2022 Real Estate Observations (Boston: roofing, moving, oil)

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by matrix5k

Range Rovers, pools in New England, and $500 wine are all stupid.

And yet some people still value them enough to pay. Solipsism isn’t a good basis for understanding markets.

[bricka]

buying any motor vehicle made in the UK <<<<<<<<<<

i think it's mostly people who don't know much about cars tbh

[johngolf]

Originally Posted by bricka

buying any motor vehicle made in the UK <<<<<<<<<<

i think it's mostly people who don't know much about cars tbh

I agree.

[BostonMike7]

I wish I had a pool. I don't want to install one at my current home but it's on the list as a "nice to have" for our next home.


I grew up having pools and love them but I was also the one who maintained them.

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by msRB311

One thing I've noticed with real estate these days is that having an outdoor kitchen or at least a grilling area with a fireplace and and a TV is all the rage. I think it looks really cool and I like the idea of it...but overall not my thing. I like being outside but if I'm going to watch tv I want to be inside away from bugs/the elements. I was at someone's house last weekend and they had a new outdoor kitchen with the fire going, a bunch of food set out. The food got cold pretty quick and most people migrated inside.

I wonder if a few decades from now an outdoor kitchen is something that will no longer be a luxury but a necessity?

Having an outdoor TV, unless on many acres of land, is incredibly selfish and obnoxious. Imagine if that was your neighbor?

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by bizcuit

Having an outdoor TV, unless on many acres of land, is incredibly selfish and obnoxious. Imagine if that was your neighbor?

I agree. One of the families I am talking about recently moved into the home, added on the pool, the outdoor kitchen and a big TV. They have three young kids and are apparently out there a lot...from morning until night. The neighbors must be like WTF. The houses are pretty close together.

[charolastra00]

I don't know - I grew up hearing about the summer kitchens my family had in "the old country" (Ukraine and Belarus) and see the charm of having somewhere to cook that won't heat or stink up your house in the summer. Not charming enough to do it myself, though a "nice to have" on my home buying list is a corner of the basement to set up a fridge, counter space, cabinets and a hot plate for fermenting and preserving.

A friend recently bought a home and built a covered outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven, grill, ventilation for the grill, small fridge for drinks and meal prep, and running water. The pizza oven in particular gets year-round use. We went over for his partner's winter birthday and he spent the evening popping outside to throw pizzas and apps in the oven even as it was snowing. I understand they pretty much exclusively cook outside in the summer in an effort to not have to turn on AC.

[WestieWhitie]

On a slightly different note, why in the world are people being approved for mortgages that would result in a house payment consuming over 60% of their takehome paycheck? This is a recipe for disaster when the recession sets in and folks start getting laid off.

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by WestieWhitie

On a slightly different note, why in the world are people being approved for mortgages that would result in a house payment consuming over 60% of their takehome paycheck? This is a recipe for disaster when the recession sets in and folks start getting laid off.

It's a mess. I make in the top 15-20% of incomes in Mass and an average home cost (~500K) with an average PITI would be more than half of my take-home income.

I wouldn't feel comfortable spending that much, but renting is no better.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by WestieWhitie

On a slightly different note, why in the world are people being approved for mortgages that would result in a house payment consuming over 60% of their takehome paycheck? This is a recipe for disaster when the recession sets in and folks start getting laid off.

Is this really happening? I keep being told that they won't repeat this 2008 mistake again, and how we won't see such a contraction again.