7.01.2007

can't sleep, crawl space will eat me

So we did our first batch of house hunting today and have come with 3 possible candidates. All of which are at least 35 minutes from work for both of us, 2 of which are at the very top of our price range. None have HOA fees to contend with. So, real estate wizards, which house would you choose?

A. Ye'old Standard House
Plus: It's in our price range, comes with all appliances, will need no cosmetic work before we move in.
Minus: Back yard is small! No AC (with that being said we were out here today when it was 90 something and it was pretty cool in there. )

B. The Big Lot
Plus: It is on 0.32 of an acre yet still residential, backs to something like an open space, has lots of shade and patio.
Minus: House is a bit beat up and will need some cosmetic paint and carpet fixing. It is above our price range some, it has no appliances. No AC but an attic fan, which sucks all the heat out the top of the house. These work ok, but you never get cold in these houses, you just stop melting.

C. The Big House
Plus: It is huge for the price: 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, plus a study, front room. It just keeps going. Cul-de-sac that is right next to an open space. Good neighborhood, which could make it a money-maker if we resell.
Minus: People got about half way through redecorating and quit, so every room has something cosmetic to fix, only major issues fixes would be back stairs off porch and carpet in lower level before we could move in. Also, this is over our budget and again, no appliances. No AC, but has a swamp cooler, which works based on evaporation.

We saw a lot of other properties today, but none have captured our imaginations like these three. Guru is drooling over B and I'm placing furniture in my head in C. We are going to look at townhouses next, which will definitely be in our budget, and closer to work. (read reality check) But the whole idea of owning more space than we can fill is really tempting, either inside or outside.

1 comment:

Wendy said...

Ooh, tough but fun dilemmas! We liked our little "apartment with a yard" as a first house, so B sounds good (Guru gets his dog). Then again 2 baths is nice, esp when guests come, and you guys could use extra library room. Paint is kinda fun and easy (before you move in), carpet maybe not so much. Depends I guess do you really think you'll use/enjoy/maintain the outdoor space or indoor space more? I dunno...Location location location may be your answer--35 min each way each is a lot. Then again we commute 1.1 miles and 0 miles so what do I know? ;)