Hate for Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center (2014, for rent)

[StilltheSame]

We rented when we first moved here not because we could not afford to buy a house, but because 1) we were not certain what area we wanted to live in and didn't want to be tied to a bad decision; and 2) because we were not certain we wanted to stay here as long as the investment in buying warranted. We have since bought, but finding a nice home to rent is difficult.

I think the stigma on renting is because so many people buy young and never plan to leave. So, of course the reasons we rented are just not something they have considered. BTW - we rented and bought in Minikahda Vista in SLP and love it. I also really like the South Minneapolis neighborhoods.

[asitshouldbe]

The area has cleaned up quite a bit, I was at the new Walmart the other day and it was very nice. The area in general had become very ghetto and it had a nickname of Brooklyn Dark. That may be the reason a lot of people avoid the area.

[MSMCGirl]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Renting in this area is viewed more of not being able to afford a house. In many parts of CA, housing prices are so out of tune with wages that very few people CAN afford to buy a house. Same with NY, DC, etc. I don't know that people look down on them as much as don't understand why people want to rent. I hope to God that I never have to rent ever again. Sorry, just the way it is. I like being able to paint a wall if I want or change flooring, etc. Sharing walls in an apartment is my worst nightmare.

MSMCGirl--I don't know who you hang out with but it sounds like you need a new group of friends. I rarely run into people that are as snobby as you suggest.

And is there something wrong with people that are you assume are not "able to afford a house"?? That justifies snobbery? Perhaps someone is smart with their money and they know owning is more expensive in a lot of ways than renting, and they are wisely waiting for certain circumstances to change before they commit to a mortgage? Perhaps they know they're going to move to another city in a year or so? Perhaps they are in an unstable job situation?? Who are you or anyone to judge that because someone chooses to rent that can't "afford" a house? And by the way, I know a lot of people who are in very low income jobs and yes cannot afford a home, however they work MUCH harder than 1/2 the executives I work with (who are very OVER compensated but have been very lucky). I agree....I never want to rent again....HOWEVER, I would never judge or make an assumption about another person's situation and why they choose to rent or buy.

And thank you for assuming I need a "new group of friends", however none of my friends are judgmental or snobby. I am pointing to certain coworkers, acquaintances and people I have met while living here the past 7 years (oh and perhaps some of your posts??).

[uptown_urbanist]

There are a lot of people who can't afford to buy a house yet buy them anyway! Owning a house doesn't really tell you anything these days about a person's economic status, even if you are the type of person to judge someone based on their income.

We don't own, although at one point we thought we were ready to stay put in one place long enough to justify it. We rent because it makes sense for us, at least at this point in our lives. And honestly, I don't think we can afford to buy a house -- I won't do it without 20 percent down, and a fully stocked emergency savings account (which we need to restock), and the neighborhoods we enjoy are expensive. In the eyes of some I suppose this means that I am less worthy as a person. I think owning is great if you can afford it and are confident that your circumstances or location won't need to change in the near future, but it's not the right choice for everyone, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with people who make the decision -- for whatever reason -- to rent. It doesn't make them bad neighbors or community members or bad people. Yet in the Twin Cities renting is seen only as okay for the very young or those who just moved here. I think StilltheSame is right that many people here may simply never have thought through the renting versus owning benefits, as if you can afford to buy a house here (which is often possible at a younger age than it is in other more expensive areas) and don't plan on moving, then owning does often make sense. But one size does not fit all, and there does seem to be a tremendous amount of economic snobbery in this metro area. That snobbery has certainly been evident on this forum from time to time.

[Beenhere4ever]

I rented for decades because I abhor keeping up a house. My life and employment were fairly stable. But it is a fact that few people living unstable lives live in houses, which require keeping up on utilities, mortgage payments, getting repairs done, etc. So areas with heavy multidwelling penetration just tend to have more people caught in a struggle to stay above water. So you get things like domestic violence, drug arrests, and things like that. I don't call it a prejudice. I call it a fact of life. And no one should avoid apartment living because other people can't get it together. My apartment days were days of good times mostly.

[ocsid]

I wrote this a couple months ago regarding Brooklyn Park specifically. BC is another matter entirely.

