Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I graduated college in 1988 and knew then and there I couldn't afford Long Island, so I stayed where I was. (Not that I felt Long Island had anything fun to offer a 21-year-old, but still.)
Not that the OP necessarily feels this way, but just in general, I really don't understand why so many people on this subforum feel like they are entitled to own a home here just because they were born here. Ummm, no? First, no one is entitled to home ownership. It's something you work for like everything else in this world. And second, no one is entitled to home ownership in a place they can't afford to live.
It's a great, big, beautiful country. There are plenty of places with plenty of opportunities.
Pre-boom, LI had a very nice selection of entry level homes for young families making a median salary for the area. You could find them in good schools and nice well kept areas. Your only option was not RP.
Things are currently limping along artificially buoyed by insane interest rates and federally backed borrowing... But, there's a ton of people underwater, more and more falling behind on payments. There's no bottom. So, folks ain't gonna "suck it up" and buy when they CAN'T, so it's either prices come down or people move away (which seems fine in your eyes). So what happens when the middle class is completely pushed out of LI - what does it look like 5, 10, 15 years from now?
You don't want to end up with the rich and the poor only... it's an ugly combination.
Pre-boom, LI had a very nice selection of entry level homes for young families making a median salary for the area. You could find them in good schools and nice well kept areas. Your only option was not RP.
Things are currently limping along artificially buoyed by insane interest rates and federally backed borrowing... But, there's a ton of people underwater, more and more falling behind on payments. There's no bottom. So, folks ain't gonna "suck it up" and buy when they CAN'T, so it's either prices come down or people move away (which seems fine in your eyes). So what happens when the middle class is completely pushed out of LI - what does it look like 5, 10, 15 years from now?
You don't want to end up with the rich and the poor only... it's an ugly combination.
Perhaps if you want affordable North Shore.
SB, Miller Place Centereach, Selden, Farmingville, PJ Sta, Yaphank, Ridge,Holbrook,Holtsville hell even Kings Park all offer affordable starters as well.
What youre talking about/looking for is a cheap Mc Mansion.
Bottom line...its about 2500-3000(with taxes) a month to own a nice trade up around here.
You can still get a nice smaller starter house under 2k a month on LI
My dad was paying 2000 a month for a medium L Ranch with good schools in the 80s.I dont think 2500 is too high 25 years later.
If you want a cheap McMansion and you dont mind leaving your family and friends behind then maybe NC is for you.
LI is a luxury high demand market (and that has nothing to do with housing stock) and its priced accordingly.
Suck it up or move on.
MikeyKids happy with his choice.I respect that.
I know hes not alone.
Were happy with having a little less house wise to be near those we love.
SB, Miller Place Centereach, Selden, Farmingville, PJ Sta, Yaphank, Ridge,Holbrook,Holtsville hell even Kings Park all offer affordable starters.
What youre talking about/looking for is a cheap Mc Mansion.
Bottom line...its about 2500-3000(with taxes) a month to own a nice trade up here.
You could still get a smaller starter house under 2k a month on LI.My dad was paying 2000 a month for a medium L Ranch with good schools in the 80s.I dont think 2500 is too high 25 years later.
If you want a cheap McMansion and you dont mind leaving your family and friends behind then maybe NC is for you.
LI is a luxury high demand market (and that has nothing to do with housing stock) and is priced accordingly.
Otherwise... suck it up or move on. Kids happy with his choice.
I know hes not alone.Were happy with having a little less house wise to be near those we love.
To each his own
Crooks
I want to see LI prosper - my Sister is raising my niece/nephew there... My S-in-law just got married up there and is going to be looking for a home herself. I have tons of family and friends who I want to be happy. I seriously want nothing but good things for those folks. I have too many ties there to even leave this board. No malice intended here.
BTW - I'm not talking McMansions - I won't even buy one down here! I'm talking about decent well cared for homes... There's rotting PoS sprinkled though all the towns you mentioned and you know it. I won't disagree too much with your math, but you have to throw "trade ups" out the window, please... As I've said before, if you're working with pre-boom equity you have many options. The problem is at the entry level.
Even 2,500 25 years later considering all the other aspects of LI CoL escalating out of proportion (taxes, utilities, insurance, etc) is tough when you have to get a "handyman special" at that price point.
The "luxury high demand market" is the outer ring of LI (Nassau, North/South shore, East end)... I disagree wholeheartedly that the "middle" falls into this luxury category. Middle class people moved out to the middle of LI to raise a family in a nice, safe area while getting their kids a top notch public education. Right now that's not an option for enough people.
05-29-2010, 08:46 AM
grant516
n/a posts
I agree with MikeyKid...
How many 1st generation Long Islanders exist within that Inner-Ring?
It's more of a starter home, or pass-me-down area.
Reminds me of "New Haven Place" on Rt-24 in Hempstead. LUXURY apartments.
This is a slum, in a bad neighborhood- and the cost if out of whack with planet earth.
http://www.cosmicclash.com/lux.jpg (broken link)
Low housing stock has EVERYTHING to do with middle-island areas maintaining these whacky price points.
Most Long Island homes at the 300 price are in definite need of some work before one can even move in.
That's a major reason why I wouldn't buy here, even if I had the money--and I'm in my 40s. Some people enjoy renovations or working on a home, and more power to them. Me? I'd rather call the super and offer him a Coke while he's here.
In many ways, Long Island needs to come into the modern era. For example, I don't know anyone who has a garbage disposal. Maybe it has to do with how the sewage system is set up--I really don't know--but that's one of those details that's a gimme in many other parts of the country. For the first month I lived back up here, I had to remind myself not to stuff eggshells down the drain, and I kept reaching for a non-existent switch on the splashback.
