I Must Be Doing Something Wrong

[Misty_Morning]

I dunno. I just don't get it.

Here's the thing. A few years ago I moved to sunny Florida. I live in an area that the major focus is either the military or tourism. I had been familiar with this area when I was much younger and used to come here for the beaches on road trips. So when I was offered a job here I jumped at the chance to live in Paradise.

Well it had most cetainly changed from the last time I had visited here. The miles of endless white beaches which could be accessed by just pulling to the side of the road are gone. Now there are only a few places you can go that are public because of all the fucking condos. Not only that, but regular people just can't afford to live here.

Some of my former associates were driving nearly 2 hours each way to get to work cuz they couldn't afford housing locally.

During my time here I have always been amazed by the local real estate channel on cable TV. How the Hell can people afford this stuff? So just out of curiousity I went online and did a search. I wanted to see the listings for just one local town. I had the properties listed from high to low in price.

After 591 listings I finally got to a a property that was just below $1 million dollars. And that was a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo with 1100 square feet.

I guess it really doesn't matter all that much any more since I'm gonna be moving in a couple of weeks. But what's depressing is that the area I'm moving to is gonna be even worse as far as cost of living.

I really don't have a point. It's just that I don't understand how average folks can afford to own their own homes in this day and time without spending nearly everything they make on house payments or taking risky mortgages. It makes me sad.

I know that some you folks live in areas where this is no big deal. But this area is still considered small town America. I just get so mad at the blatant greed that has permeated all aspects of our society. And it's the average person who suffers.

I guess I'm gonna havta start playing the lottery.

Rant over.

 

[CeriseNoire]

I see what you mean. I live in Florida as well, and a few months back there was an article in the paper that caught my attention. It was about how a neighboring county was so "desperate" they were considering offering a free shuttle bus to teachers willing to work there. Basically, since no one on a teacher's salary can afford to live in the county unless their partner is loaded, there's no one locally to fill those job openings.

 

[CharleyH]

No offence but what is this? The night of whoa is me? Buy a house you can afford in an area you can afford it. Or build it yourself on a plot if you have to!

 

[Misty_Morning]

No offence but what is this? The night of whoa is me? Buy a house you can afford in an area you can afford it. Or build it yourself on a plot if you have to!

Absolutely!

Strike up the band.....


*Gloom, despair and agony on me,
Deep dark depression
Excessive misery.

If it wern't for bad luck
I'd have no luck at all.

Gloom, despair and agony on me.*

 

[SeaCat]

Misty,

Oh how I know what you mean.

Where I am living the average rent for a one bedroom apartment is $1100.00 a month plus utilities. (This is in a cheap high crime neighborhood where you just don't want to be walking at night.)

Then agan I also did find myself a place to buy for a total of $1000.00 (No I am not counting the $635.00 a month Lot rental, but eve that isn't as bad as you would think. The lot rental includes the Water and sewer. (Roughly $200.00 a month.) Cable ($41.00 a month) Landscaping. ($75.00 a month) and Trash Pick Up. ($100.00 a month.) In other words I am paying $219.00 a month for the Lot.

Cat

 

[R. Richard]

I guess I'm gonna havta start playing the lottery.

Rant over.

It would seem that you will have to WIN the lottery.

 

[R. Richard]

If you want to live in a nice area, it is gonna' COST nowadays. Houses in coastal areas and anyplace nice are only available at insane prices.

Note, the insane prices were not always there. The people who bought 20 years ago got in at much less insane prices. The lesson seems to be to find a place where you want to live now, figure out how to buy a house and then watch the price of your house rise to insane levels.

 

[CharleyH]

Absolutely!

Strike up the band.....


*Gloom, despair and agony on me,
Deep dark depression
Excessive misery.

If it wern't for bad luck
I'd have no luck at all.

Gloom, despair and agony on me.*

LOL - cool little ditty, M_M

 

[Misty_Morning]

LOL - cool little ditty, M_M

Not me...Hee Haw!

 

[CharleyH]

Not me...Hee Haw!

Who then?

 

[Misty_Morning]

Who then?

I told you.....Hee Haw!
(It was a variety show that used to be on in the 70's. It was put on by all these hicks out of Nashville TN...ya know Roy Clark and Buck Owens)


It's the song they would sing on Hee Haw! when they would cry about all the shit that someone would go through.

It was fucking hilarious.

 

[CharleyH]

I told you.....Hee Haw!
(It was a variety show that used to be on in the 70's. It was put on by all these hicks out of Nashville TN...ya know Roy Clark and Buck Owens)


It's the song they would sing on Hee Haw! when they would cry about all the shit that someone would go through.

It was fucking hilarious.

OH HEE HAW! Damn I tried to avoid it when I was young - yet thinking ... Can't help. Sorry.

 

[jomar]

Strike up the band.....

*Gloom, despair and agony on me,
Deep dark depression
Excessive misery.

If it wern't for bad luck
I'd have no luck at all.

Gloom, despair and agony on me.

LOL - cool little ditty, M_M

It has a Hee Haw sound...like the singers are standing in front of a tall wooden fence...with a piece of straw in their mouths..and wearing goofy clothes...

 

[jomar]

Dang it! While I was typing Hee Haw your fingers were flying!

 

[TE999]

Hey Misty!

Another Floridian checking in.

When I moved here in 1997 this (Indian River County)was a quiet little place to live. Lots of friendly people and a slow paced lifestyle. Things were reasonably priced and one could live comfortably on a modest income. Now everything here is over priced, traffic's a bitch-kitty, taxes are increasing astronomically and people can't sell their houses.

An elderly couple down the street is having to sell their home of 20 years because they can't afford to live here any more. It's sad. Of course no one comes to look at it because new housing is glutting on the market, and older homes aren't moving either.

Apartment rents easily top $1,500.00 a month and that's for a shoe box in a so-so neighborhood. I don't know how people can afford to live here unless they're wealthy. Hell, I don't know how I can afford to live here.

Good luck with your move, and I hope things work out well for you.

And the lottery IMHO is a suckers game. All you ever see buying tickets are the poor and elderly. Save your money and buy a house (if you can find one).