There's definitely more crime than in suburbs of similar size and era of development (think Maple Grove or Plymouth).
There was a story a little while back about a rash of home invasions in some of the newer developments up by 610. There was also a fair amount of vandalism, which can happen anywhere, but it wasn't uncommon.

What I noticed most of all before we left was a serious lack of pride in homeownership. We built there in 2000 and stayed ten years. The amount of turnover in our neighborhood was really surprising, with a lot of places on their third and fourth owners in that time. Each subsequent owner seemed to let the houses and yards get worse and worse, and these weren't inexpensive places at the time. For the most part, you don't see that in other developments of the same age in other cities. Foreclosures were a huge problem there as well. We were lucky to get out when we did and still make a little money (we kept our house and yard really nice) - property values have dropped everywhere but they've absolutely plummeted in BP. Even in Edinburgh, which was pretty exclusive when it was built in the 80's, the housing prices are shockingly low these days when compared to similar neighborhoods around the cities.

[l12]

Originally Posted by chessgeek

BTW, does anyone know whatever happened to Target's plan to build a major corporate campus there? Maybe when that is completed, it will help the city.

Target Northern Campus has been in operation for years now at 7000 Target Parkway Brooklyn Park, MN 55445

The economic crash caused them to severely curtail their plans there and the office is kind of a ghost town, but they are starting to send more workers there. They still plan to eventually build a live-work village but right now it's pretty much an office building and a tiny strip mall in the middle of nowhere. But I'm sure it helps their tax base anyway.

[l12]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Renting in this area is viewed more of not being able to afford a house. In many parts of CA, housing prices are so out of tune with wages that very few people CAN afford to buy a house. Same with NY, DC, etc. I don't know that people look down on them as much as don't understand why people want to rent. I hope to God that I never have to rent ever again. Sorry, just the way it is. I like being able to paint a wall if I want or change flooring, etc. Sharing walls in an apartment is my worst nightmare.

MSMCGirl--I don't know who you hang out with but it sounds like you need a new group of friends. I rarely run into people that are as snobby as you suggest.

Golfgal, I am surprised that you don't have anyone in YOUR group of friends who regrets buying considering the housing market of the last 10 years.
I know a lot of people who WISH they had stayed renters because they are STILL underwater on their mortgage.

I understand perfectly why people might not want to buy: It has been a terrible investment for the past 10 years and no one knows for sure if that has changed yet. The renter's have been the smart ones.

I both own a house which I rent, and rent a place to live, and I can tell you, renting has a lot going for it. I never hear my neighbors, I can paint a wall if I want, and when something breaks I just make one phone call and forget about it. (You can also rent detached houses, ya know)

I was fortunate enough to buy before the boom so I didn't actually LOSE money like so many people, except for the opportunity cost, but I would have done a lot better renting and using that money to invest in something more liquid (like stocks, that I could get out of quickly when it turned south).

But I think the main reason people don't buy is that not everyone is convinced they are going to remain in the Twin Cities, or in the same house or neighborhood, for the unknown number of years it may take to make a profit (and not a loss) on that investment, and that is a responsible decision, not something to be looked down on.

A house is just an investment, and not always a great one. There are other things you can do with that downpayment which might make you a lot smarter in the end. Especially in a place like the Twin Cities where real estate never goes up that much. At least in LA or NYC it is actually smart to buy because you can make a lot of money in a short time buying in the right place.

[Beenhere4ever]

To have bought near the apex of the bubble is to be truly cursed. We bought near the beginning of the 90's and remained satisfied. So we watched what was going on around us in incredulity. Even the assessed value of our place just seemed surreal. What was inflating all houses so weirdly. Now we know it was investment money trying to make a killing in real estate. Funny part: Exactly this sort of stupidity landed Japan in a long long stagnation. And America watched it but learned nothing.

[l12]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

Funny part: Exactly this sort of stupidity landed Japan in a long long stagnation. And America watched it but learned nothing.

Funnier part: half the country still believes that free-market, zero-government regulation is the only path to prosperity regardless of the damage it inflicts. Bring on the next bubble!