Anonymous
Post 06/09/2014 13:00     Subject: Re:I am tired of living in an apartment
Anonymous wrote:OP, I also live in a condo, but our building is concrete. That makes a huge difference, mid or highrise vs. the lower level buildings that are bricks and plywood or converted rowhouses that are now apts. The noise doesn't carry in a concrete structure like it does in the wood and brick builds.


+ 1. I live in a 40 year old, concrete and brick condo. I hear virtually nothing from my neighbors.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2014 10:35     Subject: I am tired of living in an apartment
I long for a SFH as well - but it probably isn't going to ever happen (I'm 46). My daughter and I live in a townhouse we own. We much prefer this to apartment living. but I get the longing for the SFH. That is how I grew up as well.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2014 09:14     Subject: I am tired of living in an apartment
If you can't move try to focus on the positive.

What I love best is when something needs repairing I just leave a note at the front desk on my way to work and come home to find it fixed. I don't have to call a repairman and then wait around all day for an appointment.

My smoke alarm starting chirping at 9pm one night and they came and fixed it right away. One time in 15 years there was a water bug in my hall closet and 5 min later someone was there to take care of it.

My packages are all signed for so I never have to be home for deliveries.

No lawn to mow. No landscaping to do. Most buildings have pools and gyms while the majority of homes do not.
Typically there is a shared back yard so it is not like you are confined to just your unit.

There are a lot of pluses to apt or condo living. Focus on those and keep saving.

Anonymous
Post 06/09/2014 09:01     Subject: I am tired of living in an apartment
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well I'm married with two kids. Bought condo when I thought prices were really, really low in 2006. Who knew the bottom was about to fall out. So here I sit with my family of four in a 2 br, 970 sq. ft. apartment. I cannot stand it. My DH refuses to plan financially and save. So not only do I hate where I live but I resent him. Now that the recession is over I'm doing everything I can to save my pennies. But my career has taken a hit due to kids so it will be like 30 years before I have enough to move on. Yeah me!!



Oh please. I bought a condo in 2006 that went way, way below asking price.


If the asking price was ridiculously high like they all were at that time that does not mean much.


Nope. Original asking was not unreasonable. This was December of 06 and prices were down. They just were.

Yes I remember. The price increase started to slow down at the end of 2006 but that was the peak.
Listen you are not the only who overpaid in 2006 but you are the first I hear who think prices were really low.




How is buying a 1,100 sq ft/ 2 br apartment in Bethesda for $285,000 in 2006 overpaying? The price was really low. Really, really low. It was GREATLY reduced from it's listing price a year earlier. It had also been on the market for a year. This is in a popular condo community right next to the metro, 5 minutes from the beltway, has three pools, tennis courts, balconies, hardwood floors, strong community etc. So I'm pretty darn sure I didn't "think" the price was really low.


So is it 970 sq ft or 1100 sq ft?

Your story isn't adding up.

P.S. My SFH is 1000 sq ft, family of 4, and we are very happy. We bought this house from a family that raised 3 kids here. 3 beds, 1 bath. Maybe you need to subdivide a bedroom so you have one for each kid, and just learn some small-space dwelling tricks. Especially if you think you're going to be there for 30 years.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2014 08:51     Subject: I am tired of living in an apartment
Anonymous wrote:OP - think about buying a townhouse. It'll feel more "house-y" than your condo, but you won't spend hours every weekend doing yardwork. (If you find one with a small yard, it's quick work with the mower and weed-whacker.) I loved living in my townhouse for 12 years before I had my daughter. Plus a lot of townhouses have cool amenities like fitness centers, pools, etc., and you're likely to know your neighbors.


+1, the townhouse option is your best bet...usually about the same or not much higher in cost...much more space and feels much closer to a SFH.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 22:21     Subject: I am tired of living in an apartment
OP - think about buying a townhouse. It'll feel more "house-y" than your condo, but you won't spend hours every weekend doing yardwork. (If you find one with a small yard, it's quick work with the mower and weed-whacker.) I loved living in my townhouse for 12 years before I had my daughter. Plus a lot of townhouses have cool amenities like fitness centers, pools, etc., and you're likely to know your neighbors.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 17:50     Subject: Re:I am tired of living in an apartment
How is buying a 1,100 sq ft/ 2 br apartment in Bethesda for $285,000 in 2006 overpaying? The price was really low. Really, really low. It was GREATLY reduced from it's listing price a year earlier. It had also been on the market for a year. This is in a popular condo community right next to the metro, 5 minutes from the beltway, has three pools, tennis courts, balconies, hardwood floors, strong community etc. So I'm pretty darn sure I didn't "think" the price was really low.

to my knowledge a property that stays on the market for a year is overpriced. That's probably why it was greatly reduced to match the market price at the time (bubble time).



Not pp you are quoting, but your point is? S/he said she paid a low price at the end of 2006 and someone else said it was the first time he heard someone saying they "thought" they paid low in 2006. PP just came to correct that it was actually a low price at the end of 2006. So, who cares about the price in 2005? PP bought it in 2006 at $285k.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 17:38     Subject: I am tired of living in an apartment
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well I'm married with two kids. Bought condo when I thought prices were really, really low in 2006. Who knew the bottom was about to fall out. So here I sit with my family of four in a 2 br, 970 sq. ft. apartment. I cannot stand it. My DH refuses to plan financially and save. So not only do I hate where I live but I resent him. Now that the recession is over I'm doing everything I can to save my pennies. But my career has taken a hit due to kids so it will be like 30 years before I have enough to move on. Yeah me!!



