Poor Housing Stock in LI (Boston: houses, tax, living)
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Ok so now you are saying any new houses built here are built with "junk" materials (as if you somehow know that which you dont, you just hate it here and think everything is bad) and somehow think mc mansions mass built in the south or southwest (like FL) or AZ) arent built with materials on the cheap.
I only mentioned AZ or FL because those places are the only states in US that I know of who's housing stock isnt on average complete trash.
Now, if I include countries outside of US which blow all the US away in almost all aspects (except Medical & $$$$), the cavemen patriots would get butthurt.
Most americans are or at some point were immigrants. We bring ideas from all over the world and try to get the best possible solution to every problem.
When it comes to housing, we have something similar to the wooden stick houses in Thailand. The goal is to get something similar to northern europe, you know: 1ft+ concrete walls (except if on tectonic fault lines), big & good windows (not this bs from Andersen), big houses, deep basements 10-12 ft. (not this "built on slab" crap that is going to slide in 10 years and not 7ft ceiling basements).
Let's be honest, when it comes to housing, at least in LI, it's atrocious when compared to the rest of the world. Add transportation to do that as well. a 60 mph speed on the LIRR is laughable.
Alright, enough of the pointing out of obvious. How to improve this? It's been 100 years without progress.
There’s been huge progress. What kind of house could the average person in the US have afforded in 1920 vs today? With amenities like today?
Average house size in 1920 was 1048 sq ft. Today? Around 2.5x bigger.
True, but isn't there a difference between "getting a mortgage" and actually "affording a house?" No easy credit terms, low interest rates or 'no money down' back then. Way less debt. Now, we're all up to our eyeballs in it. Also, if the same house was $50k and is now $400k, it is mostly because the dollar has lost so much value. The house is still the same dung pile Punkster has been complaining about. You could buy a gallon of milk for a nickel then. Now it's $5 bucks. As much inflation as progress.
punkster55. I don’t know what planet your living on to think that homes in FL and AZ are built with quality materials. It’s the same as here, prob worse due to lax regulations. They use concrete because of termites in theses areas. And it’s all brick veneer. Who cares about a basement when homes are 3k+ sq ft. My basement is 9ft 2 when ceiling goes up it’s 9ft. This is the new norm on LI with new homes.
Florida has had some sketchy construction over the years.
Saving grace has been updated hurricane code, but even that doesn’t equate to quality.
Just means your dump will still be standing after a hurricane.
Older LI construction, while mostly outdated cosmetically, it was definitely built to last, the fact that so much older stock is still standing and sound kinda backs that up.
Newer stuff like McMansions are just pure garbage. Junk.
Yes if a existing home is expanded by 50% or more in size it’s taxed as new construction. This is why All you see is tear downs now.
Not just taxed... built to current code. Which depending on flood zone includes elevation
Speaking of elevation, you also have the ridiculously tiny bungalos being elevated atop foundations twice the size and value of the actual home because it was easier to get Sandy funding for a lift instead of a new house
punkster55. I don’t know what planet your living on to think that homes in FL and AZ are built with quality materials. It’s the same as here, prob worse due to lax regulations. They use concrete because of termites in theses areas. And it’s all brick veneer. Who cares about a basement when homes are 3k+ sq ft. My basement is 9ft 2 when ceiling goes up it’s 9ft. This is the new norm on LI with new homes.
You know what the issue with new home construction is here?... The reason people like myself prefer old homes is that their tax wont shoot through the sky if you redo everything.
Think about this. You buy a house here for ~350k and redo everything. I'm talking moving walls, opening up the kitchen and dining room/living room. Digging from 7ft to 9ft, pouring new cement and insulating exterior basement walls from exterior to prevent water issues from neighboring wet soil.
Changing water pipes, removing the useless baseboard and putting in radiators, wether it be new alimunm or old cast iron. Extending the roof 4 ft each side as they do in other countries so the water doesnt leak into the windows.
Ripping out Andersen windows and putting German engineered windows (not imported, made in America by the way...).
Replacing all of the pink r15 insulation with rockwool to avoid mold problems, adding 6 inches to interior/exterior wall so the wall isnt half a foot thick.
Ripping out the garbage pergo laminate flooring from home depot and putting solid wood $10/sqft + so you are stepping on something natural and not some plastic crap let alone stinky carpets.
All of the above, you'd have to pay 1m for in a new house construction. You can do the same for free if you do it yourself as many of us do. The only issue - finding something that isnt 2 story 1000 sqft. New construction people do it as hotkarl said - lipstick on pig. A real company would charge much more than 1m for this, something that would cost you only 100k in materials and about 5 years in part time labor - and at this point, you'd be doing the work for a home you'd live in for a generation or two.
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