If you are against the Stimulus Bill.....

[austinmomto2]

We rent. We looked at a house 1 1/2 ago that we almost bought for $85,000. I think the payments would have been around $800, but I can't remember for sure. It was a beautiful 3 bedroom with 2 full baths. It also had a two car garage that had an an additional storage room separate from the cars. It was newly remodeled with all new appliances and a huge jacuzzi style bathtub. In my FIL's neighborhood in California that house would go for about $500,000.

Thankfully my husband got cold feet about home ownership and we decided to wait. He got laid off for almost six months this last summer so it's a good thing he did. If not, we would be in foreclosure like a lot of other people we know!

Isn't it amazing the costs of homes in different parts of the country? Here in TX, homes are fairly affordable but our same house where my brother lives in MD would be $500,000. There would be no way we would/could afford it living there. No wonder the housing bubble there is going down. So many house prices have be overinflated.

[VANILLAGRRL]

Isn't it amazing the costs of homes in different parts of the country? Here in TX, homes are fairly affordable but our same house where my brother lives in MD would be $500,000. There would be no way we would/could afford it living there. No wonder the housing bubble there is going down. So many house prices have be overinflated.

It's crazy! My DH would love to live in California, but I would be scared to death. The economy here in MI isn't too spectacular either, but our cost of living isn't too high either. In CA the economy is dicey at best and the cost of living is pretty steep. At least it is where DH wants to live. His dad lives in a small town in the valley (Ripon) and it is a pretty upscale area.

I guess this has strayed pretty far off topic huh?

[kas]

One reason prices got jacked up is that newer houses are built often with 1500-2000 sq ft or more. Using a building cost of $100-$125 a sq ft., just putting up a new home cost $200,000 before any bells and whistles are ordered. The orginal ones in the burbs were under a 1000 sq ft and the cost for land and the trades were far less than today. Even into the mid 80's one could have a 3 bedroom single story built for the low 60's. My brother and his wide did, except the non-union clowns made plenty of mistakes, which the GC refuse to correct.

IMHO, there needs to be a slow down of turning farmland into new subdivisions. The true costs to bring utlities and roads to these areas rob other agencies. Once an area matures, usually road must be upgraded and often the local officials provide taxpayers dollars to intice businesses to set up shop.

[derketchup]

IMHO, there needs to be a slow down of turning farmland into new subdivisions. The true costs to bring utlities and roads to these areas rob other agencies. Once an area matures, usually road must be upgraded and often the local officials provide taxpayers dollars to intice businesses to set up shop.

We also need to reconsider having almost all farms in America owned by corporations instead of families.

[meems]

I guess this has strayed pretty far off topic huh?

careful, you might get yelled at!

[faeryedark]

it's about $500 for a studio, $650 for a 1 bedroom. 2 bedrooms jump to $900, and good luck finding a 3 bedroom for under $1100.

I'm talking apartments, not houses.

$14/hr would be luxurious for me here as a single person. If I had kids though... I don't know if I could do it. Maybe if both kids were the same gender.

Yeah, see it's relative. I have 3 BD, half-house and we pay $650 (we do have a deal...some like mine would be about $100 more per month) So, let's say $750 is norm for a 3BD in my area

[faeryedark]

One reason prices got jacked up is that newer houses are built often with 1500-2000 sq ft or more. Using a building cost of $100-$125 a sq ft., just putting up a new home cost $200,000 before any bells and whistles are ordered. The orginal ones in the burbs were under a 1000 sq ft and the cost for land and the trades were far less than today. Even into the mid 80's one could have a 3 bedroom single story built for the low 60's. My brother and his wide did, except the non-union clowns made plenty of mistakes, which the GC refuse to correct.

IMHO, there needs to be a slow down of turning farmland into new subdivisions. The true costs to bring utlities and roads to these areas rob other agencies. Once an area matures, usually road must be upgraded and often the local officials provide taxpayers dollars to intice businesses to set up shop.

And strip malls. This is one of my biggest gripes (esp. in my area) They ruin some of the best farmland around for sub-divisions and strip mallls. And to top it off we alredy have a dearth of empty stores and strip malls.
And why, do people think they need such big houses? Having been to U.K. and Europe, they live in smaller homes and do well.