So I've looked at about 20 single family homes in the last few months. I've found a few that I like OK, but recently found one that I really like. However, it has some potential pitfalls, and I'd love to hear the opinions of those on this forum about whether it sounds like a good or bad idea to buy this home. FWIW, the home has been on the market for about 10 days. I live in a city that has a relatively warm to hot real estate market.
PROS
-Slightly less than $100 per sq. ft. (Most relatively nice homes in my area are $110-130/sq. ft. Homes below $100/sq. ft. in my area are usually townhomes, in sketchy areas, or need work.)
-Curb appeal (Great looking yard, pretty trees, attractive from the outside.)
-Amazing interior (Has an open floor plan (something I desperately want but I've struggled to find), hardwoods, great kitchen, 1st floor master BR, and double garage - hello ping pong table!)
-Approx. 4-5 mi from where I work (10 min car commute or 35 minute run!)
-In a safe and well maintained neighborhood
-Built in 1995, so not too old
CONS
-Masonite siding (It's a '95 house so it should be good for a while, but I'd probably replace it with Hardie Plank in the next 5-10 years for ~$10k.)
-100 yards from a fire station (I don't think this would bother me THAT much, but ask my opinion again if a fire truck wakes me up at 3 a.m.!)
-300 yards from a railroad track (I've lived within 30 yards of a railroad track before so I'm not worried about this one at all, but it's still a negative for resale.)
-Across the street from condos (This isn't a con at the moment as most are owner occupied and there are no beaters outside - but could change in future.)
-One side of the house borders a 4 lane road with moderate traffic; however, there is a sidewalk, fence, trees, and perhaps 20 yards between the house and road (This is the con I'm worried about the most.)
As you can see, most of the cons are of the unchangeable variety. How would these cons detract from my living? Would these cons be a dealbreaker for resale? Any opinions or personal experiences would be much appreciated.