It's also strange to me that very few apartments have washers and dryers in each unit, especially since separate entrances are supposed to be a selling point here. Who wants to leave their building and traipse across the grounds in snow or rain to do laundry? I have a washer/dryer, but I'm out in Holbrook. Couldn't find that in Babylon to save my life, or I'd still be living there. If I can't have a washer/dryer in the unit, forget the separate entrance: I'd rather have a walk-up with a common entrance and laundry facilities in the basement.
Oh, gawd, and central air. Again, had to come out to Holbrook to get that. My place in Babylon didn't even have a wall unit in the bedroom when I moved in! I had to fight tooth and nail to get one.
Just saying. Modern conveniences make a huge difference in the quality of life, at least for me.
P.S. Whoever repped me for post #47 at 8:49 a.m. today, thank you. You gave me a star. Have a bit of silly, old but good:
[youtube]Ef6_9Wclh7Q[/youtube]
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef6_9Wclh7Q"]YouTube - LET'S DO THE FORK IN THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL.[/URL]
Last edited by Yzette; 05-29-2010 at 09:56 AM..
Reason: Can't believe I forgot about the central air!
I want to see LI prosper - my Sister is raising my niece/nephew there...
A few people have mentioned this, but what does the Island have to offer to make it propserous all by itself, without forcing everyone who wants to make some money to schlep into the city? Nothing ever really replaced Grumman, that I can see.
Melville is working on being attractive to business, but someone out here by MacArthur needs to jump on board.
Then again, it's a dilemma. It's all well and good to point to Virginia's tech corridor as an example of prosperity, but that area is on the mainland, so physically, there was room to spread out and accommodate the masses when they arrived. The spread wasn't always handled well, though, which is why northern Virginia has some of the worst suburban sprawl in the nation with the horrific traffic to match.
Long Island is in a tough spot, and has been for a long time. When you've been away for a while, and then come back, the cumulative decline is very noticeable.
Maybe the answer is for the Island to get back to its roots--towns with bustling Main Streets. The time is right for it, as the general mood across the country is one of disgust with huge conglomerates and a general mistrust of larger companies. If we're entering an era of localization (from Wall Street to Main Street, to be cliched about it), Long Island could benefit from that. The basic structure is already in place. Look at Bay Shore, and now Patchogue. Takes money, but so does everything.
In many ways, Long Island needs to come into the modern era. For example, I don't know anyone who has a garbage disposal.
It's also strange to me that very few apartments have washers and dryers in each unit, especially since separate entrances are supposed to be a selling point here. Who wants to leave their building and traipse across the grounds in snow or rain to do laundry? I have a washer/dryer, but I'm out in Holbrook. Couldn't find that in Babylon to save my life, or I'd still be living there. If I can't have a washer/dryer in the unit, forget the separate entrance: I'd rather have a walk-up with a common entrance and laundry facilities in the basement.
Oh, gawd, and central air. Again, had to come out to Holbrook to get that. My place in Babylon didn't even have a wall unit in the bedroom when I moved in! I had to fight tooth and nail to get one.
Just saying. Modern conveniences make a huge difference in the quality of life, at least for me.
Maybe the answer is for the Island to get back to its roots--towns with bustling Main Streets. The time is right for it, as the general mood across the country is one of disgust with huge conglomerates and a general mistrust of larger companies. If we're entering an era of localization (from Wall Street to Main Street, to be cliched about it), Long Island could benefit from that. The basic structure is already in place. Look at Bay Shore, and now Patchogue. Takes money, but so does everything.
But the Island's roots are rural to suburban. At this point it has more in common with city sprawl than it's roots. Sadly I think the Island is in a long decline that will need something really big and unique to pull it out of.
I want to see LI prosper - my Sister is raising my niece/nephew there... My S-in-law just got married up there and is going to be looking for a home herself. I have tons of family and friends who I want to be happy. I seriously want nothing but good things for those folks. I have too many ties there to even leave this board. No malice intended here.
BTW - I'm not talking McMansions - I won't even buy one down here! I'm talking about decent well cared for homes... There's rotting PoS sprinkled though all the towns you mentioned and you know it. I won't disagree too much with your math, but you have to throw "trade ups" out the window, please... As I've said before, if you're working with pre-boom equity you have many options. The problem is at the entry level.
Even 2,500 25 years later considering all the other aspects of LI CoL escalating out of proportion (taxes, utilities, insurance, etc) is tough when you have to get a "handyman special" at that price point.
The "luxury high demand market" is the outer ring of LI (Nassau, North/South shore, East end)... I disagree wholeheartedly that the "middle" falls into this luxury category. Middle class people moved out to the middle of LI to raise a family in a nice, safe area while getting their kids a top notch public education. Right now that's not an option for enough people.
Perhaps you misunderstood my point.
I am seeing nice homes in Brookhaven with good schools in the high 2s low 3s with taxes under 10k. These are not handymen specials and are within reach of most folks.
Im not saying LI hasnt lost a step over the years.All I'm saying is that all are welcome who chose to hall her home.
The notion that folks are being pushed out is absurd.They are choosing to get more house for their money elsewhere.This is not Silicon Valley.
I wholeheartedly disagree with your luxury obeservation as well. Most RE within 75 mi of the big city is either in high demand or neighbors an area that is.
LI will be just fine.Maybe a little different density wise but I wouldnt bet against her.
What are you implying, that you don't get nearly as much for the money here on Long Island?! Say it ain't so!!!
In my never humble opinion, Long Island is an unholy rip-off.
Believe me, when people start grousing about civil service pensions, I have my own reasons for being annoyed with them, too. It's not about me paying taxes, it's about my guy having golden flippin' handcuffs, and I don't mean in the fun way!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Have a bit of silly, old but good:
