House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[Homily]

And wanting a HOA?  Why?

 

I don't know about the woman on the show  but I've lived a few places in my time and ended up with neighbours that made me wish I had an HOA to turn to.  There's some stuff that's perfectly legal but that makes your neighbourhood look like hell.  Yes, neighbour with the rusted out VW  bus parked ON YOUR LAWN I am looking right at you!

[ByaNose]

Wait! Rusted out VW's aren't a good thing on your lawn? Now, I know what I'll be moving next week. I had no idea. Anyway, the BFF's with the annoying realitor & her roommate were really beyond annoying. Why would a roommate have any say in any house if they aren't buying it? If you don't like it buy your house. Jeez!!!

[biakbiak]

I hate the name Kensington. Isn't that what Gwen Stefan named one of her kids? Did she start that trend? Also, it is Kristen's daughter's name on RHNY.

It's actually neither Gwen's son is Kingston and Kristen's daughter is Kingsley.

[bubbls]

I don't know about the woman on the show  but I've lived a few places in my time and ended up with neighbours that made me wish I had an HOA to turn to.  There's some stuff that's perfectly legal but that makes your neighbourhood look like hell.  Yes, neighbour with the rusted out VW  bus parked ON YOUR LAWN I am looking right at you!

 

 

Me too. An HOA was a must-have when we were looking.

[ByaNose]

I live in a townhouse with an HOA. There are pluses and minus with it. I haven't cut a lawn in over 25 years but I still need to shovel my driveway. I still have to pay if I want to make any changes on the outside but there a whole bunch of rules I have to follow to do so. I was amazed to find out years later the were single homes in regular neighborhoods with an HOA. I alway said if I lived in a single home (that wasn't an over 55) I would never want an HOA with all the rules to follow. I guess it's not for everyone. That said, she seemed a little OTT & excited about an HOA.

[DownTheShore]

I was watching an episode with some Tampa judge looking for a modern condo and one of the condo towers had a monthly HOA of $1300!

[Homily]

Yikes that kind of price tag would keep me living on the same street as the rusted out VW!

[camom]

 

And she called herself a "realator."

 

That bugged me, too.  It's one of my pet peeves, but when someone in that industry does it, it's extra annoying.  If that woman thought going on the show would give her business a boost, I think she may be sadly disappointed.  I would avoid her like the plague.

[Empress1]

Tonight's episode was fun for me because I grew up in the northwest section of Philly, where Naila was looking. Half my family lives in Germantown, where her mom lives and where she ended up. That Paris Bistro & Jazz Café where she was chatting with her sister at the start of the episode is in Chestnut Hill. Housing prices in NW Philly are pretty varied - Chestnut Hill is affluent; Germantown is considerably cheaper, although there are some big gorgeous historic homes there. Mount Airy is middle class and up. Fun fact: Mount Airy is one of the first successfully integrated neighborhoods in the country.

 

There are single-family homes in Philly. There are a good number of big old homes in the northwest section - I grew up in one. My childhood friend A. lived in a single-family house in that was built in the 1850s. But unless you have more to spend than Naila did, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to insist on NOT having an attached home in Philly proper - they're really common. The small closets are common because of the age of the homes. The house I grew up in was big but the closets were small.

 

The move-in ready Mt. Airy place had different colored appliances and Naila didn't mention it once! I liked her a lot, and her family. I was surprised she went with the fixer though.

[proserpina65]

I live in a townhouse with an HOA. There are pluses and minus with it. I haven't cut a lawn in over 25 years but I still need to shovel my driveway. I still have to pay if I want to make any changes on the outside but there a whole bunch of rules I have to follow to do so. I was amazed to find out years later the were single homes in regular neighborhoods with an HOA. I alway said if I lived in a single home (that wasn't an over 55) I would never want an HOA with all the rules to follow. I guess it's not for everyone. That said, she seemed a little OTT & excited about an HOA.

I'm still not sure exactly what my HOA fees pay for - not mowing because the homeowners have to do that or else, and not snow removal because the town trucks do that.  But dog forbid I don't remove my trash can from sight asap.  Argh, never again.

 

The hoa fees for condos on this show blow my mind.

[truther]

Did the Nashville HHers actually look at three different houses?  Or was it just the same house tricked out slightly differently each time?

