It was a phase 1 and 2 so there are only 10 or so lots left. But otherwise its mostly developed at this point. Proportionately same with the 24 house subdivision. Mostly developed only a couple lots left.

So there's no more land nearby to be developed? Even if it's not planned as of now that you know of?

It would be choice factoring your willingness to spend more or less between the choices.

HOA with pool = $900 annually

HOA without pool = $375 annually

What about school district?

School district would be equivalent or the same.

How close is House 1 to the community pool?

The pool subdivision will more likely be subject to special assessments (large special assessments) in future years. Pools and club houses are expensive to maintain. Also, given your climate, consider how many months of the year you will realistically use the pool? Do what makes sense for your lifestyle and finances.

Assume everything is equal and vote based on YOUR scenario of age, kids, etc

In that case, I would want the private lot with mature trees. I can make friends with people who live in the pool subdivision or better yet someone with a private pool ;-)

Pool is about 3,000 feet from the lot 1 option

We have lived in both types of places. We left the large subdivision with a nearby community pool and clubhouse for the private lot. Our children were in grade school at the time. Our current home is in a subdivision of 26 houses. When/if the time comes to leave this place giving up our real sense of privacy is going to be very, very difficult.

Assuming there is no more buildable land nearby either lot, I'd absolutely go with lot 2. Especially in your neck of the woods. I might choose 1 if like me, you were in Fl where a pool becomes usable 10-12 months of the year but not where it's maybe usable 3 months of the year.

If one lot has more buildable land for more subdivisions, that would automatically make me not choose it. Why? Because if you ever do have to sell, it will be more difficult to sell when there's nearby new homes to buy instead of "used" houses.

We would go for the more private lot with no pool. You can always join a country club and get a pool to use, plus a lot more!

I think the feel/vibe or community feel needs to be considered too. You could be pretty alone, even in the 100+ community, if you don't like the people or the way it is run.

Not a big fan of public pools. Go for privacy, especially if a private pool could be built in the future.

. . . or the lake lot.

cpartist, sorry missed your original question. No more land is up for sale to be developed in the vicinity for either subdivision.

Without question, I’d go for more privacy. A community pool doesn’t do anything for me, and I’ve built in a neighborhood with 100+ other new homes and won’t do that again.

By the way, in your poll you ask "slightly/a lot more". More than what?

From the info shared so far, Option 2. But as chispa wrote "the feel/vibe or community feel needs to be considered too." I would add that while people often say,"everything else is the same', it rarely is IRL.

as much as I'd want a pool and probably even need a pool..privacy wins. privacy, trees, etc,

Especially as already meantioned above it's Mid West

I'm in So Cal and I'm cold until July...))

we actually had a pool in our previous place..80 townhouses..I loved it but used it much less than I could. Pity of course. But that's how things turned to be, towards the end of our living there.

It was very close to the house-I loved that fact too. It wasn't a noisy community. And I loved looking at it. It was very nicely landscaped around too. Was very paradise-like..))

(I was very surprised that wen we had to sell- buyers were actually scared of the house being close to the pool.))

When we had to move-we looked for many things in a house, but privacy, even relative, was big on our list.

Were we younger, more sociable, had kids that were of younger age than ours already were etc - we'd have different priorities.

We did see a house we very briefly considered..it was close to a pool but much bigger than our pool because it was in some big subdivision in a different city-ours was gated community, quiet and all, and the pool wasn't small but wasn't too big eiter.. Good that we decided to drive by on a weekend and check it out..it was so, so noisy. And the house was much further from the pool than our place was from our pool. It was just pretty gigantic pool with all of the neighborhood coming there on weekends. At least screaming suggested ii. We'd have no peace on weekends.

now if I had my own pool and privacy..that'd be ideal. (keeps dreaming)

That’s a lot of homes for one pool! Are the homes currently built, do you know what the crowds are like at the pool? I think I would do the private lot and just pay for a pool membership if the pool is overly crowded.

My daughter JUST went through this within the last couple of months. She and her husband have a five year old, a 10 year old, and a twelve year old.

My daughter really wanted the house in the smaller neighborhood with trees closer in to an area that is especially beautiful, but they ended up with the new house with the neighborhood amenities for the children. She and her siblings grew up in a neighborhood with a large pool and swim team, and some of her favorite memories were at that neighborhood pool. Thankfully, her new back neighbor has planted a lush backdrop of trees, etc., and it already looks nice since the houses behind her were built about five years ago.

