HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
FI and I really like this home on a busy street w/ heavy trucks passing through (can not be heard indoors)... BUT we can afford it and its in a good area, with a nice back yard??? should we make a sacerfice and buy it??? please tell me what you think... Also they only came down like $5,000. 00 whats normal? thanks
Suzanne
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
I to looked at a house on a main street not to long ago, Jeruselum Ave to be exact.. and while there were no store fronts on that block it was purely residential, it was a MAJOR street.. The house was BEAUTIFUL, the yard was so big you could have built 3 houses on that property.. but the house was originally listing for 410K or so, and they were down to 359K.. so i figured for one, Resale was not going to be great, and i didnt want to loose money on the deal, secondly is I plan to have children, and like any other kids im SURE they are going to want to ride their bikes out in front up and down, and i would never be able to let that happen being the road is so busy... another thing is I have dogs, and sometimes not often but sometimes they run out and i have been so lucky, but god forbid they every got out and ran out on the road they would never make it .. the cars are just going WAY to fast...
But if these things are not issues for you, then I say why not.....I would suggest bidding an extra 5K lower... Even if they dont accept they may come back with 8K lower and you are still ahead of the game..
Keep us posted!!! Good Luck..
luvsun27
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
Does this street have any stop signs? Are they near you? Are you planning on staying in this house, or is it just a starter house? I know someone who bought a house on a busy street...for the reasons that you mentioned, however, there is a stop sign right in front of her house. They just moved in and they have a 1 year old.
Lisa Rose
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
We live on a busy street....we really didnt want to live on this street but the house was beautiful and the price was excellent!!
We have really become used to to passing trucks and cars and we have a nice big backyard so if there are children, there is plenty of room for them to play outside!!
Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
I think it could be a great opportunity for a starter house...you could also do a 5/1 ARM mortgage if that is the case...
and after 5 years if its not right for you...you can sell and you have saved on the interest
dandj
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
I grew up on a busy street.... there were pluses and minuses... it was kind of annoying because we could never have a block party or play in the front, but we jumped around the backyards which was fine. The plus - my parents are the first ones to get plowed out... something I miss now that I live on a side street and they never plow!!!
JennRenee
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
If you love the house and the price is right, then go for it.
Just please be careful with children and pets. My friend lives on a busy street, and last week her dog got out of the house and was hit by a car and killed.
anna
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
Its really a personal decision.. it depends on how much you and hubby mind being on a busy street. sometimes its nice to see signs of life (can you tell I grew up in (and sometimes miss.. Queens?) but some people (like my hubby) would have not bought a house if even the backyard was not totally private...
it really depends person byperson if you really love the home, and it has a huge backyard, go for it!
good luck
chmlengr
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
We bought our house on a semi-busy street. It's got a 30 mph speed limit and is used quite often as a by-pass for Rt. 106 from Northern Blvd. We bought the house even before we were engaged, and thought of it as an investment at the time, never really thinking of raising kids in it. We bought it for tons of reasons, some of which are'
1) LOCATION 2) Huge Back yard with no neighbors (its a wooded area) 3) a preserve area across the street, so no neighbors there either 4) the house has 4-bedrooms and 3 full baths - something we could grow into if we had kids and couldn't afford to move.
Which is where we are at right now and I don't regret our decision!!
ETA: We can park on our street and also have a driveway that can fit 4 cars. Getting in and out of the driveway is not a concern - that's never a problem. It is a residential street but tneds to be busier than most because it's a short cut!
Sonicstef
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
I live on a residential block but its a very busy street for trucks and cars that pass thru. You definitely can hear heavy trucks go by and when there is traffic or a cop stopping speeders, etc..
Anyone who lives on a busy block will tell you that you definitely get used to the noise. You just tune it out. So unless you are very sensitive to outside noise, I wouldnt consider that a consideration.
