>>>>>>>>>Yep, yet we consider our housing prices out of control, and some of them are. What I find really out of whack is that very few builders are building 'starter homes' any more so houses that those 1000-1200 sq ft houses that used to sell in the mid-70's to mid-90's (thousand dollars) are now well into the 130's. Another reason why younger folk can't afford to buy a house.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I do not recall ever being able to buy a home for $1000 and my father was a realtor. Also, my first husband and I bought a starter home in the mid 1970's and I can assure you that it cost a lot more that $1000. Several years later, after I left him, I bought my own starter home in 1989 and it cost me $75,900. Where on earth did you get this $1000 figure from?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>You misread what Dorris wrote. She mentioned 1000-1200 sq. ft. and said they used to sell "in the mid-70's to mid-90's (thousand dollars)."
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>FWIW, in 1961, my parents bought a 3-story, 5-bedroom house on a third of an acre (empty side lot and land went back to the street behind) in Philly (in a neighborhood on the outer edge of the city) for $23,000.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Tamar
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Yep.
>>>>>>>We bought a starter house on Long Island around that time (3 BR)
>>>>>>>It's a safe bet that the current annual real estate tax bill for that house is close to or higher than what we paid for it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>When I bought my first house it cost about the same as my wifes and my salary combined (about £28000) that was also my first job.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Same house sold last year for £260000. What sort of first job would you need now to match that price.
>>>>>
>>>>>In Boston area, even when converting the above into dollars, is very affordable price :)
>>>>
>>>>The US East Coast (well, the northern half or so) is interesting that way. Boston, New York and Washington are crazy expensive. Philly, Wilmington (DE), and Baltimore much more affordable.
>>>>
>>>>Here in Philly, there's a significant different between different suburbs. I'm on the less expensive side of town, and we figure that our house and land would be roughly double over on the Main Line. What's really great is that along with paying less, we get a diverse, interesting community, and commuter rail that takes us downtown in 20-30 minutes. (To be fair, the Main Line has that, too.)
>>>>
>>>>Inside the city, there's wide variation with lots of areas undergoing redevelopment. My husband is a real estate lawyer; he has a whole bunch of clients in the city who are building new little communities in the city, 6 houses here, 10 there, 3 other there, etc. He drafts the association documents for them.
>>>>
>>>>Tamar
>>>
>>>I live in a 2nd or 3rd most expensive town in Mass, in terms of property tax. And we have a diversity too, since I am allowed to live in this town :)).
>>
>>Yeah, our property taxes are among the highest around because this community has rejected commercial development over and over and over.
>>
>>Ours really is quite diverse, racially, religiously, ethnically, economically.
>>
>>Tamar
>
>Looks like we live in a very similar towns (our town rejects any kind of commercial development). Usually we will have a town meeting where nobody but those who are in the neighborhood of the proposed development will show up. And they shut it down - "not in my back yard". So the town keep raising property tax again and again.

Hamilton, NJ is the reverse.
They won't allow construction of anything that might house a school age child because taxes on residential construction don't cover the costs of educating that child.
Ask to put up a gas station and they'll love it.
So, the school population is declining and guess what.. the cost per child is increasing.

Sounds like Catch 22, doesn't it?