Austin growth will absolutely overwhelm roads and highways starting in 2011 - new study (Houston: sales, mortgage)

[capcat]

Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots

Perhaps if AFFORDABLE housing was available downtown for a family of 5 near downtown some of us would have made the choice to live there. However, I refuse to purchase a DUMP for over 200K when we get a bigger bang for the buck somewhere else. At this point in time a "fixer upper" was out of the question. Some of you might like living next to a crack house but it isn't my idea of a good time.

That's my two cents and it's worth every penny.


Also, telling someone to "choose" where they live is out of touch.

There are no crack houses in the suburbs and small towns? I'd like to know where you looked to come away with such an opinion of central neighborhoods. Smaller homes in the city don't exactly translate to crack house down the street.

[love roses]

I didn't see anywhere in that post where "crack house" was mentioned, but I will say that it's mainly true that you will spend upwards of 200k on even a basic crackerbox house or tiny little cottage/fixer upper/teardown in ANY central city neighborhood. It's that way in Austin, it was that way in Houston when I lived in Rice Village and it was that way in downtown Denver when I lived there. When I lived in Houston, I rented a tiny apartment and in Denver we had a smaller house than we do now and a postage stamp sized yard.

[capcat]

Originally Posted by love roses

I didn't see anywhere in that post where "crack house" was mentioned, but I will say that it's mainly true that you will spend upwards of 200k on even a basic crackerbox house or tiny little cottage/fixer upper/teardown in ANY central city neighborhood. It's that way in Austin, it was that way in Houston when I lived in Rice Village and it was that way in downtown Denver when I lived there. When I lived in Houston, I rented a tiny apartment and in Denver we had a smaller house than we do now and a postage stamp sized yard.

Can you really not see the mention of "crack house" in the post?

[verybadgnome]

Originally Posted by love roses

I didn't see anywhere in that post where "crack house" was mentioned, but I will say that it's mainly true that you will spend upwards of 200k on even a basic crackerbox house or tiny little cottage/fixer upper/teardown in ANY central city neighborhood. It's that way in Austin, it was that way in Houston when I lived in Rice Village and it was that way in downtown Denver when I lived there. When I lived in Houston, I rented a tiny apartment and in Denver we had a smaller house than we do now and a postage stamp sized yard.

I think the problem in Texas is that folks have an exaggerated sense of what they "need" in a living space. I walk past my neighbor's houses and see piles of mostly junk filling up their 2 car garages as an example of this. Plus the variety of home type in C. Texas is sorely lacking. For example in most other parts of the country you can make a compromise between a single family home and a condo. Its called a townhouse but they are few and far between in these parts. Few two story homes, no split level homes that I know of, and of course no basements (nobody's fault that one) but it still contributes to the underutilization of space.

This is a basic human trait. When something is in abundance, in this case land, it ends up being wasted. Water is another recent example.

[verybadgnome]

Originally Posted by love roses

I didn't see anywhere in that post where "crack house" was mentioned, but I will say that it's mainly true that you will spend upwards of 200k on even a basic crackerbox house or tiny little cottage/fixer upper/teardown in ANY central city neighborhood. It's that way in Austin, it was that way in Houston when I lived in Rice Village and it was that way in downtown Denver when I lived there. When I lived in Houston, I rented a tiny apartment and in Denver we had a smaller house than we do now and a postage stamp sized yard.

Yes but go a bit aways from the central city and you can still have good transit access, but not much of a yard, for a paltry $100/sq. ft.:

Home for Sale in Austin, TX - 412 CELERY LOOP

But do most people really even use most of their yard except to occasionally glance at?

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

[quote=verybadgnome; But do most people really even use most of their yard except to occasionally glance at?[/quote]



I use the yard...to plant things. Anything really, trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs...etc, etc.

I apologize if I've offended anyone from "central". I'm sure you don't have one crack house. I was going to say I meant "crackerbox" but that would have been too obvious. Again, I'm sorry.

[capcat]

I appreciate that, but why include the sarcasm of saying you're sure we don't have one crack house? No one would claim that, no one would think it. It's not realistic. Not in the city, not in the suburbs, not in small towns.

[love roses]

Originally Posted by verybadgnome

Yes but go a bit aways from the central city and you can still have good transit access, but not much of a yard, for a paltry $100/sq. ft.:

Home for Sale in Austin, TX - 412 CELERY LOOP

But do most people really even use most of their yard except to occasionally glance at?

Sorry, missed the crack house mention previously I don't know about everyone else, but I, for one, do use my yard and almost all of it and am in it everyday. We try and have the majority of it edibles with a smattering of other things as well. I agree about not really needing "too much" house. I don't understand how a family of 2 or 3 people needs more than 2,000 sf. I just love a little more elbow room and not many neighborhoods downtown have enough for my taste. In Denver most of the yards were very small although in 5 points (one of the worst areas ever) lots of those houses did have big yards. At this point in my life, being downtown just isn't as important to me. I like to have some space but still relatively close to things like shopping, medical facilities, etc...Way out rural, miles and miles from nowhere isn't quite me either.

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Originally Posted by capcat

I appreciate that, but why include the sarcasm of saying you're sure we don't have one crack house? No one would claim that, no one would think it. It's not realistic. Not in the city, not in the suburbs, not in small towns.

You're 100% right. I don't have an excuse or "reason". Sometimes I'm just a sarcastic wench and there is no gettin around it. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I say things I regret. It's a character flaw. I take pot shots. I'm argumentative at times. I don't think before I speak. I'm a bull in a china shop. I could go on and on but I'm pretty sure you get my drift.


Crack houses can be anywhere, (I know this).

[capcat]

Okay, well, have a good weekend. Tomorrow is free museum day. An opportunity to take the family and enjoy.
Austin Museum Partnership : Museum Day 2009