Are we crazy for paying this price?

[yellowS2K]

[quote=applejack]Thanks for all of the comments! Regarding my personal feelings towards the house — well, initially I liked it. Then I started to think about all of the impractical things about it, mainly the layout and the schools in the neighborhood. Also, the finishes in the house aren’t “perfect”. (Meaning, eventually I would like to redo the bathrooms and paint the house and change the trim.) My husband never thinks about the practical side of things, lol! My husband really loves the house. My family feels that it is really expensive, and they don’t see the appeal of living in the urban neighborhoods. They think we could get more for our money and find a more practical house in the suburbs. I was really shocked when my family had the negative reaction to the house. I thought they would walk in and be really excited about the “uniqueness” of the house, but instead they were opnely negative and it really shook my confidence. The problem is that I don’t know what I want anymore, I am sick of thinking about house buying and want to focus on getting this baby out and into the world![/quote]

Trust your instincts about what you and your husband liked about the house. Seems like your family’s concerns are about the value and maybe the neighborhood if they have a bias towards suburbs. But they aren’t buying the house and living in it – so what they value or think is or isn’t worth paying for is apparently NOT aligned with you and your husband.

Buying a house and having a baby are two of the most emotional things you can do in your life (I know first hand as we are going through both right now too – baby due in the spring and on track to close escrow in 30 days). While I don’t advocate settling on something because your are too tired to deal with it (again, a sentiment we know all to well), it does NOT sound like that’s what you guys have done: you have looked for a long time, you have found a compromise that works for both of you.

I have not looked at the house other than the listing, and I don’t know much about that neighborhood in particular, so I’m not going to try to offer opinions on value, etc – looks like folks far more knowledgeable than I have posted on those issues. The photos looked very nice to me, and SD Realtor said they don’t even do it justice.

My other 2 cents: you are buying a house to live in and raise a family (so will be settling in for awhile), and that presumably you can afford. So don’t get too focused on if this is the right time to buy or if you are getting a good value for your money. Those things matter, but they are not the only things that matter, and you can only make perfect decisions on those fronts in hindsight.

Best of luck!

[peterb]

The macro economic outlook for CA is not very good at this time. The state will be forced to cut and real un/underemployment is well over 20% right now.

If the thought of the house not gaining in price or dropping a bit in the next few years is disturbing to you, then you probably shouldnt buy it.

[peterb]

The macro economic outlook for CA is not very good at this time. The state will be forced to cut and real un/underemployment is well over 20% right now.

If the thought of the house not gaining in price or dropping a bit in the next few years is disturbing to you, then you probably shouldnt buy it.

[peterb]

The macro economic outlook for CA is not very good at this time. The state will be forced to cut and real un/underemployment is well over 20% right now.

If the thought of the house not gaining in price or dropping a bit in the next few years is disturbing to you, then you probably shouldnt buy it.

[peterb]

The macro economic outlook for CA is not very good at this time. The state will be forced to cut and real un/underemployment is well over 20% right now.

If the thought of the house not gaining in price or dropping a bit in the next few years is disturbing to you, then you probably shouldnt buy it.

[peterb]

The macro economic outlook for CA is not very good at this time. The state will be forced to cut and real un/underemployment is well over 20% right now.

If the thought of the house not gaining in price or dropping a bit in the next few years is disturbing to you, then you probably shouldnt buy it.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=beatrix]In 1999, moving from suburbs of Washington, D.C., we bid on a house on this street but lost out to an all cash buyer. Bought in Kensington instead. Would have been just as happy in this sister neighborhood and much happier than in suburbs — and we lived in an extremely high quality, beautiful, not-tract-housing suburb on five acres. Definitely consider whether you want to be isolated in the suburbs without the ability to walk to restaurants, yoga studios, park, library, etc. Being at home with a baby or preschooler can be pretty isolating.

