations. He is safe and careful but also knows there are huge risks and that people are stupid.
I suspect this is part of his desire to move downtown. He can walk to many places and doesn't feel restricted if I don't want to go anywhere, he can just walk to a multitude of places.
And this is all I am going to say about that. I have lived it first hand. I would think I know.
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)People often use the term legally blind rather loosely. It's not just god-awful uncorrected vision. It's vision that cannot be corrected.
Because when you said he's legally blind and still driving, that gave some of us pause.
ileus
(15,396 posts)I still remember my college apartment and the apartments I lived in for a year a few years out of college. I'd rather live under a bridge than ever have noisy neighbors that have folks always taking your parking spot. Oh and the dog that shits on your door mat...can't forget about that neighbor. Or the college kids in the apt above me that partied every weekend. Or the kids that lived next door that partied every weekend...or the divorced moms with 3 kids whose Ex husbands stopped by every few night to yell and scream....or the neighbors in the bottom apartment that were drug dealers that left every 15-30 minutes to make deals at the local truck stop.
Oh and don't forget that owner that moved and decided to lease his townhouse to 12 other people that liked sitting on your car and drinking and taking your parking spots all the time....
Yeah....sharing walls with other humans is never a good thing.
PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)is you can always easily move if you have to. I'm 51 and have never owned a home or condo. I have zero interest in owning.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Do you mean you would have to give up animals you already have/
If so, that would be a deal breaker for me. Animals are not disposable.
demtenjeep
(31,997 posts)one is male and he is 6. He is neutered but is aggressive around strangers. We have a nephew who is a sheriffs deputy and basically grew up with us and our baby boy and he would take him in a heart beat.
We have a female who is spayed. She is 4 and is actually my daughter's dog but we kept her when she got married. They now live in a townhome that could have pets.
Also 3 of the 4 places we are looking at would allow us one dog.
I just don't know if I would want the responsibility of walking them on a leash when all their lives all we have had to do is open the back door.
Decisions...
but I really need more advice on the house. Do we fix things, do we contact those "we buy home" people...can we trust anyone? what happens if the apartment we want is gone when the house sells?
In a perfect world, the house would sell and we could move right in, but we all know this isn't a perfect world
mnhtnbb
(31,401 posts)especially when you'd need to change your habit to go out and walk your dog.
I have a rescue--got her when she was 3--and even though we have a house the dog is walked
three times/day and sometimes four. You will get more exercise!
About fixing your house up to sell, you might want to contact three local realtors. Drive around and
make note of what realtor seems to have signs/listings in your part of town and then contact them. The realtors will come give
you their opinion of things that really should be fixed--usually most suggestions will be cosmetic and
not costly--to make your home attractive to buyers. Most buyers do NOT want to fix up places.
You will not get the best price with old carpet. Are there hardwood floors under the carpet? If there is
hardwood, I'd consider pulling up the carpet and have someone come in and refinish the floors. Lots of
people don't want carpet anyway. You will need to do something about the dogs, though, when showing
the house. You don't want to have an aggressive dog around when a prospective buyer is looking at the house.
Realtors will also give you some advice about de-cluttering your house. Buyers want to be able to envision themselves
in the space, so it is better to minimize furniture and personal objects/knick knacks/photos.
The realtors will also give you 'comps' for similar houses that have sold--what price--and how long it took to sell them.
Feel free to ask each realtor for recommendations from previous clients. Beware of realtors who will try to 'buy' your listing
by suggesting you list for a higher price than the comparables indicate. A house is new to the market only once and if you
list it too high (thinking you'll come down) it will discourage people from looking because they don't want to waste their
time looking at an over priced house. Price really is what sells houses.
demtenjeep
(31,997 posts)most helpful information this thread.
I truly thank you
mnhtnbb
(31,401 posts)good luck!
Many, many years ago I sold real estate in the San Fernando Valley area of southern California. Although I quit
the business after a year because I needed a steady paycheck when I got divorced, having the experience/info
of selling real estate has certainly helped in my own life for the times I've bought/sold homes with hubby #2.