Small Houses Part 3 (rent, HOA, insurance)

[Last1Standing]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Modestly priced (say $300K max, and the lower the better) houses.

Is that $300,000 in pandemic dollars? There was a time in the very recent past when $300,000 wasn't modestly priced, and I want to hope things haven't changed so much that it would cost that much for a 1000 sq ft or less house. If prices of houses (and land) are that inflated, then the only hope for a person of modest means might be to purchase 10 acres with others and hire a builder to build 10 homes, as discussed previously. I'm still very interested in this option.

Among the many reasons for wanting a small home is affordability. For me that means well under $200,000. There are many beautiful luxury small houses. While they're fun to look at, I think we (as a society) need to move in the opposite direction: small, practical, basic, energy-efficient, affordable houses. There is enough land in Maine for this to happen. It would take a shift in mindset from houses as large-scale investments with big profits for builders to mass affordable housing as a necessity. My inability to find a house in Maine is not just a personal problem I'm having; it's a social problem. I own a home currently, so it shouldn't be this difficult to sell my existing home for something smaller.

[Last1Standing]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

I will start us off with this ad for one side of a small duplex house, brandy new, single level living and with an attached garage. It is a condo, but HOA fees are minimal as such go - $124/mo. It is out in Bridgeton, which has some shopping and services in town - like a supermarket and a community hospital, and there are several lakes nearby for outdoor recreation.

https://www.trulia.com/p/me/bridgton...09--2564607496

Bridgton is a very nice area. The ad raises some questions. Why does the garage take up about half of the house? (Ad says one car but it sure looks like two.) In what sense is this a condo? The Google aerial view doesn't show anything that looks like a group of condos in that area.

[Last1Standing]

Originally Posted by Submariner

So I assume that we are no longer allowed to share what low priced homes we find?

How about starting a thread for low-cost houses? I'm sure many people would appreciate that . . . if they're decent, livable houses, not camps that should be torn down.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Last1Standing

Bridgton is a very nice area. The ad raises some questions. Why does the garage take up about half of the house? (Ad says one car but it sure looks like two.) In what sense is this a condo? The Google aerial view doesn't show anything that looks like a group of condos in that area.

It's definitely a one-car garage. It's a duplex, and you're buying one side. As far as the details of the condo association, I can't answer that, but if you're interested, you can call the listing realtor.

[Last1Standing]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

It's definitely a one-car garage. It's a duplex, and you're buying one side. As far as the details of the condo association, I can't answer that, but if you're interested, you can call the listing realtor.

Ha, silly me for not realizing that.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Last1Standing

Ha, silly me for not realizing that.

FYI, some condo assocations are literally just two units in one duplex building. That's what I am living in now. I don't know the particulars of this place - but the listing realtor will know.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Last1Standing;62777436[B

]Is that $300,000 in pandemic dollars? There was a time in the very recent past when $300,000 wasn't modestly priced, and I want to hope things haven't changed so much that it would cost that much for a 1000 sq ft or less house. [/b]If prices of houses (and land) are that inflated, then the only hope for a person of modest means might be to purchase 10 acres with others and hire a builder to build 10 homes, as discussed previously. I'm still very interested in this option.

Among the many reasons for wanting a small home is affordability. For me that means well under $200,000. There are many beautiful luxury small houses. While they're fun to look at, I think we (as a society) need to move in the opposite direction: small, practical, basic, energy-efficient, affordable houses. There is enough land in Maine for this to happen. It would take a shift in mindset from houses as large-scale investments with big profits for builders to mass affordable housing as a necessity. My inability to find a house in Maine is not just a personal problem I'm having; it's a social problem. I own a home currently, so it shouldn't be this difficult to sell my existing home for something smaller.

Don't shoot the messenger, but I understand you want a stand-alone house, in good condition, ideally in a coastal town with some shopping and services, and even before the pandemic, I wasn't seeing many houses that fit that description for $200K or less - for as long as I have been looking, which is about 5 years.

[Last1Standing]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Don't shoot the messenger, but I understand you want a stand-alone house, in good condition, ideally in a coastal town with some shopping and services, and even before the pandemic, I wasn't seeing many houses that fit that description for $200K or less - for as long as I have been looking, which is about 5 years.

Oh, I don't have hope of finding such a place in a midcoast town, I know that would be unrealistic. I was seeing a fair number of good houses at $160-$180,000 before the pandemic, at a time when I wasn't ready to move. A number of those were posted in the previous small house threads, but the supply of such houses seems exhausted at this point.

[dubthang]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

FYI, some condo assocations are literally just two units in one duplex building. That's what I am living in now.

How does this work for having an association? With only two units, you don't have enough people to fill the required rolls for officers.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by dubthang

How does this work for having an association? With only two units, you don't have enough people to fill the required rolls for officers.

I don't know, but I assume we're on the up-and-up - it's actually a fairly common situation around here, and if it were illegal, I think that would have caught the attention of someone by now.