Help me find a house?

[pantsparty]

1. I like the kitchen, but I thought you wanted a small backyard? I don't know if a patio counts.

2. Also seems nice, is your "yard" an alley?

If I had to choose between the 2, I'd pick the first one.

[thedutchgirl]

1. Better outdoor space, but that orange-colored wood throughout the house is not awesome. Master bedroom seems small.

2. Outdoor space appears non-existent. The colors of the wood and tile are nicer. Room size looks great not great.

ETA: I mixed up the one you missed out on and house two when it came to room size. 

[Doggy Mommy]

I like the first one, but the lack of a yard would be a big issue for me.

[jennysmitten]

Jun 24, 2013 23:39:23 GMT -5 elle said:

I know this isn't fun anymore, but guys, this market is so hot and we keep missing out on the houses we want.

So here are the current contenders. Please let me know your thoughts. Anyone who wants to tell me how I could get 50 acres and a mansion in Kansas for half what I am paying, duly noted. I choose the beach instead.

Hey now! lol I like the 2nd.
Also, you would not be able to get a mansion on a million acres around my part of the state for only a million. Just sayin.

[thedutchgirl]

Is there a reason you ruled out this one?

www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6551-Seabluff-Dr_Playa-Vista_CA_90094_M28734-35881?row=9

[Deleted]

Jun 24, 2013 23:50:38 GMT -5 kooshball said:

Redfin will send you via email a list daily of new listings. That might help find new right on the market houses...

www.redfin.com/CA/Los-Angeles/13032-Villosa-Pl-90094/unit-21/home/8126407 is cute and only on the market for 2 days. I imagine that might be your best bet?

LOl, that's one of the options above. Yes, we are staying in the community. It is wonderful here, but we are really paying for proximity to the ocean. I don't want to build.

[Deleted]

On! And they both have yards. Number one is advertised as having a "huge" yard. LOL. IT has a side yard that is grass we could use as a dog run.

[Deleted]

Jun 24, 2013 23:53:30 GMT -5 thedutchgirl said:

Is there a reason you ruled out this one?

www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6551-Seabluff-Dr_Playa-Vista_CA_90094_M28734-35881?row=9

Yes. It enters onto the bottom floor, with steep stairs immediately in front, and the yard is accessible only through the third bedroom. Which will be an issue when there's a nanny in it.

[thedutchgirl]

Jun 24, 2013 23:57:40 GMT -5 elle said:

Jun 24, 2013 23:53:30 GMT -5 thedutchgirl said:

Is there a reason you ruled out this one?

www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6551-Seabluff-Dr_Playa-Vista_CA_90094_M28734-35881?row=9

Yes. It enters onto the bottom floor, with steep stairs immediately in front, and the yard is accessible only through the third bedroom. Which will be an issue when there's a nanny in it.

All good reasons. The design in that one makes the most sense to me personally, but the layout issues would be problematic.

[Deleted]

Jun 24, 2013 23:59:11 GMT -5 kooshball said:

Have you considered contacting via mail some houses you might want to purchase?

Yes. Our realtor has sent mailers and personally contacted everyone that has a house similar to the one we missed out on. No takers. Part of the problem is that 90% of the community are condos, so finding a house is a real nightmare.

[MrsAggie]

#1 for sure. Schedule tours of both and put in an offer stat!

[Deleted]

Jun 25, 2013 0:01:47 GMT -5 kooshball said:

www.zillow.com/homedetails/13031-Villosa-Pl-APT-404-Playa-Vista-CA-90094/2141495374_zpid/
www.redfin.com/CA/Playa-Vista/13031-Villosa-Pl-90094/unit-404/home/12288934

Not on the market but they might sell.

That's a condo nearly identical to our current condo . . .

[Deleted]

So my issue on 1 is that it looks like a half house. And I am afraid the living room looks cramped. But I love the yard.

[Deleted]

#1, are all the bedrooms on the same floor? That would be a huge issue for me. Especially with a new baby. The big yard isn't really that much of an issue as I assume you can walk to the beach. Is there open space close by? A Playground?

I really like the color and material selections in house #1. Number 2 doesn't seem to have any "flow" and the cabinets almost look like an Ikea kitchen. Not that anything is wrong with one but for your price range you better have something better than laminate.

[Deleted]

Also, since you know who the builder is can you look up the floor plans online? This might help make the process easier if you can find a plan you like and set up an alert on Redfin to notify you when floorplans you like hit the market. Just a thought.

[pantsparty]

I think you'd grow to hate those columns in #2.

[gretchenindisguise]

Pass on both.

#1 is better, but I agree - living room looks not big enough for your sectional.

[Deleted]

Gretchen - we would put the sectional in the family room. We have a nice sofa and chair that work work in the living room I think.

Pants- which columns? You guys have basically talked me out of #2 anyway, but . . .

Tarzans- yes, all bedrooms are on the same floor on one. I actually would prefer one bedroom on a different floor for the nanny but we could deal.

[pantsparty]

Okay, now I'm going crazy. I thought I saw columns.

[Deleted]

Everything in Playa looks the same! LOL.

[lulu13]

I like #2 better but they all look the same (I skimmed through the others too) which would annoy me but I guess it's the nature of the beast with developments. I would wait out this market personally...especially the all cash offer business. The same thing is happening here...all cash 900K plus. I just would not want to deal with that.

[Deleted]

Jun 25, 2013 0:35:38 GMT -5 @misoangry said:

Everything in Playa looks the same! LOL.

And you find yourself referring to houses with 10*20 yards as "you know, that one with the really big backyard." Playa wants everything to look the same though. It contributes to the pleasantville impression.

[Deleted]

Stepford!!!!!!!

[gretchenindisguise]

How soon do you need a house?

Can you wait it out?

[gretchenindisguise]

Jun 25, 2013 0:41:39 GMT -5 @misoangry said:

Stepford!!!!!!!

And she likes it. 

[Deleted]

Jun 25, 2013 0:42:41 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

Jun 25, 2013 0:41:39 GMT -5 @misoangry said:

Stepford!!!!!!!

And she likes it. 

Well yeah! DH is the housewife. It works great for me.

[Deleted]

And I think it is just going up, so there isn't really anything to wait out. Google is coming, and with it, property values are soaring. We have to beat the google execs and their stock options.

[gretchenindisguise]

Jun 25, 2013 0:44:20 GMT -5 elle said:

And I think it is just going up, so there isn't really anything to wait out. Google is coming, and with it, property values are soaring. We have to beat the google execs and their stock options.

Hmmm, that does make it more difficult.

Move here? We have a beach. And I'll take pictures of our children playing together. 

[MrsAggie]

Jun 25, 2013 0:44:20 GMT -5 elle said:

And I think it is just going up, so there isn't really anything to wait out. Google is coming, and with it, property values are soaring. We have to beat the google execs and their stock options.

We were going to buy in August but this is why we offered on a house a couple of weeks ago. Exxon is coming and the property value had sky-rocketed since March. It doesn't even open until next year! If you find one you like, jump on it.

[mrsukyankee]

I love #1 - but then again, I live in London where our 3 bed 1-1/2 bath home is 1350 sq feet so I think the rooms are HUGE in comparison...laughing at any of the rooms as being seen as small (cause if you saw the space we had, you'd think we must be midgets).