Buying a house in a dodgy area

macnug

I bought a house from NAMA, cash, in a town in the midlands that wouldn't have the best reputation, the estate was a partial ghost estate so didn't know what I was buying into. Worked out very well for us tbh, estate is lovely (so far) even thought the council have bought a fair few. But then I grew up on council estates in Dublin so anywhere seems better than those places.

Sky King

katiek102010 wrote: »

Some people say its fine there. Others tell me I'm mad to do it and I'm throwing away that money as I will be driven insane.

I wouldn't do it in a million years - i work in a rough area and i thank my lucky starts i can go to a fairly pleasant estate in the evenings and not have to look out my window at bareknukle boxing, people beating the **** out of animals and helping horses ride each other in the middle of the road.

My cousin moved into a house next door in a well known area next door to a certain irish cultural subset. Driven demented. Like, his wife was threatened and everything. Couldnt wait to leave.

Mad_maxx

katiek102010 wrote: »

Or stay renting knowing you could be homeless at any time.

You know that by buying the house you have a high chance of:

1) ongoing noise issues from next door
2) never be able to let kids play outside
3) 1st thing you do prior to moving in is buy a high quality alarm
4) 2nd thing is turn front garden into a driveway with lockable access as it's not advisable to leave cars on road.
5) run a high risk of not being able to sell the house in future
6) previous occupant was murdered.

Pro's
1) you can pay cash but don't earn enough to get a mortgage
2) amazing school in the area
3) 20 mins from family
4) no stress trying to get a better paying job or childcare to allow you to work longer hours to secure a mortgage

What would you do

Your first mistake is believing you can be made homeless at any time as a renter

Wanderer78

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Your first mistake is believing you can be made homeless at any time as a renter

so none of those that are currently homeless were renters?

Mad_maxx

Deleted User wrote: »

Why would you not be able to sell in future?

Houses sell in bad areas all the time. It's how bad areas generally tend to gentrify.

Most bad areas don't gentrify

boombang

katiek102010 wrote: »

I ha é lived in UK for a no of years and in the long term would the guards not deal with the crowd next door.

Is on going anti social behaviour not a criminal offence here?

You've been away too long. Ireland does not enforce responsibility or protect working people from anti social behaviour. That's why the house is cheap.

Mad_maxx

Wanderer78 wrote: »

so none of those that are currently homeless were renters?

I'm sure plenty were. My point was it doesn't happen over night

"homeless" is now a political term anyway

Wanderer78

Mad_maxx wrote: »

I'm sure plenty were. My point was it doesn't happen over night

"homeless" is now a political term anyway

id imagine some homeless situations do actually happen over night, but id also imagine some warning signs are evident. homelessness is a real world term, that affects many globally, its also a reality for many thousands in our own country

Mad_maxx

Wanderer78 wrote: »

id imagine some homeless situations do actually happen over night, but id also imagine some warning signs are evident. homelessness is a real world term, that affects many globally, its also a reality for many thousands in our own country

I believe other threads exist which are more suited to sociology based viewpoints, the OP has specific concerns which relate to them in practice

katiek102010

katiek102010 wrote: »

Yup

If it's the place I'm thinking of I considered it for an investment property amongst thousands of others judging by the views, but thought against it.

It was a ghost estate with the original houses up to good spec.

If your neighbours want a house for a family member your life will be made hell until...

dhaughton99

If you weren’t already brought up in the area and played your part in turning the area into a **** hole, then don’t bother.

Hector Savage

NIMAN wrote: »

Are your potential neighbours from the travelling community?

If so, you can forget about every getting any peace or help from the guards.

I wouldn't take a house beside them for nothing.

This 100%.

OP if you are serious it's just not worth the hassle.
Forget about, they will make your life a living HELL.

katiek102010

Stroke Politics wrote: »

Best property advice I ever got was buy the cheapest house you can find in the best area you can afford, but that’s really only relevant in built up areas.

Could you build on your relatives property or buy a home through a housing cooperative?

Thats not an option. All parents deceased. What's a housing Co operative

katiek102010

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Your first mistake is believing you can be made homeless at any time as a renter

My sons friends family are being made homeless at the moment. They live in our area. Landlord wants the property for a family member.

They have 4 kids, youngest is disabled. They both work, mum part time 3 hrs a day around disabled sons hours. They rely heavily on family to help. Dad helps with care for his dad as family look after him at home

There are currently no properties to rent within a 20 mile radius.

katiek102010

Deleted User wrote: »

If it's the place I'm thinking of I considered it for an investment property amongst thousands of others judging by the views, but thought against it.

It was a ghost estate with the original houses up to good spec.

If your neighbours want a house for a family member your life will be made hell until...

