Anybody want to play critique a house?

[kershnic]

Both have been on the market for a while. Tell me what to ask about, look for, worry about, etc.!

House 1:

www.zillow.com/homedetails/3607-Joel-Dr-Endicott-NY-13760/29761058_zpid/

House 2:

www.zillow.com/homedetails/1350-Farm-To-Market-Rd-Endicott-NY-13760/29757964_zpid/

[simpsongal]

re: house 1, the pitch of the roof is a little concerning - is that a problem w/major snow? The ad says "very low tax assessment" - will that "convey" with the sale? In our area the assessed value resets to the sale price of the house. Why were the windows only replaced on the 2nd floor? Do they match the first floor and would the first floor need to be replace. The yard is gorgeous!

re: house 2, how close is the golf course?  Such that you get stray balls?  The deck and railing look quite worn, I'd take a close look and find out if it needs replacement.  Overall this one seems a bit more updated and like there's to do on the inside (but I have trouble determining layout from pics). 

[melsamoony]

How long are houses usually on the market in your area.

House 1 looks like there are some things that nay discourage hgtv buyers: green carpet, the kitchen tile, ect. I personally would still buy the house if I liked the location and layout barring any issues with the actual house of course.

I like house 2 although some may not like baseboard heat, wallpaper, and wood panelling so that could be keeping it on the market.

I live in a HCOL area so when I look at houses I look for location, layout, and general condition of the home as a house that is perfect is likely going to cost 100k more. I figure I can always change carpet, wallpaper/color, or anything else cosmetic.

[timorousbeastie]

A couple things that jump out as concerns I had with my house hunt last year:
1. Is the river near the first house prone to flooding? I'd be worried that with climate change, it might be more likely to flood up to that house in the future. (Of course, that is said without me knowing what the river and surrounding land is like - it's entirely possible that the house isn't likely to flood at all)

2. How busy is the FTM road? And what is the speed limit? Our last house was on a 2 lane road with a 50mph limit; when we first moved in it wasn't an issue at all, but as time went on it got ridiculously busy. It got to the point from both a noise and safety standpoint that it was the main reason we moved. I'd be highly unlikely to live on a main road again.

3. H and I also ruled out any houses during our search that were that close to a golf course, due to runoff of chemicals used on the course. That may have been overly paranoid, but with my cancer history it just wasn't something either of us was comfortable with.

4. Would you have either house tested for lead/asbestos? Does either house have a basement, and if so, is radon common in the area?

Good luck!

[Susie]

I much prefer the aesthetic of the house on Farm to Market (house 2 I think?).  The house on Joel just doesn't appeal, and it looks like it needs a lot more cosmetic work.  I mean, I get the "it's just paint," and "it's just carpet," "look past it!" -- but that shit takes a lot of work and money to change if there's a lot of it.  I say that because I've done it; this was what our LR/DR looked like when we first bought our house:





The rest of the house was not much better.  I never totaled up the dollars or hours to get from there to present, but it was a lot, and it isn't something I'm willing to do again in the post-kids era, if we ever move.

I would have some questions about the age of mechanicals -- how old is the roof, furnace, etc.?  But I'd rather try to negotiate on price for house 2 than go for house 1, unless house 1 has something I'm not appreciating from the listing re: location.

[lessel]

I like the Farm to Market one more. Both exterior and interior layout. Both obviously have some cosmetic issues. For the Farm one, in addition to all usual the big stuff, I'd worry about that deck. Rail is not to code at all and the structure might be compromised by the crazy-close tree.

[Velar Fricative]

OMG those prices. 

I like house 2 better, but purely from a cosmetic point of view, plus the fact that it has more square footage and more bathrooms for not much more money. If the bones of house 1 are stronger and/or it's on a street I liked more, then I'd pick that. I also can't speak for neighborhoods, although I see both are near water so I would research that. For me, it's all about location - we bought a fully-attached house with a serious lack of curb appeal and in need of cosmetic updates pretty much because the street it was on was my absolute favorite of every house we looked at, and I've really grown to adore our house even though we ended up sacrificing a few things on our list.

