What will the neighbors think?!

[Giulianna23]

8 over here

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Now I feel like we are behind the curve!

[malkin]

The neighbors might think: These will be the go to people for minor repairs!

[SheFly]

Like Irulan, we built an addition to hold our bikes (currently somewhere in the 20+ range for 2 people).

SheFly

[missjean]

I pity those people. I would rather have less house, but more yard and more toys! Who needs a big house when all the fun stuff we do is outside?!

Winner!

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Like Irulan, we built an addition to hold our bikes (currently somewhere in the 20+ range for 2 people).

SheFly

I could see DH wanting to someday build an addition to the garage with a little woodstove...a la his man cave. In addition to 2 cars and all the bikes he also has a lot of woodworking stuff. Something like a little 10x15 space would probably be perfect. If we end up on a >1.25 acre lot that would be completely doable.

[nuliajuk]

One of our neighbours expressed curiosity about our bikes when we moved in... then brought his bike over to ask about problems...then my husband fixed some of those problems... then he started riding a lot more. He's now borrowed Tour de France dvds and ridden 50k on his incredibly heavy ancient department store bike. We think he'll bite the bullet and get something more modern and light this year. He asks lots of questions and we're always happy to answer them.

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One of our neighbours expressed curiosity about our bikes when we moved in... then brought his bike over to ask about problems...then my husband fixed some of those problems... then he started riding a lot more. He's now borrowed Tour de France dvds and ridden 50k on his incredibly heavy ancient department store bike. We think he'll bite the bullet and get something more modern and light this year. He asks lots of questions and we're always happy to answer them.

That's really cool. I always like when we are ambassadors for the sport. I have a friend who is working to lose weight and has been putting in serious miles on a stationary bike. I think it's only a matter of time before she is tempted by a real bike to ride outdoors.

[GLC1968]

I pity those people. I would rather have less house, but more yard and more toys! Who needs a big house when all the fun stuff we do is outside?!

We felt the same way but went with zero yard so that we will have even more time for fun!

The only problem is striking a balance between toys and the amount of space needed to store said toys.

Werd.

When we were looking at houses we went with a long tape measure. We didn't care about furniture space but we needed at least a 20 ft wall in the garage for kayaks and another 15 ft one for bikes. Our cars get parked on the street. The garage is for toys.

I will say that living in the Portland area is somewhat comforting. Our garage door goes up and the typical response to the bicycles, kayaks, camping gear and a dual-sport moto is a knowing smile.

[grey]

Am I the only one that wants pics of the house that's making you consider moving?

[zoom-zoom]

Am I the only one that wants pics of the house that's making you consider moving?

It was this one...but after walking through it it's off the table. It clearly has some roofing and ventilation issues (advantage of going through houses in Winter is this stuff becomes clear). Really freaking cute and has some wonderful features, but it also looks more than 15 years old in spots.

We've moved on to this. It's $10k more than we wanted to spend, but brand new. We're debating about pulling the trigger, but it would require a high interest bridge loan for a while. We may simply take out a loan for a lot in the same development and then build later-on...and get exactly what we want for the same price (the house has a lot of brown-tones and neutrals, while I tend to prefer brighter tones and grays). They would remove all of the downstairs carpet and install the high end laminate in its place if we bought, though.

There's our realtor hanging out while we checked the place out:

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So...tomorrow we are putting in an offer on that gorgeous new home. My MIL is graciously going to loan us enough to cover a 20% down payment and we'll do a land contract for the months we'll be waiting until inheritance money from my DH's grandparents' estate is distributed. We will eventually be able to pay for this house in-full (and pay my MIL back, too). We're going to offer the full asking price, but request that all main floor carpeting be removed (because we have a messy kid and 3 puke-prone cats) and instead install more of the kitchen/dining area high-end laminate. We also are requesting that the exterior basement walls be drywalled, since they are currently exposed insulation. We're also going to see if they would install a garage door opener on the main 2-wide garage bay.

Here's our entire assortment of pics.

My 40th birthday is Tues -- all I want for my birthday is that house!! Not too much to ask, right?

[IBrakeforPastry]

Good luck, congratulations, happy birthday, and can you keep that giraffe?

I think it's really nice that they left so many trees. It looks so pretty! All too often it seems the landscape is clear cut so they can build.

[zoom-zoom]

Good luck, congratulations, happy birthday, and can you keep that giraffe?

I think it's really nice that they left so many trees. It looks so pretty! All too often it seems the landscape is clear cut so they can build.

I generally LOATHE subdivisions...because in the upper midwest they are often simply converted farmland with a bunch of random juvenile trees. And often the build quality is terrible. My brother bought one of these right out of college. It was HORRID and a total money pit (it was a miracle that he was able to sell it, really). This place is far and away better than a lot of mass-produced tract homes. Plus this is a model home for the development, so it has a TON of upgrades. We couldn't build the same house in this development for nearly the same price. We're truly amazed that it's not been snatched-up, already.

As for the giraffe...we already asked. The woman who represents this neighborhood has already called dibs.

We are planning to order this house # plaque once life settles-down a bit. I've been eyeballing this for ages.

[indysteel]

Pretty house, Zoom! Good luck and happy birthday!

Is your area prone to flooding and/or wet basements? If yes, then I might wait on the basement drywalling until you know for sure whether you're going to have any issues with this basement. If nothing else, specify that they are to use a mold or moisture resistant drywall. I'd suggest use that type of product regardless of whether you anticipate any problem with a basement. Regular drywall is just not the best product to use in basements IMO.