[KLovestoShop]

HOA fees cover various things. When we lived in an area with an HOA, it covered maintanence of all common areas and fees for the community pool and clubhouse. In some places, it can cover your utilities and cable TV---that's usually for high rise condos.

[truther]

HOA fees cover various things. When we lived in an area with an HOA, it covered maintanence of all common areas and fees for the community pool and clubhouse. In some places, it can cover your utilities and cable TV---that's usually for high rise condos.

Yeah - monthly condo assessments are a completely different animal because now you're paying for all the common elements in the building.  That's building insurance, roofing, sewer, elevators and doormen (if you have them) and on and on.  And then also paying into the reserves so that the building has a rainy day fund for emergencies and capital improvements.  Any condo in a highrise building is going to cost at least a couple hundred dollars a month.

[proserpina65]

HOA fees cover various things. When we lived in an area with an HOA, it covered maintanence of all common areas and fees for the community pool and clubhouse. In some places, it can cover your utilities and cable TV---that's usually for high rise condos.

Mine allegedly covers maintenance of the common areas -  a non-functional basketball court and a small playground area.  We don't have any other amenities.  Must go to one of the quarterly meetings and ask.  Although, now that I think of it, the parking area was just repaved and the sidewalks redone, but I'm pretty sure that was the town because our parking area is technically a town road.

 

Back on topic:  I nailed which house the Nashville couple would pick, and it did seem a goodish choice for them.  I liked the 1920s house in town much better, though.  And yet again we have a househunter who doesn't understand that period houses don't have big closets.  Honey, people didn't have a lot of clothing back then, and what they did have, they mostly stored in bureaus and wardrobes.

Edited October 7, 2015 by proserpina65

[DownTheShore]

OMG! The woman who wanted a cookie-cutter home in Columbus OH who was on tonight! What a nice man to be stuck married to an vocal-fried idiot like that. Run away, run away now!

Edited October 9, 2015 by DownTheShore

[magemaud]

I only caught the last five minutes of the Columbus Cookie Cutter woman tonight but I was absolutely positive when I came to this forum, someone was going to comment about her vocal fry! And "Down the Shore" you didn't let me down! It's almost like it has become a required part of the application process, like they submit a video, and the women with the most annoying voices are chosen. I think from now on the only way I can watch this show without going bonkers is to mute the sound entirely and use Close Captioning. 

[laredhead]

I almost fell out of my chair when the told her that she didn't need to be worried about security because if anyone ever kidnapped her, they would return her immediately.  She's on my top ten list for the most annoying HH's.  The voice and the attitude were over the top.   He seemed to be pretty easy going and said they could live with white appliances and the present state of the bathrooms.  I didn't get why she thought a rug was better than wall to wall carpeting.  If she was talking about a small throw rug you can toss in the washing machine, that's one thing, but I got the impression she was talking about area rugs.  Cleaning them is the same as wall to wall carpet if you have pets and kids.  She's probably going to be in for a shock when they do have a baby since she likes things neat and orderly.  The house they chose was boring.  

[lizzy07]

What a disappointment the Columbus couple was (I liked him -- couldn't stand her), because the two previous episodes the people looking were very likable (the sisters looking in PA and the couple the night before last). I was starting to think that maybe HH was on a role with likable people. Then that little "I want a cookie cutter house" ruined the streak.

[Pickles]

The Columbus woman looked like she was about 14 years old. Was she even 5 feet tall? And that long, long hair. I felt like the husband was looking for a house with his kid sister. She was quite annoying. I just did not sense any chemistry between her and the husband at all.

[karasmom]

Not only the voice and the mouthful of huge teeth, but her attitude.  It was going to be her way or nothing.  She could have cared less about what her husband wanted.  I knew the minute I saw the first house and how much she wanted it that it would be the one they bought.  The husband had no say whatsoever in the matter.  I just wonder how long he is going to put up with that.  I see an affair, a divorce, or "snap! Oops! killed her" (I've been watching too much "Solved") in the future.

Edited October 9, 2015 by karasmom

[Empress1]

I was through at "I like cookie cutter homes in planned developments." I kept watching for a few minutes and then got to "What do you mean 'actual wood? Like a fire?'" and turned it off.

 

I almost fell out of my chair when the told her that she didn't need to be worried about security because if anyone ever kidnapped her, they would return her immediately.   

I cracked up. Based on what I saw, he's not wrong. She thinks she's adorable though.