[kershnic]

Jan 3, 2018 9:28:03 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

re: house 1, the pitch of the roof is a little concerning - is that a problem w/major snow? The ad says "very low tax assessment" - will that "convey" with the sale? In our area the assessed value resets to the sale price of the house. Why were the windows only replaced on the 2nd floor? Do they match the first floor and would the first floor need to be replace. The yard is gorgeous!

re: house 2, how close is the golf course?  Such that you get stray balls?  The deck and railing look quite worn, I'd take a close look and find out if it needs replacement.  Overall this one seems a bit more updated and like there's to do on the inside (but I have trouble determining layout from pics). 

I'm confused about the tax comment. What's listed on Zillow is in line w other similar properties, but I know Zillow isn't always right. I definitely have many questions about taxes on my list for the realtor.

Thanks for the other thoughts!

[mrssandro]

House one is kinda of ugly from the outside. The carpet can easily be replaceable and the kitchen doesn't look terrible. I love the yard.

I like house #2 but I am also wondering about the lake flooding and how close the golf course is. It looks more updated though. Good curb appeal.

[kershnic]

Jan 3, 2018 9:30:13 GMT -5 melsamoony said:

How long are houses usually on the market in your area.

House 1 looks like there are some things that nay discourage hgtv buyers: green carpet, the kitchen tile, ect. I personally would still buy the house if I liked the location and layout barring any issues with the actual house of course.

I like house 2 although some may not like baseboard heat, wallpaper, and wood panelling so that could be keeping it on the market.

I live in a HCOL area so when I look at houses I look for location, layout, and general condition of the home as a house that is perfect is likely going to cost 100k more. I figure I can always change carpet, wallpaper/color, or anything else cosmetic.

It's a new area for us, so I've only just started looking. We'd actually prefer to rent first, but there are very very few rental options that won't require us to get rid of our cats.

The realtor says that housing inventory is the lowest she has ever seen it. There's not much listed that we'd consider. She tells us that nicer houses are moving very quickly. So I don't know.

The wood paneling is hideous, but it's in like 99% of the houses I've looked at in this area, so i think I have to find a way to embrace it.

[twilightmv]

I’m also jealous of the prices. I thought some of the windows in House #1 looked older. I saw in the commentary that some have been replaced. I like House #2 better, for the square footage and the cosmetic stuff. But I think they are both great prospects.

[kershnic]

Jan 3, 2018 9:50:57 GMT -5 timorousbeastie said:

A couple things that jump out as concerns I had with my house hunt last year:
1. Is the river near the first house prone to flooding? I'd be worried that with climate change, it might be more likely to flood up to that house in the future. (Of course, that is said without me knowing what the river and surrounding land is like - it's entirely possible that the house isn't likely to flood at all)

2. How busy is the FTM road? And what is the speed limit? Our last house was on a 2 lane road with a 50mph limit; when we first moved in it wasn't an issue at all, but as time went on it got ridiculously busy. It got to the point from both a noise and safety standpoint that it was the main reason we moved. I'd be highly unlikely to live on a main road again.

3. H and I also ruled out any houses during our search that were that close to a golf course, due to runoff of chemicals used on the course. That may have been overly paranoid, but with my cancer history it just wasn't something either of us was comfortable with.

4. Would you have either house tested for lead/asbestos? Does either house have a basement, and if so, is radon common in the area?

Good luck!

The area has had BAD flooding in recent years ('500 year flood') and both houses are outside proposed but not yet adopted new flood plain maps.

Haven't thought about golf chemicals, that's interesting. I am nervous about the road and will definitely look at speed limit and try to assss traffic level... need to learn about lead, asbestos, and radon.

[kershnic]

Jan 3, 2018 10:03:20 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

OMG those prices. 

I like house 2 better, but purely from a cosmetic point of view, plus the fact that it has more square footage and more bathrooms for not much more money. If the bones of house 1 are stronger and/or it's on a street I liked more, then I'd pick that. I also can't speak for neighborhoods, although I see both are near water so I would research that. For me, it's all about location - we bought a fully-attached house with a serious lack of curb appeal and in need of cosmetic updates pretty much because the street it was on was my absolutely favorite of every house we looked at, and I've really grown to adore our house even though we ended up sacrificing a few things on our list.

