How about you be right and have faith in everything and we'll be wrong and have diligence?This seems like a lack of due diligence on behalf of the real estate agent and the home buyer. The last two homes I bought, I made sure I knew exactly what my internet options would be and even pre-qualified the service before finalizing the sale. I'd suggest anyone who views internet as important to their job or entertainment to include that as part of the home buying process.
No, this idea is wrong.
Simple solution, ask one of the neighbors if you can install a wireless transceiver at their house. Even high end line of sight airFiber would only be a $2000 hardware cost. No reason to use something quite that powerful for home internet though.
Honestly, it's 2022, and if I was buying an expensive house (which mostly feels like redundant phrasing these days), I'd feel entitled to internet access too. In the same way I'd feel entitled to indoor plumbing, sewage, and electric.“I was just flabbergasted that a house like this, in an area like this, could possibly have never been wired for Internet,”
Since there’s a small number of houses with significant space between them it sounds like they’re all on very large lots, maybe even small acreages. Which means this is likely an expensive house. Which, if true, makes the “house like this/area like this” comment sound very entitled.
How hard it is in a US city to start a new ISP ? Really strange heairing these horror stories
This is the kind of thing that first time home owners are most likely to miss. If only there were an agent of some kind to advise and help them through the process./s
Honestly, it's 2022, and if I was buying an expensive house (which mostly feels like redundant phrasing these days), I'd feel entitled to internet access too. In the same way I'd feel entitled to indoor plumbing, sewage, and electric.“I was just flabbergasted that a house like this, in an area like this, could possibly have never been wired for Internet,”
Since there’s a small number of houses with significant space between them it sounds like they’re all on very large lots, maybe even small acreages. Which means this is likely an expensive house. Which, if true, makes the “house like this/area like this” comment sound very entitled.
If I was buying an expensive house I’d make sure to do my due diligence first. Along with paying for a detailed house inspection I’d also inquire about Internet (as numerous people have pointed out in this thread already).
Entitled people often forget to do this because, well, they’re “entitled”.
As mentioned here, and as evidenced across many articles on Ars, you can do as much due diligence as possible for an individual buyer and still get fucked when it comes to internet access. Did these particular buyers do as much due diligence as possible? Hard to say with the information available.Honestly, it's 2022, and if I was buying an expensive house (which mostly feels like redundant phrasing these days), I'd feel entitled to internet access too. In the same way I'd feel entitled to indoor plumbing, sewage, and electric.“I was just flabbergasted that a house like this, in an area like this, could possibly have never been wired for Internet,”
Since there’s a small number of houses with significant space between them it sounds like they’re all on very large lots, maybe even small acreages. Which means this is likely an expensive house. Which, if true, makes the “house like this/area like this” comment sound very entitled.
If I was buying an expensive house I’d make sure to do my due diligence first. Along with paying for a detailed house inspection I’d also inquire about Internet (as numerous people have pointed out in this thread already).
Entitled people often forget to do this because, well, they’re “entitled”.
No, it's not regulated as a utility in most places.And yet all these houses are wired for electricity because America was a middle class socialist democracy in the last century. Is this really harder than the more dangerous electricity lines? Or just not regulated as a utility like it should be?It seems like the issue is straight forward. It's not Comcast's fault that they would need to do underground work, tear up the road, and then restore the road to serve one customer. They won't ever see any return on the costs of that. Something that might help is asking the city to run overhead poles to his house and then Comcast can use that and it would probably greatly reduce the cost, but I'd doubt they'd do it for the same reason Comcast won't take up an 80,000 dollar project so one couple can get high-speed.
This is the kind of thing that first time home owners are most likely to miss. If only there were an agent of some kind to advise and help them through the process./s
So, in my state real estate agents can represent either the buyer or the seller. The agent you contact from the name on the "For Sale" sign is the seller's agent. You can contact your own agent separately and they will represent YOUR interests, but this isn't all that common unless you've already contracted one to help you sell your existing house. Anyway, with your own agent, they'll split commissions with the seller's agent, and look out for your interests.
Or - probably better - your attorney can act on your behalf.
Not sure how this works in other states, though.
At what point does it become cheaper to just start your own ISP?
Comcast's charges are their way of saying $FUCK.OFF and not much else.
If the customer is going to pay the cost of the install, why give them a fuck-off price? You have a captive customer who obviously has no better options than forking over thousands to you for the privilege of that house paying you for the rest of time.
It's much more likely they're price-gouging for the same reasons. "He has no options, he'll pay."
Apparently starlink doesnt work if there are trees in the way. Seattle has trees.Starlink?
Apparently starlink doesnt work if there are trees in the way. Seattle has trees.Starlink?
But the housing market is so crazy, you might have to sigh before even checking out the build quality of the house.It’s gotten to the point where if I move, I will preinstall internet service before signing. Hard to trust availability websites, disclosures, etc.
But the housing market is so crazy, you might have to sigh before even checking out the build quality of the house.It’s gotten to the point where if I move, I will preinstall internet service before signing. Hard to trust availability websites, disclosures, etc.
People are suggesting sharing the neighbors wifi. What if Comcast installed a directional wifi just for this house? From pole or box to residence. Seems like that could be done for a lot cheaper than digging.
They'd have to train engineers and technicians to install, monitor and service the equipment. The cost would not be trivial.
Never, when the incumbent monopoly ISP can simply undercut you on your 20-50k investment at any time for their true cost.At what point does it become cheaper to just start your own ISP?
But the housing market is so crazy, you might have to sigh before even checking out the build quality of the house.It’s gotten to the point where if I move, I will preinstall internet service before signing. Hard to trust availability websites, disclosures, etc.
It was in the documents, seller did not have internet (in 2022 near Seattle...red flags). I checked the outside of every house I looked at for FTTH. If I didn't see a box on the outside of the house, I wasn't buying.
My agent warned us about those people. There were some people waiving inspections, buying houses sight unseen, paying well over asking.
This is a violation of the terms listed on page 58 of Comcast's King County franchise agreement and this couple should contact the franchise authority to have those terms enforced.
"The Franchisee must provide Cable Service to all Persons within its franchise area upon request...standard installation charge to all Persons within its Franchise Area where the drop distance is one hundred and fifty feet or less. "
https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/it ... ashx?la=en
When Zachary Cohn and his wife bought a house in the Northgate neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, they didn't expect any trouble getting home Internet service.
What's not clear from my reading is whether Comcast told them service was available at that address before they bought the house. Buying a house without checking if service is available at that address is like buying a house without checking if it has city water or a well, i.e., moronic.
Sounds like the disclosure in the purchase agreement was pretty shaky. There is a difference between "does not have internet service" and "cannot get internet service". In California I am not sure that would be considered a full disclosure. I don't know about Washington but they might want to talk to a real estate attorney.
It seems like the issue is straight forward. It's not Comcast's fault that they would need to do underground work, tear up the road, and then restore the road to serve one customer. They won't ever see any return on the costs of that. Something that might help is asking the city to run overhead poles to his house and then Comcast can use that and it would probably greatly reduce the cost, but I'd doubt they'd do it for the same reason Comcast won't take up an 80,000 dollar project so one couple can get high-speed.
But the housing market is so crazy, you might have to sigh before even checking out the build quality of the house.It’s gotten to the point where if I move, I will preinstall internet service before signing. Hard to trust availability websites, disclosures, etc.