[macguy]

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home

If I can get a house in Houston for 50k, wont be needing a mobile home. If you dont consider Houston desirable, what city/state do you that has cheap houses? Housing affordability is a problem, much more so in metro cities and desirable areas/locations. Some compromise is needed here. Would you say a mobile home in a desirable area is better than a small, old house in a cheap area? Ohio does have cheap housing, but alot of people *still* cant afford a 130k house, including me. Florida job median salary is only $13.47 an hour!
Land is cheap in rural areas but thats useless unless you are a farmer.

I think you are wrong about that. You can buy land just outside cities and commute. People have been doing it up north forever spending sometimes an hours each way into and out of the city so they can live a better life in the more less crowded areas.

Outside of say Tallahassee you can buy very nice housing for less or buy land very reasonable and build while being just a quick 30 minute commute to your job. Some times it takes a little work to have what you want. If you act as your own sun-contractor and maybe even do some of the work yourself an affordable house can be with in reach as well as being a good investment afterwards.

I should also add you won't have a POS cookie cutter house that was just thrown up when you are done. you will have a house you designed and built yourself, RIGHT..

[chocomom]

[quote=SunnyDog;84236]There is no place I can think of as being desirable that has cheap houses. Remember the three most important things in real estate--location, location, and location. 50K houses anywhere in America are nearly always boarded up crack dens that need 100K in work to meet code and be liveable, and nobody will invest that kind of $$ because the neighborhood is slum. There's more to life than cheap houses. Job availability, pay, weather, recreation define a location and a property's worth. Cheap housing is cheap for a reason, you get what you pay for.

You keep mentioning "house", but what about a condo? They're usually cheaper and will allow you to live in a nice area for less money. Rent for a few years, save as much as you can (preferably 20% of your net income), keep your credit good, increase your income through promotions, overtime, and/or getting a second job. Prices 3-5 years from now will likely be the same as now or even less for condos in South FL, and by then you will have enough saved plus a higher income to buy. The last time condo prices here spiked up was 1977-1982, and then prices remained flat with some declines up to 2000. So the last condo recession lasted over a decade and a half, this current downturn just started, and only realtors are saying buy now it'll last only 6 months. Be patient and you'll do OK.[/QUOTE]


Sunnydog, no offense---but most of us don't want a condo. There are a myriad of reasons. Who wants to live in that close quarters with someone, that's just like an apartment. Then there are the association fees, and the condo commandos. Many people have or will be having children, so there are space constraints involved.

As far as the suggestions you gave, they really no longer apply in this 'new economy'. Renting is easily using up a 1/3 or more of people's salaries, coupled with other higher everyday expenses; it just doesn't leave much room for saving. As for increasing income through promotions, overtime, and/or a 2nd job? Those things aren't readily available to many. Or if you do get a promotion, the increase barely covers the increased cost of living. As for a 2nd job, most families are already two-income--should more really be needed? When do you relax? Or enjoy what you've earned?

The issues facing the poor and middle class in FL, especially South FL, are a bit more complex than many understand. I believe you must either be living it or be very sympathetic to the problem to get to the heart of it.

[chocomom]

Originally Posted by macguy

I think you are wrong about that. You can buy land just outside cities and commute. People have been doing it up north forever spending sometimes an hours each way into and out of the city so they can live a better life in the more less crowded areas.

Outside of say Tallahassee you can buy very nice housing for less or buy land very reasonable and build while being just a quick 30 minute commute to your job. Some times it takes a little work to have what you want. If you act as your own sun-contractor and maybe even do some of the work yourself an affordable house can be with in reach as well as being a good investment afterwards.

I should also add you won't have a POS cookie cutter house that was just thrown up when you are done. you will have a house you designed and built yourself, RIGHT..

The problem is the farther north you go in FL the worst the wages and the jobs get. We considered doing just what you said but looking at the pay and positions available knew that we wouldn't be solving anything; just transferring the problem to a new location and zip zode.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by chocomom

The problem is the farther north you go in FL the worst the wages and the jobs get. We considered doing just what you said but looking at the pay and positions available knew that we wouldn't be solving anything; just transferring the problem to a new location and zip zode.

That's why I said it can take some work. People are so dependent of handouts from employers, And make no mistake there is no such thing as security, all they do is work their lives away making other people rich. You need a goal that can set you free and live a lif you can enjoy. Life is shorter then you thing, it could be over tomorrow.

[JR82]

Long Island Salary 65k = Central Florida Salary (Orlando) 45k .

You probably could make it swing on a lil' less salary here in Orlando. I dont make anything and I own a Condo (GASP) down here. Just be clear that Florida isnt the answer to all your problems

[SunnyDog]

Like I've said here before, if your main goal in life is attaining the most affordable picket-fenced Leave it to Beaver type detached house, then yes it's undoubtedly easier to do elsewhere. Not everyone is. Need Affordable Housing sounded like a young person (maybe early 20's) looking for their first pad outside their parents home, and I pointed out how one starting out can make a go of it here since I did it myself 10 years ago. Yes housing was cheaper then, but unemployment here was higher and the pay was less. I know some don't care about outdoor activities, spending most their free time inside at the mall or home watching TV, and I wonder myself why these folks don't move out of Florida to a cheaper place. Myself, I love the year round watersports and beach weather and couldn't really imagine living elsewhere, so I'm willing to stay here and pay the higher price. I couldn't imagine living in Atlanta or Houston or Knoxville, too much of a lifestyle change.

