The house sale is not looking good...

[capella]

Because the new home builders in the area are pushing the price of housing down. Why not? They've got the money. They just put up a HUGE billboard advertising new homes from $175,900! Bastards. The idiots in the city government who approved another 200 homes in this bedroom community of 80,000+ ought to have their heads examined. If there's one thing my town needs less of.... it's houses.

Not that I'm taking it off the market. I'm going to run out the whole 6 months and see what happens. But why would anyone buy my 26 year old house with the temptation of a brand new one down the road? And I know the real cost of that $175,900 house is going to be a lot higher, but I imagine that's not helping the foot traffic into my house. We've had a few showings and it's not the best time of year afterall. But it's discouraging to say the least.

I just applied for an RN program at the local CC. I will have about a year's worth (part time) of pre-req classes to take, but then I will be able to get into a nights/evenings 20-month program to become an RN. RN's around here make at least as much as I do currently, if not more, and then I'd have the flexibility in my work schedule to finish out the BSN and really make some cash. I guess I'll figure it out somehow. *sigh*

[WorkInProgress]

I'm sorry to hear that things are not going as well as you'd like.

This happens all the time in my area. There are always new homes going up.

[wordsmith]

Strictly personally (and I KNOW I'm in the minority on this), I can't fathom living in a newly constructed home, just as a matter of personal taste.

Maybe it's because of where I live and its veneration of historic preservation, or maybe it's because I was raised by people who were "This Old House" before "This Old House" existed, and who gutted and rebuilt a late 1800s farmhouse in period style and still live in it. But the only time I've lived in anything that wasn't at least 100 years old was when I was living in the dorms.

So, new construction homes don't tempt me, because they're not my taste. We get a fair enough number of newer construction where I live, but there are still lots and lots of vintage homes that are available in a wide range of pricing.

[capella]

*sigh* I know, but a house from 1981 is hardly vintage. It's just old. :rolleyes: Despite the fact that it's a very nice house and it's redone on the inside and out. I just hate this area with a passion. I wish I hadn't bought here. It was simply affordable, not ideal. It really is location, location, location.

[wordsmith]

*sigh* I know, but a house from 1981 is hardly vintage. It's just old. :rolleyes: Despite the fact that it's a very nice house and it's redone on the inside and out. I just hate this area with a passion. I wish I hadn't bought here. It was simply affordable, not ideal. It really is location, location, location.

No, I know, I was just turning my nose up at new construction as a whole, as a matter of personal taste.

If 1981 was as old as it got in your area, I'd have to settle for that, though.

[yankeeyosh]

No, I know, I was just turning my nose up at new construction as a whole, as a matter of personal taste.

If 1981 was as old as it got in your area, I'd have to settle for that, though.

In boston, post-war is considered "new".

[capella]

Well, 15 years ago there were still orange groves around here and the people moving here were mainly retirees. That is most definitely not the case anymore (there are 8 elementary schools, 2 middle and 2 high schools in the city limits). My neighbor's house was built in 2001. There are lots still not built on around here. There are houses from the 60's next to houses built last year. It's an odd combination. I live in a very ill-planned area.

[capella]

I'd also venture to say that my concrete block constructed home is a lot more solid and well-built than the stuccoed shacks they're throwing up... but hey, who am I to say? I know that most families would prefer to have a newer home, with a more modern floor plan (no formal living rooms, just great rooms) and a larger kitchen (which most of these places feature).

[wordsmith]

In boston, post-war is considered "new".

Yeah, but Illinois wasn't a state until 1818. So "new" and "old" are relative. My current building dates to 1865, I think, constructionwise.

[Kitty]

I'd personally opt to live in a sustainable house.

[yankeeyosh]

Yeah, but Illinois wasn't a state until 1818. So "new" and "old" are relative. My current building dates to 1865, I think, constructionwise.

Interesting that in terms of the length of time they were states, Ill. is older than Maine.

[sunshine79]

Hey Amy, funny that you mention that RN thing - I'm looking into the accelerated BSN at UCF too. I would need a bunch of pre-reqs to even apply - I think I need like 5 classes - so I'm going to try to take some at Valencia in the next few semesters. Are you taking them there too or are you part of Seminole CC area?

[SunDevil]

There is probably one small model home they built for $175k. The rest are probably more.

[cheshrcarol]

It's actually fairly difficult to coordinate timing if you're building a new house. New construction houses can't guarantee when they'll be completed, which means most people who currently own and move into new construction need to find interim housing. My parents built a house and had to rent an apartment for a few months, and it's very common. I knew other people who lived in a Residence Inn for several weeks. It is a very expensive undertaking. When you get a reasonable offer on your existing house you can't exactly turn it down because your new house isn't ready yet. It's probably only convenient if you're buying your first home.

