I personally love a train, and would be lobbying for the restoration of the whistle -- at least during the daytime!

I lived in a town where basically anything on my side of the main road was in listening distance of the train. And they came hourly as it was a commuter train. Property values where never hurt there. However in the next town over, where the train wasn't on top of the whole town, yes property values were lowered by the noise of the train for the reasons you're questioning it.

Yeah we all love trains in the distance, late at night, but try living next to one where the city won't or cant limit the horn! New federal regs in the US (may or may not be true in Canada) now require shorter duration, but much louder decibel level that is not pleasant or romantic - its so loud your body does an involuntary, jump-out-o-f your- skin startle response. - heart pounding and the whole flight or fight response kicks in.

THANKFULLY our city installed the specified gates so that trains no longer have to sound their whistles. You still hear the screechy metal sounds but thats not a problem. In my price range I had to decide which evils I could live with and which I couldn't - Id much rather take trains than odors or heavy traffic - so I have one infrequently used track in my back yard (about 50 -60 ft from house) and one more frequent one in front, about 1/4 block away.. The herbicide spray they use 2x a year is a much bigger issue for me than the noise..

You might want to see if the proximity of trains is already figured in to your house's appraisal and/or city assessmentl. If so, you are already getting the benefit of lower price & taxes that will simply be passed on to the next person. If it isn't figured in, I would ask why -perhaps its far enough away that it isn't a factor.... and if it isn't for you, then its not likely to be for the next p;erson either.

At the old place we were about a mile from the BN tracks. Oil, coal, grain...I think they said 90 some trains per day. I liked trains but...

I think I could handle 4 or 5 a day.

We live about a mile uphill from BSNF tracks and get about 35 trains per day. I think the valley magnifys the sound as we can hear the trains but not at all distracting. When they implement the No Horn change 8 years ago, it made a big difference. We are now in the process of purchasing a lot in a different area but on the same train line. This lot is much closer (1/4 mile?) but we can barely hear the train so topography and train speed can make a big difference.

We are much more bothered by some of the loud cars or trucks that come up our hill than the sound of the train. It kind of disappears after you live there for a while.

It depends.

Our friends live right next to the tiny local airport..their house literally backs up to the planes flying off:) It doesn't bother them; if anything, they find it interesting..:)

You know what you're likely to be fine with.

Resale is a concern..to some degree. If you're fine with trains, there will be inevitably somebody else who'll be fine with trains. Some people love trains, planes, whatnot.

Less chance to find that somebody right away. But it's not like there's no chance at all.

Our new place backs up to somewhat busy suburban street. It was still a multiple offers situation within a week or two since the listing.

The street will always hurt the resale, to some degree. But it will still be a desirable house. It will never be the house with the view though. But-it will also never become a house with neighbors right behind you:)

Most people don't want train tracks nearby. I live in a suburb where freight trains come right through the area multiple times daily. They cause significant traffic back-ups when one must get from one side of the tracks to the other. Since all crossings have gates, they do not blow their horns, but I would never buy a house with those tracks in my backyard.

My son rents an apt in CT where the commuter train and I-95 go right past his balcony. Fortunately, he is up high (as are the highway and the train tracks, but the developers heavily landscaped the valley below and it does muffle the sound. He barely lives there other than to sleep, and there are good windows. Also, commuter trains go by very quickly and are not too noisy. But he'd never buy a house in such a location.

The walk you mention is a lengthy one and there is always the factor of winter in Canada. That would be WAY to far from public transportation for me. Keep looking.

We live in one of the best areas of our little town, and it happens to be about 1/2 mile from the train tracks. The lay of the land, however, helps muffle the noise and definitely hides the trains and tracks completely from view. We don't really hear the actual train going by, but we do hear the whistle. It's not bad at all.

What IS bad, though, is my next door neighbor's dog's reaction to the whistle. Apparently the pitch is obnoxious enough to the dog that the dog howls every time the whistle blows. We have maybe 4 trains a day. The neighbor put one of those silencer collars on the dog, which helps, but I feel sorry for him. He wants to howl, but the silencer hurts. He rarely makes any sounds any other time of day or night. Awwww.

