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New House Shopping, Good Sound Criteria?

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watchnerd

watchnerd

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Ask for an estimate first.

Here's just an idea (except there are no mountains, no ocean, no water that I can see, but it's in the countryside and there are trees @ the left):


The sound room (music listening) is in the first floor (basement). ...And it was professionally/acoustically "tuned".
I bet there is a swimming pool in the backyard...

This whole "house with a basement" thing will be new option for me, as I'm moving from a part of the country where they mostly don't exist (California), to Washington where they seem to be relatively common.

Earthquakes vs volcanoes?
 

Fitzcaraldo215

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This whole "house with a basement" thing will be new option for me, as I'm moving from a part of the country where they mostly don't exist (California), to Washington where they seem to be relatively common.

Earthquakes vs volcanoes?
Or, dry in California vs. damp and rainy in Washington, inundating your basement. So, go figure. But, basements everywhere are a potential problem for moisture. So, check that out before you buy, and you might need a dehumidifier. They tend to be noisy, though
 

NorthSky

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TBH, I'm probably going to sell my electrostats after the move.

It's been a nice phase of my audio journey, but I've been hankering these days for something with more dynamic slam, maybe something horny or with a waveguide.

"...something horny or with a waveguide."

Are you looking for a new house, new loudspeakers, or something else new?
 

iridium

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Good evening watchnerd,
I lived in Redmond, WA, lived in Bellevue, WA, and now our house is North of Seattle on the water. You can ignore the following, your choice:
Your first challenge will be to find a house in your price range that is truly built correctly; 95% are not in all price ranges. Find a house in a location that works for your life.
Realtors lie and most house inspectors are incompetent.
The following are MY words; I am not quoting someone else: Do you know why you only get a one year warranty on a brand new $500,000. or $5 million house, and all the other prices?
The engineer can not trust the architect, the architect can not trust the GC [general contractor], the GC can not trust the subs [subcontractors], the subs cannot trust their employees, etc.
You may say what about the CODE inspections done during the construction phases; Code is minimal acceptable standards. Just love it when a general contractor is at a $10 million house and he brags that everthing is built to CODE = everything is built to MINIMUM standards.
And materials, most are garbage. And foundations, most are garbage. And roofs, most are garbage. And floors, most are garbage.
HELL, you can get a multi-year bumper to bumper on most vehicles that get beat to shit everyday; and you can not get a decent warranty on a lump [house] that just sits there. Houses are built to FAIL to keep supporting the contractors.
In other words, I never worry about the Sound Room; I worry about the house. The house we are in, I had ONE hour to inspect it. I took what I found and multiplied by 10, and adjusted the offer based on that.

iridium.
 

NorthSky

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Great post ↑ above. But I'm sure the OP knows that already.

The West coast is beautiful; it is tuned with a high ceiling, as high as the sky.
If you have AC or a ceiling fan, they add distortion; they need their separate power away from the music power. Easily said than done.
 

RayDunzl

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I'll be shopping for a new home in the greater Seattle area.

Post a couple of Zillow links that approximate for what and where you're looking...
 

RayDunzl

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This might be my favorite listening room:

4jilistenroom3.jpg


4jilistenroom.jpg


4jilistenroom4.jpg


There's just one problem:

1010086.jpg


I probably have a few CDs that would take care of it.
 
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watchnerd

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Post a couple of Zillow links that approximate for what and where you're looking...

My wife is partial to this:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1544-Sturgus-Ave-S-Seattle-WA-98144/2094146691_zpid/

I prefer something more like this:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3511-S-Thistle-St-Seattle-WA-98118/48897852_zpid/

Additional note:

We planning to pay all cash, and at these price points should have $150k-$250k left for home improvements / acoustic treatments, etc.
 

RayDunzl

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Here's my first thought:

If you pay all cash you get hosed on a market collapse... Can't bail...

Rates are low enough to make the financing option attractive. Should a pop occur you'd might be able to escape with your big money intact. You get a x on your credit report for a while, but, hey, that's how the game is played. Sounds like you don't need credit anyway.

My house was built in 2004, originally sold for $224k, shows as high as $370k during the bubble, I bought it as a bank-owned foreclosure in 2010 for $159k and even got $8k from my pal Obama since I managed to qualify as a "first time buyer" (his rules, not mine). 2600 sq ft, Golf course out back, three car garage, not a bad place.

Neighbor to the left paid $370k for his (bigger) but he's upside down.

