Mainly lurker...but I am also in Vegas. We also looked at houses probably very close to house #2 location. We ended up in Henderson in a cookie cutter:) My husband travels a ton and I am home alone for frequently than not. I wasn't so concerned about my safety but my husband was. I love our home and wouldn't change our decision...but I still sometimes think "what if". A big deciding factor for us was that our home was 100% move in ready and had been remodeled in 2010. And price.
I know you want a "forever" house, but honestly it sounds like right now you're best suited for neighborhood #1. I would probably plan on that for 10-15 years and then look for something more unique/smaller/whatever once your kids are leaving.
As I read more and more of this thread, this same thought formed in my head. I know moving is a PITA but just based on what I've read here on your wants and needs, I'd probably end up in #1 with planning to move in about 10-15 years. At that point your kids would be close to driving, if not already. They'll have no huge desire for all the kid friendly aspects of the neighborhood that are coming into play right now for you. Plus, what teenager wouldn't love to get a huge upgrade for their bedroom/rec areas?
That's an option, but it doesn't change the fact that the exteriors all look the same (something that can't be changed per HOAs) and the houses are so close to each other you can hear your neighbor sneeze.
These two points are a deal breaker on #1 for me. #2 sounds great, but not quite what you guys are looking for.
One thing that concerns us is safety. Just a few miles away is one of the worst parts of town and there's no good grocery store or shopping nearby that isn't also utilized by those who live in the crappy area. Again, I realize these are problems people deal with all the time, totally FWP, but when we've put so much time and effort into finding something perfect I don't want to settle on what many consider to be the most important aspect--location.
I'm sorry, what?
Ha! I thought I was the only one who noticed that. I also can't understand the fear of homeless people being 2 miles away. It's seems extreme to worry about that to me.
OP, I would pick number 2 in a heartbeat but everything you have said about number 1 is unappealing to me. HOAs, houses on top of each other, gated community, talking to neighbors...these are all things I would pay good money to avoid. But I think number 1 is ideal for you and your current desires. I agree with Jenny that you probably shouldn't buy your forever house right now.
I don't think I'd want #2 simply because of the safety issue. My neighborhood is super boring and lame, but I love that I can walk my dogs or run in the morning without worrying about anything. I don't think I'd want to live somewhere that I couldn't do that, or that I'd have to plan errands and such around safety issues. Particularly since you have safer options available. What about when your kids get older, are you going to want them running errands, riding bikes, etc in the area that #2 is located in?
I think custom homes are nice, but NBD not to have one. My house is exactly like all the other houses in my neighborhood, but I don't hang out in the other houses so it doesn't really matter. I like the layout of my house and what I've done with it. The rest of the houses around me are secondary KWIM?
I would not sacrifice safety and freedom to utilize the area near my home just for the sake of being "unique".
The more I think about, I agree with jenny. Take out the "forever home" from the equation and pick the house that you want to live in for the next 5 years and go with that.
One thing that concerns us is safety. Just a few miles away is one of the worst parts of town and there's no good grocery store or shopping nearby that isn't also utilized by those who live in the crappy area. Again, I realize these are problems people deal with all the time, totally FWP, but when we've put so much time and effort into finding something perfect I don't want to settle on what many consider to be the most important aspect--location.
I'm sorry, what?
Meh, I kinda get this. We considered the grocery store and stuff when house hunting. One house would have had us using the store with no parking and in an area full of party hardy 20 somethings. I'm sure the wine and cheese selection, for instance, will reflect that.
Maybe not a determinative factor, but consideration nonetheless.
Ha! I thought I was the only one who noticed that. I also can't understand the fear of homeless people being 2 miles away. It's seems extreme to worry about that to me.
OP, I would pick number 2 in a heartbeat but everything you have said about number 1 is unappealing to me. HOAs, houses on top of each other, gated community, talking to neighbors...these are all things I would pay good money to avoid. But I think number 1 is ideal for you and your current desires. I agree with Jenny that you probably shouldn't buy your forever house right now.
I wouldn't care if homeless people were 2 miles away if those same areas weren't overridden with crime. IMO, the areas are extremely unsafe about 2 miles in either direction. And I had a hard time wording that sentence you both point out so I'm not surprised you picked up on it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the stores nearby have poor selection and quality, especially the grocery stores. I would be scared to park in the parking lot at certain times, it's that bad. Perhaps I've led a sheltered life and I'm overly cautious but I'm not naive enough to look past it and not take it into consideration in our search. Who shops in the store isn't as much of an issue is what the stores offer and what type of crime occurs in the general vicinity.
ETA: Sorry if the original statement was offensive, it wasn't intended to be.
Ha! I thought I was the only one who noticed that. I also can't understand the fear of homeless people being 2 miles away. It's seems extreme to worry about that to me.
OP, I would pick number 2 in a heartbeat but everything you have said about number 1 is unappealing to me. HOAs, houses on top of each other, gated community, talking to neighbors...these are all things I would pay good money to avoid. But I think number 1 is ideal for you and your current desires. I agree with Jenny that you probably shouldn't buy your forever house right now.
I wouldn't care if homeless people were 2 miles away if those same areas weren't overridden with crime. IMO, the areas are extremely unsafe about 2 miles in either direction. And I had a hard time wording that sentence you both point out so I'm not surprised you picked up on it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the stores nearby have poor selection and quality, especially the grocery stores. I would be scared to park in the parking lot at certain times, it's that bad. Perhaps I've led a sheltered life and I'm overly cautious but I'm not naive enough to look past it and not take it into consideration in our search. Who shops in the store isn't as much of an issue is what the stores offer and what type of crime occurs in the general vicinity.
ETA: Sorry if the original statement was offensive, it wasn't intended to be.