I used to live about a mile from a commuter train station and of course all the Amtrak trains came through there as well (NE corridor). The sound really carried and at first the train whistles were startling and would wake me up but I did get used to it, to the point that the only time I noticed was the occasional early Sunday morning. My current home is also about a mile from train tracks and I hardly notice the train whistles. I actually kind of like the sound of the train rolling by. However I would not want to live as close to the tracks as the house you are considering. When I was looking in the area that was one of my dealbreakers.

Edited to add: One piece of advice I got from my agent the first time I bought a house stuck with me. It may seem obvious. You can change almost everything about a house except the location, the lot it is on, and what surrounds it. So that is the first thing you should be considering when looking for a house. Good luck.

Is the home near a commuter station? I think that can be a big benefit. Where I am, living within walking distance to a train station helps real estate values. Almost everyone commuting to the city prefers to take the train rather than drive to the city, and parking spots near the train stations take years to open up. (Some suburbs have a 6+ year waiting list for permits, so being walk distance is huge.) It's not just for commuters, either: we take the train on weekends to get to the beach, sporting events, concerts, etc; and my kids have done the same with their friends. When we moved from city to suburbs, we circled all the train stations on the major lines and only looked at homes within walking distance. Homes near the stations are also walking distance to schools and little downtown areas, so that's another benefit. You don't have to be married to your car.

Here, suburbs far away from the train lines are considerably less expensive, and our home value didn't dip as much during the downturn as home values far from the train stations did.

I think walking distance to a commuter rail station is in general a plus for a certain group of people who are willing to pay a premium but its a completely different situation for a freight line or a commuter line without a station within walking distance. Your video shows the tracks are very close. Good that it is low speed but it will rattle everything in the house. Does the train come by at night? Where I live there are commuter trains in the daytime and freight trains between 10 PM and 4 AM. Even without the whistle and bells it the rumbling may awaken you.

I would not buy the house unless it is at least 20% less than comparables that are not within 1/2 mile of the train tracks. Do not assume the decreased value is priced into the assessment. How long has the house been on the market? In the future expect that the house will sell for less than you want and will take longer to sell if you proceed. Many buyers will not be interested at any price, and others will only be interested at a steep discount. I think you can also expect that over time many of the houses on the street will convert to rentals (if that isn't already happening) because owners will have difficulty selling.

Good luck, I would not do it.

When I was a real estate broker I once showed a house to a couple not realizing that the main CN lakeshore line into Toronto ran atop the "mountain" at the end of the backyard.

As they left, the husband said, "So what do you think, Babe?" She loved it and they bought it. It reminded her of the home she grew up in--backing on a rail line.

So what do you think??

****

"Secluded" mansion adjacent to twin tracks just north of Toronto.

We lived 1/4 mile from a major parkway. Day and night a neverending stream of traffic; I tried to convince myself it was a waterfall. We're the same distance now from rail lines. The clackety-clack is intermittent, soporific and rarely even noticed. No level crossings, so no whistles.

Take into account that the wind in the video is blowing away from you. The sound will be louder when the wind is blowing toward you. You should also take into account the possibility of a derailment... the train in the video looks closer than 100 yeards. Derailments and explosions happen more and more frequently.

Also, make certain that the comps used are from that same neighborhood.

You should not get get hurt with resale value, because the hit you take at resale is made up from the savings you make from the value of the home when you purchase it.

Also, have your agent look up the history of sales from as far back as possible for the neighborhood and see what the days on the market are... if it takes a longer time to sell these homes then you will be comfortable with, then do not purchase it... and vice versa.

I can see that it might not be an issue to you or to many purchasers, but if you are still having doubts after reading all of this, listen to your gut. It's a no-go.

The house in Worthy's photo to me is anything but secluded! Reminds me of living in New Jersey.

I thought I would enjoy the you tube and I did watch it to the end. But it just wasn't like how I remembered trains to be when visiting my grandparents.

They lived further from the track, maybe about half a mile. I enjoyed the clickity clack, the whistles and the distant rumblings.

But all that horn blowing in your you tube is awful.

Regarding a 12-15 minute walk to public transport, for me that would be fine. It's a good way to warm up and wind down.

Christopher_H, there are plenty of areas in NJ that don't look like that...we are known as the Garden State, and I'm sure there are other states which have places which look like that too.

