By the end of the day I was suffering from a migrane so bad I was about in tears. But I took four Tylenol and am feeling much better now. The Butcher and I ended up relooking at two houses–one on Kentucky and one on Litton.
I love them both.
But I don’t know if I want to buy either of them.
I think that’s what I realized after talking to the Butcher for a couple of hours about them. Both of them would have to be fenced in. That’s equally draw-backy to both places. The one on Kentucky is only 1000 square feet and there’s no basement. It’s very cute and I could see myself living there, but it doesn’t have a fireplace and the washer/dryer room seems very small (not the room itself, but the room alotted to a washer and dryer) and it doesn’t have a dishwasher. And I think it’s going to need a new HVAC in the next little bit. And the kitchen cabinets will need to be replaced. It has a great big porch, but when sitting on the great big porch, you’re staring at duplexes.
So, the house is cute, but the block it’s on is not so cute. And is Kentucky in a neighborhood on its way up or on its way down? I just don’t know. It’s close to work, which is a consideration. But I worry that it’s not enough room and that I like it because I don’t dare want too much and this house is not too much. Both cost-wise and house-wise.
The house on Litton is also darling. It’s much bigger. It’s got three bedrooms and a dining room separate from the kitchen and a fireplace in the living room. It’s also got a basement full of storage space and plenty of room for the washer and dryer. The kitchen is darling, if narrow, and it has a sunny back deck and a big back yard. But they’d have to come down about seven thousand dollars to be in our price range. And it would need a fence.
And, and this is a big “and,” when Realtracs gives you directions to the house, they take you up Gallatin to McGavock and have you turn on Riverside and then turn on Litton. You come through a very cute neighborhood past shops and restaurants that young hipsters and old farts like me could imagine ourselves in. You think to yourself “Oh, this is a good neighborhood and we’d be so lucky if we could get them to agree to sell us this house for what we can afford.”
But when the Butcher and I went back by it later, we came up Gallatin, and I was like “Hey, there’s Litton. Turn right there.”
And after driving block after block after block of Litton, I’ve got to tell you, I don’t think I feel like that’s a fair price for that house anymore. In fact, I’m pretty sure the very most I think I’d pay to live in that neighborhood is about $10,000 less than what the house is going for. And that’d be with some real assurances by folks that Litton is going to gentrify.
Maybe that’s unreasonable on my part.
I don’t know.
And I have realtors in my family–my cousin J. and my Uncle B. are both in the business and my grandma was a realtor for one million years–so I know there’s a level of bullshit to things–taking pictures from the best angles, painting things that should have been torn down, whatever.
But passing off a house as being in a much safer neighborhood than it’s actually in?
That seems to me to be bending things a little farther than they ought to be bent.
Edited to Add: I know it probably doesn’t seem like it from this post, but I am really excited about the houses we saw today. It’s just my inner B. was all “Hell yes, let’s buy them both and just split our time between them!” and when I sit back and say, “Well, wait, what are the objective facts?” I’m afraid I sound more down than I actually am. I’m just exhausted and have a lot to think about.
Edited Again to Add: Kathy’s blogging about them, too! check them out. I didn’t tell you about the green one in Lebanon, because, by the end of the day, Lebanon just seemed too far away, but it was also very, very cute.
Tiny Cat Pants 
I just sent you emails with more info about all. But most importantly, if you don’t feel 100% then you should slow down and rethink. Take your time… it’ll be worth it!
PS – The green one was in Donelson, girlfriend. And don’t – while you consider today – forget about the ones on 2nd and 7th. Except for the “smell” I liked the one with the Texas star.
Nope, you don’t want either one of those two. Especially not the one on Kentucky. Re-read what you said about it and you’ll see why. I knew in the first sentence or two that one wasn’t the one. Like Kathy said, if you don’t feel 100% (or hell, at least sorta close) you need to move on to other ones and B., I don’t even think you sound 50% on that one.
Your description of the Litton one sounds a tad bit better but it’s still not anywhere close to 100%, I don’t think, and maybe not even 90 or 80%. I don’t think “THE” house for you is either one of those.
Of course, take into account I’m not and never have been a homeowner so, you know. But I AM pretty good at gut instincts.
Damn, that Donelson house is absolutely adorable. Why does it have to be in Donelson? Figures.
I don’t know where Kentucky is, so I can’t comment on that one, but the one on Litton – not knowing how far down Litton it is, you have to keep in mind that there’s a lot of foot traffic from Gallatin on any cross road for a couple of blocks. That said, Inglewood is great, and you’re close to lots and lots of stuff. Including me. Lucky girl.
You can always make an offer for what you think the house is worth. If they don’t take it, they don’t take it, no loss, right?
If you want a second opinion from a neighbor, I’d LOVE to go see any houses with you. I love love love looking at houses.
Litton is going to gentrify. No doubt. South Inglewood (that’s the neighborhood) is already gentrifying, if a little more slowly than some nearby neighborhoods.
It is true that the part nearer Gallatin is not as nice. That is kind of the nature of a lot of Eastside gentrification in its early stages. It is in pockets not blankets.
A good indicator of areas that will appreciate significantly in value is an active neighborhood association and I can assure, the Concerned Citizens of South Inglewood are very active.
That said, I agree that you might want to keep looking if you start having doubts. In this market, you should be able to find your dream home if you’re patient. It also never hurts to go back and take another look to be more sure one way or the other.
I”ve lived in 3 places in Nashville – when I moved here I lived in Antioch for about 5 years. I lived in East Nashville near Riverside area you speak of for a year, and now I live on the west side near Belmont.
The only crime I’ve ever experienced in this town has been where I live now, in the “good area” of town.
Go with your gut. And the sage advice of those posters above me who seem to know what they’re talking about.
Everybody is telling you good things, and let me add my little mantra: talk to the neighbors. Especially if the house seems right but the neighborhood is a concern, go back in the evening or on the weekend, see who’s hanging out, knock on the doors of the houses next door and across the street, and talk to people. You might find out that the cute block was dicey a few years ago (and is therefore on the way up). Or you may find that all the neighbors say “we just keep to ourselves and don’t let things bother us” (so you know that bothersome things go on). Or whatever.
Finding the right one is a tricky thing. There’s the goosebumps that realtors talk about, and Lynster mentioned feeling 100%. But I never got to 100% about anything just because it’s such a huge amount of money that overshadowed everything else to some extent.
Don’t get me wrong. Owning your house rocks. We just moved into a rental so we can do some improvements and sell our house and I can already feel the difference that comes from living in a rental.