I would think your decision also depends on the size of the pool and how many months it's open. If it's tiny, go for the lot with trees and privacy. If you don't have kids to consider, I'd go for the lot with trees and privacy for sure!

It depends on your lifestyle. I personaly would go for the privacy . 100 homes is a lot of little kids screaming playing in the street and a lot more cars. Do you really want 5 or more neighbors knowing every move you take in your yard. I don't like public pools. Too many people don't have the greatest hygiene. Plus everytime the pool needs an improvement will you have to pay extra?

I'm loving all the questions.

And I really need to know the rest of the story LOL

I clicked my vote!

I lived in a 100 unit condo before we built our house. Great group of people and loved going to the "events" put on by the building. We also had a huge pool. In the 7+ years I lived there, I could count on 2 hands how many times I actually used the pool because even though it was downstairs in the building, it still wasn't that convenient.

Now in my own house, with a pool, in the 1 year we've been in, I've used it more than I ever used the pool in the condo.

I own a vacation home in a development with ~140 homes. I use the community pool a lot. Most days you can count the number of people at the pool on 1 hand. No joke.

Weekends are more crowded than weekdays for sure, and holiday weekends are a zoo. But beyond that it's honestly usually very peaceful.

Each development is going to be different though. They just are. Different builders develop their own style/aesthetics (and reputation!), different locations end up with different groups of people, etc.

Remember, the OP didn't say they are choosing between these homes. This appears to be something different.

I'd pay slightly/much more for Lot Option n

More than what?

Sorry...but pool maintenance and expense is something I never want to go through again. Let it slip and your pool starts to turn black. Then you shell out the green.

Lot with community pool. Or other lot with Y membership.

Easy choice.

Bpath - I assume pay more for one lot over the other. In other words if Lot 1 is $50,000, but you prefer to have Lot 2, how much more over $50,000 would you be willing to pay for Lot 2.

Are the pool fees in the HOA dues? Or is joining the pool optional?

What size lots are we talking about? 1/5 of an acre or one acre. Comparable terrain?Makes a big difference in how noisy the neighbors can be!

We live in a neighborhood with an optional pool membership. We were members for 25 years, pre-kids thru 2 kids high school. Can't imagine their childhood without it.

At some point, how much more I'd pay for my preference becomes too much!

All, appreciate the feedback AND all the questions! lol Hopefully I kept up with all of them.

Very interesting to see the points that have come up.

The slightly more vs a lot more is vs the other lot. So would you pay slightly more for the lot in the subdivision with pool vs the private lot with no pool.

You have access to the pool if you pay into the HOA. I'd say the pool is 2500 sqft. There is only one and would be open roughly 5 months.

Okay, so given all that, and in the beginning you said based on our/my own scenario, I have cast my vote in the poll.

shoot, I voted wrong, can I change my vote? I’m hopeless.

Tell us what you voted then we can adjust the numbers lol

@whaas_5a, I see your dilemma.

Appraisals are a mix of science and art. If you have 5 appraisers value your home, you may very well end up with 5 different values. Not all appraisers have the same experience and POV.

What complicates matters is that many banks/lenders now use an AMC (a third party) to order the appraisal. The AMC takes a huge chuck of the appraisers fee which reduces the amount actually paid to the appraiser. Plus, the AMC's give extremely short turn around times to complete the appraisal.
As a result, if the fee becomes too low or the turn around time too short, you end up with an appraisal that may contain errors or not reflect market value. This may or may not have happened in your case.

Not all lenders use AMCs. Some order their appraisals directly from an appraiser. You have a better shot at getting an experienced and knowledgeable appraiser without having an AMC involved that takes 50% of the appraisers fee right off the top. JMO.

Private lot. While I'd enjoy a pool, I enjoy privacy more. A clubhouse holds no appeal at all... I prefer to entertain privately, too.

HOA, though... I'd rather do without.

It does matter more about what the other houses sold for rather than the amenities. If you can find a house exactly like yours that has sold recently for a higher price you can present that as a comp to raise your appraisal. Beyond that the appraisals will stand.

The comp is what I'd call a "golden" comp. Same above grade sqft, same below grade sqft, similar school district (mine is technically ranked higher), same year built, same village, single story, same build quality. The appraiser is knocking me $55K against this comp as its in a more desirable subdivision, has a 3-seasons room and has superior architectural features.