I know, right??? I'm having trouble remembering that it's still real money because all the prices are so low.

House 1 is definitely on a better street and closer to the elementary school and DW's job. But again, everything is close compared to my current almost 2hr commute.

[lessel]

Re: flood plain. A piece of my property is on a flood plain, but my house itself is not. (We live on a creek.) I still have flood insurance, but it's just a few hundred vs. a few thousand a year.

On the tax thing, there was a bit of a mix-up when we bought the house because the person selling had a 'senior' exemption. I guess over 65 or something they don't have to pay the school taxes portion of property tax. Anyhow, the daughter who was actually selling the house on behalf of her dad didn't realize. Oversight by realtors too, so when we bought we had low property taxes the first year (because he was owner as of July of that year), and then next year they doubled! Just do your homework on this bit. Honestly, it was all public record and we could have investigated ourselves, but just didn't know to do that.

[kershnic]

As for square footage, we were originally looking for something more like 2000-2200, but all the smaller houses have single garages and a double attached garage is a big priority.

[kershnic]

We're also going to tour this one.

House 3.
www.zillow.com/savedhomes/for_sale/29762669_zpid/1_pnd/42.142532,-75.950976,42.065734,-76.073199_rect/12_zm/1_rs/1_fr/

Concerned here about lack of storage space (garage, attic, etc). And whether we will deeply regret a one car garage.

[dcn]

Ah, this is 1.5 hours from where I grew up, down 86.

Honestly either look great, I’d go by gut feeling and how busy the streets are. I’d also consider where parks/playgrounds are for the kids.

[Velar Fricative]

Jan 3, 2018 10:26:58 GMT -5 kershnic said:

We're also going to tour this one.

House 3.
www.zillow.com/savedhomes/for_sale/29762669_zpid/1_pnd/42.142532,-75.950976,42.065734,-76.073199_rect/12_zm/1_rs/1_fr/

Concerned here about lack of storage space (garage, attic, etc). And whether we will deeply regret a one car garage.

In that area, I'd only get a one-car garage house if we were a one-car household. With all the snow they get, you'd want to have space to park your cars so you're not shoveling them out every time it snows. 

[imojoebunny]

I would go based on location and neighborhood. The exterior of number 1 is not my favorite style, but I also hate the placement of the fireplace in house two, and both of those are tough/expensive to fix. House 1 having new roof, and newer HVAC, gives you some breathing room for major repairs. They both need paint, but you can paint the entire interior of a 2400 square foot house for $3500, including the kitchen cabinets here, so not insurmountable. I like that house 1 seems to have hardwood everywhere. Does the house 2 square footage include the basement? Because if it does, I would definitely do number 1.

[patches31709]

Jan 3, 2018 10:26:58 GMT -5 kershnic said:

We're also going to tour this one.

House 3.
www.zillow.com/savedhomes/for_sale/29762669_zpid/1_pnd/42.142532,-75.950976,42.065734,-76.073199_rect/12_zm/1_rs/1_fr/

Concerned here about lack of storage space (garage, attic, etc). And whether we will deeply regret a one car garage.

Based on the one semester of college I lasted in Binghamton: yes, yes you will. 

I like this house a lot though. 

[kershnic]

Jan 3, 2018 10:35:05 GMT -5 imojoebunny said:

I would go based on location and neighborhood. The exterior of number 1 is not my favorite style, but I also hate the placement of the fireplace in house two, and both of those are tough/expensive to fix. House 1 having new roof, and newer HVAC, gives you some breathing room for major repairs. They both need paint, but you can paint the entire interior of a 2400 square foot house for $3500, including the kitchen cabinets here, so not insurmountable. I like that house 1 seems to have hardwood everywhere. Does the house 2 square footage include the basement? Because if it does, I would definitely do number 1.

An internet friend lives in the area of house 1 and highly recommends. So that's something, ha. She looked loves their elementary school too, which is the same school for house 1 or house 2. House 3 is a different district.

I doubt the square footage includes the basement, but I don't know for sure.

[Deleted]

When do you need to buy by? Around here there is a huge influx of listings in March/April and basically nothing on the market in Dec/Jan.

