Carmel Valley questions

[Scarlett]

How large is your current house? I know CV is extremely overpriced, but I would think for 1M you have at least 2500 sf and at least 4 decent size bedrooms? I think you and your kids will be pretty unhappy switching to a 1300 sf house, and regret it. Perhaps you can find something a little bigger than that, say, a 4 bdr of at least 1700 sf, even though you’d still have a little mortgage to pay…I am not sure though if in this case it’s worth the move and upheaval. I think 1300 sf is a bit extreme. I completely understand why you don’t want to leave CV. I am not saying in general a family of 4 can’t stay in a 3 bdr 1300 sf, but in your case it could be very rough.

Edit – one more thing – I think it’s a bad idea to post your exact address on a public website. Street should have been enough. Perhaps Rich or you can edit it.

[UCGal]

The idea of being mortgage free is very attractive. I’m aggressively paying on my mortgage in hopes of achieving that goal.

As far as downsizing… I guess it depends on your family and the house you’re moving to. If you’re moving from a two story with large entry halls, curving staircases, etc… to a one story, open plan… You get some benefit of eliminated wasted space. (You can’t live on a staircase – and most folks don’t use their entry foyers as living spaces.)

If the yard/outdoor space in the new/smaller place is comparable – that will help with the transition.

Look hard at your furniture – is it the oversized stuff that is so common now? That will make the rooms seem smaller. I’ve noticed that furniture styles like you find at Ashleys tend to be HUGE – designed for the tract-mcMansions. Smaller scale used to be easier to find. If your furniture is large – it will be harder to transition to a smaller house.

Only YOU know if you’ll adjust to a smaller house. With 1300 sf you probably have one just one living space – not a separate living room/family room setup… do you need separate space for the kids? Is your formal living room used much now?

To answer your specific questions:
1) We bought from my father – no lawyer or realtor – but we used a title company. It was fine. A lawyer reviewing the sales contract is a good idea.

2) If priced right – it will sell. If priced too high, it won’t. I notice there aren’t too many houses on your street – so no good comps… If you want to be under contract in 30 days – you’ll need to price at or slightly below market price. Don’t just count on Zillow for pricing. It’s notoriously inaccurate at times.

3)I don’t know.

4) I think it’s a great idea to be mortgage free. It gives you options and you are no longer a slave to the house payments. It makes the stress of possible job reductions easier. I’m a fan.

5)It’s possible. It’s possible to even be happy doing it. My husband is one of 6 kids (so 8 in the family) – they grew up in a 1200 sf row house… He didn’t know they were being abused and were supposed to feel deprived. We lived in a 1500 sf house before we bought my dad’s house… and had my in-laws in with us for part of the time. We were happy. It’s what you make of it.

[UCGal]

The idea of being mortgage free is very attractive. I’m aggressively paying on my mortgage in hopes of achieving that goal.

As far as downsizing… I guess it depends on your family and the house you’re moving to. If you’re moving from a two story with large entry halls, curving staircases, etc… to a one story, open plan… You get some benefit of eliminated wasted space. (You can’t live on a staircase – and most folks don’t use their entry foyers as living spaces.)

If the yard/outdoor space in the new/smaller place is comparable – that will help with the transition.

Look hard at your furniture – is it the oversized stuff that is so common now? That will make the rooms seem smaller. I’ve noticed that furniture styles like you find at Ashleys tend to be HUGE – designed for the tract-mcMansions. Smaller scale used to be easier to find. If your furniture is large – it will be harder to transition to a smaller house.

Only YOU know if you’ll adjust to a smaller house. With 1300 sf you probably have one just one living space – not a separate living room/family room setup… do you need separate space for the kids? Is your formal living room used much now?

To answer your specific questions:
1) We bought from my father – no lawyer or realtor – but we used a title company. It was fine. A lawyer reviewing the sales contract is a good idea.

2) If priced right – it will sell. If priced too high, it won’t. I notice there aren’t too many houses on your street – so no good comps… If you want to be under contract in 30 days – you’ll need to price at or slightly below market price. Don’t just count on Zillow for pricing. It’s notoriously inaccurate at times.

3)I don’t know.

4) I think it’s a great idea to be mortgage free. It gives you options and you are no longer a slave to the house payments. It makes the stress of possible job reductions easier. I’m a fan.

5)It’s possible. It’s possible to even be happy doing it. My husband is one of 6 kids (so 8 in the family) – they grew up in a 1200 sf row house… He didn’t know they were being abused and were supposed to feel deprived. We lived in a 1500 sf house before we bought my dad’s house… and had my in-laws in with us for part of the time. We were happy. It’s what you make of it.