[shimma]

I'd personally opt to live in a sustainable house.

what's that?

Amy - usually "starting at 175K" means "about 250K". I personally would choose an older home myself, since around here, the older homes tend to have more sturdy construction. Plus, the weirdest shit totally sells people on certain houses. I think you guys will be fine. :)

[capella]

Hey Amy, funny that you mention that RN thing - I'm looking into the accelerated BSN at UCF too. I would need a bunch of pre-reqs to even apply - I think I need like 5 classes - so I'm going to try to take some at Valencia in the next few semesters. Are you taking them there too or are you part of Seminole CC area?
No, at Seminole CC. I need 5 classes too!! Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2, microbiology, human development, and nutrition therapy. The last two are offered as online courses. The other three are offered at night and in the summer (some at night in the summer). I will easily be done by next January when they begin the 20-month evenings/weekend actual RN program. Good luck! :)

I know that those new homes are going to cost a lot more. But it's just discouraging. I absolutely can't get out of my house for under 180K. And that is sqeaking out with no equity left over. I don't want to shoot myself in the foot. Especially not since I *could* get out of teaching here. My biggest impetus for moving is that I am essentially stuck in my current career here and at my current school. I have a slim hope of getting out of my school without taking on a ridiculous commute and now I have a way to get out of teaching, but not jeopardizing my income either. That's a relief. I don't hate Florida per se. I just hate this stupid podunk town. :rolleyes: We shall see.

[spokes]

I just hate this stupid podunk town.

I have to admit that I was in Orlando last year to visit a certain tourist attraction - other than going to an outlet mall i did not get a chance to tour Orlando at all and I must admit that sort of bothers me - but I guess that happens when you visit a "tourist trap".

[winneythepooh7]

I wouldn't want a brand new house either. I've heard horror stories. My father is an electrician and my fiance is a contractor, so I know a lot of these new houses going up are shit.


We actually were driving around my neighborhood earlier looking at places for sale. I don't know if we could afford this town though. The "West End" of my town, which is the "beachy scene" with old bungalows, where you put your hand out the window and you touch your neighbor's house, start at $400K.

[capella]

I have to admit that I was in Orlando last year to visit a certain tourist attraction - other than going to an outlet mall i did not get a chance to tour Orlando at all and I must admit that sort of bothers me - but I guess that happens when you visit a "tourist trap".
Orlando is not the problem. I live 45 minutes north of Orlando in an overgrown blue collar bedroom community that is 2/3 redneck hillbillies and 1/3 ghetto. I am sick of ignorant buffoons. Something slightly more middle class is in order here.

[winneythepooh7]

Orlando is not the problem. I live 45 minutes north of Orlando in an overgrown blue collar bedroom community that is 2/3 redneck hillbillies and 1/3 ghetto. I am sick of ignorant buffoons. Something slightly more middle class is in order here.

Just out of curiosity, if you hate the area you live in, why on earth did you BUY there?

[capella]

Just out of curiosity, if you hate the area you live in, why on earth did you BUY there?
Well, a few reasons.

1. It was the ONLY place we could afford a house. We can't even buy our house for what we're selling it for and not spend 40% of both incomes combined on the mortgage, taxes and insurance. We also knew that holding out for a few years wouldn't get us anywhere since our incomes aren't going to rise much. Most professionals can say, gee, we can buy a little more and our income will grow. But we were more realistic than that.

Looking back we probably should have looked into condos or townhomes, but we'd still be stuck there and we'd pay as much as we paid for the house. The homes where I want to live are 250K and up. (and I know that sounds cheap compared to where you are... but that's one of our full, entire, complete paychecks). We wanted to have kids and a yard and that's just not going to happen with home prices there.

2. It wasn't quite so bad before I spent every living waking moment in this godforsaken place. I left to go to Orlando every day. I could meet up with people there. Now I am stuck here. I love not having a commute. But I don't love where I am.

3. The traffic wasn't as bad as it is now. It seriously got worse and worse by the month. It used to be if I left at 6:30 I'd have a good chance of not hitting all the mess. But it started to not matter anymore and I'd have to leave the house before 6 am to really miss the mess. It's probably closer to 5:30 am now. My old job started at 8:30. The kids arrived at 9:30. I would be getting to work a full 2.5 hours before I needed to. And I would still have to hit all the shitty traffic on the way home. I'd still have to leave at 4 pm to try and get home before it got messy. The traffic is the big issue. I am far enough away from things without it. And there is ONE friggin' highway in this area. ONE. it's ridiculous.

There were a lot of reasons we moved here. Mostly practical reasons. But I think emotional reasons are what win out when you're talking about quality of life. I hate where I live because I have no peers here. Most of my so-called friends (whom I haven't seen much of since I started this new job) don't want to drive up here when they all live close to each other. It's very isolating.