Housing price comparison

[Balog]

http://money.cnn.com/2014/04/01/real_estate/manhattan-home-prices/index.html?iid=SF_PF_River

It makes me sad that they chose Seattle for the infographic. Housing prices are still nuts around here.

[Kingcreek]

Come to my small Midwest town.
You can buy a whole damn block for 150-200K, every friggin house and garage on it. A 16 bedroom 1880s mansion with an elevator and 3rd floor ballroom, swimming pool, and carriage house has been on the market for 2 years and they can't get 225k. We have houses for sale for 35k that could be moved into as is. Median home value was 48k a few years ago, might be up to low 50s in this current Obama low-interest rate environment.

[Balog]

Come to my small Midwest town.
You can buy a whole damn block for 150-200K, every friggin house and garage on it. A 16 bedroom 1880s mansion with an elevator and 3rd floor ballroom, swimming pool, and carriage house has been on the market for 2 years and they can't get 225k. We have houses for sale for 35k that could be moved into as is. Median home value was 48k a few years ago, might be up to low 50s in this current Obama low-interest rate environment.

And what is the median salary and job market like? Yeah, that's what I thought...

[lee n. field]

Come to my small Midwest town.
You can buy a whole damn block for 150-200K,

One current fantasy is to do just that, knock them all down and put up a 15' wall around the block.

[wmenorr67]

Come to my small Midwest town.
You can buy a whole damn block for 150-200K, every friggin house and garage on it. A 16 bedroom 1880s mansion with an elevator and 3rd floor ballroom, swimming pool, and carriage house has been on the market for 2 years and they can't get 225k. We have houses for sale for 35k that could be moved into as is. Median home value was 48k a few years ago, might be up to low 50s in this current Obama low-interest rate environment.

What town might that be?

[charby]

And what is the median salary and job market like? Yeah, that's what I thought...

What job? If you can do Ag stuff that requires a BS like soil scientist or agronomist, you will do quite well.

Also things like car insurance, vehicle registration and going out to eat are considerably lower than areas that have higher paying salaries.

[Balog]

What job? If you can do Ag stuff that requires a BS like soil scientist or agronomist, you will do quite well.

Also things like car insurance, vehicle registration and going out to eat are considerably lower than areas that have higher paying salaries.

Right, but that's kind of my point. Cheap housing and cost of living is offset by lower salary range.

[charby]

Right, but that's kind of my point. Cheap housing and cost of living is offset by lower salary range.

Right but its kind of a wash in how far the dollar goes. Yes, you make less money but your salary goes a lot further.

[charby]

Here is medium household incomes in Iowa

http://www.iowaworkforce.org/trends/mediania.html

Washington State

http://www.ofm.wa.gov/economy/hhinc/medinc.pdf

[Balog]

Right but its kind of a wash in how far the dollar goes. Yes, you make less money but your salary goes a lot further.

 

That was my exact point. Lower CoL & lower salaries, higher CoL & higher salaries; so one is not "better" in terms of purchasing power than the other. I'm really confused about what point you're trying to make?

[charby]

That was my exact point. Lower CoL & lower salaries, higher CoL & higher salaries; so one is not "better" in terms of purchasing power than the other. I'm really confused about what point you're trying to make?

I'm countering the statement you made

And what is the median salary and job market like? Yeah, that's what I thought...

You can do well in those cheap housing markets with certain career paths.

[Balog]

I'm countering the statement you made

You can do well in those cheap housing markets with certain career paths.

Anything is possible, especially depending on how one defines "doing well." But I was merely pointing out that enjoying the lower CoL carries a heavy opportunity cost in terms of job availability and salary. How many people are making >$80k in that "small midwest town"? How many people in Seattle are making >$200k?

[Ben]

Though as telework jobs continue to grow, those midwestern towns can have real appeal. A Google salary in Kingcreek's town would be a pretty sweet deal.

[RoadKingLarry]

Kind of depends on what you want out of life.
If climbing the corporate ladder, keeping up with the Jonse's, having a huge mortgage and living with in spitting distant of a million or more people, a staggering number of which are dumber than dirt, is your cup of tea then have at it.

[zahc]

Right but its kind of a wash in how far the dollar goes. Yes, you make less money but your salary goes a lot further.

Except in one scenario you live in civilization and the other you live in BFE. After living in civilization for a few years I came to appreciate the advantages of civilization and am significantly less enthused by smalltown American. The internet and Amazon Prime have helped somewhat vs. 10 years ago but the gas prices have hurt.

My hometown acquaintances are always telling me "move back, the cost of living is so much lower". But it's not, what they mean is that the standard of living is lower.

[RoadKingLarry]

Except in one scenario you live in civilization

You mean like Chicago, Detroit, NYC, D.C., Los Angeles, civilized places like that?

[Fitz]

Though as telework jobs continue to grow, those midwestern towns can have real appeal. A Google salary in Kingcreek's town would be a pretty sweet deal.

This

My ultimate goal is a 100 percent telework job. Then, i'm off as far as I can get and still have halfway decent interwebz

[charby]

Except in one scenario you live in civilization and the other you live in BFE. After living in civilization for a few years I came to appreciate the advantages of civilization and am significantly less enthused by smalltown American. The internet and Amazon Prime have helped somewhat vs. 10 years ago but the gas prices have hurt.

My hometown acquaintances are always telling me "move back, the cost of living is so much lower". But it's not, what they mean is that the standard of living is lower.

I'm 45 minutes from Des Moines, 3 hours from MSP, 5 hours from Chicago, 3.5 hours from KCI, 6 hours from STL and 2.5 hours from Omaha. If I need urban civilization I can just drive there. I lived in MSP for a while, to be honest I don't see what I am missing, when I lived there I couldn't afford to take advantage of what a city offered every weekend and now if I want something I can't get in DSM, I can just drive to one of the big cities, grab a hotel room for a few days and go home when I am done.

[charby]

On the other hand I can get into my car and be in one of deer stand in about 10 minutes, about 20 minutes for the rest of the lands I hunt. My commute to work is under 10 minutes, about 15 minutes on the way home. I can leave my house unlocked all day and no one screws with it, same with my truck. Even at the most expensive bars I can still get change back on a $5 for about any drink at the bar.

[roo_ster]

He k i am too busy working to indulge in all the supposed urban amenities.  To the point j am defaulfing to amazon for many purchases be ause i do not have tkme to shop locally.

[Balog]

You mean like Chicago, Detroit, NYC, D.C., Los Angeles, civilized places like that?

Yep, it's "my only neighbor is a cow" or Detroit. No middle ground.

 

[Scout26]

This

My ultimate goal is a 100 percent telework job. Then, i'm off as far as I can get and still have halfway decent interwebz

So when you grow up you want to be Tallpine?

 

[Fitz]

Basically

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Lived in both types of places.  Bfe has much to recommend it. As a young man I thought I should hustle get ahead and then bail out for the better life. After some decades I had the epiphany.  Why not spend those decades in the better life. Did I really need that many motorcycles/cars/flat screens? As my awareness that my time is finite grew I decided not to waste anymore. The higher cost of living in greater opportunity largely offset the larger salary.  With kids the choice became more imperative.  Haven't regretted it. If I had a do over I would bail out earlier

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

[charby]

Yep, it's "my only neighbor is a cow" or Detroit. No middle ground.

 

I live in a town of 60k (has grown by 10k since I moved here), not a suburb or has suburbs. Has several smaller communities with in 20 miles of the town. If gas wasn't $3.35 a gallon I would still be living in the 10k town that is 17 miles away from work.