[JayCT]

Originally Posted by JViello

They wish to have a newer "colonial" in Newtown vs maybe an older 60's small colonial or 70's contemporary in lower FFC. Why? I'm sure some of it is due to the reasons I stated.

And what is wrong with that? People everywhere often move to less expensive towns so they can afford a larger or nicer home. That is their choice and who are we to question your motives. It is also unfair to make sweeping judgements on a whole town just from observations of a few. I know people in Newtown. They are very well off and have a huge custom built home there. They could easily afford lower Fairfield County but choose Newtown because they want more land and a new home. They are not pretentious people. They are hard working people who built a business from nothing and are enjoying the fruits of their labor the way they want to. Nothing wrong with that IMHO. Isn't that the American dream? Jay

[MetsNY]

Why wouldn't you want to live in a larger, newer home? Why spend the money, time, and disaster of renovating an older home when you can move 20 minutes up north and have a beautiful custom designed house?

[Huskyz]

A beautiful town. A great place to live.

[Seattle's Best 28]

Originally Posted by JayCT

And what is wrong with that? People everywhere often move to less expensive towns so they can afford a larger or nicer home. That is their choice and who are we to question your motives. It is also unfair to make sweeping judgements on a whole town just from observations of a few. I know people in Newtown. They are very well off and have a huge custom built home there. They could easily afford lower Fairfield County but choose Newtown because they want more land and a new home. They are not pretentious people. They are hard working people who built a business from nothing and are enjoying the fruits of their labor the way they want to. Nothing wrong with that IMHO. Isn't that the American dream? Jay

Some people are jealous of others having more then them. Newtown is WEALTHY. Can you blame the people for spending $1 million on a new colonial over a 40 year old 3 bed ranch on half the land? NO. Thats why Newtown, Oxford, Monroe, Shelton have been growing rapidly because they border the county and people can still commute to the expensive areas.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by JayCT

And what is wrong with that? People everywhere often move to less expensive towns so they can afford a larger or nicer home. That is their choice and who are we to question your motives. It is also unfair to make sweeping judgements on a whole town just from observations of a few. I know people in Newtown. They are very well off and have a huge custom built home there. They could easily afford lower Fairfield County but choose Newtown because they want more land and a new home. They are not pretentious people. They are hard working people who built a business from nothing and are enjoying the fruits of their labor the way they want to. Nothing wrong with that IMHO. Isn't that the American dream? Jay

In those cases, nothing is wrong with it if it's a choice and not a "can't". Again, that's why I said *some* and didn't make a sweeping generalization.

There is SOME of that element there, it can't be denied. The dentist I used for reference I know for fact is living almost paycheck to paycheck and could not afford to live in what they have down in lower FFC.

I guess it would be the same reason people start looking South too when they can't afford a 600K home here they see a large 250K home in say NC and pull up stakes to get "more".

I'm sure there also are many "wannabe pretentious" people who move into a 350K house in SC that is in a "posh" neighborhood when in say FFC it wouldn't purchase a starter home. Lord knows I came across a few McMansion owners who finally "arrived" with a 100% financed baby Benz in NC who were living in a ranch back North. I thought it was kind of silly.

Perhaps that's one of the issues facing America. Greed, and the need to have "more more more" and "bigger bigger bigger" instead of living within one's means realistically.

The bottom line is, to paint a realistic picture of what's upper FFC is like, I don't think it's being totaly honest to deny there are some wannabe's living there. I have bumped into a few myself, and also some great people as well.

Originally Posted by Seattle's Best 28

Some people are jealous of others having more then them.

I'm sure it is some of that. There are people who were priced out of lower FFC living in upper FFC. It's possible they are a little jealous, perhaps bitter.

Who knows for sure?

I personally feel bad for people living beyond what they can afford in the chase for bigger "stuff". To each his own I guess.

[MetsNY]

Originally Posted by JViello

In those cases, nothing is wrong with it if it's a choice and not a "can't". Again, that's why I said *some* and didn't make a sweeping generalization.

There is SOME of that element there, it can't be denied. The dentist I used for reference I know for fact is living almost paycheck to paycheck and could not afford to live in what they have down in lower FFC.

I guess it would be the same reason people start looking South too when they can't afford a 600K home here they see a large 250K home in say NC and pull up stakes to get "more".

