A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Housing: Apts. vs. Home Ownership

Posted: Jan 20, 2017

I've been a renter my entire adult life. I work and attend classes and just don't want the headaches of maintenance, yard work, etc.

All my friends are homeowners. They have had the same problems with noisy, rude, etc. neighbors that I have had, only they had no "security company" to call, only the police. In my city, the first thing the cops ask is, "Are they playing loud music?" If the answer to that question is "no," they aren't that interested.

Now I'm in an apartment that I like, but the complex is filled with old people. Sounds nice and quiet, right? Wrong! These old retired folks have nothing to do all day but sit around and talk, mostly gossiping about others. Since most are hard of hearing, they YELL at each other. Of course, this is done right outside my buliding.

I will probably be leaving here when the lease is up. Anyone care to chime in and share your story? Maybe you can convince me to "take the plunge."

;

I'm in the opposite situation. I own (bank does technically) my home. - I want to downsize and rent.

[ In Reply To ..]
It has it's pros and cons like anything. I have a small enough yard that I use a rotatory mower with no motor to save money. I have 2 bedrooms.

My furnace is 20 yrs old so I know I'm going to have to replace that soon. My house was built in the 1920s so it's getting old and in need of repairs.

I've lost so much work and my pay has been cut twice now, so I just don't think I can afford the maintenance on my house anymore. I have quite a bit of equity.

Just remember, look at the amount of money you need long term for maintenance, taxes, insurance. You can get an escrow account for those things. It helps.

With those things in mind, go for it. Try to get a low interest fixed rate.

I'd love to buy a tiny house and put it on a - large enough piece of land that - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
was large enough that I didn't have neighbors living 3 feet from my windows, like at a trailer park. Unfortunately, in my state living in a tiny house is considered "camping", and it's illegal to camp on one's own property.

I hope the laws about this begin to change, especially since even rent is becoming unaffordable everywhere, and whenever new apartments are built they're always "luxury" apartments, and when new homes are built they all seem to be 6-bedroom "trophy homes" that are bought by foreign nationals as investments, and often not even lived in.

Whatever - Also a renter

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm also a long term renter because like you I didn't want the hassles of home ownership. I've always had great neighbors. If I had issues I brought it up with the landlord or building manager. I live in a small community now and my neighbors are great, no problems with noise or partying, we have young and middle aged, I'm probably the oldest in my early 60s. If your reason for buying a home is to avoid problems with neighbors you are doing it for the wrong reason because there are always going to be annoying people out there. My other observation is that maybe you are a little too wrapped up in what your neighbors are doing, and if it bugs you that much ask them to keep their voices down or speak to your landlord. Also, please define "old." Some old people need to speak louder to be heard, that was really a stereotypical comment

I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, a garden, can paint the walls - never an apartment

[ In Reply To ..]
I could never give up my freedom for apartment living. Maintenance is not so bad. There are youtubes for just about everything and I have a sense of accomplishment by tackling small projects.

My Opinion - Take the Plunge

[ In Reply To ..]
I look at it this way: Whatever you are paying per month in rent, make believe you're tossing that amount of cash out the window and into the breeze. When you own a home, you may feel it's throwing money out a window, but at least it's coming back to you.

Also, when you own a home, you are in control of maintenance expenses. You can shop around, you can barter, you can do all sorts of things. If you live in an area that gets snow, you can hire a young kid for pretty cheap to shovel that driveway for you, if you don't have time or are unable to do it yourself.

As to neighbors, there are just annoying people everywhere, people who make too much noise in their hot car or motor cycle driving in and out of the neighborhood, etc.

I rent a house and the landlord will sell to me some day - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
You may want to consider renting a house in a middle class neighborhood or in the suburbs. I did and I pay less for a 3 bedroom house with a corner lots and lots of trees and space. My son went to college so it is just me and the cats and I thought about renting an apartment again but what I pay is less than what apartment complexes charge. Plus my landlord knows me for years. He bought this house cash and I don't have rent raises like the raises in complexes. I am in charge of the grass which is a pain but I can also garden and it is like I own the place. So he said if I ever want to he will give me rent to own or just sell it to me. I really thought seriously about downgrading, but with cats who needs to be holed up in an apartment with noisy neighbors. I understand what you say. Why don't you look up houses for rent by a regular person and not an apartment complex. You may find a home you like cheaper and quieter than the complexes and if you want to stay maybe you can do rent to own some day. Just a thought. I really want to live at the beach but seriously paying for a 3 BR the same as a 1 BR in a complex meh I feel like moving is too much of a hassle and to have to deal with noisy neighbors again. Of course neighborhoods have their problems, but the cops patrol or neighborhood watch. So I'd say renting a house is the in between step for you and then see if you want to own or rent to own etc. Good luck to you.

