Our housing market (south Orange County, CA) is creeping closer and closer to Bay Area prices. We're currently in a 1 bed + den apartment, 900 sq. ft. for $1750/month. We're going to need to move into a new place when our lease is up because 3 kids in this small of a place is not going to go over well. If we buy a 3-bedroom, 1300 sq. ft. basic townhouse with almost no yard it'll be a minimum of $500k. But if we rent the same size place, it'll be about $2600/month or more so it's pretty much a wash. It depresses me just thinking about it, but once I finish my Masters, my salary will increase at least 2-3x depending on where we end up living at that time. Out of the places I'm willing to live, FI would most want to live in Denver area, so...at least it's cheaper than the Bay Area? lol.
We also live just down the street from a ritzy country-club type gated neighborhood where all the rich people who drive Teslas and Range Rovers live. We deliver products to someone who lives there, and he has a putting green on his front lawn. Here's a listing I really like: https://www.redfin.com/CA/Coto-de-Caza/31881-Violeta-Ln-92679/home/12182250.
Our housing market (south Orange County, CA) is creeping closer and closer to Bay Area prices. We're currently in a 1 bed + den apartment, 900 sq. ft. for $1750/month. We're going to need to move into a new place when our lease is up because 3 kids in this small of a place is not going to go over well. If we buy a 3-bedroom, 1300 sq. ft. basic townhouse with almost no yard it'll be a minimum of $500k. But if we rent the same size place, it'll be about $2600/month or more so it's pretty much a wash. It depresses me just thinking about it, but once I finish my Masters, my salary will increase at least 2-3x depending on where we end up living at that time. Out of the places I'm willing to live, FI would most want to live in Denver area, so...at least it's cheaper than the Bay Area? lol.
We also live just down the street from a ritzy country-club type gated neighborhood where all the rich people who drive Teslas and Range Rovers live. We deliver products to someone who lives there, and he has a putting green on his front lawn. Here's a listing I really like: https://www.redfin.com/CA/Coto-de-Caza/31881-Violeta-Ln-92679/home/12182250.
Housing in our area is expensive (not quite boston, but close) and wages don't keep-up. $150K will get you a 2BR 1BA fixer-upper on about a tenth of an acre of land. 2BR 2BA in our neighborhood that are in livable shape are selling for $200-250K. a decent 3-4BR 2-3BA on more than half an acre will run you more than $400K.
The next town over (with a far and a way better school system) our little 3BR 2BA on 0.13 acres would cost $350-400K.
I'm so glad H and I have decided that we'll be moving to a totally different area where a 4Br 2.5-3Ba house on an acre or two will be in our price range, and wages are higher.
Here's a typical $500,000 range offering. For this you'll get an old but well maintained colonial on the "East Side," which is our ritzy neighborhood. H and I can't afford the neighborhood currently, but probably will be able to at some point in our lives. I love older homes and definitely wouldn't mind living there.
This house, at 180,000, is not too far from me. Prices have already gone up a little bit since we moved in, and we got a 3 BR for less than this. My neighborhood is safe and mostly well-maintained, but not "cool" like the East Side. Our home's price was probably also lowered but the horrendous wallpaper and stained carpet that we were able to look past. In this price range, you can also get a little townhouse close to downtown, where many work, or a triple decker in a couple of hipstery, gentrifying neighborhoods that just aren't quite safe enough for my taste yet since we're planning on raising a family.
Like a lot of you have mentioned, here in NOLA there is a variety of housing prices depending on what area you are in. With the French Quarter generally being the highest priced.
I focused on Mid-City, which is the area I live in and a bit more "middle of the road". Most houses in this area are around $250K-$300K for good condition, around 2,000 square feet.
$500,000, Lovely, but overpriced...hence why it has been on the market almost two months despite being in one of the hottest neighborhoods.:
You know, you'd think when you're selling an $8 million dollar house...one of the most expensive in the city...the listing pic (and other pics) would be clear and focused, instead of half of them being blurry, lol.
@short+sassy, that one on Dumaine St is gorgeous, I'd buy that! The artwork in that French Quarter house is... interesting. The portrait of the father and son holding the picture of the dog is amazing. Surprising they wouldn't bring in a home stager to depersonalize a bit for a house of that price point though, no matter where it's located.