When I look at the data (subdivision lot sell thru) and the listing photos I can seriously argue that my house is actually worth more (objective features like crown molding, solid wood built-ins etc). The only nod I can give the comp is the 3 seasons room. But what about my private wooded lot? Nothing for that.

I actually believe there is a conflict of interest. I believe when she did the appraisal for this comp when it was built she used "its in a more desirable neighborhood" against other comps to get the value and now needs to stay consistent and use that against my house. Otherwise what incentive is there to dock me for the subdivision I'm in.

Let me put it another way. If you put your house up tomorrow at the price you are wanting the comp to be would it sell immediately?

Are there not any other comps in YOUR neighborhood? (sorry, I did not have time to read the entire thread)

Problem with appraisers is that they answer to no one. After the 2008 meltdown, all parts of the mortgage industry were separated so that no one could do anything shady in terms of lending more than the house is worth. What that means now is that it’s very difficult to get the appraiser to make any adjustments after the fact because they don’t need to do the extra work because no one is monitoring their accuracy. You may want to ask the bank to order another appraisal from a different agency. You will have to pay for it, but at least it will show you if the number is in the right ballpark.

Keep in mind that if the lot is big enough, you can always make the backyard of the house that is surrounded by other houses more private. Even if the community doesn't allow privacy fences, with the right planting of dense and tall trees you can still create a private oasis out back. Arborvitaes are perfect for something like this and many restrictive covenants don't disallow making "fences" out of greenery.

maifleur01 ,

Yes my house would likely sell at a higher price than the comp. What do I have to support that? Not much other than experience of selling multiples houses in the past and having a pulse on the market. In addition there is a house in my subdivison of similar quality and sqft and its listed $90K more than the comp. Funny thing is that the appraisal didn't acknowledge that. I understand its not a sale but can be used to support the value.

ncrealestateguy,

See above. I'm in a suburban urban area so not alot of house but all comps are still considered in the neighborhood. They are in the same village. I believe they are all relevant the justification doesn't pass the logic test.

A Fox ,

I agree this works for smaller lots as it relates to scale. On a 1 acre + lot it takes decades to get appropriate scale unless you using week fast growing plants. I have 60 year old lindens lining the lot line - I could say that is priceless as most individuals won't own a home that long.

I'm all about nature, gardening, fresh air, open spaces, privacy, and peace and quiet. The larger the lot the better -- the 3 acres I'm on isn't enough as far as I'm concerned. So obviously I voted for the larger more private lot.

whass: Your refinance sounds frustrating and infuriating. As an uninvolved third party, can I offer you my thoughts?

Keep your eye on your ultimate goal -- a mortgage for a specific amount at a favorable rate. Forget trying to analyze the appraiser's motivation, competence, etc. It's business, not personal. Refocus your energy back toward your goal.

Hire an independent appraiser, provide a list of favorable features and comps, and see how it turns out. You're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans -- the cost of another appraisal (or two) is peanuts amortized over the course of the loan. If the new appraisal is similar to the first, you'll have to rethink your plans. If it is higher than the first, you can see if your current lender will reconsider. Or you can find another lender. There are plenty out there -- local, regional and online. I've had my best results working with mortgage brokers who offer multiple products, but that might not be the case in your community. Ask around

Having lived through too many home purchases, sales, and refi's, I've learned to keep my personal feelings out of it and treat it strictly as a business transaction. Everyone involved has their own role, guidelines and goals. If it turns out the first appraiser was wildly off the mark, you can file a formal complaint -- after your new mortgage is securely in place.

Hang in there. I'll be rooting for you.

You are simply beating your head against a wall that does not need to be there. It is time to move on and be active in a search for a company that will provide a loan for the amount you want. All appraisals are subjective since no two houses are exactly alike.

One last thought ... questioning the appraiser's professional integrity is unlikely to change anyone's mind. As I often remind myself and fellow community activists, insulting the person who is in a position to give you what you want is never a winning strategy. Let it go.

privacy beats a pool.

I am an individual that is driven by principle so if someone is going to make a statement and can’t back it up with data I’m going to push hard. Especially if I can find public data that says otherwise.

Appraisal has been changed with an increased value and the loan funding has been increased as well. I stayed objective with all my points and looks like it may have paid off.

I can look into the standard deviation and margin of error later but based on 110 votes 93% would pay more for a private lot versus an open lot in a subdivision that has a pool and the clubhouse

Congratulations on getting your increased value and increased loan funding.

Well done whaas - you worked the facts and didn't get stuck in frustration.

Is the lake lot still an option?