Rental near train tracks - good or bad?

Question

Hi,

I'm just came across a two flat for sale. It is one block from the train station very close to the center of the village. I see the proximity to the train station as a plus (to commute to Chicago) but my wife is concerned that it can be a negative due to the noise levels. I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Mike

Benjamin Timmins · Answer

Amtrak blows horns in major urban areas, regardless of if theres warning signals and gates at the road intersections.

Ryan R. · Answer

There's a big difference between freight trains and passenger trains. The FRA mandates that all frieght trains blow thier horns at crossings, unless the local jurisdiction creates a quiet zone and pays for other visual indicators for approaching trains. Passenger train operations are typically much quiter since they operate in dense urban areas.

Steve Babiak · Answer

I still remember the time a few years back when I was checking out a package of three single family rentals that sat alongside of train tracks near a freight train road crossing. These were on the MLS but the owner insisted on being there for showings. One was already vacant and another had the tenants moving out Si it was about to be vacant. The owner was explaining something to me inside if the house farthest from the road crossing when the train came along; because there was a road crossing it was blowing the whistle. Now, it was winter so all windows and doors were closed, but that noise was so loud inside the house that I could not hear what the owner was trying to tell me, and I didn't care to hear it repeated - Not the property for me.  No realistic way to fix that noise problem that I presume was the reason for the tenants moving out, and probably a contributing reason for the owner selling these.

Rob K. has stated he has such a house so maybe he will tell us what sort of occupants he gets there and what the vacancy statistics are for such a house:

http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/311/topics/78849-difficult-to-rent-sfh-with-sex-offender-across-street?page=1#p469464

Mike Russo · Answer

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. The majority of the train traffic is commuter and the house is about one block from the tracks. It's actually tucked into a quiet neighborhood with single family homes. I'll do more research on train schedules.

Thanks again!

Mike

Ryan R. · Answer

"Passenger train operations are TYPICALLY much quiter since they operate in dense urban areas."

The OP needs to determine what type of trains serve this station. There are many types of passenger trains.

Philip Williams · Answer

Totally agree there are positive and negatives. I think most renters especially if it's a low income area love the positives. Even if they have a car people visiting then often don't.

Darron Stewart · Answer

@Mike Russo  The location sounds fine, as stated above it can be a positive and a negative based on the noise level and time of day.  Some train tracks are not used at night and only active during the day, so visit at multiple times and you be the judge.  I own a rental that backs to the interstate, needless to say it can be noisy but no problem renting and current tenant just passed the two year mark.  Best of luck in your decision!

Kathleen Leary · Answer

When I was a kid, there was a very busy freight line that ran across the back of our property - several trains a day with 100-plus cars. As long as the house doesn't shake & you can still carry on a conversation inside, you'll find a lot of people who actually like the train noise. And commuter convenience is only a plus!

Rental near train tracks - good or bad?

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