Similar Messages:

Dec 17, 2012
(I am not certain that more guns leads to less violent crime, as the author seems to be claiming; I think there are more factors at work. However, clearly, more guns don't lead to *more* crime in the U.S. And what if he's right?) Ezra Klein’s ‘Facts’ About Guns and Violence Tell a Slanted Story Posted By Howard Nemerov On July 27, 2012 @ 12:03 am In Crime,Culture Bytes,Gun Control,Homeland Security,Politics,US News Soon after the Aurora mass mur ...

Nov 07, 2013
Racism linked with gun ownership and opposition to gun control in white Americans Oct 31, 2013 A new study has found that higher levels of racism in white Americans is associated with having a gun in the home and greater opposition to gun control policies. The research, published in PLoS One, was led by Dr Kerry O'Brien from The University of Manchester and Monash University and used data from a large representative sample of white US voters. After accounting for numerous other fac ...

Apr 23, 2010
OK, Section 8 housing is defined as: "The Housing Choice Voucher Program is a type of Federal assistance provided by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) dedicated to sponsoring subsidized housing for low-income families and individuals". So, this is a type of government assistance program, right?Does it seem a little odd that someone (who normally is against any type of government assistance such as welfare, handouts, etc) would think it's an acceptable way ...

Feb 16, 2010
Hi, first I wanna say I think it's awesome that there is a prayer request area on here. :) Anyway, I'm going through a lot of trials right now, and I really need God to show me what to do. My house is in foreclosure ("under review" for a workout plan so I'm in limbo and at their mercy), my health is not good right now (IDDM, hypothyroidism, et. al.), I am very unhappy at my job (full time orthopedic transcription but lots of stress and mean people; wanting to go ...

May 29, 2013
. ...

Jan 10, 2015
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! ...

Aug 18, 2011
Guess your stimulus saved us... not.... only more debt with nothing to show for it but debt! http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stocks-fall-on-worries-about-apf-515292663.html?x=0 ...

Mar 14, 2013
this bubble burst could have been prevented had the Democrats not blocked any legislation and covering Clinton. After all, who was President from 1992-2000? Then the warning from Bush and trying to regulate Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae to no avail in 2004 because the economists saw trouble coming, but the Democrats were still in denial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQXbT5ZMYaY ...

Jul 05, 2017
It appears MadMax(ine) has to get foul to appeal to her base on their level. What a big mouth! “[If he] thinks that I am going to give him a pass, I am going to take his ass apart,” Waters said. Nice. ...

Dec 15, 2009
My 18-year-old son is currently a freshman and staying on campus in a dorm with one roommate. He's three hours from home. Yesterday he called me and asked me if he could rent a house next school year with three other roommates. It would be a lot cheaper but my main concern is safety and the neverending distractions he'll have that goes with living in a house full of people. I told him we'd discuss it in a couple of days when he comes home for winter break.& ...

Oct 13, 2014
...

Feb 03, 2012
/ ...

May 07, 2011
Free to loving home Cat, name is “Chevy” Male, 4 years old (as of May). Gray/white. American short hair. Declawed in front. Neutered. He is approximately 14 pounds as of his last vet checkup. Up to date on vet/shots. May be able to provide vet records upon request. Loves males, takes awhile to warm up to females. He has been the only pet, so it is unknown how he will be around other cats/dogs. Not much experience around ba ...

Jul 13, 2010
Link Below. ...

Feb 25, 2012
only to find none at all on the shelves. "WTF?" I'm thinking. Maybe I had somehow ended up in the Twilight Zone. At the 6th store I went to, I asked what the deal was with Excedrin. Where was it? Nobody knew or could give me an answer. So I come home and type "Excedrin" into Google, and was shocked to learn that it's been recalled! (Along with 2 other, can't-do-without staples, No-Doz and Gas-X). Apparently it was recalled a month ago (something about t ...