[UCGal]

The idea of being mortgage free is very attractive. I’m aggressively paying on my mortgage in hopes of achieving that goal.

As far as downsizing… I guess it depends on your family and the house you’re moving to. If you’re moving from a two story with large entry halls, curving staircases, etc… to a one story, open plan… You get some benefit of eliminated wasted space. (You can’t live on a staircase – and most folks don’t use their entry foyers as living spaces.)

If the yard/outdoor space in the new/smaller place is comparable – that will help with the transition.

Look hard at your furniture – is it the oversized stuff that is so common now? That will make the rooms seem smaller. I’ve noticed that furniture styles like you find at Ashleys tend to be HUGE – designed for the tract-mcMansions. Smaller scale used to be easier to find. If your furniture is large – it will be harder to transition to a smaller house.

Only YOU know if you’ll adjust to a smaller house. With 1300 sf you probably have one just one living space – not a separate living room/family room setup… do you need separate space for the kids? Is your formal living room used much now?

To answer your specific questions:
1) We bought from my father – no lawyer or realtor – but we used a title company. It was fine. A lawyer reviewing the sales contract is a good idea.

2) If priced right – it will sell. If priced too high, it won’t. I notice there aren’t too many houses on your street – so no good comps… If you want to be under contract in 30 days – you’ll need to price at or slightly below market price. Don’t just count on Zillow for pricing. It’s notoriously inaccurate at times.

3)I don’t know.

4) I think it’s a great idea to be mortgage free. It gives you options and you are no longer a slave to the house payments. It makes the stress of possible job reductions easier. I’m a fan.

5)It’s possible. It’s possible to even be happy doing it. My husband is one of 6 kids (so 8 in the family) – they grew up in a 1200 sf row house… He didn’t know they were being abused and were supposed to feel deprived. We lived in a 1500 sf house before we bought my dad’s house… and had my in-laws in with us for part of the time. We were happy. It’s what you make of it.

[UCGal]

The idea of being mortgage free is very attractive. I’m aggressively paying on my mortgage in hopes of achieving that goal.

As far as downsizing… I guess it depends on your family and the house you’re moving to. If you’re moving from a two story with large entry halls, curving staircases, etc… to a one story, open plan… You get some benefit of eliminated wasted space. (You can’t live on a staircase – and most folks don’t use their entry foyers as living spaces.)

If the yard/outdoor space in the new/smaller place is comparable – that will help with the transition.

Look hard at your furniture – is it the oversized stuff that is so common now? That will make the rooms seem smaller. I’ve noticed that furniture styles like you find at Ashleys tend to be HUGE – designed for the tract-mcMansions. Smaller scale used to be easier to find. If your furniture is large – it will be harder to transition to a smaller house.

Only YOU know if you’ll adjust to a smaller house. With 1300 sf you probably have one just one living space – not a separate living room/family room setup… do you need separate space for the kids? Is your formal living room used much now?

To answer your specific questions:
1) We bought from my father – no lawyer or realtor – but we used a title company. It was fine. A lawyer reviewing the sales contract is a good idea.

2) If priced right – it will sell. If priced too high, it won’t. I notice there aren’t too many houses on your street – so no good comps… If you want to be under contract in 30 days – you’ll need to price at or slightly below market price. Don’t just count on Zillow for pricing. It’s notoriously inaccurate at times.

3)I don’t know.

4) I think it’s a great idea to be mortgage free. It gives you options and you are no longer a slave to the house payments. It makes the stress of possible job reductions easier. I’m a fan.

5)It’s possible. It’s possible to even be happy doing it. My husband is one of 6 kids (so 8 in the family) – they grew up in a 1200 sf row house… He didn’t know they were being abused and were supposed to feel deprived. We lived in a 1500 sf house before we bought my dad’s house… and had my in-laws in with us for part of the time. We were happy. It’s what you make of it.

[UCGal]

The idea of being mortgage free is very attractive. I’m aggressively paying on my mortgage in hopes of achieving that goal.

As far as downsizing… I guess it depends on your family and the house you’re moving to. If you’re moving from a two story with large entry halls, curving staircases, etc… to a one story, open plan… You get some benefit of eliminated wasted space. (You can’t live on a staircase – and most folks don’t use their entry foyers as living spaces.)

If the yard/outdoor space in the new/smaller place is comparable – that will help with the transition.

