Home Owners - Experience Based Question...

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1

Assume there are two homes. Both are equal in price. Size difference is negligible.

House 1 is an older build and a touch smaller. However, you are in the best school district in the area. Taxes are higher. You currently live in the area and love it.

House 2 is only a few years old (new development) and a touch bigger. However, you’d never send your kids to school in the district. The caveat is, it is VERY close to work. Convenient.

Assume you are young, very young. Kid’s are not a priority right now and not even a thought for another 10 years. Let alone them attending schools in 15.

Do you vest interest in the better district, with higher taxes but a better area and farther from work?

Or the newer house in the nice development with taxes being about $2,000 less and only a couple miles from work?

I’d love to live in the better area, but why should I pay into school taxes for kids I don’t have? Both houses are large enough and nice enough to raise a family in (or atleast be comfortable doing so). Staying there is possibly an option.

2

Joe, Fry, Walter, Nikuk, Lafengas, TPGSR and JayS will all have productive things to say in this thread.

3

It sounds like you’ve already answered your own question.

4

location location location.

5

I kind of really don’t want to change my location from East Amherst to Lockport. :roflpicard:

6

So what you’re saying is, buy the 15 year old house in the better area rather than the bigger 5 year old house in the “meh” area?

Resale value? Or just better neighbors?

7

Driving anywhere from lockport is going to get old. I lived there for a year, there is nothing there unless you want to go to the trash walmart or tops…

There are some real nice areas about a mile east of the corner of transit and rapids. The further in you go, the nicer they get.

My girlfriends aunt lives in that area, they have a huge lot, and a custom home. But its pretty fucking remote from everything, and I hate going there for family gatherings, let alone having to drive home every day from work.

8

is the school disctrict starpoint or lockport?

i would rather live in lockport than amherst. but that’s just me.

if you want neighbors that wont bother you with just about anything, live in lockport.
if you want to live next to fggts live in amherst.

Is this about moving out of your parents house?

edit: Since you’re baller just buy both houses?

9

That is the area I’m looking at. I work in Lockport, that is my caveat.

I work 60 hours a week, driving somewhere once a week other than work won’t bother me.

10

The school district is Lockport.

I’d rather die in Amherst, than live in Lockport.

11

for a number of reasons

  1. a house is an investment. so add in resale value bla bla bla
  2. location and proximity to everything
  3. i just purchased a 50 year old house because of the location… age of the house doesn’t really apply as long as it was built right and its been properly inspected to make sure the structure is sound and electrical (etc) is all up to date/ok.

Go take a walk in borders and/or Barnes and Noble and read a few books on purchasing a new home.

12

Pretend you’ll never have kids in this house, since odds are pretty good you’ll upgrade in the next 15 years anyway if you have a decent career.

The bigger decision seems to be if you want to trade an area that appeals to you more for a house that appeals to you more. Tough call. Personal preference, although paying high taxes blows.

13

if you’d rather die than live in lockport i would assume u want to NOT live there :roflpicard:

What development is the house in amherst in? and where abouts in lockport? near delphi? or further along 78

14

The only thing about age is that newer homes are a lot more efficient. Granted you can upgrade just about everything, but trying to make an old house as thermally efficient (heating and cooling) can be a bitch. Plus a house that’s around 20 years old will need a new roof, new furnas, cosmetic overhaul, etc. A house that’s 25 years old but has been updated could be a better buy than a newer house that way.

15

If this was a $45,000 starter house, I wouldn’t have a problem with that. However, both of these are houses that I could very well just stay in for a long time. Long enough for my kids to attend at least several years of school.

I think I’m going with the better area and higher taxes. I was just hoping for someone to make a point that I haven’t thought of.

16

Don’t overload us with details or anything, but I can never recommend anyone to live in a development. Chances are if it is a new development, those people will start losing their jobs (especially in Lockport (delphi)) and the market will crumble around you.

Property is worth its weight in gold, when you have lots of it.

Neighbors suck. The reason I like mine so much is that I never see them, and when I do, it is always “Long time no see”.

17

That area is very nice… If you live in a house out there, you would be sending your “kids” to private schools anyways I’m pretty sure.

I’d pick that area of lockport over amherst regardless of cost.

I would think the taxes there in Niagara county would be a little cheaper than Amherst, not by much but a little cheaper.

Don’t forget to get your $8000 in free money from obama in your taxes next year.

18

Ultimately, the only thing that matters, is if you like the house. If you like both houses, then you have some thinking to do.

Age of the house doesn’t really mean anything, neither are coming with warranties, and both will be priced accordingly in respect to their current state, need for repairs, style, etc. A good home inspection will let you know if there are items of concern that may cause you to want to run for the hills.

Typical thought is that houses in better districts are more valuable, and carry higher taxes. However is it going to appreciate significantly faster? If the houses are close in value, its unlikely.

it is more about the house than the concerns you had. All things being equal (loving both houses) I’d say that it sounds like the EA house is better b/c you don’t want to move, leading me to believe (based off of 50 words) that you’d be happier there.

It is all relative though, where I stop paying for location, someone else may think it is worth it. There really isn’t enough info in here to give you advice other than general ramblings.

Being young, single, and mildly retarded, it is entirely likely you dont’ know now what you’ll want 10 years from now, much less where you will be living and what kind of lifestyle you’ll be living.

Buy the house you can see yourself happy in, don’t worry about school districts for kids you may never have and other things like that. By then you will likely have an entirely different set of priorities, different income, different desires. Say, how is that IS-F?

19

I thought you were going to be making like 5 times what you make now within a couple of years? Why would you stay in a $75k salary house when you’re making $225k? Living way below your means doesn’t really seem like your thing. :gotme:

But on a serious note, once you own your own place for a couple of years you start to learn about what you really want in a house. I now know that my next house will have minimal carpeting and a kitchen that can be easily blocked off for the dogs, and a big mud room with a bench for coming in and out. I never would have thought twice about that when I was looking for this house. First floor laundry would be nice. Second floor laundry would be a godsend.

Just sayin.

20

lol