Buying a new place

[Hellboy Jr.]

Ok, I'm at the stage in my life where I'm buying my first place. I've looked around at alot of stuff, even made an offer on a place that looked like it was going to go through and we signed all the paperwork, then got rejected 6 weeks later by the seller's f'ing mortgage company so I've had to start looking all over again. ANYway....

I'm looking at a few places now, and everything else aside, there's two condos that I really happen to like, however, both happen to be situated next to the trash shoots of their respective buildings. Thanks to the designs, this causes the rooms next to the trash shoots to actually be LARGER than they are in the other units, which is nice, BUT....

My question/concern is this: Am I going to be hearing stuff get tossed down there?

obviously it may vary depending on the exact building designs and layers of insulation, etc. . When we looked at one place, as we were leaving we heard a crashing sound coming from that part of the unit, and I wasn't certain if it was something being thrown down the shoot, maybe the train behind the building, or something one-time and innocent like something falling off a shelf in the bathroom, I don't know. And the fact is, I won't know until I actually start living in either of these places, should I choose them, because the sellers certainly aren't going to tell me.

so this place has a couple thousand regular visitors. Does anyone have any experience with living in a place situated next to a trash shoot?

or any other general tips/advice for when you're buying property?

 

[tzarinna]

O god,I feel for you. I'll be looking soon myself.

Sorry I don't have any experience with living next to a trash shoot.
Have you looked into properties in foreclosure,you can find some good stuff. I'm going to attempt that route as well,although I have my heart set on something I don't think it will be available once I get my **** together.

 

[Kable24]

I don't know how much you can afford, but I have to tell you avoid townehouses and condos at all costs. Trust me on this after a while you'll want to kill and gut your neighbors because of the assinine things they do. Especially when you're trying to enjoy the quiet and they are being loud and thumping the walls or playing music loud.

 

[Alpha and Omega]

Honestly, make sure that it what you want, and that it's a feasible price for you.

or any other general tips/advice for when you're buying property?

Are you coordinating w/ an agent or are you working primarily with an exclusive seller?

Be careful of different things that some agents will pull. (basically, bs to increase their commission percentage)

A friend of mine recently purchased a condo, and he had the originally agreed upon price at a level that he could comfortably afford. Then he gets a phone call from his agent telling him that the deal isn't necessarily concrete(common strategem used to increase the mortgage rate). This went on for several weeks, until he finally received word that a closing appointment had been arranged. When he arrived at closing, the original price had been altered by about 40% in his disfavor. He let his agent talk him into purchasing and he's stuck with a $2200/month mortgage payment. The sad thing is that I rent, and his place is barely larger than mine, but my liability is no where near that amount.

This basically happened because his roommate was buying a home, he was in a tight spot due to his lack of planning and procrastination, and he wouldn't agree to move back in with his parents for a few months(pride screwed him) while he searched for a better option. Heck, if he wasn't such a slob, I would've let him use one of my spares for a month or so.

I hope you make sure that what you purchase is ideal for you, and be careful of the location, your seller (private or commercial), and your agent - if you have one.

Good luck.

 

[StrainedEyes]

Ok, I'm at the stage in my life where I'm buying my first place. I've looked around at alot of stuff, even made an offer on a place that looked like it was going to go through and we signed all the paperwork, then got rejected 6 weeks later by the seller's f'ing mortgage company so I've had to start looking all over again. ANYway....

I'm looking at a few places now, and everything else aside, there's two condos that I really happen to like, however, both happen to be situated next to the trash shoots of their respective buildings. Thanks to the designs, this causes the rooms next to the trash shoots to actually be LARGER than they are in the other units, which is nice, BUT....

My question/concern is this: Am I going to be hearing stuff get tossed down there?

obviously it may vary depending on the exact building designs and layers of insulation, etc. . When we looked at one place, as we were leaving we heard a crashing sound coming from that part of the unit, and I wasn't certain if it was something being thrown down the shoot, maybe the train behind the building, or something one-time and innocent like something falling off a shelf in the bathroom, I don't know. And the fact is, I won't know until I actually start living in either of these places, should I choose them, because the sellers certainly aren't going to tell me.

so this place has a couple thousand regular visitors. Does anyone have any experience with living in a place situated next to a trash shoot?

or any other general tips/advice for when you're buying property?

Buying your first place to live is not the same as buying a 'new' place. Buying a new place implies you owned an old one.

And can't you just, you know, ask the owners if there is a noise?