[quote=pjwal]Our house was built in 1978 (1-story, ~1400 sq/ft) and after fixing the fence last month, we’re starting to think about the advantages of the newly built homes (master bathrooms, closet, laundry room upstairs, etc).[/quote]
pj, IMO these are “superficial” reasons to go deeply into debt for a property with HOA, MR, street bonds and the like. Do you realize you can do a “minor remodel” on your house to get some of the items you mention above. Believe me when I tell you that I have been a posthole-digging partner myself and have replaced many fences. You will have to repair fences/gates on ANY property (incl. new constr.) every few years, due to termite infestation, unless you have block walls and wrought iron.
Why is it preferable to have a laundry room upstairs, or even inside the house at all? If a laundry hose snaps off, it’s prone to flood your entire home almost instantaneously before you may discover it.
You are in Carlsbad, no? This is a very good place to raise a family. Maybe when the market stabilizes you could build a room addition into your (larger) backyard.
PJ, I have owned nine homes in SD County, plus 3 out of state, from 930 sf (1 car gar) to 2220 sf (3 car gar) I’ve had a “wet bar” that no one ever used but my cat and a 37′ long living room and 24′ long MBR, both of which our voices echoed in. And yes, I’ve had both a laundry hose (on a one-story home) and a toilet valve break off and flood my house, both huge cleanup jobs.
I don’t know anything about the two developments you’re asking about here, but sometimes an “oasis” that looks appealing in a builder’s model with model-home furniture and plants is a cavern (or airplane hangar) when John Q. Citizen moves into it. Do you realize that heat and air conditioning bills are much higher with the 13-20′ ceilings of new construction?
[quote=sdrealtor]Having grandparents that are able to pitch in and watch the kids every once in a while is also a HUGE benefit you should not overlook . . .
You cant control your immediate neighbors and are just as likely to land a couple of whacko’s where ever you land. The extended area around your home is far more important and more under your control.
. . . Also bare in mind that selling your current home, buying a new one and moving will likely cost you about $50,000 after all is said and done. Thats alot of money…..[/quote]
Well spoken, SDR. It is clear you’re not on this Board just to troll for business, exp. since PJ’s apparently located in “your back yard.” I agree that if PJ does not have children yet that getting into (unnecessary) massive debt before starting a family is a recipe for future hardship.
Granted, young people today seem to need more square footage to raise a family than earlier generations needed. At the time I last had my RE license hung, there was a lot of new neighborhoods being built in the area which were such a draw to young people, even the ones at my “day job.” The older inventory was such a “hard sell” because of the “draw” of some of the the things PJ is mentioning here. Now, street after street of “Otay Ranch” is clogged with bank-owned, weedy, pool-drained eyesores on 3,000 – 4,000 sf lots. The driveways are so short that full-size pickups hang out over the sidewalk and into the curb. These were mostly purchased (and lost) by young families who no agent could ever interest at the time in touring the inside of a nearby 1950’s home on a 12,000 sf lot with no MR, HOA or street bonds.
It’s true what SDR said, you can’t control who your neighbors are – anywhere you move to. I agree about the in-laws living nearby being an asset. That is the sole reason in recent years for several young families moving into my older ‘hood with lots of WW-II boxes on 6,000 to 24,000 sf lots. (Hey, many carpenters/concrete contractors/roofers are low on work or out of work right now.) These “kids” want to be a few houses down or a couple of blocks from parents, for babysitting or after-school supervision purposes.
Late last summer, CVHS, which is about one mile away from me, had their Class of ’69 40-year reunion. A couple of my neighbors went and said the vast majority of attendees were all still “homies.” Apparently, many of them “walked” to the reunion. PJ, the kind of ‘hood you want to raise your family in is a *stable* one, where your neighbors will loan you tools occasionally and help you hang a door, fix your lawnmower or call the police if you need it. Older ‘hood’s have holiday block parties, too. Why don’t you begin by organizing one in your ‘hood for the 4th of July!
