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Found a house, scared about making the wrong decision.Submitted by lunarmama on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 9:59pm.
So We found a house and put a deposit on it. It has EVERYTHING we wanted in a house, everything and more. It's got 4 bedrooms! And an upper floor studio (OMG, I can have a studio!!). It's a freaking mansion! It's a beautiful restored old victorian. No neighbors downstairs! BIG yard, A shed for DH's motorcycle, It comes with rad washer and dryer (we can sell ours), has a formal didningroom and a great old fireplace, original light fixtures, window seat, I mean the list is too long, it's GORGEOUS!!! And the landlord is really cool. She's from France, she's got kids, she gave it to us without a background check! (Not that it would have mattered). and itt looks like it's an oasis in the middle of a pretty sketch area. but the whole neighborhood is on the historical register and it's an amazing house, really awesome. Thanks for your support! It means a lot to have you all rooting for me!
The house sounds great, mama! I am a shameless urbanist - I love my 120 year old rowhouse smack in the middle of a noisy, crazy, friendly, dirty little big city. I know there is a lot of shit that goes on around us, but we have made a point to get to know all of our neighbors (even and especially in rentals that have a high turnover). I feel much, much safer here than some of the places we lived in 'nicer' neighborhoods. It is an awesome experience to raise your kids in a diverse environment - be it ethnically diverse or socioeconomically diverse. Plus, you're renting. I have major school district anxiety that I'm working through. Good luck, happy moving! I'll be saying hi as we move in and after we're settled if I haven't met some of them I'll ask the landlord to introduce me (she lives around the corner and knows everyone). "It is an awesome experience to raise your kids in a diverse environment - be it ethnically diverse or socioeconomically diverse." I Totally agree with this! DH is a country boy but I think this is a really good opportunity for us and the kids. I can see us there long term if it works out and I think even he would dig it. Thanks for the support mama!
I mean, okay, it would be better if it was the best house in the best area, but it isn't forever & the landlord sounds cool. that house sounds amazing! and really, you'll be inside it with the little ones mostly, or in the car to go out of the hood. see if you can look up the street online to see if there are any reviews of it, or its crime stats, or that one website that tells you what sex offenders live near you. i mean, so you have a better idea of what you're surrounded by. streetadvisor.com is one such site, i can't remember the crime or other one though. yay house!
I checked out the street advisor and it doesn't have any ratings (neither does my current neighborhood) but the familywatchdog site (for sex offenders) shows that my few bloks is free of anyone registered and those that are near are all 2nd degree rape of a minor (which means they had sex with someone between 14-18, consensually) so I'm not too worried. It's also comparable to where I am now. I'm also doing some reacher on the area nd apparently my neighborhood is on the historical register and has a neighborhood association as well which is cool. I feel a lot better now.
best house in worst neighborhood. I think someone hit it on the head, you're renting. Try not to get sucked into a long lease and feel it out. Schools will play a huge roll eventually too. xo congratulations!! it sounds amazing, i'm a bit jealous! Glad you found a place! I've lived in hip places in the ghetto before. Pre-kid it was 100% cool. Post-kid... I had some issues both times. Mostly with him seeing or hearing things I would prefer he hadn't at such a young age. But it wasn't that bad! I just waited until my lease was up, politely gave lots of notice, moved and cleaned up, collected my reference and moved on. Honestly if work/school/routine had been better established in those places we would have stayed. Sometimes I just need to hear that other people have gone through similar stuff. I've lived in dome pretty ghetto neighborhoods and never felt weird about it but with kids it's a whole new ballgame. it's kind of weird that this is the biggest and nicest house I've ever lived in and probably one of the most sketch neighborhoods...lol. The irony.
I say, the worst thing that's going to happen is that you will decide the neighborhood is not for you and then you can move (I know, I know, this is way easier said than done with 2 kids and a man with a head in his ass -- and I hope this comment isn't offensive, btw, he just from the last post sounds SO much like my dh when it comes to these issues -- clueless and of course really wonderful in many other ways -- but at times, yeah, the head is in the ass and then you need to do ALL of the work for things like finding a house -- but I digress). Could you get a dog (Dee would probably love this; my 2.5-er LOVES dogs and wants one so badly)? An alarm system? Do you have offstreet parking (this is key, and a place to LOCK the motorcycle)? You just have to be smart and get to know your neighbors really well. I think you'll be fine. Vibes to you. for the record, I'm totally NOT offended by the "head up his ass" remark. You said it, ion many ways he's wonderful it's just in situations like these he's not at all equipt to deal with any of it. That said, all your points are good. I've lived in the Ghetto before but never with kids and I don't really lead a lifestyle that would afford me a posse if things go sour but I think it'll be OK. Almost everyone on the block has kids and there are a lot of professionals (a lawyer, engineer and doctor among them, as well as a retired couple and a artist). So I'm pretty cool with it. DH on the other hand is a bit sketched out, he's just never lived that close to poverty and crime. I'm thinking about getting a security system but then I wonder if that is just an advertisement to try and steal my shit (not that I have much, most of the ppl around there probably have nicer stuff than us). DH wants a dog but landlord said no because the whole house is woodwork and built-ins. I think if we stay awhile and show we are good tenants and put a big deposit down we could probably get one. We only signed a 6 month lease just in case we need to get out of there. I'd hate to move AGAIN but if we have to, we can. the landlord lives around the corner with her hubby and kids and lived in this house for several years, renovating it and then buying another to renovate. She knows everyone on the block and they are all pretty nice but keep to themselves so it sounds great. Dh went for a walk in the neighborhood though and saw a lot of transients and loiterers and no one said hi when he said hi to them (but he's also somewhat intimidating so who knows). We'll see, thanks for the vibage and good points. *HUGS* Seriously though, this house is pretty much everything I could have ever asked for and it's sooooo beautiful.
Many people in the Twin Cities consider our neighborhood the ghetto and "dangerous" (but it's all relative...we do live in the midwest/small city-- not Chicago or NYC!!! or even LA, San Francisco, Milwaukee may be a bit more rough than St Paul, I don't know), but our block and a couple immediately around it are quite settled and quiet and "nice" -- nice families, young couples, a few old timers who have been here forever. Our neighbors are all friendly, we know each other, look out for each other, socialize together some in block club parties-- this makes a HUGE difference when you live in these kinds of neighborhoods. I have zero hesitation about living here with children. And our house is a beautiful (if small) old Victorian (1889), which is typical of the neighborhood. And honestly, my mother's neighborhood - which is waaaaaaaaaay posh - has had more crime since we lived here! Including having her house broken into and robbed. So.... Your house sound fan-frickin-tastic!!! And if the landlord is good, hell that's worth gold!!!!! It all depends on how comfortable you are with the edginess, and it really sounds like it's your DH who needs to figure it out. Maybe if he wants to move in 6 months cos it's too freaky for him, HE CAN DO MORE OF THE WORK!!! know what I mean??? |
One downside. It's on a great little street in the middle of a really, really crappy neighborhood. I mean it's really in the hood. But damn it the house is fantastic, it's closer to work for DH, closer to all my appointments and where I volunteer, the neighbors are nice and the landlord is really invested in the house and totally flexible. DH is a little worried about all the apartment buildings around us and the next street down is pretty sketch (I wouldn't walk there at night, but then, I don't walk HERE at night either). Seriously though, it's my GD dreamhouse. I hope the neighborhood doesn't turn out to suck really hard. Thanks for the vibes mamas! You rock my world. I have to say how much better I feel now that I know where I'm moving.
and nice neighbors, landlady, and home makes a huge difference.
Congrats on your studio! That is fabulous lunar!