[kershnic]

Jan 3, 2018 10:36:32 GMT -5 patches31709 said:

Jan 3, 2018 10:26:58 GMT -5 kershnic said:

We're also going to tour this one.

House 3.
www.zillow.com/savedhomes/for_sale/29762669_zpid/1_pnd/42.142532,-75.950976,42.065734,-76.073199_rect/12_zm/1_rs/1_fr/

Concerned here about lack of storage space (garage, attic, etc). And whether we will deeply regret a one car garage.

Based on the one semester of college I lasted in Binghamton: yes, yes you will. 

I like this house a lot though. 

Can you add on to a garage?? Sigh. I'm sure that's an expensive or impossible project.

Right now we're a one Car family and we park on the street. (HCOL is a different world). So trying to imagine our future life is tough.

[kershnic]

Jan 3, 2018 10:43:50 GMT -5 @lindy said:

When do you need to buy by? Around here there is a huge influx of listings in March/April and basically nothing on the market in Dec/Jan.

Now, lol.

Unless we can find a rental that accepts 2 not declawed cats. Or lie. I hate the idea of lying about the cats, but it might be our only option. But then we'd have to move a second time, whichsucks, but may be necessary.

[Velar Fricative]

Jan 3, 2018 10:45:02 GMT -5 kershnic said:

Jan 3, 2018 10:36:32 GMT -5 patches31709 said:

Based on the one semester of college I lasted in Binghamton: yes, yes you will. 

I like this house a lot though. 

Can you add on to a garage?? Sigh. I'm sure that's an expensive or impossible project.

Right now we're a one Car family and we park on the street. (HCOL is a different world). So trying to imagine our future life is tough.

Will you both be working outside of the house up there? I'm guessing mass transit up there is not great but if you feel that there's definitely a chance you'll have two cars up there someday even if you stick with one initially, then go with a two-car garage.

[Deleted]

Jan 3, 2018 10:46:55 GMT -5 kershnic said:

Jan 3, 2018 10:43:50 GMT -5 @lindy said:

When do you need to buy by? Around here there is a huge influx of listings in March/April and basically nothing on the market in Dec/Jan.

Now, lol.

Unless we can find a rental that accepts 2 not declawed cats. Or lie. I hate the idea of lying about the cats, but it might be our only option. But then we'd have to move a second time, whichsucks, but may be necessary.

Yeah that sucks. I like House 1. Sure the outside is kind of ugly but you don’t look at that that often!

[dcn]

I’d put a 2 car garage high on my list of must haves.

We only have one now and hate it. Hate hate hate.

Though growing up my parents had too much junk in our garage to park cars in there and we survived! Not recommended though;)

[kershnic]

Jan 3, 2018 10:47:49 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Jan 3, 2018 10:45:02 GMT -5 kershnic said:

Can you add on to a garage?? Sigh. I'm sure that's an expensive or impossible project.

Right now we're a one Car family and we park on the street. (HCOL is a different world). So trying to imagine our future life is tough.

Will you both be working outside of the house up there? I'm guessing mass transit up there is not great but if you feel that there's definitely a chance you'll have two cars up there someday even if you stick with one initially, then go with a two-car garage.

Yes, the plan is for two incomes and therefore two cars... we won't get a second right away but I can't imagine we'll last long.

[shopgirl07]

I would pay attention to the how new the furnaces are and how efficient they are. That first house is ugly and needs a lot of cosmetic work but it does have a new furnace and roof. That’s about $25K in upgrades right there.

The second house doesn’t have any info about the furnace but looks like it needs much less cosmetic work.

[bdubs419]

Jan 3, 2018 11:08:11 GMT -5 shopgirl07 said:

I would pay attention to the how new the furnaces are and how efficient they are. That first house is ugly and needs a lot of cosmetic work but it does have a new furnace and roof. That’s about $25K in upgrades right there.

The second house doesn’t have any info about the furnace but looks like it needs much less cosmetic work.

Good point. I would definitely check out all of the big $ items. Roof, siding, furnace, A/C.

We bought our house in 2015 and have already had to put in about 50k between the roof, siding and a new furnace last week.