Goldilocks and the Three Lots

BF just compared our lot hunt to the fairy tale Goldilocks.  I always thought she was a little high maintenance and ridiculous, but now I'm realizing... I am her!

We have narrowed our lot choices to three:  lot 4, lot 3 and lot 1.  Lot 4 may come available on Saturday, or it could be locked down, so we are feeling pressure to make our choice.  So here comes Goldilocks...

Lot 4 is too loud.  Lot 3 is too exposed.  Lot 1 has too many neighbors.  Which one is going to be just right for my mid-afternoon nap?

I really thought it was lot 4 - its wooded on the one side, faces the stormwater area and would only have one neighbor on the south side.  We did find out that the neighbor has chosen to install an outdoor speaker system, which we aren't so keen on.  It is really close to a road and the railroad tracks, and the lot is a weird shape that makes the very back of the yard pretty useless.  I spent about five minutes today trespassing on the lot trying to visualize what it would be like to sit in my morning room or back deck, listening to the birds.  And the motorcycles.  And Billy Joel blaring from the speakers next door.  And, I wasn't in love, though I still love trees.

Then I went across the street to lot 3, which is flat and devoid of any vegetation and surrounded on 2 sides by a dry detention basin.  I've been around the block long enough to know that these basins can be fine, but you get a bankrupt or feuding homeowner's association and the pond stops being maintained, and then you either get a nice nature area, or water in your basement, or both.  In addition, the house is totally exposed.  People driving have a clear view of the front, the side and the back of the house.  No privacy at all - at least until trees get planted.

Lot 1 is the furthest lot from the railroad and main road.  There is an existing house to one side that is meticulously maintained and a hedgerow on the other side - beyond the hedgerow are houses with really big backyards.  And old people.  Old people are usually pretty quiet.  There would be a new house behind it eventually too, but the backyard could eventually be secluded.

After pouting and pushing and expressing our interest in lot 4 to our sales rep sixteen million times, we might be leaning towards lot 1.  Its the safest bet, the most usable space, the quietest and has a really cool street address.

All this thinking, as my neighbors next door are having a raucous party that is literally shaking my walls, and as the train rolls by.  The difference in the two neighborhoods is striking, and while I like where we live now, any of the three lots is going to give us more privacy and more quiet.  I'm sure whatever we decide will be a good decision, because its going to be much better than where I am now!

Thanks to you guys who posted comments the other day - I really appreciate the input and thoughts, and am a bit aggravated that Blogger shut down and lost them!  But, invaluable advice nevertheless.