Take number 2 off the list. These would definitely be deal breakers for me. 2 miles is not very far. Some day, would you be comfortable with your kids driving in these areas?
So, now it is number 1 or keep looking? Sounds to me like you need to keep looking because you don't really sound like you want number 1.
Ha! I thought I was the only one who noticed that. I also can't understand the fear of homeless people being 2 miles away. It's seems extreme to worry about that to me.
OP, I would pick number 2 in a heartbeat but everything you have said about number 1 is unappealing to me. HOAs, houses on top of each other, gated community, talking to neighbors...these are all things I would pay good money to avoid. But I think number 1 is ideal for you and your current desires. I agree with Jenny that you probably shouldn't buy your forever house right now.
I wouldn't care if homeless people were 2 miles away if those same areas weren't overridden with crime. IMO, the areas are extremely unsafe about 2 miles in either direction. And I had a hard time wording that sentence you both point out so I'm not surprised you picked up on it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the stores nearby have poor selection and quality, especially the grocery stores. I would be scared to park in the parking lot at certain times, it's that bad. Perhaps I've led a sheltered life and I'm overly cautious but I'm not naive enough to look past it and not take it into consideration in our search. Who shops in the store isn't as much of an issue is what the stores offer and what type of crime occurs in the general vicinity.
ETA: Sorry if the original statement was offensive, it wasn't intended to be.
The bolded makes a lot more sense. Honestly, your OP sounded like you didn't want to see the poors.
I live in a city where a "bad" neighborhood is within a mile of any "nice" neighborhood. These people, including myself, all seem to eat and shop in harmony. There are also places in the city that I wouldn't feel comfortable going at night because I feel unsafe, so i get that. I wouldn't want to live somewhere where the closest grocery store is dangerous, but it wouldn't bother me if there were homeless people panhandling in the parking lot.
Ha! I thought I was the only one who noticed that. I also can't understand the fear of homeless people being 2 miles away. It's seems extreme to worry about that to me.
OP, I would pick number 2 in a heartbeat but everything you have said about number 1 is unappealing to me. HOAs, houses on top of each other, gated community, talkoing to neighbors...these are all things I would pay good money to avoid. But I think number 1 is ideal for you and your current desires. I agree with Jenny that you probably shouldn't buy your forever house right now.
I wouldn't care if homeless people were 2 miles away if those same areas weren't overridden with crime. IMO, the areas are extremely unsafe about 2 miles in either direction. And I had a hard time wording that sentence you both point out so I'm not surprised you picked up on it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the stores nearby have poor selection and quality, especially the grocery stores. I would be scared to park in the parking lot at certain times, it's that bad. Perhaps I've led a sheltered life and I'm overly cautious but I'm not naive enough to look past it and not take it into consideration in our search. Who shops in the store isn't as much of an issue is what the stores offer and what type of crime occurs in the general vicinity.
ETA: Sorry if the original statement was offensive, it wasn't intended to be.
Ok, I looked up the house & it's really in one of the nicest areas of old Vegas. The grounds cannot be beat--how amazing to raise your kids with a virtual park in the backyard! That house is like 4 blocks from my brothers house (which also a tennis court). I can ask my SIL where they shop. My brother owns the coffee shop, bar & art collective downtown so they probably aren't as sensitive to a tougher crowd as you are . I know they are into organics, farmers markets, etc for their businesses & home so they might know something. I get the annoying panhandlers at the store being a turn off, it's horrible & aggressive now at the store I used to shop. I think there is much much more potential to make $$ more on anon-tract house, huge lot house in the center of the city. My friend in Summerlin got carjacked at the grocery store there & another got robbed (home invaded) in the broad daylight in her guard gated house there too. There is no place that is immune, especially there in my experience. The golfing is the only thing that is missing. That may be a deal breaker for your DH--I'm not familiar with this because living on one never appealed to me. I'd feel like my kid would get pegged by one in the backyard. I think the shopping can be worked around & will get better as downtown improves/develops. Anyway--good luck. I know several Vegas celebs live right down there by #2--I think iyd be a fun area to explore & even run in. And the Springs Preserve, museum, Performing arts center is all nearby.
**i'll DD this if its too much info out there...let me know if its bothersome
Post by sillygoosegirl on Jan 11, 2013 23:48:12 GMT -5
I don't think it would be selfish of you to go with house #2. Kids grow up in all kinds of neighborhoods and turn out just fine. I think you need to choose the house that is what you and DH want, baring in mind that in a less nice neighborhood, you'll end up spending more time in the car shuttling yourselves and your kids to stuff. For me, I would rather live in the cookie cutter house and be closer to the things I love to do and people I love to spend time with, but it sounds like you feel differently, and that's totally fine. I think you should buy the house you want, not the one you feel like you are supposed to pick out for your kids.
But I come from an area where it's easy to find non cookie cutter homes. We went the cookie cutter route in a neighborhood for this house and i hate it. I have 1 friend in my neighborhood. HOAs suck. And neighborhood feel isn't important to me. I have it now and I couldn't care less.
And in NJ, "bad" areas are down the street from some of the most expensive real estate in the country. I represent a town that has murders on a weekly basis, but 2 miles down the road there are multi- million dollar estates and Whole Foods. Shrug.
You know how I feel about it. I grew up and love the old neighborhoods (LVCC, Scotch 80s and NRE). I would never be happy living in "stucco wonderland" as Nate calls it. FWIW, there was only one other kid that lived in the LVCC when I was growing up there and I never cared. Since my house was awesome, everyone from school liked to come over all the time.
I'd personally go for #1. That's what I would do. We live in a gated community and pay almost $400 in HOA fees for a townhome, the fee you quoted is very reasonable. I'd much rather be around other people who have to preserve their homes as much as we do. And I'd feel safer, DH travels for work and that's why we live where we live.