OT - What Made You Choose Your House/Apartment/Condo?
Mates,
Housing is going through quite the shuffle these days. Prices have jumped, now interest rates have jumped, rentals can be hard to find, etc. Choosing a place to live can be at least as much an emotional decision as a financial decision. Sometimes it's simply convenience: close to job or the in-laws; Sometimes it's because you/your spouse fell in love with the kitchen or the yard or the neighborhood. Maybe its the school system that closed the deal for you or maybe it was simply because that was the only place you could afford.
Today's questions are these:
1. What were the key factors in choosing your living space? What do you like about it, what do you wish you could change?
2. Assume that the state you live in is closing and you have to leave to go live somewhere else. And assume that wherever you move you can make some reasonable accommodation for work, kids, etc. What state/city do you move to and why?
Have a great day,
XM
1a) Location & Size. Great neighborhood and we both are literally under 5 minutes from work. 3 kids= 4 bedrooms & 3 full baths.
1b) Regrets;All electric, stairs, & casement windows.
2) Retirement is 5 or 6 years away, selling both houses (Own one up north) and retiring, most likely, in Mexico.
I bought this house in 2001 when it was "newer" and now it's 40 years old. The kids are all moved out now and this thing is an ongoing chore to keep up on. I would love to sell it now, but there is nothing even reasonable on my market so I am at a point in time pretty much stuck for the next 60 months. As we get older we loathe winters, so when the time comes will have an estate sale, pack our clothes, and become beach bum expats.
My wife
Two words & enough said!
moscow has long winters i hear....
glad you changed your avatar. i have been wanting to ask you about changing jobs, but don't want to put you on the spot. if you feel like sharing, great. if not, also great.
Thanks for asking, Xtra, no worries!
I lost out to the other (internal) finalist for a really attractive sales position last month, and I'm apparently one of two in competition for a job very similar to my old one, albeit with a 6-state territory instead of 3. Should get that decision by Wednesday. Though I don't know if I really want the job, I'll have to take it because it'll be a busy summer getting the oldest ready for BU in the fall and trying to move my elderly father in with us. He's in MI but can't really drive himself around anymore.
I've had a number of interviews with different consulting firms over the past few weeks, and while I'd prefer to go back to my B2B roots, I'm getting to the stage where I just need a paycheck for my sanity more than anything else.
We live in Seattle, near green lake. Our criteria was
1) space/bedrooms available. 3 kids + au pair
2) location. I’m not a suburbs person but also like green places. Also wanted to be 20 minute public transport ride from my office.
3) mix of incomes. No gated communities.
if we could live anywhere else it would be north Vancouver (great city and close to Whistler) or Bend Oregon (kinda like Ann Arbor but a little older with a world of outdoor activities).
1. In this market we could not over pay on a house purchase so buying a previously owned home just was not an option. We were fortunate to find new housing before it really exploded (Our house has increased by almost 20% in value since October). We were looking for a house with minimum of 3 bedrooms and the master on the 1st floor as we will retire in this house. Our kids are grown with one still coming home from college during the summer and we wanted enough space to host our children and future grandchildren. We also wanted the house close to our workplaces and church. The only thing I would really change about our house is the location in the neighborhood, we are at the bottom of a hill and I would like our lot to be slightly larger.
2. If we had to move there would be no doubt that if possible, we would move to be close to our oldest daughter. So we would be moving to the Chattanooga, TN area. If not there I'd probably consider North Carolina.
I live in an apartment. Because I was moving to adjuncting off a full-time one-year contract, my needs were simple. This place is cheap for the market, spacious, and 12 minutes walking distance from where I work. Just got a job as an full-time lecturer, so I'll spend another year here then upgrade, since this place is in a fucking dump of a building owned by the biggest scumbag slumlords in the state. They also make a weak-ass pasta sauce.
We moved from downtown Chicago to Evanston 20 years ago to raise kids. We found a fixer upper and fixed it up. Evanston is kind of urban light -- very diverse racially, ethnically, economically -- and we wanted our kids to be around as many different kinds of people as possible, not just carbon copies of us. Evanston is also on the lake, which we use in the summer. Ironically, now that our kids are out of the nest, we're moving back downtown. We bought another fixer upper, this time a smaller one. Turns out, I really like city living. I like being in the middle of it all.
If I ever move, it will probably be to California or Arizona. Weather will guide us. I'm not crazy about humidity so Florida is out. I could do summers/falls in Chicago and winter/spring in AZ or CA.
of all the people on this list, i would imagine the kitchen at whatever prospective new residence would be a high priority for you.