In San Diego, the private schools are certainly an option many parents choose but the public magnet schools are also not only popular but some are very high quality (Frances Birney, for example, an IB elementary…many others not too far away.) There are also excellent charter schools (Einstein, for example.) San Diego High’s School of International Studies is one of the top high schools in the country.[/quote]

Great post, beatrix and SDR. I saw that there were issues from the get go because of the previous recent escrows that did not go through. I just didn’t feel it was my place to tell apple to stand firm with her family. In my mind, when you get married, your “immediate family” is now your spouse (and any children you have) and you can’t let you original family control decisions that must be made between you and your spouse only.

apple, to get your family members off your case right now, just send them a group e-mail thanking them for trying to look at developments for you but you and your spouse refuse to pay Mello-Roos bonds. Then include these links for their perusal and research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mello-Roos

http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/faq/net/909.shtml

Even if you might later consider a property with MR bonds, it will get these people off your case about *newer* construction so you can relax and give birth. They’ll all be busy researching MR bonds and figuring out how much each listing they turn up will cost in MR.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=beatrix]In 1999, moving from suburbs of Washington, D.C., we bid on a house on this street but lost out to an all cash buyer. Bought in Kensington instead. Would have been just as happy in this sister neighborhood and much happier than in suburbs — and we lived in an extremely high quality, beautiful, not-tract-housing suburb on five acres. Definitely consider whether you want to be isolated in the suburbs without the ability to walk to restaurants, yoga studios, park, library, etc. Being at home with a baby or preschooler can be pretty isolating.

In San Diego, the private schools are certainly an option many parents choose but the public magnet schools are also not only popular but some are very high quality (Frances Birney, for example, an IB elementary…many others not too far away.) There are also excellent charter schools (Einstein, for example.) San Diego High’s School of International Studies is one of the top high schools in the country.[/quote]

Great post, beatrix and SDR. I saw that there were issues from the get go because of the previous recent escrows that did not go through. I just didn’t feel it was my place to tell apple to stand firm with her family. In my mind, when you get married, your “immediate family” is now your spouse (and any children you have) and you can’t let you original family control decisions that must be made between you and your spouse only.

apple, to get your family members off your case right now, just send them a group e-mail thanking them for trying to look at developments for you but you and your spouse refuse to pay Mello-Roos bonds. Then include these links for their perusal and research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mello-Roos

http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/faq/net/909.shtml

Even if you might later consider a property with MR bonds, it will get these people off your case about *newer* construction so you can relax and give birth. They’ll all be busy researching MR bonds and figuring out how much each listing they turn up will cost in MR.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=beatrix]In 1999, moving from suburbs of Washington, D.C., we bid on a house on this street but lost out to an all cash buyer. Bought in Kensington instead. Would have been just as happy in this sister neighborhood and much happier than in suburbs — and we lived in an extremely high quality, beautiful, not-tract-housing suburb on five acres. Definitely consider whether you want to be isolated in the suburbs without the ability to walk to restaurants, yoga studios, park, library, etc. Being at home with a baby or preschooler can be pretty isolating.

In San Diego, the private schools are certainly an option many parents choose but the public magnet schools are also not only popular but some are very high quality (Frances Birney, for example, an IB elementary…many others not too far away.) There are also excellent charter schools (Einstein, for example.) San Diego High’s School of International Studies is one of the top high schools in the country.[/quote]

Great post, beatrix and SDR. I saw that there were issues from the get go because of the previous recent escrows that did not go through. I just didn’t feel it was my place to tell apple to stand firm with her family. In my mind, when you get married, your “immediate family” is now your spouse (and any children you have) and you can’t let you original family control decisions that must be made between you and your spouse only.

apple, to get your family members off your case right now, just send them a group e-mail thanking them for trying to look at developments for you but you and your spouse refuse to pay Mello-Roos bonds. Then include these links for their perusal and research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mello-Roos

http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/faq/net/909.shtml

Even if you might later consider a property with MR bonds, it will get these people off your case about *newer* construction so you can relax and give birth. They’ll all be busy researching MR bonds and figuring out how much each listing they turn up will cost in MR.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=beatrix]In 1999, moving from suburbs of Washington, D.C., we bid on a house on this street but lost out to an all cash buyer. Bought in Kensington instead. Would have been just as happy in this sister neighborhood and much happier than in suburbs — and we lived in an extremely high quality, beautiful, not-tract-housing suburb on five acres. Definitely consider whether you want to be isolated in the suburbs without the ability to walk to restaurants, yoga studios, park, library, etc. Being at home with a baby or preschooler can be pretty isolating.