Other cons are: a) if you plan on having children or pets you will have to be extra careful about letting them in the front. (although I dont think i would be any less careful with small children) b) Traffic from outside causes additional dust and dirt to get into your house so you will have to dust a bit more often
I live in a pricey neighborhood and am fully able to make the trade off to live on a less than picturesque block in order to have my own house that is a short train ride to my job and short walk to stores, etc.. As the real estate market it now, there isnt even a discount associated with living on my block anymore. So you may find that buying a slightly cheaper house on a busy block is a really good investment b/c once an area gets popular enough, its not even a factor in the price. But its a personal decision for everyone.
Jenn P
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
It's a very personal decision but I know when we were looking, a quiet street was one of our very few must haves. You can redo the kitchen, the siding, the roof, etc., but you cannot pick up the house and move it to a better location. Think really, really hard about it and make sure you're truly ok with it before you go for it.
Fran M
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
One other thing to consider on a busy street - Parking: How difficult will it be to get in and out of your driveway. Be sure to check during rush hours.
Can you and your guests park on the steet or is it strictly driveway?
Kelly9904
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
I will be honest. this is the one thing that FI and I are adament about, we will not live on on busy street. THis is only our personal opinion.
You can view it as a starter house but honestly many times that starter house becomes more than that so you cant always bank on that. (my parents bought their starter house 34 years ago, then my brother had medical problems, a surprise child - me!-was born and we are still in that house)
My Fi and I are having a simliar issue with a house. We fell in love with the house itself but the property isnt what we originally wanted so now we have to weight the pros and cons.
In your situation think of the parking, if you plan on having animals, kids etc....Do what is best for but make sure you are going to be happy with yoru decision!
And if you do make an offer I would go lower because of that and if there are any other issues you see with the house, coming down 5,000 isnt much. Keep in mind as we ahve been told by at least 3 RE agents, this is a slow time, new houses will come on the market after the holidays.
Good Luck
Sonicstef
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
There is a 'pro' that I forgot to mention on a busy street:
Its safer!
May not be a concern if you dont take walks or spend much time away from your house..but a house on a well trafficed street is less likely to be robbed since its well lit and has many passerbys that make car theives and home burgulars less likely to pick your house.
Also its plowed for snow faster as well as cleaned more often. Not a huge deal on most days but is nice on days like today.
michele31
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
I don't live on a busy street but I do live in an area where we can hear planes from MacArthur airport. I can tell you that, yes I hear them but 9 out of 10 times I don't pay attention at all. And I grew up near railroad tracks and never remember hearing trains at all.
Anyway my point is that DH and I bought a home that we could a)afford b)grow into c)liked d)close enough to a LIRR station e)close to the LIE and other major roads. There were cons to our home such as the planes but after thinking about it the truth is we could never afford the 'perfect' home in the 'perfect' location. So we had to figure out what was the best decision for us at the time. And I think we made the right one.
Yes, there are drawbacks to a busy street but there are drawbacks to many homes on many blocks in many areas too.
christy
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
I lived on a main street in Hauppauge, with a great back yard. But I would never do it again. My parents bought the house because of the back yard, but we werent safe in the front. The noise gets annoying, and getting out of the driveway was awful!!!!!!! JMO good luck in your choice.
Teri
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
I personally could never live on a busy street. Cars and street traffic noise would really bother me - I really LOVE my peace and quiet!
I couldn't imagine the headaches of having to pull in and out of my driveway either!
Although it's tempting to think about it since the houses are cheaper on main roads, we told our realtor not to even bother with houses on busy streets.
Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
I loved living on a semi-busy street in Queens...I would actually sit on our balcony and watch the fights from double parking and accidents...I definitely miss that...
Teri
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Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
erica - you crack me up! I guess that could be considered cheap entertainment
Re: HELP: what do you think of buying a house on a busy street???
when we moved to north flushing...I hated it b/c it was so quiet...then one night some girls next door skipped out on their cabride and the cabbie was yelling and screaming...ahhh music to my ears!!!!