Look hard at your furniture – is it the oversized stuff that is so common now? That will make the rooms seem smaller. I’ve noticed that furniture styles like you find at Ashleys tend to be HUGE – designed for the tract-mcMansions. Smaller scale used to be easier to find. If your furniture is large – it will be harder to transition to a smaller house.

Only YOU know if you’ll adjust to a smaller house. With 1300 sf you probably have one just one living space – not a separate living room/family room setup… do you need separate space for the kids? Is your formal living room used much now?

To answer your specific questions:
1) We bought from my father – no lawyer or realtor – but we used a title company. It was fine. A lawyer reviewing the sales contract is a good idea.

2) If priced right – it will sell. If priced too high, it won’t. I notice there aren’t too many houses on your street – so no good comps… If you want to be under contract in 30 days – you’ll need to price at or slightly below market price. Don’t just count on Zillow for pricing. It’s notoriously inaccurate at times.

3)I don’t know.

4) I think it’s a great idea to be mortgage free. It gives you options and you are no longer a slave to the house payments. It makes the stress of possible job reductions easier. I’m a fan.

5)It’s possible. It’s possible to even be happy doing it. My husband is one of 6 kids (so 8 in the family) – they grew up in a 1200 sf row house… He didn’t know they were being abused and were supposed to feel deprived. We lived in a 1500 sf house before we bought my dad’s house… and had my in-laws in with us for part of the time. We were happy. It’s what you make of it.

[Coronita]

cvmom,

Sorry, when you posted your orignal thread, I couldn’t help but peek at your property and sale history….But here’s my take based on what I could tell…I’m not so sure you downsizing is really a downsize beyond the size of the home…

You’ve been living in your current home for quite awhile. And it’s going to be ironic that you will most likely pay more property tax (or close to the same) for a 1300sqft place versus your existing home (provided the record for your home is correct)? Also, let’s not forget that if you plan on buying a townhome in CV, you will have approximately $259/month in hoa and mello-ruse (sic) to deal. Also, now you have do deal with the inconvenience of parking, neighbors that share adjoining walls,etc.
I don’t think it’s worth it for you, considering that you also have 2 kids.

If we assume that you didn’t refinance/take HELOC’s and/or atm to death your home….You are in an envious position because if you’ve been diligent in paying down your mortgage, you are probably at a point when you can almost survive on 1 income, let alone two. IF you atm’ed your home’s equity to death…then it’s a different story…Then you might not even want to consider purchasing again… ( I hope you didn’t, but no need to answer that on a public forum, especially since you are considering selling the home).

Anyway, to me, it doesn’t really seem to make sense for you to sell your primary SFH only to buy an attached at current market values, given how low you paid for your primary to begin with….

Are you sure you want to buy in The Heights? It’s an apartment-convert, with the most inconvenient floor plans. At least consider something like Andulcia(sp)

Third…Buying from a “friend” is a bad idea, unless he/she is offering a killer deal to you directly without you asking… Because if

(1)If you ask for a good price, you might offend your friend, because he/she might thing you are trying to take advantage of the situation
(2)If you don’t ask for a good price, you will regret the decision of paying more than you need to and feel like he/she has taken advantage of you…..

Don’t mix money (of this size) with friendship…It’s not personal…It’s business…That’s my opinion…

What you haven’t answered is how much left you have on your existing mortgage.

[Coronita]

cvmom,

Sorry, when you posted your orignal thread, I couldn’t help but peek at your property and sale history….But here’s my take based on what I could tell…I’m not so sure you downsizing is really a downsize beyond the size of the home…

You’ve been living in your current home for quite awhile. And it’s going to be ironic that you will most likely pay more property tax (or close to the same) for a 1300sqft place versus your existing home (provided the record for your home is correct)? Also, let’s not forget that if you plan on buying a townhome in CV, you will have approximately $259/month in hoa and mello-ruse (sic) to deal. Also, now you have do deal with the inconvenience of parking, neighbors that share adjoining walls,etc.
I don’t think it’s worth it for you, considering that you also have 2 kids.

If we assume that you didn’t refinance/take HELOC’s and/or atm to death your home….You are in an envious position because if you’ve been diligent in paying down your mortgage, you are probably at a point when you can almost survive on 1 income, let alone two. IF you atm’ed your home’s equity to death…then it’s a different story…Then you might not even want to consider purchasing again… ( I hope you didn’t, but no need to answer that on a public forum, especially since you are considering selling the home).

Anyway, to me, it doesn’t really seem to make sense for you to sell your primary SFH only to buy an attached at current market values, given how low you paid for your primary to begin with….