Very high on the priority list. I've done an exhaustive amount of research and pretty much have it down to exactly what i need and nothing more. My mentality was formed during my pastry years -- usually the position with the least amount of workspace ("Here's a small table for you to work at and you get one shelf in the walk-in") so having more than I need feels extravagant and soft. My recommendation to anyone putting in a new kitchen -- induction cooktop. There's a bit of learning curve if you're used to gas but it's as responsive as gas, the cooktop itself gives off no heat (what's cooking in the pan is what gets hot) and it's better for the environment. And it's much easier to clean than the big grates on a gas cooktop. I've had one for 6 years and will never go back to gas.
Purchased Nov ‘21. Most important thing was move in ready and in my price range. Oh and in the town I already lived in. I live alone with no kids so space or number of bedrooms didn’t really matter. So far I’m liking it. There is no shortage of things that need upgraded. Can’t really afford to do much right now but the kitchen needs redone, new windows couldn’t hurt. The thing I really want to change above all else is the bathrooms. There’s 2 and they are both tiny. Expanding them isn’t really an option so I’m stuck with them. All in all, it could be a lot worse.
I’m in Ohio now and would probably choose Indiana specifically the Ft Wayne area to move to. I’ve been spending a lot of time there because I’m dating a woman who lives there. Besides it being in Indiana, the city is pretty nice and is expanding from what I’ve been told
I currently live in the house I grew up in. When my dad passed away in 2018, he left me the house. We did sink about 80k into much needed upgrades, including a master bath for the wife and I and a separate bathroom for the kids. It's a little smaller than I would purchase on the open market, but it's hard to beat raising my kids in the house I grew up in. 16 acres featuring a one acre pond and a creek running behind the house keeps the kids entertained. The insurance business that I took over from my dad is also located on the property. 10 second commute to work.
If we were to move somewhere in Michigan, it would likely be to the west side of the state near the water. Frankfort is one of our favorite towns, but not sure the wife could handle the winter months. Out of state, probably North Carolina or Colorado. We love the water, so near a lake or ocean is a big draw for us. The Exumas (Bahamas) would rank right near the top as well.
Bought a house in Ypsi township just over 2 years ago. Didn't want to pay the Ann Arbor premium but still wanted to be within striking distance (I work in person sometimes, in DTAA).
I wish the kitchen was a bit bigger / updated but I am pretty handy and have been making some incremental improvements over the years.
If I had to pick up and move, I would move to Medellín, Colombia.
We were living in a 1 bed/bath with two dogs in South Tampa. The house we were in was broken up into four apartments. We were in a very nice neighborhood a block off Bayshore. Our landlords sucked and the house looked ready to collapse at any moment. Made it through Irma with only a broken window though.
We wanted to stay in South Tampa, but the housing market was just starting to pick up steam so we were struggling to find somewhere we could afford. I came across a house in our price range with a big backyard for the dogs (we have 4 now) and everything else we wanted. My wife had already looked at the house, but didn't bring it up because it had a pool and she thought I wouldn't want to take care of a pool. It needed some work, but was perfect for us. My wife's cousin's husband is a realtor so we did a tour that weekend and offered that same day.
That was at the end of 2018 and we're slowly renovating. We were set to get a few new windows installed today (after a year wait) and discovered massive termite damage under the windows that were to be switched out. Exciting stuff. Still have a lot to do.
The housing market has of course taken off since then and we're seeing appraisal estimates of roughly $100k or more over what we bought it for. Hopefully that lasts for a good bit because we're running out of room with two kids now and will need to upgrade.
And I like taking care of the pool.
I'd like to live near a vibrant downtown, but be on a lake and within an hour of a good midwest/east coast ski hill. Good public schools are important for my kids because I don't have $30k extra per kid to pay for private school. I'd like to be warm or at least have an extended summer, but that probably kills the skiing.
That said my kids are old enough that I'd like them to have roots where they are so I'm sort of stuck where I am despite working remotely.
Floorplan was a perfect fit for my family. Only thing I would change would be a three car garage to better fit the kids junk and the snowblower
Interesting how many people indicate Colorado as the place to move. I moved to Colorado from Michigan in 1998. I love it here but my concern about the climate/water/fire situation is increasing. I have witnessed some things in the last three years that are hard to describe in terms of their apocalyptic nature. It does not seem to be getting better and the risk of a truly catastrophic mountain fire season starting in the next few weeks is extreme. So, I would actually go the other way and would probably return to Michigan or perhaps try Minnesota if the political situation in Michigan become too problematic. The upper Midwest is a bit of a climate safe zone.
