# House hunting is a process from the bowels of hell. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 31, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615 "2005-01-31T16:36:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/21 "2005-01-31T20:34:55Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Note to self: Don’t move to San Francisco. Hell, stay out of California period! The market there is so insane that a city mayor had to abandon his post because he couldn’t afford to live in his town anymore. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/22 "2005-01-31T22:52:03Z")
**Dante** I cannot wait to use jackpipe as an insult. It is just marvelous. One of those insults that leaves the insultee unsure if an insult has just occured. I’ve bought two houses and had one built. They are each their own special kind of hell. I have decided that building is the more evil of the two hells and will buy off the rack, so to speak, from now on. **Elza B** good luck with the house hunting. May you find what you are looking for soon. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/23 "2005-01-31T23:01:41Z")
> [@Obsidian](#): > > You want to make your eyes bleed? Come check out the Penninsula south of San Francisco. …a house with severe termite damage and… And for most cities here, the permit cycle for building a new place is 3+ years, _if you’re lucky!_ There are other places in California more reasonable, but stay away from the San Francisco bay area and the LA basin if you want to buy a decent house. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/24 "2005-01-31T23:07:45Z")
> [@Elza B](#): > > My problem is with people listing houses for way above what they should be, claiming work has been done on them that hasn’t been done, etc. And we seem to be wasting a lot of times looking at the crappy ones. Sounds like online dating to me. :rolleyes: I live in the Lakes area of Southeast Michigan, and when I was accompanying a friend to a look-see for a 200k+ house we realized you could see through the upstairs hardwood floors into the kitchen. Rustic, eh? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/25 "2005-01-31T23:10:31Z")
I heard a bit of a news show the other day. A caller asked “What’s the difference between an airline pilot and a pizza?” The pizza can feed a family of four. The caller went on to say that you couldn’t find a decent house in the San Francisco area for less than $700,000. I’ve bought three houses since 1990, probably looked at 20, and only one was less than immaculate. Maybe it helps that this is a depressed area and people are desperate to sell. The houses are empty, the realtors hire people to clean them out, and the mechanicals are all up to date. You can get a small fixer-upper where the meth-heads live for 20K, a really nice big place for 60-80K, and custom-built next to the golf course with an in-ground pool for 150K. I can’t imagine going through what you guys are going through, but to live in California or Florida, I’d probably do it. I hate winter. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/26 "2005-01-31T23:20:53Z")
I have to ask - Which city’s mayor had to move out? ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/27 "2005-01-31T23:38:23Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Maybe in Orlando, but then again EVERYTHING there is new. My experience was different, though. When I lived there, I had a “used” house only because there were no new houses in my price range where I was looking; it was either an existing, 1600-1800 square foot house for $140,000 to $150,000, or a new 3,000 square foot house for $300,000. They weren’t building new $140,000 houses in Orlando’s western suburbs, except in whiskey tango Winter Garden. Welcome to my world, **elmwood**. I’m actually in Canton - there are no new ‘starter homes’ here - it’s either huge McMansions or older houses. And luckily, we adore older homes (the house we had a contract on was an older home, and beautiful - very unique), so it’s just a matter of finding the right one. I’m jealous of my parents at our age, though - they were able to buy a new, 1600-1800 sq ft starter home when I was little, whereas we can’t find anything even remotely similar in our price range. Starter Homes just don’t exist any longer. Glad to know I’m SUPPOSED to be frustrated. And I know compared to other places, we have it easy, but it doesn’t feel that way. If it weren’t for my debt, we could probably go up to $160-170K, but since we’re paying down my debt, we’re trying to stay within $120-130K or less. There are some lovely old houses around here for that, so we’re trying to find out which one is best for us. E. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/28 "2005-01-31T23:48:48Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Hell, stay out of California period! The market there is so insane that a city mayor had to abandon his post because he couldn’t afford to live in his town anymore. Who was this? I can’t find it on google. I believe you, in my area “low income” housing is marketed at teachers, nurses and cops who can’t afford to live in the cities they serve. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/29 "2005-01-31T23:52:31Z")
I’m glad you backed out of the damp-basement house, **Elza B**. You’d just live to regret it, if I can say that without sounding too much like your FIL. Our house had some water problems, and if we’d known the full extent before we bought it, we’d never have bought it. They’re all fixed _now_, but it was pricey. :rolleyes: We also sort of just fell into our house. Our realtor (a friend of my in-laws) was not really very helpful. We’d been pre-approved by the bank, and knew our price range, but she kept showing us houses out of that range, house that were $20-30,000 over what we could spend. I think she was just hoping we’d say the heck with it and over-extend ourselves and buy something we really couldn’t afford. What did she care once we got through settlement and she got her commission? One of my conditions was that I needed to know the school district. I made that very clear right up front. My daughter was going to be starting First Grade in the fall, and I wanted to know what schools she would be going to, and everytime we got to a house, I’d ask what the elementary school was for the neighborhood. She’d look surprised and say she didn’t know, and then ask if it mattered. It’s a wonder I didn’t strangle her. We ended up looking a bit on our own, and my husband found an ad in the paper for a house in a neighborhood we knew and liked, and we went to look at it one night after work. We really liked it and so we put in a bid the next day and it was accepted. Sort of one of those “being in the right place at the right time” kind of things. The woman had been recently widowed and just wanted to get out, and she liked us. Just take your time; you’ll find something. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/30 "2005-02-01T00:15:46Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > I have to ask - Which city’s mayor had to move out? > [@The Devil's Grandmother](#): > > Who was this? I can’t find it on google. I believe you, in my area “low income” housing is marketed at teachers, nurses and cops who can’t afford to live in the cities they serve. [Found 'im](http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,40172,00.html)! David Buckmaster, formerly of San Carlos. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/31 "2005-02-01T00:49:58Z")