In San Diego, the private schools are certainly an option many parents choose but the public magnet schools are also not only popular but some are very high quality (Frances Birney, for example, an IB elementary…many others not too far away.) There are also excellent charter schools (Einstein, for example.) San Diego High’s School of International Studies is one of the top high schools in the country.[/quote]

Great post, beatrix and SDR. I saw that there were issues from the get go because of the previous recent escrows that did not go through. I just didn’t feel it was my place to tell apple to stand firm with her family. In my mind, when you get married, your “immediate family” is now your spouse (and any children you have) and you can’t let you original family control decisions that must be made between you and your spouse only.

apple, to get your family members off your case right now, just send them a group e-mail thanking them for trying to look at developments for you but you and your spouse refuse to pay Mello-Roos bonds. Then include these links for their perusal and research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mello-Roos

http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/faq/net/909.shtml

Even if you might later consider a property with MR bonds, it will get these people off your case about *newer* construction so you can relax and give birth. They’ll all be busy researching MR bonds and figuring out how much each listing they turn up will cost in MR.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=beatrix]In 1999, moving from suburbs of Washington, D.C., we bid on a house on this street but lost out to an all cash buyer. Bought in Kensington instead. Would have been just as happy in this sister neighborhood and much happier than in suburbs — and we lived in an extremely high quality, beautiful, not-tract-housing suburb on five acres. Definitely consider whether you want to be isolated in the suburbs without the ability to walk to restaurants, yoga studios, park, library, etc. Being at home with a baby or preschooler can be pretty isolating.

In San Diego, the private schools are certainly an option many parents choose but the public magnet schools are also not only popular but some are very high quality (Frances Birney, for example, an IB elementary…many others not too far away.) There are also excellent charter schools (Einstein, for example.) San Diego High’s School of International Studies is one of the top high schools in the country.[/quote]

Great post, beatrix and SDR. I saw that there were issues from the get go because of the previous recent escrows that did not go through. I just didn’t feel it was my place to tell apple to stand firm with her family. In my mind, when you get married, your “immediate family” is now your spouse (and any children you have) and you can’t let you original family control decisions that must be made between you and your spouse only.

apple, to get your family members off your case right now, just send them a group e-mail thanking them for trying to look at developments for you but you and your spouse refuse to pay Mello-Roos bonds. Then include these links for their perusal and research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mello-Roos

http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/faq/net/909.shtml

Even if you might later consider a property with MR bonds, it will get these people off your case about *newer* construction so you can relax and give birth. They’ll all be busy researching MR bonds and figuring out how much each listing they turn up will cost in MR.

[sdrealtor]

Stop It BG! She never said anything about buying a house with MR, only you did. There are numerous homes in the areas she mentioned (except for 4S) with no or low MR. The kinds of unique homes she would look at wouldnt have them either. That is not the issue. The issue is a suburban lifestyle or a more urban lifestyle. As you often do, you are running hell bent in the wrong direction.

[sdrealtor]

Stop It BG! She never said anything about buying a house with MR, only you did. There are numerous homes in the areas she mentioned (except for 4S) with no or low MR. The kinds of unique homes she would look at wouldnt have them either. That is not the issue. The issue is a suburban lifestyle or a more urban lifestyle. As you often do, you are running hell bent in the wrong direction.

[sdrealtor]

Stop It BG! She never said anything about buying a house with MR, only you did. There are numerous homes in the areas she mentioned (except for 4S) with no or low MR. The kinds of unique homes she would look at wouldnt have them either. That is not the issue. The issue is a suburban lifestyle or a more urban lifestyle. As you often do, you are running hell bent in the wrong direction.

[sdrealtor]

Stop It BG! She never said anything about buying a house with MR, only you did. There are numerous homes in the areas she mentioned (except for 4S) with no or low MR. The kinds of unique homes she would look at wouldnt have them either. That is not the issue. The issue is a suburban lifestyle or a more urban lifestyle. As you often do, you are running hell bent in the wrong direction.

[Author]

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