would you move to a house with no neighbors?

[Belegost]

got into a mini-argument with my BF after looking at a potential house today... I love the idea and think it would be great for privacy (and not having to worry about noise if we throw a big party), and he thinks it just has a weird/off-putting curb appeal to basically be the only house on a block.

second house in from the corner... on the one side is an empty lot covered in asphalt (looks to be used as a parking lot, though I suppose anything could be constructed there eventually) and on the other is the parking lot of a condo building. opposite side of the street is a school, so I'd imagine lots of M-F noise during the school year, but probably a ghost town after 4 pm.

Google street view pic:

purely a hypothetical argument since we're another couple years away from having a down payment saved up, but I'm just curious as to what other people's reactions to the house would be.

Looks like a great place for a law practice, or a real estate office. Looks like a terrible place for a home to live in.

 

[Drako]

Would not buy - flag pole is crooked.

 

[John Connor]

Ditto, CA native living in CO.. winters suck.

Yep! Winter sucks out here. I'm in the Fort Collins area. Use to live in Riverside CA.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I like it.
"Where do you live?"
Maple Street.
"Where on Maple Street?"
In the middle.
"No, what's the Street address?"
Maple Street.

I'd be much more concerned with the shape the house is in than where it is.

 

[Belegost]

Yep! Winter sucks out here. I'm in the Fort Collins area. Use to live in Riverside CA.

Transplanted to Longmont from San Diego - I rather like having winter instead of "dry and mostly dry with the possibility of enough rain to disappoint you."

 

[moonbogg]

Yep! Winter sucks out here. I'm in the Fort Collins area. Use to live in Riverside CA.

We're probably leaving CA soon. We wanted to buy a house for about $300k out here, and believe me when I say they were ALL absolute dumps in the ghetto. Terrible, disgusting houses with neighbors stacked ontop of you.
For about half that price in Idaho you get a beautiful, recently built, two story home with lots of land and green acres all around. FUCK CALI I'M GONE.

 

[nageov3t]

I'd be worried of some eminent domain shit pulled by the city when a developer with enough money comes around and wants to buy up all that empty space around it and they give you a lowball offer to GTFO or lose it.

that's a pretty great point.

re: the shape of the house, that seems to be pretty much the norm around here for most houses unless you're buying a split-level or ranch... since leaving Oregon and moving to NJ, I don't think I've ever lived in a house that wasn't long and narrow, as opposed to short and wide or square.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I totally would, though it would be a gamble as it really depends what ends up being built on the parking lot / vacant land. I would probably buy it eventually and look into potentially buying the land next to it. Leave it a parking lot, install your own parking meters, profit.

 

[skimple]

Looks like a great place for a law practice, or a real estate office. Looks like a terrible place for a home to live in.

Would also make a good crack den.

Wedged between an apartment complex and an industrial parking lot? Is there an airport across the street?

You would not ant to raise kids there, and you would not want to use it as an investment property.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Yeah, to me, the idea of "no neighbors" implies privacy. Every person driving or walking by is going to try and look in the windows to catch a glimpse of the fool that bought that fucking house.

 

[Thebobo]

.......

Google street view pic:

purely a hypothetical argument since we're another couple years away from having a down payment saved up, but I'm just curious as to what other people's reactions to the house would be.

Its ok but a vacant lot could mean trouble like some business that you wont like in the future. Is there zoning there?

DONT WAIT! buy a house now, with semi decent credit you cant get house with virtually a zero down with FHA.

 

[nageov3t]

DONT WAIT! buy a house now, with semi decent credit you cant get house with virtually a zero down with FHA.

we could buy a house now if we really wanted to, but I'm getting a ridiculous below-market deal on rent right now and I'd like to at least keep renting until my BF's private/high-interest student loans are paid off.

also made slightly complicated given that the current place we're renting is my 90-something year-old great aunt's primary source of income and I don't think we could rent it out to strangers after we leave due to her poor mental health. the "dream" is that the house gets left to me or my mom in her will after she passes, in which case we've agreed that we'd sell the house and split the money, which I'd then use as a down payment to avoid the FHA-route.

 

[Fern]

Looks like a great place for a law practice, or a real estate office.
-snip-

That was my first thought.

I don't believe anyone has mentioned zoning yet. Since there's a big apartment/condo next door the other side is probably zoned that way too. In a few years you could end up with that little house sandwiched between two large apartments/condos. I doubt that would be good for the value.

Fern

 

[pete6032]

No. Simple reason is that you have no idea what will come along down the road and be built there. I'd rather have the certainty of knowing what buildings neighbor my home and buy there. Just because it's a vacant lot now does not mean it always will be.

What is the vacant lot zoned as? Have you checked with the City planning department about why it's vacant? Flood plain? Contamination? Absentee landlord?

 

[Jumpem]

That house a lot of neighbors shown just in the picture.

To me no neighbors means a rural road with few houses or lot sizes of a hundred acres.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

 

[iGas]

A house with privacy is great, but noway I'll buy that house.

I love to have my own island like the one in the link, but unfortunately I don't have the cash or time to live in isolation. STURT ISLAND, British Columbia V0P1W0

STURT ISLAND

 

[rh71]

I would never live near a school. I grew up across from one and the traffic getting out is ridiculous. Sometimes we can't even back out free and clear because it's a regular road, let alone it being a road with a school.

The other thing is noise. School means sports fields which also means lots of whistles on weekends. And lots of parking issues on weekends and some nights.

Lastly... what's with the barb-wire fence keeping people out, only to have a short fence in front?

 

[meltdown75]

I wouldn't like that place. It's too exposed. It seems out of place and I wouldn't be able to walk by a window without thinking someone could see me.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I would never live near a school. I grew up across from one and the traffic getting out is ridiculous. Sometimes we can't even back out free and clear because it's a regular road, let alone it being a road with a school.

The other thing is noise. School means sports fields which also means lots of whistles on weekends. And lots of parking issues on weekends and some nights.

Lastly... what's with the barb-wire fence keeping people out, only to have a short fence in front?

Yep can confirm, I live near a school. There's a period around 3pm where it gets completely ridiculous trying to get in or out of the driveway. Other than that period it's not too bad though, even in the morning it's not too bad, I think school starts at like 9ish so I'm at work by then.

 

[Red Squirrel]

A house with privacy is great, but noway I'll buy that house.

I love to have my own island like the one in the link, but unfortunately I don't have the cash or time to live in isolation. STURT ISLAND, British Columbia V0P1W0

STURT ISLAND

That would be awesome. Living on an island or other natural secluded land is my dream. I'd want internet access though, but if I was in a position to live like that I'd probably have enough money to get fibre run to it. :biggrin:

 

[Kadarin]

A house with privacy is great, but noway I'll buy that house.

I love to have my own island like the one in the link, but unfortunately I don't have the cash or time to live in isolation. STURT ISLAND, British Columbia V0P1W0

STURT ISLAND

DO WANT!

Yep.