How old is the house? We lived near a train (whistling at that!), and although it was heard outside, we could barely hear it inside the home, and only in the rooms closest to the tracks, IF it was quiet inside (no tv/radio/screaming children).

Our town has 2 train tracks running through it. First what kind of cargo passes on those tracks? Anything hazardous? 4-6 times a day? What times exactly? Also that one was going slow. Do they all go so slow?

Various types of cargo pass through. I believe some may be hazardous like petroleum. The times vary, day and night. Talked to neighbors who are right on the tracks and they said it never wakes them up. They travel at a maximum speed of 25 mph in residential areas.

Renee Texas: house is 12 years old and has triple pane windows.

I would also try to be inside the house when a freight train passes, to see if there is a problem with vibration, and just how loud it is in bedrooms and main living space (living room or family room).

I live in a neighborhood bordered by a fairly busy freight line. Many of my neighbors aren't bothered by the trains (unfortunately we have horn blowing despite gates and bells at the crossing 1/2 mile down the track) but it really seems to depend on just how the house is situated relative to the tracks. Also by if windows are open or closed - if you like open windows, take that into account.

In my house, the family room vibrates and the horn/track noise seems to have a clear path to the bedrooms even though I am 5 house away from the tracks (on a street perpendicular to them). Yes, I have learned to "tune it out" mostly, but studies have shown that our sleep and stress levels are still unconsciously affected by the noise.

If I had to do over knowing what I know now I wouldn't have bought this house because of the trains, even though I like it otherwise.

Resale resale resale. Unless every other house in a 5 mile radius is also that close to tracks. Don't try to justify it. The house has an incurable defect.

Remember the house isn't directly on the tracks. It's almost a block away.

You are making justifications.

:) justifications means you want it! So just go for it.

Well after doing some research, looking at the city's long range plan for rapid transit, I just discovered that in 2031, there may be a rapid transit corridor built where the current train tracks are located.

Real estate is about location, location, location. It is a small plus that its on a transit corridor but if the station isn't within walking distance you have the negative of the trains without the benefit of the transit. Plus long range plans often never come to fruition due to money or opposition from residents.

If you proceed make sure you negotiate a price that takes the proximity of the railroad tracks into account. You should be paying less than you would for a similar house (size, age) a mile away. Along the lines of "we like the house but it is so close to the railroad tracks so we are going to offer $$ because a similar house further away from the railroad tracks sold for $$$$". You should do this now because when you try to sell in the future the next buyer will likely use these tactics to get a better price from you.

Sushi, you are not taken into consideration that the value of this home already has the proximity to the track factored into it. As long as the buyer does their homework on the comps, they will not see a "hit" when they go to sell. You make your money when you purchase the home.

Stan Z sounds like he gets it.

We actually see being near a rapid transit corridor mostly as a negative, because of the noise. Now that's only proposed and planned after 2031. The exact route is not confirmed, but initial city plans look like house may/will be near transit corridor.

How long has the house been on the market? If it has been on the market for months that's one possible indicator the location near the train tracks has NOT been taken into account in the seller's asking price.

House has been on the market almost 2 months now. Asking price is $460. I'm considering an offer around $410-420.

I would hazard a guess that the developer bought that area for a bit of a steal, knocked down the houses and rebuilt and is now asking too much.

That's the feeling I got when I looked at the you tube and saw that instead of the old houses I was expecting, it was all new.

Edited to add: I don't know your area of course so can't judge if $460K is a little ridiculous. It is just a gut feeling.

Houses look new, but they're 12 years old.

I was able to get some data on this area and specific street:

Average time to sell in this community: 17 days

Average time to sell on this street: 39 days

Four homes have sold recently on this street. One for asking price and it had significant upgrades. The other three sold $5,000-$40,000 below asking price.

OK, so now you have information to tell you that these houses have an incurable defect that impacts resale. They sell below what the owner thinks they should sell for and it takes longer to sell them. Why do you want to buy this house? You are taking over someone else's problem. This is an ordinary tract house. Why do you want to live here? Why is this house your pick over a similar priced house 1/4 mile away that doesn't have this problem? Put another way what are you getting here that you wouldn't get someplace else to compensate for the defect?

It does seem like you are determined to go ahead. It is good that there are comps on the same street, but the fact that they sold below asking price is not relevant to determine your offer price. What matters is the final sales price. You can figure out the price per square foot of the houses that have sold recently and use that as a starting point to make an offer. To be honest I'd go a little lower (at least 2-3%) so that you can negotiate up to the comps.

