Very low housing prices in Charleston 25302 (Morgantown: transplants, renting, credit)

[Big_Al]

C'mon. It is much more simple. Those parts of Charleston are ruined ghetto nobody want to live in. Drugs, crime, prostitution and a lot of Obama supporters. Who in a clear mind would go there????

[snorpus]

Car bodies are made of alloys these days that are much more salt resistant. I don't see cars with rusted out rocker panels and wheelwells like I did 20 or 30 years ago.

Plus, I think the "salt" isn't plain old rock salt anymore, they use chemical mixes that melt snow/ice at lower temperatures, and are more metal-friendly to boot.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by Big_Al

C'mon. It is much more simple. Those parts of Charleston are ruined ghetto nobody want to live in. Drugs, crime, prostitution and a lot of Obama supporters. Who in a clear mind would go there????

West Charleston must have really deteriorated then------I remember it being a pleasant enclave 40+ years ago.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by snorpus

Car bodies are made of alloys these days that are much more salt resistant. I don't see cars with rusted out rocker panels and wheelwells like I did 20 or 30 years ago.

Plus, I think the "salt" isn't plain old rock salt anymore, they use chemical mixes that melt snow/ice at lower temperatures, and are more metal-friendly to boot.

Not good; if I were to consider living there, I would have to 'bite the bullet' and drive 4 cyl FWD cars for winter beaters and run my present ones for summer use only.

Bummer.

[harborlady]

I'm living here and I can say I've seen some people drunk or high on whatnot, I can also say they tend to lay low. Whatever prostitution is going on (is that absent anywhere in america?) it's not in plain sight enough for me to know it's around. Crime is nominal. Ghetto can be defined many ways. Only one way to know what is or isn't a problem for you personally- come visit.
Are the 'summer cars' classic/antiques?

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by harborlady

I'm living here and I can say I've seen some people drunk or high on whatnot, I can also say they tend to lay low. Whatever prostitution is going on (is that absent anywhere in america?) it's not in plain sight enough for me to know it's around. Crime is nominal. Ghetto can be defined many ways. Only one way to know what is or isn't a problem for you personally- come visit.
Are the 'summer cars' classic/antiques?

1967 Rambler American SW; some rust but far from destroyed (it appears to have spent one winter in the rust belt).

1990 GMC Suburban, no rust, it was probably sold new here in Arizona.

[harborlady]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

1967 Rambler American SW; some rust but far from destroyed (it appears to have spent one winter in the rust belt).

1990 GMC Suburban, no rust, it was probably sold new here in Arizona.

Just a tip- you might be better off selling them there for this one costly reason: gaskets and whatnot acclimatize. I found out the hard way my cali car needed more work than was worth when first winter came along in NY, and transmission went kaput, followed by engine. Not talking oil pan gasket either- internal stuff- valves. Never saw it coming until it was too late, despite being a stickler for maint.
Mechanics passed this reasoning onto me after the fact. True or false... you decide.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by harborlady

Just a tip- you might be better off selling them there for this one costly reason: gaskets and whatnot acclimatize. I found out the hard way my cali car needed more work than was worth when first winter came along in NY, and transmission went kaput, followed by engine. Not talking oil pan gasket either- internal stuff- valves. Never saw it coming until it was too late, despite being a stickler for maint.
Mechanics passed this reasoning onto me after the fact. True or false... you decide.

If I were to leave Az; the Suburban would follow me......despite its high fuel consumption------parts are very inexpensive being Chevrolet and the vehicle is paid for

Throw a heater core in, fix the front suspension and I would be good to go

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

I can understand your concerns about too much money (yes, that can create problems as well. ); which tends to divide people due to a 'dog eat dog' attitude.

Lake Havasu City here in Arizona is a textbook example-------in 2000 the place was laid back with both inexpensive housing as well as OK jobs. The California money came in and drove prices through the roof and helped create a climate of bald faced greed IMHO.

That's what's happening in Atlanta right now.

When I moved from Charleston to Atlanta in the 80s, I was surprised that Atlanta wasn't really THAT much more expensive than Charleston in many ways. In some ways (groceries, utility bills), it was actually cheaper! Atlanta for a very long time has been known as being one of the cheapest large cities in North America.

For a long time the metro area has been growing fast at anywhere from 55,000 to 150,000 people per year moving into the area, and since the '96 Olympics, many of those people are now coming from places like NYC. L.A., San Fran, and foreign cities like London. As a result, prices have started shooting up considerably. A once $275,000 intown home may well now (even in today's housing slump) cost you $550,000. Condos that could be stolen for $55,000 are now $250,000. Even rents - you could once rent a small studio apartment in the city for $400 a month, and now it's not unheard of for them to be $900-$1,050.00 per month in some spots. Even supposedly middle-class people can be priced out of many areas.

I would like to see SOME economic stimulation and growth in Charleston. It's really pretty stagnant from what relatives tell me. If you ever go to Chattanooga, TN - it's a geat example of how a city the same size as Charleston can have a thriving tourist/entertainment area and housing market and still not get out of hand or lose it's charm.

[David Kennedy]

Greg: Models of growth management and economic stimulation exist all over the country. My question is why doesn't somebody visit them...talk to those city and civic leaders and mirror their success?

I think the answer is obvious....