Housing and Cost of Living (Milwaukee, Madison: for sale, real estate, condos)

[rhizohm]

Hi everyone, I am currently in Seattle and trying to decide between moving back to my hometown of De Pere (or nearby Green Bay) and Madison. Madison has the cultural climate I would prefer, but the Green Bay area is where I have my deepest connections to family and friends and it would be an untapped market for my business (acupuncture and oriental medicine).

I have noticed that Madison's cost of living is substantially higher than Green Bay, but still way less than Seattle or the west coast in general. What does this really mean, when it comes down to it? Is it primarily a question of real estate costs, taxes, etc?

Can a person still find affordable housing options in Madison? It says the average house costs $200k, but are there still some good places to find houses in the range of $125-175k?

[sondra_finchley]

I know someone who bought a place a few years ago in the $150-$180 range over on the West side off the belt line- near the crappy neighborhood, but far enough away that its not a bad area and the lawns are well kept. Housing is 60s/70s square boxes with everyone's yards attached.

I dont own here in Madison, but from what Ive seen of the property taxes in this town- they are HIGH. Sheboygans are creeping up there too, but some in my neighborhood on the near east side are $7K+/year. I think the arguement is that there are a lot of university and govt ppl that drive up the cost of living here above what you would expect it to be for a town of this size. Im not sure that there was much of a housing bubble (just got here 2 years ago) compared to what was seen in the West (where I had been living). I dont find food all that much more expensive- cheaper to eat out at better restaurants than in Chicago, for example.

[mommyntheoc]

Taxes are HIGH here...$5500 annually for our $230k house. As of this summer, you couldn't find a house under $190k in a decent neighborhood...and we looked at EVERY mls and FSBO on the market....EVERY one. You can look at condos and duplexes though, since they're in just about every neighborhood with the nicer big houses...it's all mixed up here.

[Wellstone]

125 to 175k would put you out in the sticks, like mount horeb. or if you could deal with a small shack on the east side of madison, but it would be a small house in bad shape.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by Wellstone

125 to 175k would put you out in the sticks, like mount horeb. or if you could deal with a small shack on the east side of madison, but it would be a small house in bad shape.

I like how people in madison seem to think everything is so expensive therefore it makes madison a better place to live or somehow madison is cooler b/c things cost more in madison than a typical city it's size. I just did a quick search and I found 500 homes in madison for <200,000K, not all of them are shacks and small card board boxes. There are plenty of nice houses for sale in madison for under 200K.

I used Shorewest Realtors - Homes for Sale in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Southeastern WI - Milwaukee Real Estate

[Wellstone]

only he/she was looking for under 175k for which options are much more limited. then you are pretty much down to the shacks and/or in less desirable neighborhoods. prices have fallen a quite a bit, used to be $200k wouldn't buy you much.

madison costs more than other cities its size because it is consistently ranked one of the best places to live in the country. if you don't think madison has much to offer then you are within your rights to live 30 miles away and get more house for less money.

i think sometimes people from other parts of the state come in thinking the prices are the same everywhere and think they can find a 2,000 square foot house for a little over 100k but that's just not reality. it's not wausau or green bay in terms of real estate. it all depends on what you are expecting for that price.