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I was considering a career change but I just cant live in AVL and get what we want on a $28k salary.
So often here, I hear that $30k is "good money," but I cant make it here on that.
No one could. Well, not without without bringing a big sack of house buying cash with them.
Absent that mortgage or rent obligation... it gets easier.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
According to census data the median household income vs median home price ratio in AVL
is well above the common sense 3:1 limit to affordability.
That $84,000 won't buy much in AVL ...but it won't buy much anywhere else either.
Asheville: 26,664 vs 195,300Buncombe: 26,347 vs 192,200
But most of Florida is about the same (Tampais at $28,863 vs 189,400)
A guy I work with, is the same level as me at our company... He just got accepted or went through the process of getting food stamps. His wife doesn't work, but still. I was kind of shocked, but he qualified. Here's what's interesting, he was a police officer and was only making a little bit more than he is now, and he'd been an officer for 16 years.
A guy I work with, is the same level as me at our company... He just got accepted or went through the process of getting food stamps. His wife doesn't work, but still. I was kind of shocked, but he qualified. Here's what's interesting, he was a police officer and was only making a little bit more than he is now, and he'd been an officer for 16 years.
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Many people have accumulated a lot of debt, using credit cards and so forth, either in an attempt to make ends meet or simply cannot handle money. They may mouth off at work and lose their jobs. A million reasons. There are also those who would rather take entitlements than work two jobs or feel that some jobs are beneath their "pay grade".
Last edited by SunnyKayak; 03-24-2013 at 01:10 PM..
Reason: off topic
This problem -- which is essentially tied to LAND prices -- isn't a problem limited to Asheville, or Western North Carolina, or North Carolina, or even the United States.
you see this problem in every country that has adopted a "western" banking model - not just the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Spain, Japan, etc., but also in China and India to some degree. All of these countries have overcapitalized their land by design.
Last edited by SunnyKayak; 03-24-2013 at 01:11 PM..
Reason: orphan: the referring post deleted
It IS all about the economy; and I don't want to go off topic here, but Asheville cost of living is merely an example of the haves and the have nots. High rents, low wages. How many times in how many posts on here, ad nauseum, do we warn people wanting to move here to make sure they have a job first, or a good sized slush fund to support themselves for at least a year. How many have made the move, only to be disappointed in the immediate Asheville area, and then blame it on the area (not themselves for lack of research).
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Then there are those who move here with deep pockets, buy more than one home, maybe some land for resale, and find the area to be an opportunity. Thank goodness there are more breweries (at least) moving into the area -- that is some hope for jobs. But people who come here needing to rent (not buy) need to come with eyes wide open. That is the underlying information in the topic of this thread.
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The topic is about renters and jobs, and many have a hard time of it. I am very thankful that I've never had to be a renter, always an owner; and have vast experience helping folks find homes from doublewides to mansions here. I've heard all the stories, and it's always about the economy in this region. The average family without a job to come to is often not able to make the move.
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Last edited by SunnyKayak; 03-24-2013 at 01:17 PM..
Reason: flaming or not Asheville related or OP
Asheville, North Carolina and Boulder, Colorado have similar demographics, economies, and mountain beauty.... sister cities that are out of reach for many.
I found out that quick after I moved here, rent is really high. Thankfully I had a connection at work that had a small house for rent and it's only a half mile away from where I am now and $100 cheaper. If I were to even look at Asheville, which I didn't and wouldn't, I'm sure I'd pay almost the price I'm paying now and having the house being a dump. You do however have a chance to get lucky though and find a decent house / mobile home with cheap rent but your odds of getting it are slim because of so much competition is in Asheville. If you want cheaper rent, you need to look pretty far away from Asheville. Rent in Marion for example is where you can rent a 3 bedroom house for 450 - 550 / month, or looking the other way you could try Marshall, Canton, or possibly Candler.
Canton is great if you like living with the stench of a paper mill.
.... 99% of the world lives on less than that. Does everyone really need a 3000 sqft house?
There are many degrees of separation from a modest two bedroom apartment to a 3000 sf house. It still is much cheaper to find a modest two bedroom apartment in Dallas.
I'm looking for a month to month rental and called the new Hunt Hill apartment complex. They don't have monthly rentals but their sister complex Weirbridge does. The woman told me a studio apartment is $850 a month and if you get a 3 month rental add another $150, a 6 month $100 and a 9 month $50 to the rent. It costs $250 to fill out a application and get on a waiting list. This does not guarantee an apartment will come up. There is a $500 non refundable pet fee. Oh, and the rent can go up after the 3 month lease is up.
I told her "no thanks".
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Compare apples to apples