1) Wanted at least 2 BR and decent transit access, looking at condos because lol houses anywhere we'd actually want to live in the city were not going to be remotely in our price range. Wife has education in building materials so we took close look at build quality and there was a lot of crap, even getting into places that were above our price range (even a lot of "luxury" stuff often had issues). Ended up in a neighborhood a bit farther out than we had been looking but 3 BR, a deck and a balcony, still close to transit. Plenty of big old trees on the block. I like it. Not sure I'd change that much, it's what we could afford without stretching at all, and it makes life more relaxing. We refi'd, chopped 7 years off the mortgage and a lower rate and raised our payment some and it's still easy even without my wife working right now.
2) I have no idea. There really isn't a comparable option to Chicago right now. Most comparable places as far as things to do, transit, etc cost waaaaaay more. O'Hare gets me anywhere I need for work extremely easily and I can take transit to or from it if traffic is really that bad (and when it's not it's like 15 minutes). I hate hot humid weather so most of the South is just plain out for me (and that's not even getting into me really not agreeing with how most of them run themselves).
I feel as if I could write an essay about this having just finished my MBA, but I'll spare the boredom for everyone and get straight to the point. I had wanted to own for quite awhile and started looking seriously in 2016 before finally getting my finances in decent enough shape to afford the down payment in 2017. Not married or anything so I was mainly looking for an affordable place that I could put some sweat equity into and rent out the rooms in order to cover the mortgage and so forth. What's interesting is that in 2017 Grand Rapids the housing market was considered "hot," I can't imagine what it is right now but it doesn't sound fun at all. I found a great house at the dead end of a neighborhood by train tracks with minimal noise, walkable neighborhood, decent sized backyard, 2 stall garage and pretty great neighbors. Benefits of the house included it being built and owned by one family for close to 60 years, so it had great "bones" so to speak and was right in my wheel house for what I wanted to spend ($160K or so). Found out on day of closing my ex was pregnant and thus began a fun (note the sarcasm) five years of custody battles, roommates, and graduate degree. Regardless, I can't imagine being anywhere else with all the work that's been put into the house with a wide open kitchen, new windows, HVAC, roof, finished basement, redesigned patio, and best of all I have joint physical/legal of my son. All this to say I think that a house is more than just the layout/cosmetics and so forth, but it makes it all the more better when it's a place you want to come home to and spend time at, and as I transition out of my side business/part-time job into a career I am very excited to potentially have a hybrid job and enjoy the fruits of the last 5 years. If i had to move anywhere with Michigan closing I would choose Nashville or somewhere in Tennessee or North Carolina, both great states and have a lot of fun things to do. However, Michigan will always be home.
We're in a hot market. Basically had one criteria for finding a house -- something which wouldn't make us house poor and wasn't a crack house.
It took a while but found it. Sucked putting 20% over with no concessions offers in over and over again only to get outbid by someone with cash.
Worked out though; house value has doubled in 3 years. Looking to move back to Michigan in the next 1-2 years.
1. Location was key. My commute to work is 5 minutes, and my wife's commute to school while she finishes her degree is only 15 minutes.
2. I would like to end up in North Carolina. Mountains to the west, beaches to the east, low enough cost of living
My wife…..
I am about to possibly make a move from Chicago suburbs to north Atlanta suburbs. Have 4 kids, looking for a better life. We are done with the taxes here, politics here, and the school systems that are supposedly highly rated but intent on brainwashing our children. My wife and I have done a ton of research on specific areas in the south we ended up landing on Alpharetta GA. It came down to Nashville area and there. Big key factor was no state tax in TN, but that area was a bit to rural for us we do like the access to shopping Costco and variety of restaurants. The Alpharetta area or north suburbs surrounding area is growing and people from all over are moving there, whereas Illinois is the number 1 state moved out of I believe 4 years in a row.
About 12 years ago our daughter dropped off their 9 month and 2 year old at our place and they flew off to a Mediterranean vacation. Two weeks later they picked up our grandsons and drove home. The next day the phone rang, "The place across the road from us is for sale. I just went through the house-you will like it. It's 55 acres and has a creek and a pond. You can bring your cows out here. You need to buy it and move out here."
We lost half a million in wages. The Kansas weather is harsh and the people are insufferably provincial. We will see the youngest through HS graduation-5 more years. We are counting the days and will be speed-dialing out of here. But we needed to be here...and today our daughter received her second round of chemo-but things are looking good.
Last Thursday my wife joined me in retirement...onward and upward.
wonderful story. i would love to see pictures of the place if you felt comfortable enough to post some. as you well know, the upside to your decision far exceeded the downside. and how critical is it that you two are there right now as your daughter faces her trials. good on you.