It probably is the same estate. There are currently 2 properties there. I have enough to buy both cash. I was thinking of 1 as an investment

Grayson

NIMAN wrote: »

Can't understand why anyone would consider buying a house and taking a mortgage of maybe 25 to 30 years when they know the area is sh1t?

Is this a serious question OP?

You'll always find somewhere to rent, just move a bit.

Renting isn't secure. I'm facing the same decision. I'm on enough money to buy a house in a bad neighbourhood. I'm barely able to but an apartment is a regular neighbourhood. The main reason to buy is simply because i don't want to be renting when I get old. There's no security.

BattleCorp

Ethnic minority neighbours. Not a fcuking chance.

BattleCorp

katiek102010 wrote: »

It probably is the same estate. There are currently 2 properties there. I have enough to buy both cash. I was thinking of 1 as an investment

If you have enough cash to buy two houses in that estate but not enough cash to get a mortgage in a nicer area, then that should tell you all you need to know about that estate. It must be a real dive altogether.

LirW

As far as I recall there's no immediate threat for you to be given notice. If that's the case, sit tight, keep saving.
If all parents are deceased what family do you need to be close to? Maybe moving further afield and driving is the best out of all non-ideal options. Like I drive my daughter to crèche 25km each way because there was no suitable crèche or childminder around that could cater the hours we need.

If this is literally the only cheap house, don't do it. Especially if you know that this really is rock bottom. Keep renting and work towards a better, more sustainable solution.
Many people live further away from work and have to make it work somehow with no family close by. It's not ideal but needs must.

Sephiroth_dude

Mod

Moving this to Accommodation.

Please read charter before posting.

harr

I wouldn’t do it unless absolutely necessary, lovely estate near me with huge detached 4 bed houses . The houses were huge money even when the arse fell out of the economy. Now people can’t give them away all because two traveler families moved in. Honestly it’s like a halting site now. Guards don’t want to know and it has effectively become a no go area, even the postman won’t deliver because of dogs and horses. Only 20 houses in the estate and 6 are currently boarded up and stripped out. This is a small midlands village.

harr

harr wrote: »

I wouldn’t do it unless absolutely necessary, lovely estate near me with huge detached 4 bed houses . The houses were huge money even when the arse fell out of the economy. Now people can’t give them away all because two traveler families moved in. Honestly it’s like a halting site now. Guards don’t want to know and it has effectively become a no go area, even the postman won’t deliver because of dogs and horses. Only 20 houses in the estate and 6 are currently boarded up and stripped out. This is a small midlands village.

Similar to the house, I'm guessing, in Emly, the OP is considering. A similar house went for around €20k. They would originally have been sold for approx €150k. Currently house going for €45k, well below the build cost.

If you offered 30k I think you'd have a good chance of getting it, OP.

Ursus Horribilis

If you weren't panicking, you wouldn't even think about buying this. Never ever make a big decision when you're under pressure and think you have no other options. You will have many a long year to bitterly regret your rash thinking. You must be out of your box to be even considering this.

BattleCorp

I'll go back to my previous comment.

If you have enough cash to buy two houses in that sh1t estate, how come you can't get a mortgage for a house in a better area?

My advice is don't buy in this area. I'd be fairly confident that your neighbours would make your life hell.

Elemonator

Not worth it. Think of when you want to sell it...

OP, Just looked at Glen, Emly on Google maps. It's dated 2011 and looks fine. It's a bigger development than I thought. I'd give a spin out there at least.

On second thoughts, Just looked on property price register. 06/03/2018 €12,000.00 31 GLEN COURT EMLY, TIPPERARY

Bonkers !

Jaster Rogue

Deleted User wrote: »

OP, Just looked at Glen, Emly on Google maps. It's dated 2011 and looks fine. It's a bigger development than I thought. I'd give a spin out there at least.

On second thoughts, Just looked on property price register. 06/03/2018 €12,000.00 31 GLEN COURT EMLY, TIPPERARY

Bonkers !

Overpriced :pac:

BattleCorp

Deleted User wrote: »

OP, Just looked at Glen, Emly on Google maps. It's dated 2011 and looks fine. It's a bigger development than I thought. I'd give a spin out there at least.

On second thoughts, Just looked on property price register. 06/03/2018 €12,000.00 31 GLEN COURT EMLY, TIPPERARY

Bonkers !

If houses in an estate are €12k to €45k, where they would otherwise be +€100K, there are serious problems there. Very serious problems.

afkasurfjunkie

Another five minutes googling brought up some of the, er, business associates of your potential neighbours. I’d rather take my cash and set it on fire than live here, op.

DrPhilG

Any time I look at a property, my first search is on Google news to see what pops up.

I once googled a potential investment property and found that there had been a particularly grizzly murder in the same block, may well have been the same place.