Is anyone skipping their "starter home"?

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: jjsole
That's great, quote his @ss, so even if he wants to heed advice to remove his personal links he can't...

I already changed the links. :ninja;

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

I lived in an ~1800 sq ft home, with mom and stepdad. We had 3 dogs (great dane, collie, and lab), and I had an iguana as well. We had plenty of room, and was about the right size house for us. I had a friend who lived with us for a few months, and there was plenty of space for the 4 of us+dogs in it.

I don't want a house much over 2000 sq ft, and don't plan on having kids (want to get a vasectomy actually).

Oh and to the dude who said that an 8000 sq ft home was small for a family of 4. I dated a girl for a bit who grew up in a house that was 8000 sq ft, with a 3000 sq ft basement, and a 1250 sq ft garage. She had 8 siblings, and two parents. They had PLENTY of space, and she said that they weren't "cramped" or anything. I seriously doubt you grew up in an 8000 sq ft home. For those of you who want to see the house.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: JLee

Originally posted by: JMapleton

Originally posted by: JLee
That's too much cleaning. 😛

I'd like to get ~2000sq ft with a decent garage (2-3 car) and find a good roommate or two.

Do you plan to have a family? If so that is not a lot of space unless you have only one kid and keep things tidy at all times.

I grew up in a family of 7 in a ~2000sq ft house. Not everybody is rich. 😛

Lord, I spent 4 years in a ~8000 sq.ft. house with one sibling and it wasn't enough space all the time.

i think you really don't know how big 8k sq ft house is.

Considering that I lived in one...I do.

First two levels

Side shot of bottom level

My car, the next door house, and you can see the house I grew up in through the reflection

If that doesn't satisfy, I can get more exterior shots plus interior shots.

He's a rich boy! LET'S GET 'IM!!!!!!!

 

[mugs]

Depends on how you define starter home. My wife and I skipped over the townhouses and the smaller single-family home and got a decent sized house that'll be really nice when we finish the renovations. We'll probably upgrade in about 10 years though. Our lot is to small, and if we have two kids we'll probably want a 4 bedroom house.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
I lived in an ~1800 sq ft home, with mom and stepdad. We had 3 dogs (great dane, collie, and lab), and I had an iguana as well. We had plenty of room, and was about the right size house for us. I had a friend who lived with us for a few months, and there was plenty of space for the 4 of us+dogs in it.

I don't want a house much over 2000 sq ft, and don't plan on having kids (want to get a vasectomy actually).

Oh and to the dude who said that an 8000 sq ft home was small for a family of 4. I dated a girl for a bit who grew up in a house that was 8000 sq ft, with a 3000 sq ft basement, and a 1250 sq ft garage. She had 8 siblings, and two parents. They had PLENTY of space, and she said that they weren't "cramped" or anything. I seriously doubt you grew up in an 8000 sq ft home. For those of you who want to see the house.

wow... that is huge...

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
I lived in an ~1800 sq ft home, with mom and stepdad. We had 3 dogs (great dane, collie, and lab), and I had an iguana as well. We had plenty of room, and was about the right size house for us. I had a friend who lived with us for a few months, and there was plenty of space for the 4 of us+dogs in it.

I don't want a house much over 2000 sq ft, and don't plan on having kids (want to get a vasectomy actually).

Oh and to the dude who said that an 8000 sq ft home was small for a family of 4. I dated a girl for a bit who grew up in a house that was 8000 sq ft, with a 3000 sq ft basement, and a 1250 sq ft garage. She had 8 siblings, and two parents. They had PLENTY of space, and she said that they weren't "cramped" or anything. I seriously doubt you grew up in an 8000 sq ft home. For those of you who want to see the house.

That's nice. The layout of our house was such that, while there was a lot of open space, utilizing certain rooms had to be scheduled and that created conflict between me and my sibling. I didn't say it wasn't enough room, I said it wasn't enough all the time.

I don't care if you believe me or not. I posted pics of the house, and I'm not about to waste more of my time contacting my dad (and explaining to him the inane reason for needing them) to get the blueprints so I can scan them in and allow you to calculate the exact square footage.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
He's a rich boy! LET'S GET 'IM!!!!!!!

I'm not. I currently live in ~1100sq.ft. of space.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Fritzo
He's a rich boy! LET'S GET 'IM!!!!!!!

I'm not. I currently live in ~1100sq.ft. of space.

OK then...but we're keeping an eye on you.

 

[Slew Foot]

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
That's fine if you aren't paying rent now. If you re renting, the longer you wait, the more money you are flushing down the toilet every moth with nothing to show for it.

If you buy a house, even if it's not your dream house, you own the house. Money you pay towards goes towards your equity. If you have the option of renting vs owning a house, get the house.

