# house is 600 meters from a dragway **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 21, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922 "2013-12-21T21:43:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Qwisp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qwisp/32/397_2.png) [@Qwisp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwisp)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/21 "2013-12-22T02:46:41Z")
> [@cornopean](#): > > This house my wife and I were looking at is 600 meters from the starting block of a race dragway. There are some trees in the way and a major divided highway separates the house from the dragway…but otherwise, it is pretty well open. > > What does this mean for our life at this house should we buy it? I presume nothing in the winter.(?) and every weekend during the summer, a whole lot of revving, shrieking, engine noise, etc. ? You might want to check if you are able to use your property to supplement your income on race weekends. People pay good money to park close or to camp near certain race tracks. ---
**Author:** ![cornopean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cornopean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornopean)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/22 "2013-12-22T03:04:29Z")
This is the property we are looking at: [1133 114th Avenue , Martin, MI 49070](http://grar.com/property/mls/13047424) If you google map it, you’ll see the drag strip. thanks for the great advice. We’re off to look at other houses. ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/23 "2013-12-22T03:16:10Z")
My dream home. ---
**Author:** ![cornopean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cornopean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornopean)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/24 "2013-12-22T03:17:53Z")
haha! actually, I was thinking of sinking around 50-60k into it. but with the drag strip that close, I’m done with it. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/25 "2013-12-22T03:32:25Z")
> [@cornopean](#): > > This is the property we are looking at: [1133 114th Avenue , Martin, MI 49070](http://grar.com/property/mls/13047424) > If you google map it, you’ll see the drag strip. > > thanks for the great advice. We’re off to look at other houses. Something’s not right. 6 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and five acres for 45K. That seems too cheap just because of a nearby track. Just looking at the pictures, it looks like you’re going to have to tear this place back to the studs, reinsulate and start over and probably put on a new roof first. I’m guessing that entire place has been filled with water everytime it rains, just based on how warped the (first floor) kitchen counter is. If you check out the tax bill, 45K is probably just about what the land is worth and the house is being written off as nothing (I assume it’s foreclosed). Making it this cheap allows the homeowner to be able to afford to put a lot of money into it or tear it down and start over. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/26 "2013-12-22T03:41:58Z")
at 600 meters you will FEEL a top fuel dragster. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/27 "2013-12-22T03:46:03Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Something’s not right. 6 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and five acres for 45K. That seems too cheap just because of a nearby track. > > Just looking at the pictures, it looks like you’re going to have to tear this place back to the studs, reinsulate and start over and probably put on a new roof first. I’m guessing that entire place has been filled with water everytime it rains, just based on how warped the (first floor) kitchen counter is. > > If you check out the tax bill, 45K is probably just about what the land is worth and the house is being written off as nothing (I assume it’s foreclosed). Making it this cheap allows the homeowner to be able to afford to put a lot of money into it or tear it down and start over. I would gladly rip a house to the studs for 5 acres of land at $45K. The drag strip is a different story. You can’t refurbish noise. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/28 "2013-12-22T04:30:40Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > This drives me crazy. There are a couple of instances in my city of people doing this - there is an existing (loud) event going on at some place, they move in, and all of a sudden the loud event has to go away. > > That’s a great idea to try to stop people from doing what I was just talking about. > > As for the OP, as others have said, that’s going to be LOUD. That bugs me too. A lot of old race tracks have been shut down because of that. Someone built a track in the middle of nowhere 60 years ago, then over the years, people started building houses there, and suddenly the thing that initially attracted people to the area needs to go! It’s just about impossible for a new track to be built these days without a huge backer like ISC or SMI. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/29 "2013-12-22T04:39:24Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I would gladly rip a house to the studs for 5 acres of land at $45K. > > The drag strip is a different story. You can’t refurbish noise. This. Actually I think I’d just let the fire department practice burn it and start from the foundation. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/30 "2013-12-22T11:53:45Z")
For 18 years I lived about 1000 feet from the starting line of a drag strip (and associated road course). The noise rarely caused any problems, it really wasn’t that loud except when there were low clouds. The track only ran the top fuel cars during the annual stop by the NHRA and the occasional jet dragsters could cause minor rattling on shelves. The geography helped too, Pacific Raceways is built on the side of a hill and I live on the uphill side. The noise could get real loud in the valley below the track, in certain weather conditions the noise would echo making the noise even worse. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/31 "2013-12-22T13:27:19Z")