Thanks! The last few lines of that article are exactly what wrong on the peninsula. Nobody’s building housing. ---
**Author:** ![Obsidian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@Obsidian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obsidian)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/32 "2005-02-01T00:56:58Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > [Found 'im](http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,40172,00.html)! David Buckmaster, formerly of San Carlos. Yup. Each and every one of the houses I listed is located in San Carlos. I shit you not. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/33 "2005-02-01T00:58:54Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I heard a bit of a news show the other day. A caller asked “What’s the difference between an airline pilot and a pizza?” The pizza can feed a family of four. The caller went on to say that you couldn’t find a decent house in the San Francisco area for less than $700,000. Was that a news show, or was that _Car Talk_? ---
**Author:** ![Obsidian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@Obsidian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obsidian)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/34 "2005-02-01T01:12:46Z")
BTW, the thing I find the saddest is not the transplants who are chased back east or whatever, but people like our sad former mayor there-- people who grew up here, love their town, and intended to buy a house and raise their kids down the street from Grandma and Grandpa. Throughout most of the rest of the country, that’s not uncommon. Here, you just CAN’T. The dotcommers are literally chasing out the natives. I have a number of friends who are just starting to contemplate the reality that they will either need to completely uproot their lives, or raise their children in an appartment. (Although the scenario is very good for retirement aged baby-boomers. I know people who bought their house 30 years ago for $50,000, and will be able to live a comfortable life in arizona on the $1mil+ their house will sell for. That’s some return there) ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/35 "2005-02-01T01:16:37Z")
When I read the thread title I thought it said “horse hunting,” and I had a vision of someone sitting up to their neck in mud in a French marsh just waiting for the perfect shot. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/36 "2005-02-01T03:58:39Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Was that a news show, or was that _Car Talk_? It might have been Car Talk. NPR was on, but I was doing something else and not listening closely. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/37 "2005-02-01T04:17:52Z")
> [@Elza B](#): > > My problem is with people listing houses for way above what they should be, claiming work has been done on them that hasn’t been done, etc. The flip side of the coin is buyers who offer way less than the house should be, and claim defects that aren’t there. > [@](#): > > And we seem to be wasting a lot of times looking at the crappy ones. Sellers have exactly the same problem with buyers. Have some empathy, with a little luck you’ll be on the flip side in a few years. ---
**Author:** ![Mayfield\_St.Cloud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@Mayfield\_St.Cloud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayfield_St.Cloud)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/38 "2005-02-01T08:26:43Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > It might have been Car Talk. NPR was on, but I was doing something else and not listening closely. It was Car Talk. The caller was an airline pilot who was being transferred from Alaska to California. She didn’t think she could afford housing, so she planned to live in the airport (forget which one) parking lot in a Volkswagon Westphalia, and she wanted their advice on the vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/39 "2005-02-01T13:22:32Z")
> [@Elza B](#): > > Welcome to my world, **elmwood**. I’m actually in Canton - there are no new ‘starter homes’ here - it’s either huge McMansions or older houses. When I see McMansions built by the hundreds in places that are economically stagnant or struggling, like Canton or Toledo, I wonder … just who are buying these houses? If I married someone with an income similar to mine, the bank would probably give us a mortgage for a $300,000 house. However, we’d also have to pay taxes and insurance on that house; expenses that are usually directly proportional to the sales price. If it’s a large house, and not some smaller overpriced patio or infill house, there’s also the cost of heat and electricity for a barn-sized home. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615/40 "2005-02-01T13:49:37Z")
> [@NattoGuy](#): > > The flip side of the coin is buyers who offer way less than the house should be, and claim defects that aren’t there. > Sellers have exactly the same problem with buyers. > > Have some empathy, with a little luck you’ll be on the flip side in a few years. I do have some empathy. I give sellers the benefit of the doubt most of the time. However, when it’s quite obvious that the electrical system hasn’t been updated (to a layman like myself) or when we attempt to take half responsibility for an issue that shouldn’t have anything to do with us (like a leaky basement), yet the sellers refuse to take any responsibility whatsoever, I’d say someone’s trying to screw someone else - and it isn’t us. We didn’t offer ‘way less’ for the first house we had a contract on. We offered a decent price for it, they counter-offered, and we accepted. Obviously, the price was acceptable to them. If we put an offer on the house we’re looking at tonight, we plan to offer full asking price - because it’s worth it. We may be green house buyers, but we’re not out to take advantage of anyone. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that the sellers do the same. **Elmwood** , your guess is as good as mine. I don’t necessarily think we’re as bad off economically as some places, but I still wonder how people can afford the new $300,000 houses going up. And to be honest, my husband’s boss lives in one - for what they paid, I expected a lot more. It was actually fairly tiny, which surprised me. For that much money, I’d want big, open rooms, but these rooms were smashed together and extremely small. Makes me realize we’re better off with an older home. E. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hunting-is-a-process-from-the-bowels-of-hell/287615.md?page=3)