Funny, awhile back I read the Mayor of Ft. Lauderdale's response to the "affordable house" problem. He said that folks need to accept condos instead of detached homes and also need to work more than 40 hours per week if they really want to buy property here. He also said he refuses to go along with workforce housing because he doesn't want to subsidize lazy couch potatoes who won't work more than 40 hours/week. I personally think he's right--the free market rules.

[lulu]

Yes..I believe S.FL issues are more complex than most can understand. That's why I was all for dividing Florida into different groups on this forum, cause when one speaks of a certain issue down here they think we speak for the whole state or something...

[ready2move]

Originally Posted by lulu

Yes..I believe S.FL issues are more complex than most can understand. That's why I was all for dividing Florida into different groups on this forum, cause when one speaks of a certain issue down here they think we speak for the whole state or something...

Lulu,

You are so very right..Broward & Miami Dade most definately have their own complex issues

[UB50]

I don't know how it is in Florida right now, but I can say this: In other states, the pay CUT is becoming more common. The last company I worked at cut pays 10% more than once. I see it's happening in a lot of industries because companies don't feel they can compete with labor outside of the country. What was that auto parts company in Michigan that wanted to cut people making $27 an hour down to $9 an hour?

Anyway, if it isn't already there, I'm sure it is coming. The good news is that they can't cut below minimum wage.

[Halfback]

Fourteen years here in Florida and either you work for your self or you flip houses . Read the Tampa Tribune . There is a place called New Tampa its a mecca for NYC residents who transfer with their current jobs to Tampa. Catch is they transfer here with a NYC salary buy a dream house for $400,000 , train new hires for their newly located company and in six months are left with no job . Because they trained their replacements who are willing to work for far less . After appling for similar jobs they find out they will also have to settle for less pay .
Now stuck with an outragous mortgage payment and no way to sell their overpriced new custom home .(because everyone it seems from NYC wants a new custom built and interior decorated mini castle and not sombody' cast off)
From what i have seen they sell their house at a loss and head back north.
Sell their house for more and then become realators or house flippers.
Open a buisness like one in NYC because their are so many Yorkers that want it like home , pizza shop ,franchiese , chain , etc.
Or become a contracter who hires a sub-contracter who in turn hires mostly illegal immigrants who build more new custom homes .Which raises taxes for everyone who lives in older holmes that donot sell for what they are appraised for. Which forces existing residents , whom a lot are retirees who did not plan on working over 40 hours in their elder years to sustain the Florida lifestyle to sell for what they can and move to more reconably priced states. Like Tennesse or Arkansas. (Georgia and N.Carilona have already been overpriced about twenty years ago)
My $135,000 home which was recently appraised for tax purposes for$210,000 because the ranch next to our old florida fish camp was raised paved developed cookie cutter style (they are even painted the same puke tan)development where there ar affordable house between $249,000 and $380,000 , at least that's what all the real estate speculators(House flippers)are asking . Most of the for sale signs stayed even after they were built and moved into by the owners.
Wow if the new utopia they built here in Odessa known as Ashley Lakes (Trashley Retention Ponds is what the kids here call them)is so great with its waterfront properties(Large storm run off ditches required for watershed)then why are its residents so eager to crash our gate to use our boat ramp and ski lake? Every morning I see people jogging or riding their bikes in our neighboorhood trying to get some shade while they exercise.I guess the developers forgot to leave some of the majestic grand father live oaks .Except for the row of tres where they tried to cover up the fact that they were going to bull doze over an old slave cemetary. POLTERGEIST!
Buy my hose . It was built here in 1991 where an old fishing cabin from the 40's stood . Its on the MLS listings .Lots of trees .Awesome deep well water!thats why the old log mill and turpine workers use to live in this oak forest.There are even gopher tortises that wonder around and lots more since they bulldozed to make way for the new development. I hope that when they build the publixshopping center at the end of their new road that they actualy move them this time than plow over this protected species.
A new resident who closed on a house in here today (who's sister in law? is flying in from jersy to look at my house tommorow) said he thought he saw Opie walking to the lake with his fishing pole. He said he just sold his $500,000 home in the area ,to downsize. He said after nine years in that neighborhood he has never met the neighbors. He said he drove in to look a house and was invited to three Barbeque's by six difrent people. He said he found Mayberry. We do have a big lake front community volleyball, horseshoe, beach ,picknick, grill, boat ramp recreation area where everyone parties at on the weekend . Drink a beer meet neighbors, kids play together under the mature cypress trees ,jetski, boat,bass fishing, i do not want to move. But when i leave the neighbor hood the city of tampa has sprawled all the way out here and its nerve wracking to me. i m use to quiet rural roads with no traffic so i am going to my mountain property i purchased 15 years ago for an early retirement .
Oh by the way i cannot remember the last time i went to the gulf Deep sea fishing or to the beach with the red tide pollution and its been too crowded plus the new condos cast a shadow on the sand.I Do like snorkeling in the crystal clear springs in n. florida. Going "Halfback" home as they call my kind a yankee who lived in Florida and only went halfback home to the southern mountains)