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Gilda · 04-28-2005, 09:42 AM

I guess I'm going to have to go against the grain here.

We live in a townhome. We own all four units in our fourplex, rent two of them, live in the fourth, and leave the third vacant for guests and as a buffer in case of loud neighbors or if we want to get loud. All four units have identical floorplans, with 2 and 4 mirroring 1 and 3. There are four other fourplexes in the complex, all with identical arrangements. Having all the homes jammed up together frees up what would have been private yard space for things like a nice park in the quad that the units surround. About half of the residents own their units, and about half are renters; our tenants have both been with us for more than two years now.

I don't mind in the least that our floor plan is the same as everyone elses, or that all of the exteriors look the same. It's not as if I spend a lot of time out front gazing at my home. I've been in a bunch of the units, and those that have been decorated don't all look the same; the individualization creates a different character to each home. I love that all of the yard maintenance is taken care of by paying a small monthly fee, one that is less than we'd have to pay for a single family home anyway.

We've contemplated renting out the last two units and buying a home, but we have more than enough room for the three of us currently, and an entire extra home for spillover as needed. If we do decide to buy, we've decided to get the best deal we can for what we can afford, and given the lower maintenance on new homes, we'll probably go that direction.

The nieghborhood is walking distance to two grocery stores, a half dozen fast food places, and Outback Steakhouse, and forty or fifty boutique stores in mini-malls.

Having all of the homes jammed in together frees up what would have been private lawns for a nice little park in the center of the quad, and a jogging track going around the outside with circuit training stations. To me, the advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages.

04-28-2005, 09:42 AM	#18 (permalink)
Gilda 32 flavors and then some Location: Out on a wire.	I guess I'm going to have to go against the grain here. We live in a townhome. We own all four units in our fourplex, rent two of them, live in the fourth, and leave the third vacant for guests and as a buffer in case of loud neighbors or if we want to get loud. All four units have identical floorplans, with 2 and 4 mirroring 1 and 3. There are four other fourplexes in the complex, all with identical arrangements. Having all the homes jammed up together frees up what would have been private yard space for things like a nice park in the quad that the units surround. About half of the residents own their units, and about half are renters; our tenants have both been with us for more than two years now. I don't mind in the least that our floor plan is the same as everyone elses, or that all of the exteriors look the same. It's not as if I spend a lot of time out front gazing at my home. I've been in a bunch of the units, and those that have been decorated don't all look the same; the individualization creates a different character to each home. I love that all of the yard maintenance is taken care of by paying a small monthly fee, one that is less than we'd have to pay for a single family home anyway. We've contemplated renting out the last two units and buying a home, but we have more than enough room for the three of us currently, and an entire extra home for spillover as needed. If we do decide to buy, we've decided to get the best deal we can for what we can afford, and given the lower maintenance on new homes, we'll probably go that direction. The nieghborhood is walking distance to two grocery stores, a half dozen fast food places, and Outback Steakhouse, and forty or fifty boutique stores in mini-malls. Having all of the homes jammed in together frees up what would have been private lawns for a nice little park in the center of the quad, and a jogging track going around the outside with circuit training stations. To me, the advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages. __________________ I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that. ~Steven Colbert