The noise wouldn’t bother me too much. Raceday traffic on the otherhand… ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/32 "2013-12-22T14:00:57Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > 600 meters is 1,800 feet … It’s actually 1968 ft. But (based on my limited experience) that’s plenty close enough for breathtaking amounts of noise. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/33 "2013-12-22T15:49:24Z")
racer72 made a good point. This track might see top fuel dragsters or jet cars rarely which would change the metrics of it considerably. You’ll still be able to hear the lesser race cars at 600 meters but it’s not going to be on the same quality-of-life level of sound. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/34 "2013-12-22T17:06:26Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I would gladly rip a house to the studs for 5 acres of land at $45K. > > The drag strip is a different story. You can’t refurbish noise. Hm, depending on the water table and what is actually under the ground, you could go bunker - an underground house to take advantage of the insulation properties of earth berming, have an atrium under polycarbonate dome for a light well, and it may abate the noise to the summer drag-fests. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/35 "2013-12-22T19:33:38Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > at 600 meters you will FEEL a top fuel dragster. I went to see top fuel dragsters once, sat in the bleachers behind the starting area. I was stunned and awed when they started their engines and I could feel the thumping against my chest. That was pretty damn surprising. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/36 "2013-12-22T22:03:09Z")
Here in Milwaukee (West Allis, actually) there is a neighborhood directly across the street from the Milwaukee Mile race track located inside the WI State Fair Park. The sound from cars racing on that track can be quite loud. I live 20 blocks from it and can hear it. The folks across the street must be driven mad. And I don’t think any of them have “gotten used to it”. The caveat is that track has been there since 1903, so those folks knew it was there when they moved in (none of those houses are 110 years old). They really have no right to complain. Except for this one time when a race went until 3:2:eek: in the am. That’s pretty unacceptable. The park set a standard after then that all races had to end or be called by a certain time. (10 or 11pm I think). ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/37 "2013-12-22T22:49:44Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > I went to see top fuel dragsters once, sat in the bleachers behind the starting area. > > I was stunned and awed when they started their engines and I could feel the thumping against my chest. > > That was pretty damn surprising. With open short stack headers a top fuel dragster is basically a 3000 hp church organ playing all the notes at once. I can clearly hear racing boats at a lake that is at least 4 times the distance talked about and that is with a raised highway separating it. But that only happens once a year at most. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/38 "2013-12-22T23:48:22Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > I went to see top fuel dragsters once, sat in the bleachers behind the starting area. > > I was stunned and awed when they started their engines and I could feel the thumping against my chest. > > That was pretty damn surprising. My son and I went to the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis earlier in the year. It was the first time I had ever watched a top-fuel dragster, in person. When they take off from the line, the bleachers _shake_, and you feel a shock wave hitting your chest. Was pretty awesome. Wouldn’t want to live near it, though. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/39 "2013-12-22T23:58:35Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > When I moved into my house I had to sign something acknowledging that there was a nearby airport that saying that I understood that there would be noise coming from it. They’ve [the airport] already spent a lot of money soundproofing the houses in surrounding areas to help deal with the noise. Was your assent to this document a condition of sale? Who would impose such a condition? It’s certainly not in the seller’s interest, and I can’t see how the airport would have the power to restrict sales of private homes in the area. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922/40 "2013-12-23T00:11:17Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > Was your assent to this document a condition of sale? Who would impose such a condition? It’s certainly not in the seller’s interest, and I can’t see how the airport would have the power to restrict sales of private homes in the area. I have no idea if I could have opted out of signing it. Perhaps if I didn’t sign the paper I’d be waiving my right to sue the airport, I dunno. I’d have to go look at the paper, I probably still have it. But the noise doesn’t bother me that much. Also, the Airport is owned by the county (MKE) I live in so they do have some say as to what happens in the area and as I said earlier, they spent a lot of money soundproofing houses about 20 years ago and I think they’re still doing it in some areas around the airport. They’re probably trying to get out of the construction business, especially in the newer subdivisions like mine (and mine isn’t even in a flight path). Also, it is in the sellers interest to make sure I’m aware of the noise. If they didn’t tell me, I could sue them for not disclosing that there’s an international airport just about next door that makes a ton of racket all night long. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-is-600-meters-from-a-dragway/676922.md?page=3)