Saturday, September 15, 2012

Technology: the deal breaker?



It appears as if another item will be added to our house hunting wish list: high speed internet. Since Shon works from home in the IT arena we are dependent on it. Nevada City is a rural community and if you go too far out of town only satellite internet is available. Satellite internet is very slow (15MG) and costly (over $100 per month). Shon needs at least 50MG to effectively do his job. We encountered this dilemma today when we discovered this house:


This warm, inviting country home is secluded yet is only 2.5 miles to historic Nevada City. Lots of windows let the forest it with abundant decks for entertaining. The main house is 3/2 with an additional area below (475 SF) that is permitted for an office or additional bedroom includes a full bath. The over sized garage has a full bath and wood stove downstairs and a finished room upstairs. Great game room teen hangout or -. The upstairs room in the garage and the area below are not counted in the SF. Generator is hard wired into the home. 

 

What we love: This house sits on nearly three acres of mostly usable land. I am picturing a couple of alpacas, a dairy goat and there is already a fenced in garden area. There are some additional dwelling areas that could serve as an in-law unit for my dad, vacation rental or office for Shon. The main living area has beautiful wood beam ceilings and large windows which capture the views and let in plenty of natural light. The realtor Debbie Gordon is also very thoughtful, she seems like someone who we could happily work with. The kitchen is nicely remodeled with new counter tops and it has a large pantry. Oddly, the kitchen remodel is also a drawback…

Drawbacks: Call us crazy, but oftentimes we prefer the houses that are not remodeled. We would rather save our money and remodel using materials we love. If a house is updated we would feel guilty tearing out the really nice oak cabinets and replacing them with maple or replacing good looking laminate flooring for cork flooring. Part of the excitement of owning a house is making it our own over time. I would rather live with old fashion 1970’s tile counter tops and eventually upgrade to the dreamy recycled glass counters. This counter top situation is actually minor and would never be a deal breaker for us. Really, the main setback here is the location no WIFI no Nevada City love. I am also still caught up with the fantasy of walking to the grocery store or (one day) the kids to school.

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