Replies

1. 
   DavidThomas | Oct 23, 2003 12:07am | #1

   Here are the top five from Boss' URL (all for 2200 sqaure foot, 4-BD homes):

   La Jolla, CA          $1,362,375

   Palo Alto, Calif      $1,179,000 

   Greenwich, Conn.  $1,170,600 

   Beverly Hills, Calif  $1,097,250 

   San Francisco, Calif $971,750 

   The striking thing to me is that I've dated women from four of those cities.  But not from Beverly Hills.  Does this mean Shannen Doherty is in my future?  That would be scarey!

   David Thomas   Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
1. 
   brownbagg | Oct 23, 2003 02:54am | #3

   problem here is you cannot build for what they sell for, a 4 bd 2 bath 2200 sq feet start about $85k but it would cost about 90k to build so you have to go fancy to get the extra money. But the mediam wage is only 30K here

1. 
   hasbeen | Oct 23, 2003 06:18am | #11

   Basically got the same problem here.  But, I'm building anyway. Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.

1. 
   River19 | Oct 23, 2003 02:53pm | #12

   Same issue here in MA.  Land costs are so expensive along with Labor that an acre might go for $250K uncleared, cost you another five figures to have it cleared then have fun hiring a crew that will make the numbers work along with quality.  Everything going up west of Boston is 5 bed 3.5bath with a three car garage.  You need somewhere for the leased BMW, Mercedes and the Land Rover for the snow.  Plus shouldn't every child have two rooms and their own bath?

   A home in my family was just appraised last week, 4 bed 2.5 bath, 1 acre, 2800sq ft, $575K.  Please, nice house and all but more than a half mill is ridonkulous.

   This RE market reminds me of the tech boom in the stock market, just buy any old piece of crap it will be worth more next year than this year.  Unreal.

   SJ

   Know a little about alot and alot about little.

   Edited 10/23/2003 8:17:56 AM ET by Steve Joyce

1. 
   ak373 | Oct 23, 2003 05:21pm | #13

   A home in my family was just appraised last week, 4 bed 2.5 bath, 1 acre, 2800sq ft, $575K.  Please, nice house and all but more than a half mill is ridonkulous.

   Steve, that sounds like a bargain, honestly.  Here in SoCal the same house for the same price would be on an 8000 square foot lot.

2. 
   River19 | Oct 23, 2003 06:38pm | #14

   I agree CA is in a class of silliness all to itself, however we are talking about an area 30 miles away from Boston and the prices are still climbing to crazy levels.  Entry level housing is now mid 200's and that is usually a condo in the middle of no where or a dump.  If you move in 10 miles prices are at CA levels, however the minimum zoning in many metro-west towns here is 1 acre. 

   Towns like Dover, Sudbury, Weston etc. you are going to be close to CA price levels, however CA is a nutt case when it comes to RE values.

   The real issue here is land cost, taxes and labor cost.  Makes you build up market in order to make it worth your while.

   SJ

   Know a little about alot and alot about little.

3. 
   ak373 | Oct 23, 2003 08:15pm | #15

   I agree that there are a lot of places in MA that have just as crazy prices as CA.  But it seems like there is always more land in MA.  I watch TOH and read the magazines and the eastern houses always have these huge yards.  You just don't find that out here.   Even when you go 100 miles from LA the new subdivisions will have 5000 square foot lots.  To get something around 10000 you are talking $600-800K.  To get an acre?  If you can find it you're talking in the millions.

4. 
   JohnSprung | Oct 23, 2003 09:05pm | #16

   Two years ago my wife talked me into buying a 2 bedroom 850 SF fixer in the valley for $185k.  It appraised last week at $330k.  Amazing.

   -- J.S.

5. 
   ak373 | Oct 23, 2003 09:32pm | #17

   John, my first house was a 900 square foot, 2 bedroom 1 bath cottage on a 5000 square foot lot in La Crescenta.  Paid 155k in 12/94.  Put it on the market in 11/98 for 195k, sold in one day but sale fell through.  Back on the market in 1/99 for 225k, sold in two days.  The couple that bought it sold it a year ago for 305k.  It's probably worth 350k today.  I shoulda kept it...

6. 
   jimblodgett | Oct 23, 2003 11:25pm | #18

   I think that's pretty much the story with real estate in any desirable location - always seems high when you buy it, ten years later it feels like you stole it.

7. 
   Luka | Oct 24, 2003 12:48am | #19

   How much does it cost to build a house?

   About a buck two ninety-five.

   Can't we all just get a log ? - Paul Bunyon

   Quittin' Time

2. 
   Piffin | Oct 23, 2003 04:11am | #6

   Sounds like you have expensive taste in women, David.

   Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   WorkshopJon | Oct 23, 2003 01:40am | #2

   Boss,

   One of the reasons I moved to Wisconsin. Paid $96K for my 4 bedroom 2400 sq.ft. house on 2 partially wooded acres on a hill in '94, ~ 35 minutes from downtown MKE. Housing prices are nuts in some parts of the country.

   BTW, almost zero crime (town I live in doesn't even have a police force) and excellent school district.

   Jon

3. 
   calvin | Oct 23, 2003 03:28am | #4

   Boss, you have any idea what it costs to move a house to calif?  I could pick your spec house up on the way.

   Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

   Quittin' Time

1. 
   DavidxDoud | Oct 23, 2003 03:50am | #5

   actually,  if you disassemble it and place it on a railroad car,  it shouldn't cost all that much...

1. 
   calvin | Oct 23, 2003 04:23am | #7

   Well david, I was thinking more along the lines of one pc.  Would keep the detached garage unless they had an extra...................I don't know.........half mill perhaps?  Yeah, what the heck, package deal.

   You want me to maybe swing by and load up a corn crib or something related to apples or berries?  Think martha stewart.Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

   Quittin' Time

1. 
   DavidxDoud | Oct 23, 2003 04:35am | #8

   hey - business is good and harvest about over - - there's a party the day after thanksgiving - - wild game and leftovers - live music - come on over - - or anytime - we can go up to the mill and turn the turbines on - -

1. 
   calvin | Oct 23, 2003 04:55am | #9

   Thank you so very much for the invitation.  I am marking it down on the calendar, but notice there's some intergalctic travel over that weeks end.  If there's a chance, I'm bringing the wife.  She'd like your place.Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

   Quittin' Time

4. 
   Robrehm | Oct 23, 2003 06:03am | #10

   Real simple. How much ya got? Get more.