 

 

the mouthful of huge teeth

She DID have giant horsey teeth. That's not her fault (I don't think they were veneers), but it was distracting.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Empress1

[KLovestoShop]

A virtual health and fitness coach?  What the hell is that?  Can you virtually lose weight?  I'm for that!!!!!! It's sounds like a weird profession.

 

When she threw the bowling ball, I thought, she's either acting like an idiot or she really IS an idiot.  I don't think we've ever seen someone actually wanting a cookie cutter house.  She must be OCD in some way, especially with her hatred of carpet and needing things neat and in line.  And what's with her idea of living next to a dumpster house?  If you don't want that, you don't have to buy a cookie cutter house, but buy in a nice community with HOA rules.  That solves the problem and you can have a nice house, that doesn't look like the one next door. 

 

She's such a smart ass to him and treats him like dirt.  Like others, I just can't see them staying together unless he's a masochist or "P-Whipped" and thinks he can't find anything else.  

 

God Almighty, she's a giant pain in the ass.   

[truther]

The Columbus woman looked like she was about 14 years old. Was she even 5 feet tall? And that long, long hair. I felt like the husband was looking for a house with his kid sister. She was quite annoying. I just did not sense any chemistry between her and the husband at all.

 

 

A virtual health and fitness coach?  What the hell is that?  Can you virtually lose weight?  I'm for that!!!!!! It's sounds like a weird profession.

 

 

She's such a smart ass to him and treats him like dirt.  Like others, I just can't see them staying together unless he's a masochist or "P-Whipped" and thinks he can't find anything else. 

 

See, I thought they actually had a lot of chemistry.  I'll admit to not watching closely, for the very reasons everyone's already noted, but it seemed clear to me that while he recognized her "flaws" he was also personally smitten with her.  I noticed that he was pretty buff; perhaps she's the reason he's in such great shape?  Maybe she helped him get fit or something, or maybe she's got some talents that, uh, can't be shown on an HH episode.  Either way, his hilarious line about a kidnapper giving her back was telling because he realizes most people couldn't put up with her but he seemed (to me, anyway) more or less happy to do so. 

 

There's also the distinct possibility that she's a lot more normal in person than in a highly edited 22-minute HH program that wants to make her look like a caricature of everything we despise about the people on this show. 

[NYGirl]

I just watched the cookie cutter pain in the ass...OMG..again with the freaking voice.  You could tell she wasn't even considering the other 2 houses as she had that dismissing look on her face.  She was already decorating House #1 in her head.  I knew it was an exercise in futility..even if they got one of those houses for $25.00

 

She's definitely moved onto my top ten hated list.  I liked her husband a lot.

[sskrill]

I usually sort of dislike one member of the couple but not enough to care.  Oh how I h.a.t.e.d Columbus chick.  I hated her so much it made me dislike him for being with her.  I'm sure he's a likable guy but not so much with her stink all over him.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I liked the  Florida couple last night, and was absolutely drooling over the house they chose. I can't say I was thrilled with what I saw of the decorating choices they were making at the end of the show, but I don't have to live (or even visit) there, so whatever.

Because I am eternally nosy, I looked the husband up and was impressed -- NYU medical school and residency at Harvard.

[KLovestoShop]

Finally, a really nice couple from Gainesville. Loved all their choices and I liked seeing the differences in all three houses. Loved the house they chose, but I also could have lived in the Victorian, with a few modifications. They just seemed like a couple we could be friends with, and that says a lot since most couples they profile always seem to irritate me in one way or another.

[ByaNose]

OMG! Kill me now. The Columbus, Ohio couple and Cookie-Cutter houses. The husband seemed like the nicest guy in the world but his wife had to be the most annoying housewife that HH has ever had. She's short in stature but sure has a big mouth. Good lord!! How does he live with her? The house they decided on was pretty nice and needed minimal work. I thought it was HYSTERICAL when he said the kidnappers would bring her back. Her mouth dropped to the floor because she was in shock. Too funny! I also think he was subtly speaking the truth because he knows what's it's like to deal with her 24/7. I actually feel bad for him because he really does seem like the nicest guy.

[laredhead]

I really liked the Gainesville couple and the choice of houses on this episode.  Such a nice 180 degree change from the Columbus couple the previous night.  Loved the house they chose.  I live in a mid-50's house with similar features and I love it.  The Victorian looked like a B&B to me.  Did anyone notice what looked like a small registration desk in the foyer?  The wife was not pretentious at all, and I liked her comment about growing up in a 2 bedroom apartment with 6(?) people and one bathroom.  Not one comment about stainless appliances or absolutely having to have double sinks, or a farmhouse sink, or any of the other must haves.    

