Home Buying - What Is That Noise!?!
You've found the perfect home, closed escrow and just finished
moving in. As you happily fall asleep, all seems well in the
world. An hour later, you bolt up in bed to an ear splitting
sound. All is no longer well in the world.
An Unholy Racket
If you saw the movie "My Cousin Vinny", you know what I'm
talking about. For those that haven't, the movie centers on a
lawyer, Vinny, who comes to the south to defend his nephew
against criminal charges. Every evening, Vinny goes to sleep
only to be awoken by some blasting noisy. When house hunting,
you need to make sure you don't get "Vinny'd."
When you find an area or home you like, make absolutely sure you
drive the area looking for any potential noise producers. Roll
down the window, turn off the radio and just listen. You might
be surprised at what you hear.
If you run across railroad tracks, you better figure out how
close they are to your prospective home. Make sure you are near
the house when a train goes by, so you can get the full effect.
While trains and plains are obvious sources of noise, you also
need to consider more subtle situations.
Weekend vs. Week Days
Many homebuyers look at houses early on Saturday and Sundays.
This makes sense since you have to work for a living, but it can
result in some nasty surprises. The characteristics of a
neighborhood on weekends are entirely different than during week
days. Make absolutely sure you check out the property during
both time periods. To guard against "partying" neighbors, make
sure you check the area during evenings as well.
They say home ownership brings peace of mind. Check your
neighborhood to make sure this clich