One other thing I would do is investigate how the rail line is used. Is it part of a mainline (e.g. route between two cities) or is it a spur that goes to a specific location (mine, manufacturing plant). What type of materials are on the train (coal, chemicals, lumber, ore, etc.) If it is on a mainline it will probably never be shut down. If it is a spur that goes to one mine or business it's possible it might become unused if that business shuts down. Best you could hope for is a "rails to trails" project but odds of that are low.

All great advice. Stan Z: to answer your question, the home is absolutely gorgeous, its a design that my GF and I can both agree on, we love the area/neighborhood, and the backyard is amazing. Its a home we normally could not afford.

Also, I looked at the map for the neighborhood since you mentioned it. It looks nice but I also noted there is a very curvy river/creek nearby. Is the house in a low lying flood zone? That could be another "incurable defect" that would impact price.

Here in Pugetopolis train tracks run along Puget Sound for miles, between residences, businesses etc. and the shore. In my town quite small, old properties on or near the downtown commercial strip (Main Street), just up from the tracks are being put on the market for nearly a million dollars. Houses immediately off of a popular parking and cruising drag, with the tracks just below, are being replaced by fancy new ones - including a double or more lot that had a big, 2-story Hollywood mansion style one built on the back half.

Just north of where this street turns abruptly inland is where southbound trains sit and wait for oncoming northbound ones to pass. The topography puts the near-waterfront houses up there right at the level of the engine stacks; the fumes also waft down to where the busy section is. I am sure because of the saltwater views, close proximity of the shore many of these properties are now assessed at a million something, or otherwise considered very valuable - prime real estate despite the trains.

Meanwhile the already very frequent passing through of freight and passenger trains is expected to increase significantly in future years. There is concern* about toxic materials coming off of passing coal trains, which use open topped cars, and conflicts with all the other activities that take place in the same corridor here - this past summer a pedestrian was creamed by a train right in front of the ferry terminal.

*Involved public officials are attempting to make some changes

Stan: the creek/river is a selling point in the area...its very beautiful wilderness that has been preserved. One of the reasons people love the area...it's beautiful. And not a low lying flood zone.

OK, just making sure you are thinking through all the possibilities on this property. Hope all works out well for you.

Stan I 100% appreciate the advice. I need/want to consider everything.

I watched the video and thought the train wasn't a huge negative. I could live with that if it pleased me in all the other important aspects (kitchen, yard, etc.) I currently live in a quiet country neighborhood and took a four day vacation on a houseboat. I was surprised how much I loved the busy railroad tracks that border the river and the barge traffic (barges are absolutely silent, though. Reminded me of whales!)

I grew up in a building so close to the train tracks that it would shake when the trains went by. I am sure that modern codes would never let you build this close today. After one night, I got used to the sounds, and never paid attention to them. When I grew up and moved away, I had a chance to buy a condo about 1/4 mile from train tracks. Same thing happened--heard them the first night, and then never noticed it again. I'm sure some buyers would have hesitated, but having lived through something much louder, this one was a breeze. Plus, as noted, towns are restricting the whistles when they can. Now when I go home, I never hear the "loud" train sounds. It's like being at the ocean and sleeping with the windows open--you hear the sounds at first, and then you just adjust.

I've done my share of walking to a transit station in winter in Montreal for years, and we lived at a large super busy and noisy intersection. And for a couple of years I walked to an office about 10 min from the transit station, which was also near train tracks. There was a lot of condo development in that area so some people clearly don't mind the train tracks if the price is right. I don't think we would ever be comfortable living near a train line given the Lac Megantic rail disaster, since we loved to vacation in that area, but I don't see an immediate problem if the noise and rattling is not an issue for you. I will say however that a 10 minutes walk in the winter was often a very snowy, slippery or windy 20. The snow trucks didn't usually make it to mostly residential areas before the time to go to work.

That being said, it sounds like me like you want to be convinced to get the house :) So go for it! Just price it right.

My property is alongside the train yard where the trains are built at night. Lots of crashing, but it's bit of a distance. The two tracks on the other side of my place might also give you a tax discount. Did you find that to be the case?