How can people afford MN suburbs? (Minneapolis, St. Paul: apartments, lofts, condos)

[David Pristupa]

Originally Posted by anil

I'm a software developer and would probably make about 90K in MN? My wife won't be working for a few years as she wants to go to nursing school. I've been trying to find a place in MN but everything in the suburbs is close to 200K. I see some of the condo's in 150s.

Just wondering how people afford to live here??? Do both husband and wife work?

I'm just baffled on how expensive this city is to live in. I was thinking that moving to Minneapolis would be a great career move but am starting to wonder if I can afford it at all...

Most of of the North East, Many parts of the Mid West are very expensive. California ditto. In this country like others High Tech equals high prices. I considered moving to Minneapolis. I read an article several years ago that there was a severe housing problem in St. Cloud. The rents were far too high for the workingclass. I lived in a city with a housing shortage. I would recommend you live in a place where there isn't high prices. Even if you have the money the social surroundings can negatively effect your sense of well being. Especially if you have children it is important that they live in a community where daily life is not considered a challenge against scarcity.

[anil]

I noticed that houses in Monticello are pretty reasonable...I mean not 150K...but maybe I could find something for 175K (no more eating out).

How's this city? How's the commute to Golden Valley? How're the schools here?

[anil]

Originally Posted by T.S.

I don't think you can find what you are looking for without going farther than 45 minutes out or into the minneapolis ghetto. I am currently about 45 minutes away from minneapolis without traffic. My average size new build was $169k three years ago. It just sold for $189k last week and we priced it cheapest in the development and area for a fast sale. Anything new in my current area is going for $200k+.

TS...what area/city do you live in?

[T.S.]

Originally Posted by anil

TS...what area/city do you live in?

I am currently in North Branch, MN until tomorrow, I am packing the moving truck right now. Moving to Charlotte, NC for better housing prices and warmer winters. You can still get a nice single family home for around $150k in the Charlotte, NC area.

[anil]

Originally Posted by T.S.

I am currently in North Branch, MN until tomorrow, I am packing the moving truck right now. Moving to Charlotte, NC for better housing prices and warmer winters. You can still get a nice single family home for around $150k in the Charlotte, NC area.

Looks like I could get a lot more house in North Branch. Do you think the commute to Golden Valley would be practical? How long would it take you to get to Golden Valley?

[solveg]

Just don't plan on commuting cross town. Stay on the outskirts of the location where you'll be working.

I just quit a job because they moved to Bloomington and there was literally no way to get there from Roseville without being in traffic for over an hour every day. And when the weather is bad or there's road construction, forget about it.

[drhell2pay]

Try Belle Plaine, MN or Jordan. Wonderful areas but outside of the Minneapolis Suburbs. The commute is easy 35-40 minutes in little to no traffic up 169. The prices are much better but they are rising fast as people move out there. I just picked up a 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom (full bath), 3 car garage, 2800 sq ft home on a half acre next to a park from Donnay Homes (we are building new) for 237k. Granted they start base price at 259k but the housing market is craptacular for sellers right now. At the current rate of population growth both Jordan and Belle Plaine will expand a few thousand people every 5 years, making the real estate prices inflate....

[ymbk]

I've had the same question. And I've come to two conclusions: People are living above their means and praying they can make minimum payments for the rest of their lives, and, second, the number of affluent people on forums far outnumbers those of us who make far less and so the information in skewed. What some people on moving forums call "affordable" blows my mind.

Also, consider that most real estate agencies are going to push their higher end houses. You have to be persistent to get them to tell you about the lower end ones. The advice above is good - don't fall for the "you can qualify for" ploy. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Better to take your time and find something you fell comfortable about so if anything happens you have a cushion. When we bought our first home, we had a lot of pressure to buy a lot more house because we "qualified". We resisted and it was the best decision we ever made. When my husband's company laid off half their work force with no severence, we were able to make ends meet until he landed another position.

Good luck.

[wildfan]

Do NOT buy in North Branch if you plan on working in GV it would take an hour on a good day. We recently moved from MPLS to New Mexico and hate it will be here for around 3 years or so I would suggest Golden Valley or st. Louis Park, or my fav. NE MPLS classic city neighborhoods great people never much cared for suburban folks. Even North MPLS the area{CAMDEN} that borders RObbinsdale is very NICE and affordable. Monticello is a bit far also...but not bad area.

REmember GAS will be only going UP so commute is not as wise as once thought!

[T.S.]

Originally Posted by wildfan

Do NOT buy in North Branch if you plan on working in GV it would take an hour on a good day. We recently moved from MPLS to New Mexico and hate it will be here for around 3 years or so I would suggest Golden Valley or st. Louis Park, or my fav. NE MPLS classic city neighborhoods great people never much cared for suburban folks. Even North MPLS the area{CAMDEN} that borders RObbinsdale is very NICE and affordable. Monticello is a bit far also...but not bad area.

REmember GAS will be only going UP so commute is not as wise as once thought!

I would not try to commute from North Branch to Golden Valley either, but I would commute from North Dakota to Golden Valley before I would move to Camden. I think we have different ideas of nice. Mine includes being able to safely walk the streets at night and people not being robbed and murdered daily nearby.

Here is a letter to the Governor posted in a local online paper from somebody that moved to Camden.

To Governor Pawlenty

I am writing to you as a two and one-half year North Minneapolis resident, and former long time Uptown resident. Since I moved to the Northside, I have been victim to a house robbery totaling more than $10,000 in losses, I witnessed the aftermath of a man who was robbed, shot and killed in front of his wife on the sidewalk directly in front of my house, and I have spoken to family members who were terrorized a few months ago when a masked gunman entered their home and shot four of the occupants (one block from my home).

I have taken these opportunities to get closer to my neighbors and community, formed a block club, and stay in close contact with my neighborhood organization and our Crime Prevention Specialists. These things are not enough - our city is in desperate need of help.

Why do you now feel like there needs to be some action taken? Is it because the recent shootings have involved Caucasians? Is it because the shootings are now taking place in higher income areas of the city? Northside residents feel completely abandoned - we have been struggling with these crimes for years and nothing has been done to improve the situation. Quite frankly, the only thing that was done was major budget cuts that decreased moneys for law enforcement.

Why are you now looking for funding to increase the police force in the downtown and south Minneapolis areas when the same situations that have prompted your actions have been taking place for years in North Minneapolis?

I travel 75 percent of the time with my job and it is getting embarrassing to say that I am a resident of Minneapolis. We are once again becoming known as “Murder-apolis” around the nation. We all deserve a safer place to live.

Joel Breeggemann
Webber-Camden

http://www.camdenews.org/news/templates/opinion.asp?articleid=1380&zoneid=5 (broken link)