How do they afford it?

[jayrandom]

'No longer young, no longer trendy'
Have suburbs ever been either young or trendy? I think suburbs have always been the bane of the section of society that defines trendy. From a very quick search on google I was able to find:

http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=H71TY9L4pCzKv27fQKRjz RbN3cGQW2s2qnnTVKqky3qNP5yzjxp7!1041341252?docId=5 001387548

I agree with haberstroh that given the choice, many still choose to live spread out in the suburbs. I would be interested to see the endless data that supports the idea that suburbs are doomed. Faced with increasing energy prices and consequences of overconsumption, the costs associated with suburban living may change, but the desires for space and isolation probably won't just disappear.

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

...the desires for space and isolation probably won't just disappear.

No, they wont. And it is worth nothing that wanting a home in the 'burbs is certainly NOT exclusively an American phenomenon, either. Throughout the world--Latin America, Europe, Asia, Australia, you name it--the desire to have a single family home on a small plot of land is a highly sought after prize. We are fortunate to have this dream closer in reach to a greater percentage of the population than just about any other country. And *THAT* is, for millions of Americans and immigrants coming to our shores, an integral part of the American Dream.

[Lori Lincoln]

seems that we are losing some of our MA population to southern states like the Carolinas and Florida

[baystater]

Originally Posted by Lori Lincoln

seems that we are losing some of our MA population to southern states like the Carolinas and Florida

I would say the Carolinas and Virginia. But I think Florida's appeal is not what it once was. Though I think in the next couple of years there's going to be some great deals there.

[Bluefly]

Originally Posted by haberstroh

I agree that it makes much more economic and environmental sense to live in a big city on top of each other. Yet the reality is that there is a lot of people that want that house with yard in the suburbs (I am one of them). And the next group trying to achieve this dream will be the "immigrants". They have lived in the cities on top of each other in a diverse neighborhood and are ready for their kids to play in a yard with maybe a pool. And if they can afford it they will.
As an interesting side note I would like to mention that the rate of homeownership is among the highest in the US (something like 76%). In Germany for instance (where I am from) it is 46%. And although Germany's towns and cities are beautiful, efficient and modern it is a huge step for a family to buy their first house and move to the fringe. Most will never be able to. (BTW this is not why I came over here...it was for love ;-))

Very true. I personally don't think dense cities are the answer. Like industrial organic food, it's little less hurtful to society and the environment.

I do think it's the responsibility of those whose families have already achieved the material American Dream to leave that for the immigrants and start looking inward to the true, more spiritual / metaphysical intention of what the founding fathers really intended and what we as a species are truly capable of.

If we start doing that, I think we might find the solution that will be neither suburbia nor city.

[LeavingMA]

Originally Posted by baystater

I would say the Carolinas and Virginia. But I think Florida's appeal is not what it once was. Though I think in the next couple of years there's going to be some great deals there.

I think the top 3 states people from MA were going to were: New Hampshire, Florida, and Texas. All three of these states have no state income tax. North Carolina is now a very popular spot also.

In many parts of Florida the bubble burst of their housing, I would also agree their will be some good deals there for the next 5 years.