@short+sassy, that one on Dumaine St is gorgeous, I'd buy that! The artwork in that French Quarter house is... interesting. The portrait of the father and son holding the picture of the dog is amazing. Surprising they wouldn't bring in a home stager to depersonalize a bit for a house of that price point though, no matter where it's located.
Haha, anytime I peek at a French Quarter listing, the artwork and décor is almost always...interesting. As in a bit weird and very personalized.
I once went on one of those "historic home" tours. Basically, if one's house is on the historical registry, there are huge tax breaks but you have to open up your house to these kinds of tours 1-2x/year. So weirdos...like me!...can go tromping through your house.
At any rate, this one FQ house I saw had an art gallery taking up the whole first floor. You would have thought it was a small art museum or an art store. Except it wasn't. It was the first floor of a personal residence. That was my moment of, "You know you have money when".
That house is actually a bargain at "only" 3.2 million. It's in the FQ and is over 6,000 square feet. I've seen tiny (400-600 square feet) 1 bedroom FQ condos sell for $750K-$1M.
And, LOL. We bought our house in Feb of last year for 438k. We had it appraised Monday for a refinance to lower the rate and take some cash out for our required backyard landscaping that the HOA has been on us about. I thought it would appraise in the 480k range. It appraised for 512k. That's insane.
And, LOL. We bought our house in Feb of last year for 438k. We had it appraised Monday for a refinance to lower the rate and take some cash out for our required backyard landscaping that the HOA has been on us about. I thought it would appraise in the 480k range. It appraised for 512k. That's insane.
Awesome! Sounds like you all bought just in the nick of time .
And, LOL. We bought our house in Feb of last year for 438k. We had it appraised Monday for a refinance to lower the rate and take some cash out for our required backyard landscaping that the HOA has been on us about. I thought it would appraise in the 480k range. It appraised for 512k. That's insane.
Awesome! Sounds like you all bought just in the nick of time .
I guess! Although who knows, it'll probably come down again. I look at what some of the older houses in our area originally sold for maybe 15 years ago, it hurts that we paid even what we paid haha!
Sorry this is an old post but I don't follow these boards too often. I also live in the Denver area and I cannot believe what Zillow estimates our house's worth. We bought it 2 years ago at $250k and now is "Zestimated" at $365k and we've barely done any updates. I can't wait to see what it's worth after we finish the basement and update the kitchen.
Re: Wowza, the Denver market and saving up for a home!
Like a lot of you have mentioned, here in NOLA there is a variety of housing prices depending on what area you are in. With the French Quarter generally being the highest priced.
I focused on Mid-City, which is the area I live in and a bit more "middle of the road". Most houses in this area are around $250K-$300K for good condition, around 2,000 square feet.
$500,000, Lovely, but overpriced...hence why it has been on the market almost two months despite being in one of the hottest neighborhoods.:
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1116-N-Dupre-St_New-Orleans_LA_70119_M73943-09629
Only one approaching $1,000,000, I think this is across the street from a Bayou waterway:
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3332-Dumaine-St_New-Orleans_LA_70119_M87032-49965
Most expensive in all of New Orleans:
You know, you'd think when you're selling an $8 million dollar house...one of the most expensive in the city...the listing pic (and other pics) would be clear and focused, instead of half of them being blurry, lol.
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1415-3rd-St_New-Orleans_LA_70130_M80543-89193
Just for fun, a historic home right in the French Quarter:
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/516-Saint-Philip-St_New-Orleans_LA_70116_M82520-82572#photo10
I hope you all can click on these. It doesn't seem to work for me. I'm sometimes klutzy with technology.
Haha, anytime I peek at a French Quarter listing, the artwork and décor is almost always...interesting. As in a bit weird and very personalized.
I once went on one of those "historic home" tours. Basically, if one's house is on the historical registry, there are huge tax breaks but you have to open up your house to these kinds of tours 1-2x/year. So weirdos...like me!...can go tromping through your house.
At any rate, this one FQ house I saw had an art gallery taking up the whole first floor. You would have thought it was a small art museum or an art store. Except it wasn't. It was the first floor of a personal residence. That was my moment of, "You know you have money when".
That house is actually a bargain at "only" 3.2 million. It's in the FQ and is over 6,000 square feet. I've seen tiny (400-600 square feet) 1 bedroom FQ condos sell for $750K-$1M.