wwyd looking for opinions

DH & I are having a hard time making a decision.

We recently saw a great house, not our idea of perfect because my 2 kids will have to share a small room for 5-6 years since the house is a cape & I don't feel comfortable being on different floors from them yet but it's very cute & in great condition and about 60-75k under budget. The price can't be beat & school district is great. The negative is that it is about 20 min further east than we would like to be. So my DH will get home half an hour later every night.
Another thing is that we have been consumed with selling our last place & looking for a new home for about over a year & I am done with living out of boxes. It's been a draining year.

Our ideal nassau towns are those closest to queens. We are trying to figure out if we should wait it out until something we like closer to queens comes up even though I know that we would be spending our budget plus more since what we have been seeing in those areas are mosty elderly people trying to sell and the homes usually need lots of tlc OR go for the house that is further but we would still be able to afford vacations once or twice a year- lol

Message edited 7/23/2014 9:36:39 AM.

Re: wwyd looking for opinions

You are always going to have to make trade offs when you buy a house. But it's really up to you how many and what kind of trade offs you're willing to make.

IMO, it sounds like you're settling for this house - you aren't happy with the layout or the location. You never know what will come on the market that will meet more of your needs, and you don't want to be unhappy where you are and have to sell again in a few years. In my experience and like with any other big decision, if it feels right, you know it. But if it doesn't, and you need other's advice to convince yourself to buy the house, you probably should keep looking.

Re: wwyd looking for opinions

ITA with the above poster- it sounds like you're not too crazy about the layout and the commute, so I would wait..

Re: wwyd looking for opinions

you both make good points.

wwyd looking for opinions

so the only negative about the house its self is the fact that the kids need to be on a different floor than you guys? if that's it then I would consider the house. I know you said you don't feel comfortable but maybe you should consider them being on a different floor both my DC 3 years and 8 months old are on the top floor we are on the bottom. I have monitors in both rooms so I am comfortable for it. Commute distant would not be one of my deciding factors jobs can always change.

Re: wwyd looking for opinions

I agree with the other posters. Wait it out. It sounds like this house isn't the one for you but that you don't want to live out of boxes anymore (totally understandable). We bought our house and we are happy there however, we talk all the time about how we settled as far as the house and even after all the renovations, we know this wont be our forever home. Take your time and you will know when it's the right one.

Re: wwyd looking for opinions

I always tell my clients that you shouldn't compromise on things you can't change, and you definitely can't change the location and you usually can't change the layout (at least not easily and without major renovation and expense).

BUT - that being said - if the only issue with the location is the 20 mins. extra commute (but you otherwise love the area, the schools, etc.), I wouldn't rule out that area... even if this house isn't really "the one." Jobs and commutes can change, and if your DH is ok with it, then it is probably worth considering.

The further east you go, the more you get for your money. A lot of my clients start out wanting to be in areas like Lynbrook, RVC, Floral Park, and then wind up moving east to areas like Bellmore, Merrick, and Wantagh, just because they can get significantly more in terms of house and property for their budget.

If you really want to be in a town close to Queens, and location is your top priority, then I would just focus your search there, but understand that your budget will buy you a perhaps smaller home and one that needs some work.

So while I agree that you don't want to rush and "settle" - I think as a previous poster said, there will always be tradeoffs and compromises. So if you are looking near the Queens border for a house to come on the market that won't need any work, that probably won't happen, unless you increase your budget. That's just the reality. If you can compromise on the commute, you may be able to find a house that has a better layout (not the 2 up/2 down of a traditional cape).

Bottom line - You can usually have 2 out of the 3 things -- price, location, and size/style/condition. But the third one will require some compromise. So if you stick close to Queens, and are firm on price, you will have to be more flexible on size/style/condition. If you go further east, you can likely get the size/style/condition for the price you want, but it's the location you are compromising on.

I think if you are posting about the house you are considering on LIF and asking for feedback/advice, it's not the one. If it was, you'd know it and just make the offer, especially since you are motivated and sick of living out of boxes.

But I have seen your posts inquiring about different areas and I think maybe it would be easier to focus in on one area (not necessarily one town, but a few towns in one general area). It would make the search less overwhelming and you could focus on what you really want. (Sorry for my unsolicited advice!). It's just my experience that buyers have more success with their search as they grow more focused and narrow down their criteria.

You will definitely find "the one" - everybody does. Hang in there!

wwyd looking for opinions

I have a cape and my kids will be sharing a room for awhile. I like my location and house but don't want my kids on a different floor yet either. When they are older it will be great.

Re: wwyd looking for opinions

If your DH's commute is a concern I would consider the stability of his job. Is it possible that he won't always work for the same company in same location? How does he feel about extra 20 minute commute daily? Is that accounting for traffic?

If you find you can deal with the extra commute maybe you can find a different style home in the area where the original cape is? Vacations are very important to us so if the house would afford you that lifestyle that would be a big positive for me.

Re: wwyd looking for opinions

We bought in Nassau, close to Queens, and I commute into the city everyday. Once a week I have to take the train out to Suffolk to pick up my daughter from my sister's house after work and on those days I want to rip my hair out on the train. The ride feels so long and tedious, I hate it.

I know we could live in a much grander house if we bought in Suffolk, but it's not worth the longer commute to me.

The time I have with DD after work during the week is already limited, losing a 30-40 minute chunk would be too much for me.

If having quick access to the city is important to you, I wouldn't compromise on location.