[Empress1]

The bathroom in the Victorian was the ugliest thing I have ever seen. That 80s glass and the wallpaper...

I cracked up when they were unpacking and he was like "Here's a box of boxes!" I think everyone has a box full of random shit when they move - "just throw it in and we'll sort it out in the other end." I also cracked up at their mishap with the gate. I really liked them - I would totally want to be friends with them. I dug the built-in dishwasher in the place they chose.

[chessiegal]

I'm recommending the HGTV app for watching shows you missed or didn't record. I used it today to watch the Columbus OH show after reading all your comments. Yeah, wife was quite a piece of work. I had downloaded the app on my tablet and phone, but hadn't used it yet. It worked great. You just have to sign into your cable provider account. Technology gives me yet another way to waste time watching TV.

[biakbiak]

The bones of the Victorian were great and the porch is my dream but I would have to strip the wallpaper off of every wall and completely redo the bathrooms and rework the kitchen.

I hate heat and humidity so can understand not wanting to go outside but that indoor pool area felt closed in and would want me to tear down the roof. Also WTF was the built in coffee maker in the bathroom. No, no never but also oddly placed on top of the sink.

[DownTheShore]

I thought that Victorian was a B&B, too. That front desk was the elephant in the room that no one was mentioning, and the realtor didn't mention doing any conversions.

The Gainsville couple seemed to be good people, and it was refreshing to have someone who just appreciated the fact of owning their own house.

[karasmom]

I loved the Gainesville couple -- they were so nice to each other -- it was a breath of fresh air.  Which is sad to say.  Most HHs seem to be more like the cookie-cutter people.  I loved the Victorian house -- except for the weird, gaudy bathroom.  The porch was to die for!  And I laughed so hard when the husband unpacked a box of boxes.  He was a joy!

[jcbrown]

That husband in the episode with the family looking for a vacation home on the water was a real piece of work. Such a whiner. When his wife said at the end, "I'm happy if you're happy," what I thought she actually meant was "we know no one else will get to be happy if you're not happy." I hope he actually is a PITA, otherwise, he got a supremely bad edit.

[Patti Jean]

Yes, the Jersey guy wanting the house at the shore was something else. I think he would have had a tantrum if they didn't get that house.

He also said he didn't want a bunch of maintenance to do. Sorry, pal, but the sea air pretty much eats up the house. The hvac units and appliances have to be replaced more often.

The thing I did enjoy about this episode was seeing Greenwood Lake again. My grandparents had a bungalow there from before I was born in 1960 to when my grandfather died in 1967. We spent most summers there. It brought back some sweet memories.

[DownTheShore]

My family has a place exactly where the Jersey family bought; our cottage is the same size, though remodeled differently. We are also much closer to the beach than their cottage is. The ”sea air” does not destroy things at a quicker rate, because you build, remodel, and buy products that stand up to it, so that is a straw man argument. I always laugh when one of the househunters uses that argument while looking at a property whose owners have been either lax with their maintenance or who haven't kept up with the wear-and-tear that renters create.

My family started vacationing there when I was a little kid. It's one of those places where various branches of a family vacation at the same time for a summer get-together. Two of my aunts used to rent there the same time as us, so it was a great chance for cousins from various states to spend time with one another. The community is safe, and the beach is one of those places where you can leave all your stuff there when you go back to the cottage for lunch. The community also has a bayside beach which is very calm and great for little kids. The beaches are clean - no dogs, cars, food, alcoholic beverages allowed. The water is clean and clear, and well life-guarded. It is a very safe place to allow kids to run around; and it's maintained that sense of community for decades.

I totally understood where the guy was coming from. I have the same idyllic memories of that place that he does. I'd buy down there instead of on a lake any day. The small size of the cottage is really immaterial because you're on the beach most of the time. And the point that the family is forced to interact with each other more is true; there's no going off to separate areas and being unsocial. Being able to walk up a sand road to the beach at will is a wonderful thing. Not having to carry the beach stuff off if you decide to go back to the cottage to have lunch, go to the bathroom, take the baby/toddler back for a nap is very relaxing. Knowing that you can spend the day on the beach and not have a long drive home is relaxing. All my siblings and all my cousins have nothing but good memories of staying there; I understand why that guy would want his girls to have those memories too.