Are you sure you want to buy in The Heights? It’s an apartment-convert, with the most inconvenient floor plans. At least consider something like Andulcia(sp)

Third…Buying from a “friend” is a bad idea, unless he/she is offering a killer deal to you directly without you asking… Because if

(1)If you ask for a good price, you might offend your friend, because he/she might thing you are trying to take advantage of the situation
(2)If you don’t ask for a good price, you will regret the decision of paying more than you need to and feel like he/she has taken advantage of you…..

Don’t mix money (of this size) with friendship…It’s not personal…It’s business…That’s my opinion…

What you haven’t answered is how much left you have on your existing mortgage.

[Coronita]

cvmom,

Sorry, when you posted your orignal thread, I couldn’t help but peek at your property and sale history….But here’s my take based on what I could tell…I’m not so sure you downsizing is really a downsize beyond the size of the home…

You’ve been living in your current home for quite awhile. And it’s going to be ironic that you will most likely pay more property tax (or close to the same) for a 1300sqft place versus your existing home (provided the record for your home is correct)? Also, let’s not forget that if you plan on buying a townhome in CV, you will have approximately $259/month in hoa and mello-ruse (sic) to deal. Also, now you have do deal with the inconvenience of parking, neighbors that share adjoining walls,etc.
I don’t think it’s worth it for you, considering that you also have 2 kids.

If we assume that you didn’t refinance/take HELOC’s and/or atm to death your home….You are in an envious position because if you’ve been diligent in paying down your mortgage, you are probably at a point when you can almost survive on 1 income, let alone two. IF you atm’ed your home’s equity to death…then it’s a different story…Then you might not even want to consider purchasing again… ( I hope you didn’t, but no need to answer that on a public forum, especially since you are considering selling the home).

Anyway, to me, it doesn’t really seem to make sense for you to sell your primary SFH only to buy an attached at current market values, given how low you paid for your primary to begin with….

Are you sure you want to buy in The Heights? It’s an apartment-convert, with the most inconvenient floor plans. At least consider something like Andulcia(sp)

Third…Buying from a “friend” is a bad idea, unless he/she is offering a killer deal to you directly without you asking… Because if

(1)If you ask for a good price, you might offend your friend, because he/she might thing you are trying to take advantage of the situation
(2)If you don’t ask for a good price, you will regret the decision of paying more than you need to and feel like he/she has taken advantage of you…..

Don’t mix money (of this size) with friendship…It’s not personal…It’s business…That’s my opinion…

What you haven’t answered is how much left you have on your existing mortgage.

[Coronita]

cvmom,

Sorry, when you posted your orignal thread, I couldn’t help but peek at your property and sale history….But here’s my take based on what I could tell…I’m not so sure you downsizing is really a downsize beyond the size of the home…

You’ve been living in your current home for quite awhile. And it’s going to be ironic that you will most likely pay more property tax (or close to the same) for a 1300sqft place versus your existing home (provided the record for your home is correct)? Also, let’s not forget that if you plan on buying a townhome in CV, you will have approximately $259/month in hoa and mello-ruse (sic) to deal. Also, now you have do deal with the inconvenience of parking, neighbors that share adjoining walls,etc.
I don’t think it’s worth it for you, considering that you also have 2 kids.

If we assume that you didn’t refinance/take HELOC’s and/or atm to death your home….You are in an envious position because if you’ve been diligent in paying down your mortgage, you are probably at a point when you can almost survive on 1 income, let alone two. IF you atm’ed your home’s equity to death…then it’s a different story…Then you might not even want to consider purchasing again… ( I hope you didn’t, but no need to answer that on a public forum, especially since you are considering selling the home).

Anyway, to me, it doesn’t really seem to make sense for you to sell your primary SFH only to buy an attached at current market values, given how low you paid for your primary to begin with….

Are you sure you want to buy in The Heights? It’s an apartment-convert, with the most inconvenient floor plans. At least consider something like Andulcia(sp)

Third…Buying from a “friend” is a bad idea, unless he/she is offering a killer deal to you directly without you asking… Because if

(1)If you ask for a good price, you might offend your friend, because he/she might thing you are trying to take advantage of the situation
(2)If you don’t ask for a good price, you will regret the decision of paying more than you need to and feel like he/she has taken advantage of you…..

Don’t mix money (of this size) with friendship…It’s not personal…It’s business…That’s my opinion…

What you haven’t answered is how much left you have on your existing mortgage.

