Buying a house is serious business. As part of this solemn mission to pick and choose the various important features and benefits that are necessary to one’s quality of life in whichever home we choose, it’s a good idea to make a list of quality-of-life priorities as well as secondary points that result in what we can and cannot live with or without.
Here are some thoughts to ponder as we plan (remember though that “Man plans and Hashem laughs!”).
- Does having a doctor for a neighbor increase the value of your home? And is there an added bonus value if the doctor is a pediatrician?
- If you live next door to a fireman, do you still need a fire alarm or can you consider this a cost saving benefit?
- We all know that living within walking-distance to shul is an important plus, but if you live next door to the shul’s “Candyman,” is this a positive or negative feature?
- I have encountered a new category recently with retired people. If they are buying an apartment in the same building as close friends, buying an apartment on the same floor is less desirable than an apartment on a different floor. It seems being close friends still has boundaries when it comes to privacy and not wanting the friends to know when they are coming or going!
- When you enter a house with magnificent wood floors and the buyer hates wood floors and can’t wait to get rid of them, should you still encourage them to buy the house or try and talk them out of getting rid of the floors?
- Is it a bonus situation when you purchase a house near a shul that has already finished with their building fund?
- If you buy a house that is presently being used as a “satellite minyan” and you decide to continue the minyan, can you change the davening schedule according to your minhag?
- If the home you purchase includes a beautiful in-ground swimming pool, does that mean you are obligated to have an open-door policy to all your neighbors during the summer months when it is open?
- If you purchase your house from a Sephardic family, does this mean you’re allowed to eat rice on Pesach?
- If you purchase a house opposite the school bus stop, does this oblige you to provide seating and to serve breakfast to everyone waiting for the bus?
I realize that Andy Rooney is long gone, but his style lives on and I could not resist using his panache in preparing this article.
Happy Chanukah Everyone! n
Anessa Cohen lives in Cedarhurst and is a Licensed Real Estate Broker (Anessa V Cohen Realty) with over 20 years of experience offering full service residential, management and commercial real estate services in the 5 towns of Long Island as well as the tri-state area. She can be reached at 516-569-5007 or Readers are encouraged to send any questions or scenarios by email to anessa@avcrealty.com.
