Home Buying - What Is That Noise!?!

You've found the perfect home, closed escrow and just finished moving in. As you happily fall asleep, all seems well in the world. An hour later, you bolt up in bed to an ear splitting sound. All is no longer well in the world.

An Unholy Racket If you saw the movie "My Cousin Vinny", you know what I'm talking about. For those that haven't, the movie centers on a lawyer, Vinny, who comes to the south to defend his nephew against criminal charges. Every evening, Vinny goes to sleep only to be awoken by some blasting noisy. When house hunting, you need to make sure you don't get "Vinny'd."

When you find an area or home you like, make absolutely sure you drive the area looking for any potential noise producers. Roll down the window, turn off the radio and just listen. You might be surprised at what you hear.

If you run across railroad tracks, you better figure out how close they are to your prospective home. Make sure you are near the house when a train goes by, so you can get the full effect. While trains and plains are obvious sources of noise, you also need to consider more subtle situations.

Weekend vs. Week Days

Many homebuyers look at houses early on Saturday and Sundays. This makes sense since you have to work for a living, but it can result in some nasty surprises. The characteristics of a neighborhood on weekends are entirely different than during week days. Make absolutely sure you check out the property during both time periods. To guard against "partying" neighbors, make sure you check the area during evenings as well. They say home ownership brings peace of mind. Check your neighborhood to make sure this cliché will apply to you!