WatchToday we saw a home on short sale in the San Gabriel valley and we liked...but not the asking price and we are planning to put up a low ball offer. The home is off the street and has a small driveway between 2 homes which leads to it. This home is on left side of drive way at the end and there is one on the right side. The entire area is on a slope and if there is flooding water would flow down the driveway to the garage / home area down the driveway..What are the pros and cons of such homes?
1) Is the driveway maintenance cost shared between the 2 homes at end of driveway?
2) I would assume one of the pro is the home being away from street , it would be more desirable because of low noise.
3) Does these home more curb appeal or less? Are these homes more or less preferable?
Thanks in advance
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okay I got the right term for it. This home has a flag lot...
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Denver, CO
I have looked at a house with a similar configuration. (not the flooding potential, though). I considered it primarily a minus, and less curb appeal (you can't see it very well). Also, having to rely on the front two houses to share the driveway in the right way...another minus. Plus, most people have their ego tied up in their house to some extent, and would prefer it to be visible form the street. The noise benefit you mention is a "plus", but really what you want is a house far set back from the street, but not behind another house...and if you can't get that, it's probably better to be the front house, even if you have more noise than you would otherwise. (being in front > low noise)
-s
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You are always at an advantage firing down hill during an attack on a defended position.
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Alexandria, VA
what swebb said.
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Burbank, CA
The second primary home I owned was located at the bottom of a hillside. The home was built "up" enough on a cement crawl space where water intrusion was not a problem for the living space. However, we did get water in the crawl during heavy rains and because of that, it caused occasional mildew in certain areas. The next primary home I bought was on top of a hill where everything drains away from the foundation. We have a full basement and it is perfectly dry. I would personally never buy another home that was situated in such a way where drainage would be an issue.
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Double check for flooding/fire/mudSlide reports for the area. CA has a lot of neighborhoods which periodically are devastated by nature.
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APOCALYPSEFUCK says
Thats great!
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Saint George, UT
elliemae's website
There should be an easement for the back homes to be able to enter the driveway. Who owns the driveway should be recorded on the deeds - easily determined in a property profile.
You're not dealing with traffic noise, but you are dealing with the noise from the neighbors and other crap that happens when neighbors are on top of each other. Flooding can be an issue, although there should be signs of previous flooding. It wouldn't hurt to look at whether the place is located on a flood plain (does it require flood insurance?).
APOCALYPSEFUCK says
He said that the house is downhill, so he'd be firing uphill. Unless he built a tower, which would, at the very least, raise him to street level. It might be easier to build a moat full of aligators with a drawbridge. They're not that expensive if there are neighborhood animals for the 'gators to feast on...
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here is picture of the house.. The driveway leads to home I am looking..there is an easement to the home on the left ( grey roof)..
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elliemae says
But than he'll be playing into Obama's El Paso speech stereotype.
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Looks more like an alley than a driveway.
It could get *really* old walking up and down that thing every day. I suspect that, given that you've got a car, you'll find yourself taking the car every time you leave the house even if it's something close by.