Which home to buy Existing Home or New Home ? (HOA fees, new house)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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FWIW, If I went shopping for myself tonight to buy a home, my list of criteria would be about like this, from most important to least important:
1. $$$$ and value
2. Location, and site amenities and deficiencies
3. Style...one level living
4. Condition and potential condition
5. Size in SF
6. Garage
7. Lot size and layout
8. Outdoor living space...Deck, patio, screen house
notice that the age of house did not even make the list. Old houses and new houses are equally appealing if they have other positive attributes.
Old homes can be gracious and beautiful, and full of character. They can also be junque, and that is quite common.
New homes can be gracious and beautiful, and full of character. They can also be junk, and that is quite common.
Buy what you like, and can comfortably afford, in the very best location you can get it, and you will do all right.
I prefer exisiting homes myself. Can't stand dealing with builders (have built 2 new homes before and vow to never deal with that again.) The house we are in now is coming up on 4 years old so most of the kinks have been worked out but everything is still pretty new. The neighborhood still looks newish, but not brand-spanking 4 foot tall tree in the front yard new. Our previous house was 16 years old and although it needed some updating it was nice to be able to pick out whatever we wanted instead of the paltry options most builders offer. And we could make changes as we lived in the house and got to "know" it a little better. i.e. light throughout the day, flow, etc. We enjoy making changes to existing houses to make them our own and aren't afraid of some pretty major updating.
FWIW, If I went shopping for myself tonight to buy a home, my list of criteria would be about like this, from most important to least important:
1. $$$$ and value
2. Location, and site amenities and deficiencies
3. Style...one level living
4. Condition and potential condition
5. Size in SF
6. Garage
7. Lot size and layout
8. Outdoor living space...Deck, patio, screen house
notice that the age of house did not even make the list. Old houses and new houses are equally appealing if they have other positive attributes.
Old homes can be gracious and beautiful, and full of character. They can also be junque, and that is quite common.
New homes can be gracious and beautiful, and full of character. They can also be junk, and that is quite common.
Buy what you like, and can comfortably afford, in the very best location you can get it, and you will do all right.
Mike you are soooooooooo wise. You can calm the inside of a tornado.
Old houses and new houses are equally appealing if they have other positive attributes.
Old homes can be gracious and beautiful, and full of character. T
Buy what you like, and can comfortably afford, in the very best location you can get it, and you will do all right.
One thing that put us off looking at new construction was the barren landscapes - with existing you can get established gardens and trees
But the main reason I didn't look at new construction is all the Home Owner Associations and the covenants! Our realtor didn't understand why we just didn't look at any house with HOA (if there were HOA fees listed on the realtor web listing then the house didn't get on our list). For the houses we looked at we also asked if there were restrictive covenants on them.
The house we bought has expired covenants .
I am fine with the fact that for me to have the freedom to own our own place without giving up some of that ownership to an HOA means that my neighbours have the same freedom. They don't tell me what to do, I don't tell them what to do
Cheers, Liam
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