The bearish outlook on corner lots – less privacy, more dog poo!
Oh sure, you’ve got a bigger lot and neighbors on only two sides, but the cons far outweigh the pros.
In fact, besides often being more expensive to buy, here are 21 additional reasons why corner lots just aren’t worth it:
How ironic that you posted this, JtR, and since bubbleinfo is my home page, it’s the first thing I saw this morning. Yep, I’m talking to a local builder whether to build or buy one of his homes which is 90% complete. It’s on a corner lot–and no, I don’t have a dog but may be cleaning up others who do if I choose the house…
Susie,
Buy a house in a cul-de-sac if you have a choice. There’s less traffic which both young people with kids and grumpy old men both appreciate. When you sell this will = a higher potential buyer pool.
I don’t know, yea in an HOA a corner lot is probably just a pain, but in an older neighborhood without HOA they can be very useful.
Especially if you have your own biz (not everyone works for QCOM ETC…)
The article assumes we all live in 4000 sqft houses on 20,000 sqft lots floating in a vast expanse of suburbia. However, having owned a corner lot house in LA, their arguments are irrelevant and wrong in a big urban city. When lots are only 5,000 sqft corners actually fetch a premium and are advertised as such – for example your garage doesn’t need to be in your back yard. Nothing most people living on Wisteria Lane would think about, but corners have very real benefits (and you want some sort of hedge anyway to keep the city out, so those issues are moot).
Great convo on bubbleinfo as always!
UPDATE: Just returned from 90-minute meeting with builder of the house (on a corner lot). He said “Yes” to all my Qs as to what could be changed. He’s been in business for 25+ years here and has a stellar reputation. He verbally gave me first right of refusal on the home.
Home I presently own happens to be on a cul-de-sac (with an premium east-facing backyard due to heat of summer). I bought it in late 2010. JtR featured it on bubbleino in January, 2011–like he was almost here. A friend did the video, and Jim added a voice overlay.
I have loved every moment in this home. What I haven’t loved is the “adventures” with a certain neighbor who built a home 2 1/2 years ago. This was my last home, or I thought it was. That said, I don’t see that neighbor ever moving.
Friends have chimed in and said, Why let ______ have that power over you? Why let _____ drive you away from this home that you love? I bought it at the bottom of the market and it has amazing upgrades.
Land prices here have skyrocketed in the last two years. The new home is smaller (1881sf vs 2,150sf) and lot is about 7,500-8,000sf vs. 9,147sf.
I called JtR about 3 months ago asking for his advice re: this neighbor and my dilemma. Of course, Jim had a funny quip over the whole situation. But then:
Me: *Tears in my eyes* But Jim, I love my home!
Jtr: And, Susie, you’ll love the next one”…
He’s right-as always. I will…
Chiming in one more time now that I’ve read the article and 21 reasons not to buy a home on a corner lot. The neighborhood this home is in just isn’t as the author of the article describes.
I love the location because the home is in a new phase that’s very deep in the subdivision and not near any busy roads. There are a couple other homes being constructed nearby (75-90% complete) but if I buy, I won’t be in the middle of a construction zone since so many homes are already completed.
#13 is the only reason that rings true to me. Yes, I will have to mow more grass. But seriously, it’s a positive. Who doesn’t want a good workout in the heat of summer?
Waiting to hear more of JtR’s comments. Are homes on corner lots more difficult to sell? Would you advise me not to buy this home solely because it’s on a corner, Jim? (Yes, I can privately send you photos of the new home–if you want.) 🙂
Wisteria Lane LOL,
Seems so much of SD is trying to be just that, nothing wrong with that just that probably 30 or more percent of the population could not live like that (they need space to park work trucks, boats etc.. maybe add a granny flat apartment).
I wonder just how many housing tracts are being built in SD that don’t have HOA’s. I think there will be a shortage of non-HOA communities soon where the other 30 or so percent can live.
Agreed, they are all different. Take ’em one by one.
Susie, we had a situation similar to yours; a problem neighbor in a small neighborhood. The cloud it cast on the neighborhood and everyone’s general happiness was palpable. We loved our house and everything else and tried to convince ourselves that the positives outweighed the negatives, but ultimately left. The second we were gone it was like a huge weight was lifted off our shoulders; we felt better both emotionally and even physically, we slept better, everything. It would have been nice to stay forever in our forever home, but almost 5 years later, even though we would have liked things to have been different, we don’t regret the decision to leave one bit. It’s hard I know. Best of luck with whatever you decide.