[bmurphy]

NAH, of course seller's descriptions will make ANY home sound great -- they're trying to sell it!

[macguy]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Another thing about Florida homes, especially new ones, is the scale to the lot. See how the 29 million hurricane bait estate fills the whole lot? Also you would be surprised how many 400,000 dollar homes still have Formica kitchen cabinets. The houses in Florida are a lot better built than northern states, but definately lack character and quality finishes. Oh yes, and they have no room to grow.

Florida homes have no storage at all. No attics and of course no basements. They are built almost to the property lines with little room for an out building, providing you could ever get a permit to build one. At best a home depot steel shed is the best you can do. It is funny to walk into a $400,000 home and have to negotiate through peoples junk they have no where to store.

Their not pigs, that is just how many people have to live. They get used to piles of stuff around the house and after a while don't even see it any more. You don't need a 150 sq. ft bathroom, you need a closet or two.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by macguy

Florida homes have no storage at all. No attics and of course no basements.

Good. Lessens the ability to accumulate CRAP and garbage that needs to be stored.

But I have yet to see a FLorida home without at least a small storage attic. Hot as hell.... but storage nonetheless.

Originally Posted by macguy

They are built almost to the property lines with little room for an out building, providing you could ever get a permit to build one.

Again, why the term "Florida homes"? Maybe you need to put a qualifier in front of that which says, "some" Florida homes. Just as not every home in New Jersey has a walk-in attic or even a basement, not every home is in a 0 lot line subdivision (oh, and trust me, in many of the cities and metro areas up North, home spacing and "additions" are just as, if not MORE, impossible than Florida homes to "add onto"!!)

Originally Posted by macguy

It is funny to walk into a $400,000 home and have to negotiate through peoples junk they have no where to store.

Americans accumulate too much STUFF. It's why we're broke. Maybe an extra room to store your stuffed animal collection or snow globe collection just isn't NECESSARY, ya know?

Originally Posted by macguy

Their not pigs, that is just how many people have to live.

I disagree. Work with the space you got. There is no excuse for accumulation of more and more stuff to the point you can't see your floor or people have to maneuver around your items strewn about!

Hopefully in about a month or so I will be moving. It will be to a smaller place than I have now, but you can be sure I'll be having a big garage sale or charity donation run before I live in squalor!! You'd be amazed how much space you can have if you just throw away uncessary "things"!! I am definitely looking forward to simplifying and downsizing!

Originally Posted by macguy

They get used to piles of stuff around the house and after a while don't even see it any more. You don't need a 150 sq. ft bathroom, you need a closet or two.

If you want to compare up North closet space to Florida closet space, Florida, on average, will win.

[oceandreams94]

WOW...lol this has been an interesting thread! Thanks for all the info. I guess it really all boils down to where each person finds their own "paradise". Whether it be in the Sunshine state, or Ohio, or anywhere else. For me, I was born in New Orleans and then moved to Illinois as a child. While there is nothing wrong with Illinois, except an abundance of cornfields, my "paradise" is somewhere in Florida. It has always been where I planned to be. I hope everyone here can find what they are looking for....

[backtofla]

nah, i'm taking you out for a beer next time i'm down in pbc man.

[Need_affordable_home]

Not wanting to get into a lengthy debate, I have already shown Floridabound09 the most expensive place in Florida vs. the most expensive place in Ohio. The fallacy that Floridabound09 is comparing his expensive city in Ohio to a cheap city in Florida. Why dont we compare the cheapest Florida city vs. the cheapest Ohio city? The state of Ohio is very cheap with few exceptions while nowhere in Florida can be considered cheap. Thats my point.

backtofla, please PM me details. I would be interested in getting out of the house and hang out with friends.

[bmurphy]

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home

Not wanting to get into a lengthy debate, I have already shown Floridabound09 the most expensive place in Florida vs. the most expensive place in Ohio. The fallacy that Floridabound09 is comparing his expensive city in Ohio to a cheap city in Florida. Why dont we compare the cheapest Florida city vs. the cheapest Ohio city? The state of Ohio is very cheap with few exceptions while nowhere in Florida can be considered cheap. Thats my point.

backtofla, please PM me details. I would be interested in getting out of the house and hang out with friends.

I think for most people North Florida is "cheap". Homes in the 100's and low 200's are pretty darn average, or even good deals, these days. I don't know why $150k is an "expensive" home.

My grandmother's house is ~1100 sq feet, brick, pretty nice, but I'm guessing far too small for you, NAH, with all those lovely collections.

This house is in Wilmington, DE, which I'm sure you think is "overpriced". Guess how much it was in 1994? $113k. Ridiculous? No. Actually pretty cheap, even more than a decade ago. The 1994 median in the US was $130k, so $113k is a fairly good deal, no? Today the house is worth I believe $215k, average appreciation.

Your views on home prices need to change. This is not 1970. You should look at this chart of the national US home price median. It has not been below $100k since 1987.

http://therealreturns.blogspot.com/2...use-price.html

The last date on the chart, 2004, shows a median of $221k. Therefore, a $200k house is not ridiculous, and those are the prices in North Florida.

[Need_affordable_home]

I think the US median is like $210k today and dropping. So yes those prices are ridiculous because the recent house bubble inflated those prices. That $200k north Florida house is really worth $100-140k once the dust settles. Today's prices do not reflect the true value yet, but still a bubble inflated overprice.

[backtofla]

yeah, but remember that fla houses probably appreciated faster than most all other states. so, if you can still buy a home in northern fla for around 200k, (and i know where i can and i love it there), it's not a bad deal. below the nat'l avg., with some exceptions of course.

[tallrick]

The reason we have so much stuff is to prepare for our hurrcanes. Where can you store all the food, hurricane panels, water bottles, generator and gas cans, and emergency building supplies as well as tarps so you can fix up after your roof is damaged? The government will not be here to help you, just condemn your home. Also stock up on fruit so whatever rots is left to throw at zoning inspectors.