All Forum Posts by: Martin Zitzelberger

 Thank you for the really detailed response. I am getting new windows to help on the office bedroom wing of the house. I am an amateur music recording artist as well and have a studio that suffers from the sound so this is great info. I had considered having acoustical mats from the fences. Unfortunately the property declines and the fence would have to be like 40 feet tall to truly block the roads line of site through the trees. You are right, the issue get 100 times worse in my head when I can hear the traffic and see the lights in my backyard. What sort of plants would you recommend? Although all the comments here have helped, there is no way I am staying here long term and will commit to moving whenever it makes sense logistically so planting the forest will probably be an expense better spent in the right house. 

 Thanks for the response. I'm not going to spend too much time trying to blame other people other than learning my own lessons. I'm really hoping that it makes a big difference and makes this place bearable until I can sell without loss.

@Rick Albert

Thank you—this is helpful. Unfortunately, my realtor is my girlfriend’s grandmother, whose main priority was getting her granddaughter into a house. I did bring up the noise issue, but it didn’t matter because we were both seeing everything through rose-colored glasses. On top of that, there were several reasons we felt rushed, leading us to overlook the problem. In hindsight, patience is key.

We’re replacing the windows since the ones that came with the house are poor quality and full of gaps.

Right now, I feel the best option is to hold onto the property for two years and try to sell it at a slight gain if possible. What really bothers me, though, is the steep interest payments in the early years. Over two years, I’ll pay nearly $120K in interest—money that won’t be recouped or appreciated. Even in an optimistic scenario where the house appreciates by $200K (which is a stretch), I’d still only break even.

It’s a tough call, and unfortunately, it feels like lenders and agents are more concerned with protecting their own interests than giving truly impartial advice in a situation like this. Heavy lessons learned.

@Jules Aton I disagree, I am in love with the house and property. If it wasn't for the noise I would stay for as long as I could.

@Benjamin AakerSure, there are a handful of reasons this was overlooked. When I purchased the home just before fall, the roads weren’t visible until the leaves dropped. During all my tours, neighborhood dogs were barking—not something that bothered me, but it likely distracted from the overall noise.

The truth is, it was an oversight, and unfortunately, I’m now dealing with the consequences. I was eager to buy a home at the time, and while I’m not certain I’d sell at a loss, I’m also unsure of the best way to evaluate the financials. Since I’ve only owned the home for a few months, I want to make sure I’m running the right numbers before making any decisions. And as far as being a landlord. That sounds great although like I mentioned, The property would not cashflow unless I put a significant amount of money into the principal. 

Many friends have told me that I will get used to the noise. I unfortunately will not get used it as I have had similar experiences in the past. 

Do you have any recommendations?

if it weren't for the noise it's effectively my dream home. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how much money I would lose, purchasing a home is a very emotional thing for my, my wife and I find it really hard to get honest answers or comparisons from family or colleagues about how much money it would set us back, so I am only assuming the worst and hoping someone here can advise. I have looked into the windows and currently have a contractor quoting it out, however it is extremely expensive and there are no promises that it will improve the noise.

I recently bought my first home in Thousand Oaks, CA—a huge milestone for me. I’ve lived here my whole life and worked hard to buy a house in my parents' neighborhood, which is the most sought-after area in the city. Having lived nearby for years, I thought I knew the area well.

The house itself is stunning, and the property is beautifully landscaped—truly a dream home in many ways. However, there’s one major issue I overlooked: noise. The house sits near a freeway junction and a busy street, and while my previous rental was also close to the freeway, something about this home's elevation makes the noise unbearablyintrusive. It’s subtle but constant, and I can’t seem to tune it out.

I’m exploring every possible way to mitigate the sound, but the reality is that I can’t change the home’s proximity or line of sight to the roads. I’ve heard from many (non-experts) that I’d need to stay for at least 5-7 years to avoid taking a significant financial hit, but that feels like a waking nightmare given how much this issue affects me.

Financially, renting it out isn’t an easy solution either. My interest rate and purchase price wouldn’t allow for positive cash flow unless I charged an unreasonable rent—or put about $500K toward the principal, which isn't ideal.

I’m a high earner, so I’m weighing my options:

1. Take the loss ($60K-$100K), buy another house, and chalk this up to a hard lesson learned.
2. Refinance, put more money into it, and rent it out long-term—even if it’s not immediately profitable.
3. Invest my money elsewhere and try to make peace with staying here for several years.

Would love to hear thoughts from anyone with experience in real estate, financial strategy, or noise mitigation. Is there a smarter way to approach this? I am new to BiggerPockets, so if I am in the prong place please point me in the right direction

I recently bought my first home in Thousand Oaks, CA—a huge milestone for me. I’ve lived here my whole life and worked hard to buy a house in my parents' neighborhood, which is the most sought-after area in the city. Having lived nearby for years, I thought I knew the area well.

The house itself is stunning, and the property is beautifully landscaped—truly a dream home in many ways. However, there’s one major issue I overlooked: noise. The house sits near a freeway junction and a busy street, and while my previous rental was also close to the freeway, something about this home's elevation makes the noise unbearablyintrusive. It’s subtle but constant, and I can’t seem to tune it out.

I’m exploring every possible way to mitigate the sound, but the reality is that I can’t change the home’s proximity or line of sight to the roads. I’ve heard from many (non-experts) that I’d need to stay for at least 5-7 years to avoid taking a significant financial hit, but that feels like a waking nightmare given how much this issue affects me.

Financially, renting it out isn’t an easy solution either. My interest rate and purchase price wouldn’t allow for positive cash flow unless I charged an unreasonable rent—or put about $500K toward the principal, which isn't ideal.

I’m a high earner, so I’m weighing my options:

1. Take the loss ($60K-$100K), buy another house, and chalk this up to a hard lesson learned.
2. Refinance, put more money into it, and rent it out long-term—even if it’s not immediately profitable.
3. Invest my money elsewhere and try to make peace with staying here for several years or just move.

Would love to hear thoughts from anyone with experience in real estate, financial strategy, or noise mitigation. Is there a smarter way to approach this? I do not know the best category to put this, so please point me in the right direction