I'm sure there also are many "wannabe pretentious" people who move into a 350K house in SC that is in a "posh" neighborhood when in say FFC it wouldn't purchase a starter home. Lord knows I came across a few McMansion owners who finally "arrived" with a 100% financed baby Benz in NC who were living in a ranch back North. I thought it was kind of silly.

Perhaps that's one of the issues facing America. Greed, and the need to have "more more more" and "bigger bigger bigger" instead of living within one's means realistically.

The bottom line is, to paint a realistic picture of what's upper FFC is like, I don't think it's being totaly honest to deny there are some wannabe's living there. I have bumped into a few myself, and also some great people as well.



I'm sure it is some of that. There are people who were priced out of lower FFC living in upper FFC. It's possible they are a little jealous, perhaps bitter.

Who knows for sure?

I personally feel bad for people living beyond what they can afford in the chase for bigger "stuff". To each his own I guess.

First off, how do you know your dentist is living paycheck to paycheck and wouldn't be able to afford a home in lower FFC? Have you seen his bank statements, his investments, etc?

Are there wannabe's living in Monroe, Newtown, Trumbull? Yeah most likely. Are there wannabe's living in New Canaan and Darien who really shouldn't be living there, yes there are. Just like there are people who live in Newtown who could easily without question own a home in New Canaan or Darien or Greenwich.

And having more, more and more and bigger and bigger is not a bad thing. If you have it, flaunt it. If you don't that's your own damn fault. You can't compare anything in SC or NC to Connecticut. Did those people live the life in SC and NC? Yes they did, are they in CT? You have no idea how much money they make. Maybe they bought a ranch in CT because the idea of buying a small home down in SC and NC is completey disgusting seeing how the architecture is nothing similar to CT. Maybe they had to buy the biggest house on the block and live in the "posh" neighborhood because that's the only district where public schools have any sort of reputation.

There is alot more that goes into it. But people want a bigger house, especially those with familes. It's common knowledge that when you have children, you want as much space as possible.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by MetsNY

There is alot more that goes into it. But people want a bigger house, especially those with familes. It's common knowledge that when you have children, you want as much space as possible.

I agree, well said.

[laulob]

Boy, these boards make it sound as though most people's sole qualifying factor in purchasing a home in Connecticut is staus and getting the most size for thier money as possible. I grew up in northern Fairield County and most of the people I grew up with (that chose to stay in Connecticut ) live still in northern Fairfield county because it is close to their family. It's also what they consider home. Many can very well afford lower FFld cty but to most unless it is necessary for their job choose to stay in the towns/area they grew up in and love.

The people I know I Newtown (nice folks by the way/Interesting to generalize people in one of the largest towns in the state by land area) live there because their parents live there and it's an indespenasble help with childcare when the grandparents can pick up the kids from school, ballet, karate etc. Not that it was the sole factor in their decision to move there but I believe it was much higher on the list than say "status"

[goldenband]

Originally Posted by MetsNY

And having more, more and more and bigger and bigger is not a bad thing. If you have it, flaunt it. If you don't that's your own damn fault...There is alot more that goes into it. But people want a bigger house, especially those with familes. It's common knowledge that when you have children, you want as much space as possible.

Boy, if this is the American Dream, then you can count me out. The end result of the above is a world of cheaply constructed McMansions on characterless subdivisions in the middle of nowhere, full of gigantic, half-empty rooms in which each heavily medicated, moderately spoiled child gets to commune, undisturbed, with his or her own PS3 or Blackberry.

Yes, I'm being a little cartoonish in my portrayal, but I've seen something like the above happen over and over again, firsthand. It's bad for the kids, bad for the town, bad for the environment, and IMHO, bad for our country. So "bigger and bigger, more and more" can certainly be a bad thing, because it's one of the main forces that's destabilized our communities, and at a certain point we need to start thinking about what's best for everyone -- not just best for the family that wants to live out its fantasy of having their own isolated, oversized castle made of Tyvek and Chinese drywall.

[andthentherewere3]

I'm thankful to live in a country that allows people the freedom to choose a larger home for their family if they can afford it. If someone wants to live in a smaller home, they can also choose to do so. Heck, if they really want to live the simple life, people can live in a trailer park if they so desire.