Learn Me: Living on a busy street / freeway.

JohnRW1621 wrote: Tell him Sailboat John from Ohio sent you.

There are sailboats in Ohio?!?! Do you race between Marietta and Cincy on the Ohio River?

We have lakes, the one near me is Great.

Sound? You can get used to it.

I used to live off a runway. The majority of aircraft using it were low bypass turbojets.

Don't mind train tracks. Roads drive me nuts though.

It wouldn't stop me, but I'd make sure the master bedroom is soundproofed fairly well.

I was going to suggest the active noise cancellation route, but it looks like you're already looking in that direction. It sounds like you're getting a good enough deal on it that putting a few bucks into it to reduce the noise level won't hurt too badly.

That's a gorgeous garage, and the house ain't bad, either!

I'd also want to hear the story of why the current owner is selling four months after buying the house. I'm sure they'll give you what sounds like a good reason, but maybe your realtor can get more of an inside scoop. At the very least, if you can find out the real reason, that may help in your negotiations.

I've been following this San Diego realtor's blog for years, I would have loved to use him. I'm sure you have someone lined up already, but this guy sounds really sharp: http://www.searchlightcrusade.net/

I have lived on a busy street that was about a mile from the Atlantic City Expressway. Yes, I could hear the expressway at times, but usually it was the idiots on motorcycles, delivery trucks, and ricers running up and down the street itself that bothered me.

With the money you are saving, you could easily gut each of the walls facing the highway and super insulate them. That would do wonders for cutting down the noise levels

dj06482 wrote: I'd also want to hear the story of why the current owner is selling four months after buying the house. I'm sure they'll give you what sounds like a good reason, but maybe your realtor can get more of an inside scoop. At the very least, if you can find out the real reason, that may help in your negotiations. I've been following this San Diego realtor's blog for years, I would have loved to use him. I'm sure you have someone lined up already, but this guy sounds really sharp: http://www.searchlightcrusade.net/

Bought house in cash, had a stoke while he was packing up his old house and never made it into the house. His viper and a few of his tools are actually at the house still. He paid 1.05 million I think in a private sale on it cheap because the previous owner had dementia/illness and had to be moved out quickly and the house needed repairs.

Build loud race cars. Rev engines frequently. Enjoy the noise.

mad_machine wrote: With the money you are saving, you could easily gut each of the walls facing the highway and super insulate them. That would do wonders for cutting down the noise levels

Interior is 49 db so no trouble there, it just the backyard. The garage is ~52-53 as it has less sound deadening.

wearymicrobe wrote:

dj06482 wrote: I'd also want to hear the story of why the current owner is selling four months after buying the house. I'm sure they'll give you what sounds like a good reason, but maybe your realtor can get more of an inside scoop. At the very least, if you can find out the real reason, that may help in your negotiations. I've been following this San Diego realtor's blog for years, I would have loved to use him. I'm sure you have someone lined up already, but this guy sounds really sharp: http://www.searchlightcrusade.net/

Bought house in cash, had a stoke while he was packing up his old house and never made it into the house. His viper and a few of his tools are actually at the house still. He paid 1.05 million I think in a private sale on it cheap because the previous owner had dementia/illness and had to be moved out quickly and the house needed repairs.

Unfortunate for the prior owner, but sounds like this one is a good opportunity. Smart that you're moving quickly on it, that house looks like an incredible bargain considering the condition/features/location.

wearymicrobe wrote:

mad_machine wrote: With the money you are saving, you could easily gut each of the walls facing the highway and super insulate them. That would do wonders for cutting down the noise levels

Interior is 49 db so no trouble there, it just the backyard. The garage is ~52-53 as it has less sound deadening.

Just the backyard? A large wooden "sound wall" will do wonders. They do it here in NJ (out of concrete) along some of the busier highways where they go near or through towns. It doesn't even need to be a true wall, just some tall solid fence like structures that reflect the sound waves around the house. If the area allows it, you could even let ivy or any native vines grow on them for added garden effects

Evergreens and shrubs

JohnRW1621 wrote: We have lakes, the one near me is Great.

What you did there, i see it.

That house is amazing and you're crazy if you don't buy it. ;-)

I lived on a main road for almost 10 years. You do get used to the noise but sometimes it drives you crazy when you're trying to hang out in your back yard. But the new house is sandwiched between a main road and a freeway so apparently it didn't bother me enough to not do it again. The right house and location and setting is worth it, in my opinion.

My view is good but yours is incredible. I would say it's a million dollar view but it's really more of a 2.1 million dollar view with the California tax.

I looked at a place on the river here that had a ballroom with a wall of glass. If it hadn't been for the $250k+ in repairs needed just to stabilize the place I would have put an offer in based just on the view. Well, that and the 6-car garage.

This exact conversation actually happened in Long Beach, CA on a Farr40.
Upon finding where I am from one of the other crew said, "Ohio? What do you race on there? Lakes?"
I just answered, "yeah they're Great"

Offer has been made, earnest money will be pulled on acceptance. Now all I have to do is rent out the old house and it should just about pay for 75% of the mortgage that I have on this one. Expect for the 100K or so in repairs that it needs.

freaking california. My sister is putting in a an $800K offer on a 1100 sq ft 2 bedroom craftsman in Oakland.

ugh.

My first house was on a 4-lane suburban artery. I mean like 25 feet from the curb. Storm windows cut the noise considerably, and you get used to it. The only time I was ever in my front yard was to mow the grass. That house was my best ever investment, as I bought it in 1995, and sold it six years later for a very nice profit.

Finding the "perfect" house is all but impossible, especially if you are constrained by a budget. If it checks a lot of your boxes, I certainly would consider it.

Also, I have family who lives under a major flight path to O'hare. Sure, it can be noisy, but you get used to it.

If you like it and plan to stay a long time. Do it.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: Also, I have family who lives under a major flight path to O'hare. Sure, it can be noisy, but you get used to it. If you like it and plan to stay a long time. Do it.

Me too--I think that they're about 1.5 miles from O'Hare. They don't notice it at all; after about 30 minutes I don't either even sitting outside talking.

All doc's have been signed on my side. Verbal from the seller and agent thinks it should be done soon.

My grandparents' house backed up to the Southern State Parkway on Long Island. They lived there for decades. We never seemed to notice. It was like living next to a river, we'd joke.

My first housed backed up to train tracks (but with no crossing so no horn, just train rumble.)
I referred to it as being "on the shores of commerce."

You will get used to the noise. When we bought our house we didn't consider it was only 75' form the main street in the city. Took about a month but now we don't even notice it when the ambulance with full lights and sirens goes by at least 4 times a day to the nursing home up the street.