What's an absolute "No" in your house search?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things that are fixable are not deal breakers for me, so long as it's my budget to fix over time. Location can't be changed - so for me it's a thoroughfare. But even more important that that is living on toxic land - I'm talking about you Spring Valley. I used to own a home there (18 years ago), and to this day it's one of my biggest regrets. Yes we made a killing when we sold, but I also have a DS with significant learning challenges that I relate directly back to living in that house, on that land and drinking that water when he was an infant. I also developed two random autoimmune conditions right after we moved. Could they all be coincidental? Yes I suppose so, but I also believe strongly that there's a link.

wow. i was thinking about Mantua but I guess that's a hard no.

What or where is Mantua?

[Anonymous]

Bamboo
Busy road or road noise
Narrow kitchen/poor kitchen workflow

[Anonymous]

No mature trees
No pool
Lack of sun in bedrooms and main living areas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The benefit to step-downs is a higher overall ceiling height, so there is a benefit. It also provides a separation of space in cases where floor plans are open, which is probably why you see it more starting in the 70s into the 80s when floor plans opened up a lot.

Fair point about the ceiling height, though I'd argue that an extra foot is not really doing much. I'm short though, so maybe it's more of a benefit for tall people? As for separation, the ones I've seen are still pretty integrated with the rest of the house in a way that should just flow, but can't because of the step.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things that are fixable are not deal breakers for me, so long as it's my budget to fix over time. Location can't be changed - so for me it's a thoroughfare. But even more important that that is living on toxic land - I'm talking about you Spring Valley. I used to own a home there (18 years ago), and to this day it's one of my biggest regrets. Yes we made a killing when we sold, but I also have a DS with significant learning challenges that I relate directly back to living in that house, on that land and drinking that water when he was an infant. I also developed two random autoimmune conditions right after we moved. Could they all be coincidental? Yes I suppose so, but I also believe strongly that there's a link.

wow. i was thinking about Mantua but I guess that's a hard no.

What or where is Mantua?

Nice neighborhood in Fairfax VA. Big lots and quirky houses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things that are fixable are not deal breakers for me, so long as it's my budget to fix over time. Location can't be changed - so for me it's a thoroughfare. But even more important that that is living on toxic land - I'm talking about you Spring Valley. I used to own a home there (18 years ago), and to this day it's one of my biggest regrets. Yes we made a killing when we sold, but I also have a DS with significant learning challenges that I relate directly back to living in that house, on that land and drinking that water when he was an infant. I also developed two random autoimmune conditions right after we moved. Could they all be coincidental? Yes I suppose so, but I also believe strongly that there's a link.

wow. i was thinking about Mantua but I guess that's a hard no.

What or where is Mantua?

NP, but Mantua is a wealthy area of Fairfax County just outside the beltway. Part of Mantua is next to an oil tank farm and in the 1990s there was a leak that flooded a neighborhood. More here: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/285632/crude-awakening/
Related: neighborhoods without sidewalks and curbs are a big no for me and living next to petroleum reserves would also be unappealing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No mature trees
No pool
Lack of sun in bedrooms and main living areas

No pool in the neighborhood or no pool in your yard?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things that are fixable are not deal breakers for me, so long as it's my budget to fix over time. Location can't be changed - so for me it's a thoroughfare. But even more important that that is living on toxic land - I'm talking about you Spring Valley. I used to own a home there (18 years ago), and to this day it's one of my biggest regrets. Yes we made a killing when we sold, but I also have a DS with significant learning challenges that I relate directly back to living in that house, on that land and drinking that water when he was an infant. I also developed two random autoimmune conditions right after we moved. Could they all be coincidental? Yes I suppose so, but I also believe strongly that there's a link.

wow. i was thinking about Mantua but I guess that's a hard no.

What or where is Mantua?

NP, but Mantua is a wealthy area of Fairfax County just outside the beltway. Part of Mantua is next to an oil tank farm and in the 1990s there was a leak that flooded a neighborhood. More here: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/285632/crude-awakening/
Related: neighborhoods without sidewalks and curbs are a big no for me and living next to petroleum reserves would also be unappealing.

Ah ok. Spring Valley PP here - yeah that's a NO. Hard pass, keep it moving.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the pipe stem thing.

Also:
-being really close to a highway or train (noise) or giant power lines
-interior kitchen with no windows. I like a kitchen with ventilation and light
-all carpet everywhere. I can’t spend the money to put down hardwood in the entire house
-dark northfacing master. We lived in one before and felt depressed
-smelly… I cannot believe how many houses I’ve looked at that just straight up smell and start to make my skin crawl. I recently toured a house where I was hit immediately with a smell even through my mask. All the furniture had brown seat stains on it. Ugh. Cat pee is also a common smell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No mature trees
No pool
Lack of sun in bedrooms and main living areas

No pool in the neighborhood or no pool in your yard?

Let me clarify.
Mature trees must exist. it cant be farmland that got bulldozed
No pool in my yard. Neighborhood is great!

[Anonymous]

Not walking distance to public transportation. I never understood why anyone lived in expensive areas in/near big cities just to have to drive and park or be dropped off at transit stations. Might as well live in the boonies and save some money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Things that are fixable are not deal breakers for me, so long as it's my budget to fix over time. Location can't be changed - so for me it's a thoroughfare. But even more important that that is living on toxic land - I'm talking about you Spring Valley. I used to own a home there (18 years ago), and to this day it's one of my biggest regrets. Yes we made a killing when we sold, but I also have a DS with significant learning challenges that I relate directly back to living in that house, on that land and drinking that water when he was an infant. I also developed two random autoimmune conditions right after we moved. Could they all be coincidental? Yes I suppose so, but I also believe strongly that there's a link.

I’m sorry to hear about your experiences living in Spring Valley. I agree … the two people I know who live there got sick. One died in middle age, the other beat one form of cancer and developed a second. Both relatively young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I'm not looking to renovate; a cooktop in an island is a hard no.

Same here. I don’t understand why they do that. It is so dangerous.

And it's almost impossible to have a proper vent hood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Flight path.
Busy street.

Plus 1,0000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I'm not looking to renovate; a cooktop in an island is a hard no.

Same here. I don’t understand why they do that. It is so dangerous.

And it's almost impossible to have a proper vent hood.

that doesn't make it dangerous. come on. a lot of people assume what they have over their stove is a "proper vent hood", but really all it is is an air re-circulator.