That house they were looking at in Bayville is on the opposite side of Barnegat Bay from Seaside Heights. There are bay beaches there, but to go to the ocean beaches you have to get on a highway and cross a bridge over the bay, find a place to park, and the pay to get on one of the town or state park beaches.

Edited October 14, 2015 by DownTheShore

[izabella]

Those beach house setting where they bought their house, which I've seen similar on other shows as well, seem awful to me.  Yes, they're right near the beach, but your neighbors are right on top of you in all directions.  There is very little outdoor space, and there is absolutely NOTHING landscape-wise between the houses or even in front, just rows of houses.  Not a leaf or a flower to be seen, much less a bush or tree to give you some semblance of privacy.  It looks like some kind of shanty town rather than any beach cottage I'd want to live in.

 

I guess it must be nice enough since the wife actually seemed happy to get a place in the community, but all those neighbors on top of me would drive me crazy.  Maybe I'm just used to lake cottages where there are plenty of trees, flowers and landscape.

Edited October 14, 2015 by izabella

[DownTheShore]

Yet you would be surprised an the number of Mercedes, BMWs, and other luxury cars parked by them.

Some of the cottages are landscaped in the front and on the roadside; ours is. But the point is low maintenance.

And truly, people don't spend a lot of time hanging around in the cottage. You're on the beach during the day. You often go out to eat, you go to the boardwalk amusement parks, to the race course, play miniature golf or regular golf, to the casinos, to the outlets. You can go crabbing, fishing, boating, kayaking in the bay. You can go deep sea fishing on the party boats; nothing beats a fresh-caught fish dinner.

As to outdoor space, the kids have the entire beach to play on in the evenings. We'd eat supper and then head back to the beach to play and fly kites.

Re the close quarters, people are respectful and friendly because of those circumstances. There is also a noise curfew at night, and group rentals aren't allowed so there are no party groups renting there.

Edited October 14, 2015 by DownTheShore

[KLovestoShop]

Sorry, but I just didn't like the Jersey husband. Yes, I get the memories thing, but you can't always relive your childhood. And he did come off as a lazy cuss. I agree that the sea air does cause lots of maintainence issues. And with the husband, everything out of his mouth was "I, I, I". It was my surfboard, my beach, my not having to do any work, my memories. I thought the cottage was not the best choice, IMHO.

Edited October 14, 2015 by KLovestoShop

[DownTheShore]

Actually, at Ocean Beach (which is the name of the community) you can relive your childhood. The community association has deliberately kept things much as they were when the community was built - even through all the devastation caused by Sandy.

It's probably harder initially to adapt when you're used to, say, living in a 2000-3000 sq ft home with everyone having their own room and such. I didn't come from that so there wasn't any sense of being cramped. Back in the day those cottages were really rustic with no interior sheathing on the walls. Then wood panelling came along and that was the spiffiest thing - lol.

But then people manage to stay in small spaces in an RV or when they go camping, so I guess it depends on the personality.

I've still got to disagree about sea air and maintenance issues. None of our major appliances, roofing, siding, air conditioning or doors have had any problems because of it. The windows are vinyl-clad and they've held up well too, with the only replacements needed being the scissor crank on some of them.

It's a matter of choosing the right product. You go with a good vinyl siding or cedar shingles or cement board. You don't go the painted wood siding route. You put on asphalt roofing thats designed for hurricane/shore use. You make sure your outdoor light fixtures are powder-coated paint and not lacquered metal. You don't install solid wood exterior doors. You do wrap up your gas grill and air conditioning unit for the winter. Ditto your patio furniture.

He's going to have very little maintenance work to do, and cleanup is a breeze - as opposed to the work they would have had to do for that lake house (which was a very nice house at a good price). She's not going to have a big workload and will just get a chance to relax. It's sort of like "island time" when you're down there.

[Empress1]

I loved the third condo the Chicago couple looked at (although I don't like open concept). Not having laundry in the unit would bug me, but the views were beautiful and the bedrooms were a nice size. VERY high HOA fees though. I also liked the place they ended up in, but I wouldn't want my bedroom in the basement. It seemed very dark and closed down there. My best friend used to live in a place in CO where two out of the three bedrooms were in the basement (the master was on the first floor), and she hated it.

