What salary is needed for a middle class lifestyle? (townhome, school district)

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

I think combating NIMBY environmentalists, reducing red tape, and increasing density wherever feasible is the best way to go,

Some of those NIMBY's have a point, concerning the carrying capacity of our freeways and surface streets for all these additional people. There have been a number of developments throughout the valley in the last decade that apparently got a pass on the "don't cause gridlock" mitigations part of the EIR (Yeah, YOU, Satanic Row/Valley Fair). We await what the traffic situation will be in the North First St. area as so many dense housing developments go up. They're not all near the Light Rail, and most of those people probably won't use it anyway - too slow.

[bobby_guz_man]

^^ Santana Row/Valley Fair causes gridlock, but that's a good thing. That means it's popular, nothing wrong with that. Locals who live in the area knows how to avoid it anyway, or taking Moorpark to go around the Row and head north on Winchester to the garage instead of sitting in Stevens Creek traffic.

And the traffic isn't even remotely bad compared to the daily work commute that we all do around here.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by bobby_guz_man

^^ Santana Row/Valley Fair causes gridlock, but that's a good thing. That means it's popular, nothing wrong with that.

It very much attracts a whole swarm of plastic people who don't know how to drive . Not only clogs up the roads, but endangers us locals. Once upon a time, going to the Safeway or BofA was actually doable.

But it ain't enough. Now they're adding 110 luxury houses next to all this on Winchester:
SummerHill Homes | Midtown Village | New Single Family Homes for Sale in Santa Clara CA

Too bad. I was rooting for these guys:
SaveBAREC.org - Keep Public Land Public!

[Radical347]

Originally Posted by bobby_guz_man

^^ Santana Row/Valley Fair causes gridlock, but that's a good thing. That means it's popular, nothing wrong with that. Locals who live in the area knows how to avoid it anyway, or taking Moorpark to go around the Row and head north on Winchester to the garage instead of sitting in Stevens Creek traffic.

And the traffic isn't even remotely bad compared to the daily work commute that we all do around here.

This I'll second. The good outweighs the bad, in my opinion...while coming in from 880 is a mess, I've never had a problem using San Carlos or Stevens Creek, even during the holidays.

[bobby_guz_man]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

It very much attracts a whole swarm of plastic people who don't know how to drive . Not only clogs up the roads, but endangers us locals. Once upon a time, going to the Safeway or BofA was actually doable.

But it ain't enough. Now they're adding 110 luxury houses next to all this on Winchester:
SummerHill Homes | Midtown Village | New Single Family Homes for Sale in Santa Clara CA

Too bad. I was rooting for these guys:
SaveBAREC.org - Keep Public Land Public!

Oh c'mon, it's not THAT bad Going to Safeway is still VERY doable, just gotta do a loop around Forest and pop out back on Bascom

The only people who bugs me are the folks who go to Santana Row and complain incessantly about lack of parking space. I'm like, "uh..the garage has FIVE floors, have you tried the 4th and the 5th?" Their answer: "NOOOOO...I want to park on the 2nd and 3rd, even if I have to walk the whole length of the garage floor to get to the elevator. And nooooo...I don't want to park on 4th and 5th even if it's near the elevator and I don't have to walk the whole length of the garage."

*Face palm*

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Some of those NIMBY's have a point, concerning the carrying capacity of our freeways and surface streets for all these additional people. There have been a number of developments throughout the valley in the last decade that apparently got a pass on the "don't cause gridlock" mitigations part of the EIR (Yeah, YOU, Satanic Row/Valley Fair). We await what the traffic situation will be in the North First St. area as so many dense housing developments go up. They're not all near the Light Rail, and most of those people probably won't use it anyway - too slow.

I agree that mass transit sucks. But the NIMBYs should be lobbying for that instead of trying to kill off growth.

[bobby_guz_man]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

I agree that mass transit sucks. But the NIMBYs should be lobbying for that instead of trying to kill off growth.

Totally agreed.

[SportyandMisty]

Originally Posted by buenos

There is one more thing that keeps demand high, is the massive investment cash flowing into the local housing market. The bidding wars and cash buyers are not tech workers with mortgage, but investors who want to put their multimillions into multiple real estate. To stop this new laws would be needed, clever taxation and so on. ..l.

For the life of me, I can't think of a single reason to dissuade investment in anything. I just don't understand your anger against people who invest for the future.

[buenos]

Originally Posted by SportyandMisty

For the life of me, I can't think of a single reason to dissuade investment in anything. I just don't understand your anger against people who invest for the future.

The reason is that the real estate investment has a very strong negative side effect on other people, through prices going up too much, and then they will not be able to afford a home. In general if you do something that has a very bad negative side effect (but not your direct intention) on others, then is it OK to do it? Lets invest and speculate with food, and then you will find yourself with $1000 grocery bills. Would that be OK? It is very selfish thinking.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by buenos

The reason is that the real estate investment has a very strong negative side effect on other people, through prices going up too much, and then they will not be able to afford a home. In general if you do something that has a very bad negative side effect (but not your direct intention) on others, then is it OK to do it? Lets invest and speculate with food, and then you will find yourself with $1000 grocery bills. Would that be OK? It is very selfish thinking.

It's OK if you're rich, but otherwise...