Bummed Out/Rant

Life is too short to be miserable. If the wife is onboard move. If you wait too long it may be too late.

My first house I bought when I was single. It was small and efficient. Shortly after some unsavory folk moved in next door. Wasn’t a big deal because I was single and didn’t spend much time at the house fast forward a few years adding a wife and kid I no longer could stand looking at the dirtbag neighbors. We sold the house at a loss. However we are in an excellent place now friendly neighbors that don’t have their drug addict customers coming around at all hours of the day.

I can understand picking up and moving with kids in school will be difficult. Perhaps later they will tank you maybe not but they can chalk it up as life experience. Then decide if they want to be in the country or city when they have their family’s

 

Could you get a pic sometime? I don't quite understand what this looks like or how it works...Maybe I could build something like it in front of my house....

 

Maybe this

 

yes, they look something like that. They are made of cement but look like wood.

 

If speeding is truly an issue, email the local police department and explain the issue- the times that it is worst, semi traffic through residential area, etc. Explain that you are at wits’ end, and ask if you can get some additional traffic enforcement to start, with possibly the consideration of some speed tables or humps in the future. If the city were to contribute with a couple of “residential traffic only” and “No Trucks” signs, it may help you. But for sure, start with asking for a concentrated effort from the police department, from a kid safety standpoint.

 

Oh I thought it was noise from the Dodge Hemi pickups...they are noisy...and mustangs, also...

 

Thanks fella's all awesome sound advice! While I think adding sound barriers is a great idea I don't think it will ever truly rid the problem, they will never block the Hemi's, Harley's, Stangs, and those dumb a$$ mufflers kids around here like to put on there cars. I know they are just kids, but dang it's loud. I feel like am a 39yr old gumpy old man already, LOL! But we like what we like, my pops is the same way, it's scary!

Picture a cookie cutter typical residential development, houses stacked next to each other on postage size lots one after another. Like I said am little fortunate as my postage size lot is more of a long long rectangle in that my property goes deep behind my house so that is an enormous plus/pro. I go wandering back there and it's great I almost feel like i'm in the country or someplace.

Half of me says stick it out for your family and kids, low mortgage, financial freedom. Other half of me says life is too short to walk around constantly frustrated at the noise and traffic, not to mention not very healthy either. I know my BP is up often because of it. Tuff predicament for sure, time will tell. I know we are staying put for now the wife is due in Feb with our 3rd child so we have to stick it out for at least another year as I don't want to try and move with an infant. Thanks for the support fella's!

 

Hey. Infants are light and they don't have much baggage...yet...

Just kidding, ReelFaster.
Hope things work out!

 

I think with any home improvements you do, as long as you do them yourself, you will realize the return when you sell.... If someone wants reduced noise and privacy, a fence and row of hedges will help with that.. A wood stove will help with heating bills.. Having a couple years of wood stacked will make them think less about the work involved to keep up.. Sound proofing walls and windows will reduce the probability of concerns over noise during a walk through... Do the projects you can do on your own. If you end up staying, you’ll be glad they are done... if you end up selling, the improvements will help you sell more quickly.

 

You really have been given a lot of sound advice. Here is my 2 cents if you will allow. While you are so conflicted, Put yourself on a "time out" so no decision for 6 months or a year. Then look at where you are. Stay or go, two things have to be corrected. One, sound barrier. Plant a hedge row, cedar is good. Get some good plants already up 5 or 6 feet. Then go to Craig's list and get an insert or stove to set in front of the fireplace. An open fireplace will suck the heat right out of your house. You get radiant heat sitting in front of it, meanwhile everything else is cooling off. Just make sure you install it to codes and have it inspected esp. if there is a chance you will sell and move. Both of these measure should improve the value of your home. Remember, you really are never locked in to staying or moving. Your wife says she will support you, (she must really love you) .

 

Hey Dave, am in Blackwood, Turnersville, Washington Twp area!!!! Good ole Cape May

 

Hi ReelFaster ... so many good thoughts above. About moving some day... when I was about you're age (40) my wife and I made the big decision to leave the house I'd built 16 years earlier, and move our 2 kids, and my mother, to a much more rural part of Maine, new schools, friends, jobs, etc. That was 24 years ago. Our kids still rave about the whole experience today, and my wife and I are grateful beyond words that things worked out as they did. My 2 cents... the peace and quiet was/is priceless. Good luck going forward.

 

Thanks so much Stinny, means a lot! Wonder if I even have the cahonies to do something like that! I've got so many hangs up it's not even funny! We are a close knit family (On both my side and my wife's side) and we spend a lot of time with my cousins, sisters, in-laws etc.. and I am surrounded by them all within a few miles. There are places few far and in-between where I can still be somewhat close to them but still get that peace and quite and tad bit of land am looking for we'll see. Again I appreciate the reply!

 

I knew, when I wrote that, that everyone has a different set of situations... and ours were unusually in our favor. And family is always a big consideration... good and bad. I sure do agree with the above thoughts if you stay... that anything you do on your own, to make things better right there, will be time & $ well spent no matter what...

 

the highest point in nj is a landfill

 

Dave I couldn't feel more the same way and I know exactly what your saying! Originally from S. Philly, my folks (specifically my Dad) wanted out of the city big time back in the late 90's we had a lot of family in the Wash Twp. area and we visited often so they naturally went in that direction. I had just graduated high school, at first was really nice and different, I had a lawn, more space, bigger house, I actually had a parking spotevery time I came home. But since then (I guess as I got older) I just grew more and more in love with the whole having a little bit of land, privacy and little more seclusion. Wife and I say it all the time if it wasn't for the enormous ties we have with family and now my older parents who really are starting to need help we would have been out of here. I hear ya with the postage stamp neighborhood!! Taxes are a joke but am ok with them right now because my kids are utilizing the school system which is very good in our area. Crowded but very good academically. Can you imagine our Twp has like 5 middle schools............freaking 5 middle schools to accommodate all the kids. And they just keep building around here, every dog gon empty lot has a for sale sign on it or is being constructed into another mini mart plaza or a doctors office. It's unreal! If you ain't got kids in the school system there is ZERO reason to be in this state IMO unless you have strong family roots and ties and can't part with them.