Neighbor to the right was an investor, paid $450k for it (bigger) at the bubble top and rented it, finally sold it a few months ago for $289k.

Anyway, just a financial thought. Run it past a lawman to get your assets titled properly if you want to try that route.

(Disclaimer: I paid cash)

upload_2017-7-11_0-1-28.png
 
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Sal1950

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watchnerd

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Here's my first thought:

If you pay all cash you get hosed on a market collapse... Can't bail...

Rates are low enough to make the financing option attractive. Should a pop occur you'd might be able to escape with your big money intact. You get a x on your credit report for a while, but, hey, that's how the game is played. Sounds like you don't need credit anyway.

My house was built in 2004, originally sold for $224k, shows as high as $370k during the bubble, I bought it as a bank-owned foreclosure in 2010 for $159k and even got $8k from my pal Obama since I managed to qualify as a "first time buyer" (his rules, not mine). 2600 sq ft, Golf course out back, three car garage, not a bad place.

Neighbor to the left paid $370k for his (bigger) but he's upside down.

Neighbor to the right was an investor, paid $450k for it (bigger) at the bubble top and rented it, finally sold it a few months ago for $289k.

Anyway, just a financial thought. Run it past a lawman to get your assets titled properly if you want to try that route.

(I paid cash)

View attachment 7753

a) I'm not really concerned about a market collapse. I'm not looking to flip the house, it's not an investment property. We plan to be there indefinitely. Even if none of that turned out to be true (i.e. we need to sell 2 years from now at loss), it's a small fraction of our net worth, so the impact is negligible.

b) Freeing up cash-flow, as opposed to having a mortgage, is important because of my new employer's ESPP program, which is guaranteed a minimum return of 6.7% after taxes even on same day sale (i.e. sell the same day the shares are granted), which diffuses lack of diversification risk.
 
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RayDunzl

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Ok, carry on...

What you wrote seems to have some contradictions, but I won't argue.

"because of my new employer's ESPP program" - You made me think again about my Nortel stock options and ESPP... they're worth a tenth of a cent per share now.
 

Thomas savage

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I liked your choice but when it comes to making a home the Mrs best get her way and probably knows best :D

How much you pay for a property is fairly irrelevant if your not planing to move and can afford it, oh paying cash so basically you have no worries about things going south and bank repossession etc.

It's all about building a loving stable environment where one can express them selfs and enjoy a high level of 'feeling safe' obviously having scope to develop a listening room is important to you, as long as that's possible in the house your mrs prefers my advice ( not that's it of great worth) is let her chose. :)
 

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watchnerd

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Ok, carry on...

What you wrote seems to have some contradictions, but I won't argue.

"because of my new employer's ESPP program" - You made me think again about my Nortel stock options and ESPP... they're worth a tenth of a cent per share now.

See same day sale.

But, anyway, let's get back to audio, shall we?
 
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watchnerd

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I liked your choice but when it comes to making a home the Mrs best get her way and probably knows best :D

Yes, especially since she's choosing this opportunity to retire from her CPA career and will be the one at home far more than me.

She fancies spending her spare time as an Air BnB hostess (Why, I have no idea...sounds horrid to me...), which means a spot in the high density areas, closer to tourist spots / stadiums is more attractive than a bigger place farther away.
 
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watchnerd

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It's all about building a loving stable environment where one can express them selfs and enjoy a high level of 'feeling safe' obviously having scope to develop a listening room is important to you, as long as that's possible in the house your mrs prefers my advice ( not that's it of great worth) is let her chose. :)

If she gets her way and we get a townhouse, I'll probably be looking at things on the size scale of the KEF LS50/JBL 705P.

Trying to cram something like a JBL 4367 (as much as part of me wants one), probably won't work due to rooms being too small and neighbors.
 

Thomas savage

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I will be interested to know about the criteria for choosing different materials for the construction or indeed what to look for on that side of thing.

The Sheetrock ( plasterboard) we use over here is very soft and is bound to absorb in a non ideal for audio enjoyment part of the frequency spectrum.

You can get 'sound check' board and other Sheetrock with different densities , what would give the flattest reflection though Iv yet to determine. Their design is more about keeping noise down than enjoying your music.
 

Thomas savage

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The basement would be my choice, solid walls preferably:D. You can then fairly easily build a room with a room with all the necessary acoustic properties fairly easily and without disruption to your everyday life:D
 
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