Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 22:04     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Anonymous wrote:
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.


That was a very long time ago and only impacted two streets. Since then, they’ve testing the soil and water. If you have a problem with Mantua, you probably should a problem with a majority of Arlington and Alexandria neighborhoods.

My problem with Mantua is mostly the lack of sidewalks and curbs. Just giving context about the petroleum spill given the earlier thread.
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 22:02     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Fake anything. No vinyl siding, give me wood. No faux stone or any of that crap. Either make it with cheap materials but play to the qualities of those, or use the real thing. It’s so gross.
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 22:00     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Bathroom covered in marble, like every surface, all the walls and the ceiling is marble.

Fewer than 2 full bathrooms

None of the systems have been updated or modernized, ie pipes, electric

No a/c

Flooding/mold/water damage
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 21:54     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Cul-de-sac. Anyplace with an HOA.


Why no cul-de-sac?


Because they're dangerous for kids (chance of back-up accident increases by a significant margin), aren't safer from crime (harder for emergency responders to access), are horrid for the environment (they encourage driving everywhere) and generally are filled with suburbanite cretins.


All true, nice houses are on streets that go somewhere.
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 21:50     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Cul-de-sac. Anyplace with an HOA.


Why no cul-de-sac?


Because they're dangerous for kids (chance of back-up accident increases by a significant margin), aren't safer from crime (harder for emergency responders to access), are horrid for the environment (they encourage driving everywhere) and generally are filled with suburbanite cretins.


You seem like an extremely unhappy person.
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 21:48     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Cul-de-sac. Anyplace with an HOA.


Why no cul-de-sac?


Because they're dangerous for kids (chance of back-up accident increases by a significant margin), aren't safer from crime (harder for emergency responders to access), are horrid for the environment (they encourage driving everywhere) and generally are filled with suburbanite cretins.
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 21:22     Subject: Re:What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Anonymous wrote:Open first floor. I need rooms to retreat to, and I want my kitchen apart from the living room. I know I'm in the minority here.


I'm with you on this one.
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 21:19     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Cooktop on the kitchen island.
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 20:46     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Anonymous wrote:Bamboo


I wouldn't live on the same block as bamboo.
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 20:39     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
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.


That was a very long time ago and only impacted two streets. Since then, they’ve testing the soil and water. If you have a problem with Mantua, you probably should a problem with a majority of Arlington and Alexandria neighborhoods.
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 20:28     Subject: Re:What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Anonymous wrote:bedrooms on different floors-- specifically wanted a house with master and kids rooms on same floor

+1 I don't want to run up or down a flight of stairs when my toddler needs me in the middle of the night. That said, I grew up in a house where the master was on the first floor and the rest of the bedrooms were upstairs and it was nice when I was older for a little bit of separation was nice and gave my parents more privacy.
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 19:28     Subject: Re:What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
bedrooms on different floors-- specifically wanted a house with master and kids rooms on same floor
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 17:33     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Just a note for the "no gas" and "island cooktop" people... I used to have those same hard NOs. And then I bought a house with an induction cooktop on the island. It was AMAZING. I thought I would hate it, but I loved it. And now I have gas again and really miss my induction.


I'm with you, we're about to move, and hope it's the last I ever own a gas stove. Induction is great, island or no.


I do a lot of cooking in a wok. Induction is a non-starter for me.
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 17:26     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Anonymous wrote:Lots of pointless ornamentation like moldings and paneling.

Hard pass.


Molding and paneling takes 5 mins to remove. Come on
Anonymous
Post 10/12/2021 16:56     Subject: What's an absolute "No" in your house search?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I grew up with a pipe stem driveway and it was the BEST!



Funny, I was avoiding them, but we ended up finding the perfect house on one and I'm kind of a convert. The kids have their own roller and hockey rink/tennis court, etc. I can totally see why people don't like them, but there are upsides.


No upsides to a shared driveway…