Not really, the first few years of a mortgage are virtually only paying off interest, and when prices are falling, youre losing equity. Believing what you said is how idiots get screwed.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
I lived in an ~1800 sq ft home, with mom and stepdad. We had 3 dogs (great dane, collie, and lab), and I had an iguana as well. We had plenty of room, and was about the right size house for us. I had a friend who lived with us for a few months, and there was plenty of space for the 4 of us+dogs in it.

I don't want a house much over 2000 sq ft, and don't plan on having kids (want to get a vasectomy actually).

Oh and to the dude who said that an 8000 sq ft home was small for a family of 4. I dated a girl for a bit who grew up in a house that was 8000 sq ft, with a 3000 sq ft basement, and a 1250 sq ft garage. She had 8 siblings, and two parents. They had PLENTY of space, and she said that they weren't "cramped" or anything. I seriously doubt you grew up in an 8000 sq ft home. For those of you who want to see the house.

That's nice. The layout of our house was such that, while there was a lot of open space, utilizing certain rooms had to be scheduled and that created conflict between me and my sibling. I didn't say it wasn't enough room, I said it wasn't enough all the time.

I don't care if you believe me or not. I posted pics of the house, and I'm not about to waste more of my time contacting my dad (and explaining to him the inane reason for needing them) to get the blueprints so I can scan them in and allow you to calculate the exact square footage.

Well then your family has crappy layout of the home, and very poor usage of it. I'm sorry buy unless you are using a lot of that space for storage (or something other then living in), an 8000 sq ft home will have plenty of space for a family of 4.

Unless of course you're building an indoor skate park....

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Fritzo
He's a rich boy! LET'S GET 'IM!!!!!!!

I'm not. I currently live in ~1100sq.ft. of space.

OK then...but we're keeping an eye on you.

Great, only a matter of time before the paranoia sets in...

 

[kranky]

We bought our "starter home" with the thought of moving up in a few years. We decided to stay. It's paid off. Now we're happy with the extra money.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: Slew Foot

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
That's fine if you aren't paying rent now. If you re renting, the longer you wait, the more money you are flushing down the toilet every moth with nothing to show for it.

If you buy a house, even if it's not your dream house, you own the house. Money you pay towards goes towards your equity. If you have the option of renting vs owning a house, get the house.

Not really, the first few years of a mortgage are virtually only paying off interest, and when prices are falling, youre losing equity. Believing what you said is how idiots get screwed.

Oh and renting should allow you to save more to buy a home. So rent a cheapish place to live in until you buy a home. That allows you to save more, to put towards the downpayment which means you will have lower monthly payments.

Buying as soon as you can isn't always the best option.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Fritzo
He's a rich boy! LET'S GET 'IM!!!!!!!

I'm not. I currently live in ~1100sq.ft. of space.

OK then...but we're keeping an eye on you.

Great, only a matter of time before the paranoia sets in...

btw i like the shirt you have on today. but you really should clean up a little. maybe clean teh glass on the air duct..

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Fritzo
He's a rich boy! LET'S GET 'IM!!!!!!!

I'm not. I currently live in ~1100sq.ft. of space.

OK then...but we're keeping an eye on you.

Great, only a matter of time before the paranoia sets in...

btw i like the shirt you have on today. but you really should clean up a little. maybe clean teh glass on the air duct..

LIAR! I'm not wearing a shirt toda...er...heh

 

[DougK62]

LOL, only on ATOT does everyone own a McMansion and think that having a family of three in a 1500 sq.ft. house is "cramped".

 

[Slew Foot]

Originally posted by: SMOGZINN
And why are people still staying in places that have million dollar 3 bedroom houses? You realize that my 3 bedroom 2400 square foot house on a half acre of land in a decent middle class neighborhood will only sell for about $120k? I?m starting to look at rent houses and I consider $1000 a month about right. Move south young men.

A "starter home" in the bay area (CA) still goes for 500-600K. I dont know who's stupid enough to be buying them, but people are. If you want a decent sized house and lot, (3000sqft, 1/4 acre) its easily 1 -2 mill.

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Millb...-Ct-94030/home/2051098

Im guessing thats what most people wold call a starter home, and guess what? It's backyard faces the airport.

 

[Gunslinger08]

I bought a somewhat in-between house, that I can either upgrade from in 5 or so years, or choose to stay there.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: DougK62
LOL, only on ATOT does everyone own a McMansion and think that having a family of three in a 1500 sq.ft. house is "cramped".

yeah i was thinking that myself.


we have a 2000 sq.ft place (with 1200 sqft basement but most of it not finished) and we have more then enough room for us.

Granted it is now getting a little cramped with my wife's little sister moving in wiht us. but we are fine.

we had a house twice the size years ago and it was far to large for us. i love my "little" house.

though wish i had another restroom in the basement,.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: DougK62
LOL, only on ATOT does everyone own a McMansion and think that having a family of three in a 1500 sq.ft. house is "cramped".

