Here's what $240K will get you in the Midwest..more RE reality

MotoSook · 09:03 PM

We waited for the Holidays to be over which gave us time to paint and freshen things up. I wanted to list it at $259K, but the realtor thought $239K was highest we should list. Kinda sucks because the things we added out priced the house for the neighborhood, but we didn't think we'd be moving out of there anytime soon.

Approx. 0.5 acres, 4 br, 2.5 ba, ~2500 sf, vaulted ceiling over living room and dining room, vaulted ceiling over master bedroom and bath, 2.5 attached insulated garage, 20x24 detached shop/garage/office (12x20 parking bay, 12x12 office, 8x12 shop), 15x30 Unilock paver patio and walkway, 6-8 ft cedar fence, 8x90 ft paved side driveway, partial basement that's partially finished with 2 rooms built, newly landscaped.

I'd have insisted listing it at $249K, but the realtor didn't think it'd appraise over $240K...wonder if we should have done it anyway....

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Beautiful house. Best of luck in the sale.

MotoSook · 01-11-2011, 09:08 PM

Thanks! If it doesn't sell or we get too many lowballers, we'll just rent it to some friends who really want the house, but can't afford it right now.

cantdrv55 · 01-11-2011, 09:09 PM

Where I live, that would easily be a $750k and up property.

MotoSook · 01-11-2011, 09:18 PM

At the height of the market it might have sold for $300K easy. A house like it 10-15 miles east (closer to the city) would have gone for $500K. We bought here because we got more for our money and paid 1/2 the taxes as the next couple of towns over, and the schools are great for the kids. The bus stop is 3 houses down!

cantdrv55 · 01-11-2011, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soukus

At the height of the market it might have sold for $300K easy....We bought here because we got more for our money and paid 1/2 the taxes as the next couple of towns over, and the schools are great for the kids. The bus stop is 3 houses down!

Are you trying to make a grown man cry?

MotoSook · 01-11-2011, 09:24 PM

No...but you can move here!

HardDrive · 01-11-2011, 09:31 PM

$1 millon easy here in Seattle. In the right neighborhood with a view $1.5+.

cantdrv55 · 01-11-2011, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soukus

No...but you can move here!

And leave my neighbors, the renters who can't seem to be bothered to pick up the week old newspapers off their lawn? The ones driving down the market with the half torn down vertical blinds in the living room window that's street facing? I'm gonna cry now.

MotoSook · 01-11-2011, 09:45 PM

How the heck can you guys afford to live there?

Quote:

$1 millon easy here in Seattle. In the right neighborhood with a view $1.5+.

RANDY P · RANDY P's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soukus

How the heck can you guys afford to live there?

Maybe in one or two exclusive neighborhoods in Seattle.. Not really that high.

2nd thing- how much are property taxes every year on that place?

That's where you get us.

maxnine11 · maxnine11's Garage

Look further west
(and south)

FORECLOSURE 3,248sf home with 5 bedrooms and swimming pool

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxnine11

Look further west
(and south)

FORECLOSURE 3,248sf home with 5 bedrooms and swimming pool

Quote:

I know loan officers who can help get you financed.

Ha ha. No, that bit of the ad doesn't sound the least bit shady.

aigel · aigel's Garage

I am not too worried about the house prices in CA. You pay more but you will (likely) also sell it for more. The only down side is the lack of a shop. 3 car garage is where you'll max out here unless you a) live in the boonies b) move to a 1+ mil home.

The weather makes up for it IMHO. Don't see many Thanksgiving or New Years drives announced here on the forum for the Midwest ...

G

look 171 · 01-11-2011, 10:33 PM

A house like that in LA would be 800+ in an OK neighborhood. West side of LA with that much land, you better have over a mil in your pocket. Good luck with the sale.

A930Rocket · 01-12-2011, 02:01 AM

You can always go down, but not up, so I'd list it at your price vs the realtors price. It's worked for us every time. They want a quick sale and hundred or two to them is thousands to you.

Scuba Steve · 01-12-2011, 04:15 AM

It'd maybe be 250K in San Antonio, depending largely upon neighborhood. Property taxes in the right neighborhood (Northeast ISD) would probably be around 5K though.

MotoSook · 01-12-2011, 04:54 AM

I don't know if it's better to raise the price by 10K and let the buyer deal down or if the $239.9 will bring more buyers and we'd still end up at $235K+. If I can't get $235k, it might become a rental. So my thought was list it low, but discount less.

The tax on the place is approx. $6,000/yr.

Quote:

You can always go down, but not up, so I'd list it at your price vs the realtors price. It's worked for us every time. They want a quick sale and hundred or two to them is thousands to you.

MotoSook · 01-12-2011, 05:00 AM

Actually, I took a couple of Ducatis out for a spin the Sunday after New Years. Yeah it was not too enjoyable

I've always told myself I'd move out of the cold eventually, but as I get older, it doesn't make sense as much...so we decide to put down roots with the new place we bought. Although the cold sucks, it is only a major hassle for 2-3 months out of the year. The rest if the year it's perfect.

There are negatives to all...I'd have to 3x+ my salary to live like we here if we move to Cali...and then there's that whole mudslide and earthquake thing .... And the government there sucks more than our corrupted rats here.

Quote:

I am not too worried about the house prices in CA. You pay more but you will (likely) also sell it for more. The only down side is the lack of a shop. 3 car garage is where you'll max out here unless you a) live in the boonies b) move to a 1+ mil home.

The weather makes up for it IMHO. Don't see many Thanksgiving or New Years drives announced here on the forum for the Midwest ...

G

126coupe · 126coupe's Garage

That's a 1M in my hood