Oh please. I bought a condo in 2006 that went way, way below asking price.


If the asking price was ridiculously high like they all were at that time that does not mean much.


Nope. Original asking was not unreasonable. This was December of 06 and prices were down. They just were.

Yes I remember. The price increase started to slow down at the end of 2006 but that was the peak.
Listen you are not the only who overpaid in 2006 but you are the first I hear who think prices were really low.




How is buying a 1,100 sq ft/ 2 br apartment in Bethesda for $285,000 in 2006 overpaying? The price was really low. Really, really low. It was GREATLY reduced from it's listing price a year earlier. It had also been on the market for a year. This is in a popular condo community right next to the metro, 5 minutes from the beltway, has three pools, tennis courts, balconies, hardwood floors, strong community etc. So I'm pretty darn sure I didn't "think" the price was really low.

to my knowledge a property that stays on the market for a year is overpriced. That's probably why it was greatly reduced to match the market price at the time (bubble time).
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 11:59     Subject: I am tired of living in an apartment
Anonymous wrote:
I have a beautiful, modest row house. Luckily, I also have had considerate neighbors. The one on the left had a dog she let bark too much and kept in the basement, but we just learned to deal with it. The one on the right has a kinda fun Sunday ritual of listening to music in the kitchen really loud. It's either classical or jazz or sometimes old R&B. You don't escape neighbors when you have a SFH.

Some new people moved in behind us and just love entertained robustly in their backyard. Luckily, they have a strict 11pm cut off time. I didn't confront them and just let it slide since my kids slept through the noise. That's how I noticed that they went radio silent at exactly 11pm.

The world is full of compromises, OP. And, homeownership is incredibly expensive. There is always something that needs to be fixed. Always. And now I have to pay for someone to handle it, instead of calling the maintenance guy.

You can take steps toward buying a home. There are a lot of good programs that are in place to assist first time homebuyers. Just remember to be grateful for what you have now. You may look back on this time fondly. I know I sometimes do.


+1
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 06:50     Subject: I am tired of living in an apartment

I have a beautiful, modest row house. Luckily, I also have had considerate neighbors. The one on the left had a dog she let bark too much and kept in the basement, but we just learned to deal with it. The one on the right has a kinda fun Sunday ritual of listening to music in the kitchen really loud. It's either classical or jazz or sometimes old R&B. You don't escape neighbors when you have a SFH.

Some new people moved in behind us and just love entertained robustly in their backyard. Luckily, they have a strict 11pm cut off time. I didn't confront them and just let it slide since my kids slept through the noise. That's how I noticed that they went radio silent at exactly 11pm.

The world is full of compromises, OP. And, homeownership is incredibly expensive. There is always something that needs to be fixed. Always. And now I have to pay for someone to handle it, instead of calling the maintenance guy.

You can take steps toward buying a home. There are a lot of good programs that are in place to assist first time homebuyers. Just remember to be grateful for what you have now. You may look back on this time fondly. I know I sometimes do.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 06:38     Subject: I am tired of living in an apartment
Anonymous wrote:Op here. I guess I should have added, do others feel this way? I'm one person, I don't need a house. So I feel whiny complaining about it. But maybe lots of people outgrow apartment living?

I guess it also gets emotionally tied up in wanting to be married. If married, with two incomes, I could swing a house maybe, or at least a semidetached. But I know that's not a good reason to get married. I'm dating someone now and could marry him, but I'm not sure yet we are right for each other, and this desire to just be settled is making me wish I was sure he was the one.


OP. May I ask your age? Your post would be interpreted very differently if you were 25 versus
40
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2014 02:49     Subject: I am tired of living in an apartment
OP, don't buy a place until you're pretty sure you're not going to have kids. You mentioned marriage but not kids. Sorry, no single person NEEDS a SFH. If you hit 40, decide to buy a condo, then meet a man the next day, then he can move in and it will be no problem.

Right now, you should look into changing apartments. I'm in one now, it's not even fancy, but it is pretty quiet (backs up to woods) and comfortable. Except for the sometimes noisy dogs - yeah, I wouldn't mind living somewhere that doesn't allow dogs. What's with people working 3 jobs who have dogs?
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2014 23:35     Subject: I am tired of living in an apartment
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well I'm married with two kids. Bought condo when I thought prices were really, really low in 2006. Who knew the bottom was about to fall out. So here I sit with my family of four in a 2 br, 970 sq. ft. apartment. I cannot stand it. My DH refuses to plan financially and save. So not only do I hate where I live but I resent him. Now that the recession is over I'm doing everything I can to save my pennies. But my career has taken a hit due to kids so it will be like 30 years before I have enough to move on. Yeah me!!



Oh please. I bought a condo in 2006 that went way, way below asking price.


If the asking price was ridiculously high like they all were at that time that does not mean much.


Nope. Original asking was not unreasonable. This was December of 06 and prices were down. They just were.

Yes I remember. The price increase started to slow down at the end of 2006 but that was the peak.
Listen you are not the only who overpaid in 2006 but you are the first I hear who think prices were really low.




How is buying a 1,100 sq ft/ 2 br apartment in Bethesda for $285,000 in 2006 overpaying? The price was really low. Really, really low. It was GREATLY reduced from it's listing price a year earlier. It had also been on the market for a year. This is in a popular condo community right next to the metro, 5 minutes from the beltway, has three pools, tennis courts, balconies, hardwood floors, strong community etc. So I'm pretty darn sure I didn't "think" the price was really low.