I grew up in houses around 1500sf with a family of four, sometimes smaller. There's no question in my mind that it's cramped, because we were cramped. You're practically stepping on one another, especially if you have active kids that have their own hobbies, etc. A nice basement and/or yard helps though.

I agree that people talking about 8ksf houses as small as being disillusioned with the real world though.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: JMapleton
I personally plan to skip buying what many consider a "starter home." It seems there is a sense that home ownership is equal to success and many young people as soon as they quality will go out and buy the first house they can afford after they get their first job with a 30 year loan and little money down.

Me personally, I plan to wait a few more years to save up as much as possible to buy a house that I personally will never need to upgrade (in terms of size or location). I just don't see the point in having to mess with a house when it's not necessary to have one, although I understand that some people have families early and need a house to put them in.

Anyone else doing this?

I'm inclined to agree with you on this. I've causally looked through the listings of "starter homes" in this area and they all seem like glorified apartments to me. For a substantial increase in monthly expenses, you get a small house and a tiny lot that is crammed onto a street full of similar houses, affording you virtually no privacy.

At this point, I'd rather save up a large downpayment toward something I would actually enjoy living in. I suspect the increased cost would mostly be about the location - I can't justify buying a bigger place than I need, but I could justify buying the right-sized house in a good location, for the reasons I outlined above.

Of course, there's always the possibility that the place I describe is well beyond anything I would ever be able to afford. I'm not sure, as I haven't done extensive research into this. I just know I would value privacy when shopping for a home, and the so-called starter homes around here barely offer any more privacy than what I get from living in an apartment complex.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: DougK62
LOL, only on ATOT does everyone own a McMansion and think that having a family of three in a 1500 sq.ft. house is "cramped".

I grew up in houses around 1500sf with a family of four, sometimes smaller. There's no question in my mind that it's cramped, because we were cramped. You're practically stepping on one another, especially if you have active kids that have their own hobbies, etc. A nice basement and/or yard helps though.

I agree that people talking about 8ksf houses as small as being disillusioned with the real world though.

Good lord. I never said it was small, nor did I say it wasn't enough room. I said, "it wasn't enough room all the time." Guess what? It wasn't all the time. People need to learn to read and understand idioms.

 

[cheezy321]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: JLee

Originally posted by: JMapleton

Originally posted by: JLee
That's too much cleaning. 😛

I'd like to get ~2000sq ft with a decent garage (2-3 car) and find a good roommate or two.

Do you plan to have a family? If so that is not a lot of space unless you have only one kid and keep things tidy at all times.

I grew up in a family of 7 in a ~2000sq ft house. Not everybody is rich. 😛

Lord, I spent 4 years in a ~8000 sq.ft. house with one sibling and it wasn't enough space all the time.

i think you really don't know how big 8k sq ft house is.

Considering that I lived in one...I do.

And how could it not be enough room for a family of 4? You basically have enough sq footage for four normally sized homes.

8K sq feet isnt enough for 2 kids and 2 parents? 2,000 square foot per person isnt enough?

LOL wut?

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: DougK62
LOL, only on ATOT does everyone own a McMansion and think that having a family of three in a 1500 sq.ft. house is "cramped".

I grew up in houses around 1500sf with a family of four, sometimes smaller. There's no question in my mind that it's cramped, because we were cramped. You're practically stepping on one another, especially if you have active kids that have their own hobbies, etc. A nice basement and/or yard helps though.

I agree that people talking about 8ksf houses as small as being disillusioned with the real world though.

Good lord. I never said it was small, nor did I say it wasn't enough room. I said, "it wasn't enough room all the time." Guess what? It wasn't all the time. People need to learn to read and understand idioms.

i find it hard to beleive that in a house that big you couldnt have enough room any time you wanted.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: DougK62
LOL, only on ATOT does everyone own a McMansion and think that having a family of three in a 1500 sq.ft. house is "cramped".

I grew up in houses around 1500sf with a family of four, sometimes smaller. There's no question in my mind that it's cramped, because we were cramped. You're practically stepping on one another, especially if you have active kids that have their own hobbies, etc. A nice basement and/or yard helps though.

I agree that people talking about 8ksf houses as small as being disillusioned with the real world though.

Good lord. I never said it was small, nor did I say it wasn't enough room. I said, "it wasn't enough room all the time." Guess what? It wasn't all the time. People need to learn to read and understand idioms.

i find it hard to beleive that in a house that big you couldnt have enough room any time you wanted.

I don't know how to explain it without listing every type of room we had, what rules were in place for certain areas of the house, what percentage of the house certain rooms had (which I'm not going to do)...sure, I could always been in my room and been comfortable, but who wants to stay in their bedroom (watch out, this is an idiom) all the time?