Feb 06, 2012
News in from Ohio, the home state of the Boehner. Apparently the republ guvinator, the self-same fella whose first act in office was ramming through a union busting law (which was later overwhelmingly swatted down by the voters) decided he was going to give his State O' The State address in a small town (302 miles round trip) instead of the state capitol. He claims it will add no cost. Guess he doesnt consider satellite equipment and the cost and time of all the LEGISLATOR ...

Dec 21, 2009
Any suggestions? ...

Apr 09, 2011
Just wanted to let all of you know we brought my little Tiny home. We picked her up about 11:00 a.m. Saturday. I can honestly say when she was brought into the room where we were waiting it was one of the most touching things I have ever seen. The young assistant told us he would get her, and he asked us to have a seat. When the door opened a few minutes later he was holding her in his arms. It was not hard to see she has been through quite a bit. She l ...

May 05, 2010
I was wondering if anyone has any experiences they would like to share about home schooling in Florida and the Florida Virtual School program, good or bad, or how this process works. I went into the virtual school program website and came out just the same way I went in, clueless. ...

Jun 19, 2012
I had posted a few weeks ago for activities and I thank you all for the great ideas. I was asked today if I would like to cook or bake something when I start my shift at 2:30 on Sat. Some of the ladies are very capable of helping, so any idea what I can throw together fast and easy that they can help with? Cupcakes and cakes are just so usual and just done last week. Need a new idea. Looking forward to starting work this Sat. Only part time right now but who knows? I will be able to d ...

Dec 05, 2012
This state voted overwhelmingly for the O....now it is payback time....Bring Home Some Bacon! She says. Maybe we should all try that approach and see what happens. lol. ...

Jan 21, 2013
the Second Coming! ;) ...

Mar 19, 2014
Please think of me. I am in the last days of having a place to live and had to turn down a job due to program compatibility that they didn't mention until the last minute after telling me my PC would work. I have until Friday to show my landlord proof that I am working. ...

Jan 02, 2015
I have inside cats of my own. This little boy has been coming around for some months and I have fed him, no problem there. The issue is he has an eye infection, took him the vet, asked for an injection, vet thought possible I could instill medicine in his eyes 2x a day. Got back home, kitty ran off for about a week. The medication ordered was Terramycin. Am trying to find out if anyone has had a cat with eye issue that could use something other than twice a day eye ointment, something that migh ...

Oct 15, 2009
Several family members while in nursing homes have been approached by religious "Zealouts" trying to push the "right faith" by staff or so-called "visitors" on them. I am so sick of it! My Dad was presented with a Bible of different faith at 81 and dying. Now another member at 85 in failure was presented with 3 different "faiths" by the "staff" and I am enraged. Being asked questions by 85-YO as to what is "B'hai" and what is "Spiritualism." I am so sick of it. Keep your Bible(s) off their ...

Dec 24, 2009
They are on their way to the airport. He didn't look too happy with the crowd of photographers when they took Sean to the consulate, but what a wonderful Christmas present for the father and son to finally be reunited. ...

Feb 09, 2010
Do they do like a prospective homeowner would do - look in the kitchen cabinets, open windows to make sure they work, make comments about the paint and lack of granite countertops, check out the closets, etc. ...

Mar 16, 2010
I'm a stay-at-home mom of a 5 year old and 2 1/2 year old and will be finishing my transcription course in the next couple of weeks. I'm hoping any other transcription moms with young ones at home could give me tips on working and maintaining as much sanity with the kids as possible....when I first decided to head down the MT route, I thought it would be a great option for working and staying home with the kids at the same time, but now I am VERY concerned about being able to pro ...

Sep 01, 2010
It was a difficult decision, but I decided to avoid worrying about whether or not she could or would escape any fence I would build and then there's the worrying she may bite someone else and have to be put down. Anyway, within four hours of my ad appearing in the local paper, I had met a nice couple who live on 20 acres and have another boxer and they were looking for a playmate. I took my baby to their house so I could check it out and everything looked great. And then I ...

Oct 03, 2011
it is supposed to be: A 10-point review of systems was negative except for above. How in the world did it get *Tampon homicidal home* out of that. ...