cycling and house buying

We moved this past year and are currently renting. Now were we are renting is actually a pretty good area for cycling at least around the neighborhood and joining areas. However, we have no interest in buying here even though it is a very nice area. At issue is there is a HOA (home owners association). I will never live in an HOA again. So we are at the very, very early stages of looking for a home and it like just dawned on me that we also need to keep our wanting to ride in mind when looking at the area.

Part of what I wish I'd looked at when renting an apartment was the rideability of the roads around it. Some are pretty nice, some really suck. This is important since I don't have a car when I'm in Cleveland and therefore have a harder time getting to rural roads or to a trail.

I also kind of wish I 'd taken up cycling when I was still living at home--the bike trail's within easy reach.

"Location, location, location," right?

Yep, it is location, location, location. Of course it also has to be an easy drive to base for my husband (civil service) and to the major shopping area since that where much of my merchandising work is at.

Stick to your hearts' desires...rideability long-term by bike. You will be SO thankful for it. Your health rides on it, so to speak. :)

It will take time to find that place. Be patient.

But keep in mind I've lived near public transit and later, near bikeable routes, etc. for 3 different cities/homes. It's all possible, particularily in a city.

I actually signed a lease for place sight unseen. I had to go strictly on advice of my partner who lived here ....a decade ago but knows key bike routes in the city where I am right now.

My first home...which I bought..I unknowingly bought it located not just near a subway, but by choice of 2 different bike routes that took me from suburbs into downtown core. Routes were either ride by the beaches/lakefront or into the depths of ravine parks all interconnected. Ever so grateful I had that choice..for 14 yrs.

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Originally Posted by Koronin

Yep, it is location, location, location. Of course it also has to be an easy drive to base for my husband (civil service) and to the major shopping area since that where much of my merchandising work is at.

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The big thing for us was that DBF have a reasonable walk to class in the morning. (Yeah, he has a free pass for the RTA, but that's not always on time.) It works out from the respect that he's got a 1mi walk to class, and we're about a half-mile from the grocery store and near bus routes if we need to go to Target or something. There are places within walking distance of campus that are closer to nice bike routes, but realistically, I'd have to want to live with another two people to make those work.

Proximity to cycling routes was a huge factor in deciding to buy my house. Even though it needed a ton of work, the location allows me to be on quiet country roads in 5 minutes from my door by bike. I'm also 3 miles from downtown by a bike path that was built after I moved here, so I just got lucky with that one.

That is the one thing we did right early on in our marriage. When we were shopping for houses, we'd park in potential neighborhood and spend hours walking around and riding our bikes. Ride- and walkability was one of the top 3 factors in choosing location along with proximity to work and school district.

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Originally Posted by limewave

That is the one thing we did right early on in our marriage. When we were shopping for houses, we'd park in potential neighborhood and spend hours walking around and riding our bikes. Ride- and walkability was one of the top 3 factors in choosing location along with proximity to work and school district.

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We did this too. Before even working with and agent and looking for a house, we chose neighborhoods, and made lists of needs and wants. By the time we had a real estate agent, we knew exactly what we wanted. That being said, it then took us another 18 months to get it, but we couldn't be happier, especially with the location. The house you can always fix, the location and neighbors you're stuck with.

When my husband and I bought our house in 2009, we made some serious trade-offs in terms of the size of the house and its amenities in order to get a good location. A walkable/bikeable neighborhood and proximity to public transit were priority #1. We save for three extra years in order to make the down payment on a house in this area.

Every single day, we congratulate ourselves on making such an awesome decision. Totally worth it.

I rent, but I recently moved to an apartment complex mainly due to the ability to ride to my favorite country roads by cutting through a park. I do not have easy access to local transit from this location, but right now the ability to ride to the country trumped access to transit.

We are in the process of buying a house right now and our new house is one block to a 60 mile trail. Like everyone else has said, "location, location, location!"

We sort of thought about it 5 years ago, but, really not entirely. I live on a huge hill, which gets old every time you come home (10-15% grades). I figure right around the time we will be thinking of moving is when I'll use my age as an excuse to find a house on flat ground.
Most people think this is a great cycling area, as lot of people from Boston come here to ride. But, there's only 1-2 shorter after work type of loops (15-22 miles), that don't involve crossing a highway or dead ends. My old house is 9 miles west of here and it was out the door, on flat ground, to either big hills to the west or to the area I live now to the east. One of the problems is that there's too many cyclists around here on the weekends. But, it's a nice 3.8 mile ride to the town center and between 5 and 6 miles to our other town center, on the other side of the highway. But, generally, I head over to the area I used to live in to ride.

One thing we have is plenty of time. I'm am NOT in a hurry to find a place. Our current lease on the townhome we are renting is up at the end of May. However, after that we can either do another lease or rent on a month to month basis. (Actually have to give a 30 days notice when we decide to move). The company we are renting through actually deals more with military than civilians so their policies are written that way to help accomidate our serivice men and women. I think my husband is in more of a hurry than I am. I know it's going to take awhile. The abo****e deal breaker for me is an HOA. (Will never rent where there is an HOA again). However, there are certain things I want and I told my husband I won't know what it is exactly that I am really looking for until I see it. Oh and we are really in the very, very early stages of house hunting.

We put an offer on a house in my dream neighborhood. It's in walking distance to schools, pool, coffee & knitting shops and 2 blocks from a 40mi trail which connects to more trails. Also has picturesque country rolling hills nearby for road biking. We probably won't get the house since there are potentially 3 other offers, but this is my dream to one day be close to trails :) This is a rails-to-trails system of crushed limestone and never too busy.

waving pointed sticks, stomping and waving and chanting that you get the house. It sounds perfect.

Someone else was willing to pay more than asking price and we weren't. Oh well I also love the bike route I have here. I still dream of living in that town :) Maybe it will fall through with the other buyers LOL

Sorry to hear about the failed house bid.

But be patient, look around.

Well, fingers crossed might be having a condo near a bike path in town ...only geez, a block away.

Lots of running around over the next few days on financing, etc. Oh well, I'm hoping if things don't work out in a few years, people will love the location, the 2 balconies (I wasn't wanting this but part of design feature) and the fact it's near parkland, river and bike/pedestrian path that runs over 25 kms., that the place will appreciate in value. It's very popular ....joggers all the time, etc.

This has been true in some other areas that are neare bike-pedestrian paths with parkland/green space, that I am familiar in bigger cities of Toronto and Vancouver.

And I will still be able to walk to work..when it's too cold in winter to bike..in a protected elevated indoor walkway. :) I really sort of wonder about my sanity...but I am particular about location, location, location for my needs.

No, I didn't look at many places. Well, actually only 4 others. I know this area....it's only 3 blocks away from where I live now and already have explored and used stuff/services not too far away. I joked with dearie, if we would be biking over some of our possessions over. If it's not raining/nor snow, we could handle all the clothing, small appliances, food, some dishes, a few books.... :)