Would you buy a house right below or beside power lines?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first house backed up to power lines and it was tough to sell. Again, most said they loved the house but it was the power lines that were the problem.

There continues to be no evidence linking the high voltage to any illnesses.

That doesn't matter one bit. Not only are they ugly, people fear that there is a connection to disease.

[Anonymous]

nope, we saw a beautiful home but there were those big metal towers in the back of it a whole field of them. that house sat on the market for months and months. although this zip code has hardly anything for sell, that house remained on the market

[Anonymous]

We saw a beautiful house listed at 630K in one of our target neighbourhoods. I think they listed it low due to the power lines. it was gorgeous inside. We passed. As did many I assume. They lowered to 599K and finally they got 567K. I would say if there had been no power lines, it would have easily gone for 667K, judging by the comps in the area.

[Anonymous]

This is a somewhat silly thread, as the question was, "Would you buy a house right below or beside power lines?". The answer is yes, but it depends on the price. As the pp showed, there is a discount for a home located in this situation. For those of you who say, "never", I ask, if the house was offered to you at $1 would you buy it? Of course you would, and you would at a much higher price, but one significantly below those in the same neighborhood not so effected. So we have now established that there is a negotiated price that is fair to a buyer and seller for that kind of tarnished property.

Long story short, if you buy it low enough, then you can sell it low enough to exit. There are many that would then get over their unfounded fears of disease if the cost savings where great enough.

[Anonymous]

What I find amusing is that people will buy a house downtown for a million, and they're surrounded by pollution, tons of people all using various devices that emit radiation, but they see power towers out in the suburbs, surrounded by trees and grass and they freak.

Seriously, there isn't one shred of evidence that those towers cause problems.

And no, I don't have a house near power towers, but I wouldn't rule out buying one just because of the towers.

I seriously think real estate agents create this arbitrary list of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable, and very little of it is grounded in reality or practicality.

[Anonymous]

No, I wouldn't buy it for personal use for even $1 as suggested by PP. For some things price doesn't matter. I would buy it for $1 and rent it.

[Anonymous]

If you are already having doubts, you will probably regret it in the future.

I would not buy it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I wouldn't buy it for personal use for even $1 as suggested by PP. For some things price doesn't matter. I would buy it for $1 and rent it.

+1

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a somewhat silly thread, as the question was, "Would you buy a house right below or beside power lines?". The answer is yes, but it depends on the price. As the pp showed, there is a discount for a home located in this situation. For those of you who say, "never", I ask, if the house was offered to you at $1 would you buy it? Of course you would, and you would at a much higher price, but one significantly below those in the same neighborhood not so effected. So we have now established that there is a negotiated price that is fair to a buyer and seller for that kind of tarnished property.

Long story short, if you buy it low enough, then you can sell it low enough to exit. There are many that would then get over their unfounded fears of disease if the cost savings where great enough.

You seem to be very invested in repeating that the fears are unfounded. Do you own a home like the one described?

People won't get over those fears. That just isn't going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I find amusing is that people will buy a house downtown for a million, and they're surrounded by pollution, tons of people all using various devices that emit radiation, but they see power towers out in the suburbs, surrounded by trees and grass and they freak.

Seriously, there isn't one shred of evidence that those towers cause problems.

And no, I don't have a house near power towers, but I wouldn't rule out buying one just because of the towers.

I seriously think real estate agents create this arbitrary list of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable, and very little of it is grounded in reality or practicality.

Actually, the best you can really do is say studies are "mixed."

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/magnetic-fields

Specifically:

"Numerous epidemiological (population) studies and comprehensive reviews have evaluated magnetic field exposure and risk of cancer in children (1, 2). Since the two most common cancers in children are leukemia and brain tumors, most of the research has focused on these two types. A study in 1979 pointed to a possible association between living near electric power lines and childhood leukemia (3). Among more recent studies, findings have been mixed. Some have found an association; others have not."