[Patti Jean]

Downtheshore, I appreciate your "insider" perspective on the Jersey shore.  I am a Long Island native myself, happily living in WV.  We vacation a lot on the Outer Banks of NC, so this is where any knowledge I have of beach living comes from.  I think the OBX sometimes has more extreme conditions than the Jersey shore (Sandy not withstanding) so my understanding of what the ocean environment does to houses comes from what I have been told and observed there. I have been to the Jersey shore several times with my college friends. They have the same enthusiasm for the place as you do, as well as the husband.  It's right up there with NJ's affinity and pride in Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.  (For the record. Long Islanders love our Billy Joel)

 

I can understand the husband wanting to give his family a similar experience he had in his youth, but I do hope that the behavior that he showed was from HH editing rather than his real self.  If I were his wife, I'd want to knock his teeth down his throat.

 

 

 

 

[DownTheShore]

I understand where everyone is coming from regarding his behavior.

His behavior didn't irk me because I saw it as a guy who was holding onto a childhood dream knowing that he was going to have to convince three females, used to their space and creature comforts, to try something completely different. And really, if you're a beach person, a lake is just soooo dull; it just sits there doing nothing.

The fact that they did buy the cottage they did makes me think that perhaps they have already vacationed there, the wife and girls knew what they were in for, and realized that post-Sandy is a good time to buy because that event knocked at least $150K off the average cottage price. And going by the price they paid, they probably bought the land too; the majority of the cottages are on leased land. For example, this one finally has a contract on it and it is the third row from the ocean, on leased land and costs less than what they paid. You can see the ocean from the patio (my sibling rented it once): http://www.oceanbeachnj.com/sales-ocean-blocks-20po.html

The segment was taped, IIRC, around the end of last year/beginning of this year, according to the word that was going around the community. Cottages on leased land closer to the ocean were going for less than they paid at that point - and still are.

Right after Sandy, the ocean front leased lots (empty) were selling for $259K. Now, with a house on them they're going for $700+K.

Edited October 14, 2015 by DownTheShore

[NYGirl]

I just got to watch, and I got news for you, the wife annoyed me way more than he did.  You are getting a summer place...not a forever house.  She had to have her open concept, granite, stainless, etc.  Really?

 

I see why he's like he is...she wasn't buying what he was selling.  I'm glad he won in the end.  When we were younger we had a bungalow off the beach in Long Beach NY and it was not very nice.  We only slept there...spent the day at the beach, etc.  It was the happiest times!  We were never at a loss for company as every weekend brought somebody else to visit and go to the beach with us.

 

When I got married and had children I couldn't wait for my mom and dad to go away for a week so that I could use the beach house.

 

That being said..I loved the Greenwood Lake house.  My cousin's aunt had a house there and I got to spend some weekends with them.  It brought back so many memories.

[laredhead]

Just watched the Chicago episode from last night and have to say that I did not like the basement master bedroom.  With the bars on those small windows (was there more than one?) does that meet fire codes?  Was there more than one exit from the bedroom?  I would feel very uncomfortable sleeping down there.  My personal favorite was the high rise, but when you pay that much for the place and then have large HOA fees, I would want in unit laundry facilities.  For that monthly HOA, it should come with personal laundry service.  The HOA fee did include heat, so I guess that's a huge deal in Chicago. 

[DownTheShore]

After 20+ years of living in an apartment without laundry facilities, that would be one of my primary requirements, that's for sure. Lugging laundry to the laundromat gets old really fast - not to mention expensive.

[Empress1]

After 20+ years of living in an apartment without laundry facilities, that would be one of my primary requirements, that's for sure. Lugging laundry to the laundromat gets old really fast - not to mention expensive.

The realtor said there was laundry on the ground floor so I assume it was part of the building, just not in each unit. Still, I'd want a washer-dryer in the unit, particularly for a building that big with HOA fees over $800 a month. It would be very easy to find yourself waiting for laundry when there are hundreds of other tenants who need to use it.

 

The carpet in the basement bedroom was indeed ugly. They said they didn't feel like they were in a basement after adding their furniture, but it still screamed "basement" to me.

[Bastet]

Decades of TV watching have taught me nothing good ever happens in a building's communal laundry room. 

[preciousperfect]

Decades of TV watching have taught me nothing good ever happens in a building's communal laundry room. 

Everything from stabbings to underwear snatching.