Skwerl's new cabin

[tjm73]

Don't settle. Don't settle. Don't settle.

 

[BadPiggy]

Don't settle. Don't settle. Don't settle.

This. ^

 

[JEWC_Motorsports]

if you are not in love, run away.

 

[skwerl]

Maybe I'm just nervous. The layout of the house is quite similar to my own, but stretched out. I will need to tear down and move a wall that the previous owner built in order to make the garage functional again but once that is done I'll have the best garage ever. And I'm only offering about $25K more than what I expect to get out of my house. When I compare it to my house it really does begin to shine. My only regret is that it doesn't back up to a wooded area. The last house had deer tracks in the yard.

 

[stkjock]

Patience pays off in this type of situation IME.

A home purchase is not something to 'settle' on when talking location

 

[skwerl]

I think I'm just nervous because it's so much more money than anything else I've looked at. If I'm going to shop in this price range I can start over and reexamine a lot of places I passed over before. But this is the perfect layout for me and a very desirable area so the property value has a lot of upside. I'd prefer something that backed up to woods but if nothing else I can live here for 10-12 years until I quit running a bucket truck for a living and move to the woods then. This property will increase in value a lot quicker than anything else I've looked at so far.

 

[irishpwr46]

what are the real cons and can they be remedied? are they that bad that they completely outweigh all the pros?

 

[skwerl]

The only real cons are the swimming pool and screen enclosure which is an additional unwanted expense and the fact that there is a less desirable neighborhood on the other side of the power line easement. Instead of enjoying the wildlife wandering past my back yard I will need to erect an impenetrable barrier to keep the wildlife out.

 

[irishpwr46]

just hide some razor wire in the brush, that will keep the animals out.

 

[Kenaizer]

"Animals"

 

[stang389]

Lol ^

 

[skwerl]

what are the real cons and can they be remedied? are they that bad that they completely outweigh all the pros?

Thank you for posting this question and making me specifically address this instead of just saying 'it doesn't feel right'. After further review all day it seems my own prejudice is the main issue. I'm not happy about the house backing up to a black neighborhood because that means drugs and crime. But that makes me racist if I acknowledge the very real risks instead of just ignoring them and pretending that there is no issue.

I submitted my offer this evening and if I get the property then I'll just put up a bigger, taller fence to keep out any trespassers. I'd much rather have my yard back up to uninhabited woods without pedestrian traffic but I'll make do.

 

[NastyStang113]

Claymores are a good option to block the animals.

 

[BEAST]

Claymores are a good option to block the block animals.

FIFY

 

[skwerl]

Well a couple good bits of news today although nothing is official. My mortgage broker is one phone call away from getting me into a conventional fixed rate 30 year mortgage at 4.25%. Since it's after 5pm now I guess I won't find out until tomorrow. I should also have an answer tomorrow on my offer for this house. I'm guessing I'm not going to sleep much tonight.

And as far as the lack of security along the back fence, I think I have that figured out as well. The owner of a plant nursery I work with a lot has offered all the thorny, prickly plants I want to plant along the easement to discourage pedestrian traffic. I think a mixture of bougainvillaea and a few century plants will work nicely. He's also offered up a couple oak trees to plant in the yard to replace the dead ones I need to cut down.

 

[BEAST]

Mexican dagger cactus, have them all around my kids windows.

 

[Wes06]

build a fence, with those dagger cactus just on the inside of it, they hop over the fence, BAM shivved....hah

 

[Strengthrehab]

build a fence, with those dagger cactus just on the inside of it, they hop over the fence, BAM shivved....hah

This guy has a plan.

 

[Wes06]

i forgot high res camera's with night vision, to post to us the results.

maybe a couple large dogs for when their buddy tries to get them out

 

[skwerl]

OK, here's a screen shot off Zillow with some MS Paint editing. The green line indicates my driveway, the purple is where I need to replace the existing fence and the blue is the area I need to secure without actually being able to fence it off. I can fence some of it but I can't get into any situation with the next door neighbor as he has lived there for 20 years.

I know there are other avenues for kids to cut through the neighborhood and that's fine as long as it isn't down my driveway.