[Coronita]

cvmom,

Sorry, when you posted your orignal thread, I couldn’t help but peek at your property and sale history….But here’s my take based on what I could tell…I’m not so sure you downsizing is really a downsize beyond the size of the home…

You’ve been living in your current home for quite awhile. And it’s going to be ironic that you will most likely pay more property tax (or close to the same) for a 1300sqft place versus your existing home (provided the record for your home is correct)? Also, let’s not forget that if you plan on buying a townhome in CV, you will have approximately $259/month in hoa and mello-ruse (sic) to deal. Also, now you have do deal with the inconvenience of parking, neighbors that share adjoining walls,etc.
I don’t think it’s worth it for you, considering that you also have 2 kids.

If we assume that you didn’t refinance/take HELOC’s and/or atm to death your home….You are in an envious position because if you’ve been diligent in paying down your mortgage, you are probably at a point when you can almost survive on 1 income, let alone two. IF you atm’ed your home’s equity to death…then it’s a different story…Then you might not even want to consider purchasing again… ( I hope you didn’t, but no need to answer that on a public forum, especially since you are considering selling the home).

Anyway, to me, it doesn’t really seem to make sense for you to sell your primary SFH only to buy an attached at current market values, given how low you paid for your primary to begin with….

Are you sure you want to buy in The Heights? It’s an apartment-convert, with the most inconvenient floor plans. At least consider something like Andulcia(sp)

Third…Buying from a “friend” is a bad idea, unless he/she is offering a killer deal to you directly without you asking… Because if

(1)If you ask for a good price, you might offend your friend, because he/she might thing you are trying to take advantage of the situation
(2)If you don’t ask for a good price, you will regret the decision of paying more than you need to and feel like he/she has taken advantage of you…..

Don’t mix money (of this size) with friendship…It’s not personal…It’s business…That’s my opinion…

What you haven’t answered is how much left you have on your existing mortgage.

[jameswenn]

I can help with the downsizing part. My wife and i each lived with our parents after college and before we got married, my family home was 4200 sqft, and her family home was 3100 sqft.

After we got married we rented a 1300 squarefoot bungalow in LA before we moved to San Diego. It was real tough at first until we realized we had too much junk, so over the course of 2 months we threw everything we hadn’t used in a year out plus any extras, like furniture that was rarely used.

We had to do it again when we moved to a rental in SD that was 900 sqft. I found that after growing up in so much space, i really like a small place. Less to clean and i don’t buy junk because i have no pace to put stuff. We’re planning to move soon, since we have 2 kids now, but we have a soft cap of 1700 sqft and a hard cap of 2000sqft.

[jameswenn]

I can help with the downsizing part. My wife and i each lived with our parents after college and before we got married, my family home was 4200 sqft, and her family home was 3100 sqft.

After we got married we rented a 1300 squarefoot bungalow in LA before we moved to San Diego. It was real tough at first until we realized we had too much junk, so over the course of 2 months we threw everything we hadn’t used in a year out plus any extras, like furniture that was rarely used.

We had to do it again when we moved to a rental in SD that was 900 sqft. I found that after growing up in so much space, i really like a small place. Less to clean and i don’t buy junk because i have no pace to put stuff. We’re planning to move soon, since we have 2 kids now, but we have a soft cap of 1700 sqft and a hard cap of 2000sqft.

[jameswenn]

I can help with the downsizing part. My wife and i each lived with our parents after college and before we got married, my family home was 4200 sqft, and her family home was 3100 sqft.

After we got married we rented a 1300 squarefoot bungalow in LA before we moved to San Diego. It was real tough at first until we realized we had too much junk, so over the course of 2 months we threw everything we hadn’t used in a year out plus any extras, like furniture that was rarely used.

We had to do it again when we moved to a rental in SD that was 900 sqft. I found that after growing up in so much space, i really like a small place. Less to clean and i don’t buy junk because i have no pace to put stuff. We’re planning to move soon, since we have 2 kids now, but we have a soft cap of 1700 sqft and a hard cap of 2000sqft.

[jameswenn]

I can help with the downsizing part. My wife and i each lived with our parents after college and before we got married, my family home was 4200 sqft, and her family home was 3100 sqft.

After we got married we rented a 1300 squarefoot bungalow in LA before we moved to San Diego. It was real tough at first until we realized we had too much junk, so over the course of 2 months we threw everything we hadn’t used in a year out plus any extras, like furniture that was rarely used.

We had to do it again when we moved to a rental in SD that was 900 sqft. I found that after growing up in so much space, i really like a small place. Less to clean and i don’t buy junk because i have no pace to put stuff. We’re planning to move soon, since we have 2 kids now, but we have a soft cap of 1700 sqft and a hard cap of 2000sqft.

[Author]

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