I just saw on TV that a 3 bedroom detached property with swimming pool in Florida costs the exact same as my 2 bedroom apartment on the coast in England. I was totally suprised by this. As there are quite a few American posters here, I am curious as to housing costs in other areas. Does anyone have any other examples of property costs? Does the cost vary much within the same state? Are there hidden taxes to owning a home in the US? Do people tend to take out 20 - 25 year mortgages as they do here with such low prices?
What does property cost where you live?
by ball. 37 Replies latest jw friends
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stillajwexelder
179,000 US$ (=100,000 GB Pounds) will buy you an awful lot of house/land and swimming pool in Missouri. Easily get 3 or 4 acres of land with that and quite a few bedrooms and of course space to expand.
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Englishman
Just seen advertised a detached property in Texas + pool + 1 acre of land for £85,000.
I can get £160,000 for my 105 year old house with no off-road parking and just a small back garden.
HL and I have wondered about moving to Wales, say Pembrokeshire, and getting a bigger place for the same money. Then we could do B & B.
Englishman.
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Maverick
This is a very complex question. In a urban setting, near water or a golf coarse, you will pay several times what you would for the same home out in the country. And in most communities, water front property is heavily taxed. Also living next to salt water is costly. Seawalls have to be maintained, cars and outside furishings corrode and so on. My 1800sq. ft house, if it were on the water would be worth two and a half times what it is worth living one mile from the Gulf of Mexico. But it is worth twice as much as it would be in over by the baseball stadium. Maverick
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Navigator
I have lived in the U.K., Germany, and of course the U.S.A.. I have found property costs to be much lower in the USA. It can vary widely by state. Property costs in Texas are about one half of those in California. Property taxes in Texas tend to be high as there is no State Income Tax. That may change one day. One reason that construction costs in Texas are so low is that Texas has a "right to work" law. Labor unions are very weak here. Also, homes here do not require basements as the weather is mild. That lowers costs a great deal. Most homes have 30 year mortgages. Right now the rates are just above 6% fixed and perhaps 4.5% variable.
Englishman-Why don't you and HL move to Texas instead of Wales. We have more posters per square mile here in the DFW area than anywhere in the world. You could buy a lot of house here for what you would get for your place in the U.K..
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Englishman
Englishman-Why don't you and HL move to Texas instead of Wales. We have more posters per square mile here in the DFW area than anywhere in the world. You could buy a lot of house here for what you would get for your place in the U.K..
Navigator,
Thank you! However I'm probably just too British to emigrate, besides, wouldn't I have to go through the nationalisation process to live in the States?
Engishman.
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DevonMcBride
A man I work with just bought a new single 4 bedroom house for USD$500,000 in Buckingham, PA. That's about the norm for new homes in the area.
Devon
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La Capra
My very small (under 700 square feet) condo in a "very trendy" wine country town appraised last summer for over $300K (USD). The house I live in in a "not so trendy" wine country town is over 1000 square feet, with a cottage out back, in a desirable neighborhood, would sell in a week for at least $420K (USD). I get inquiries on both properties quite often. Here, real estate prices have been increasing every month for nearly eight years, at staggering rates. But most people around here consider this area to be the absolute best place on earth to live. I happen to agree. Shoshana
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elamona
You can buy a farm with some buildings (@30 acres), sometimes with a nice house for @$100,000.00 in rural Mississippi and Louisiana. This usually includes trees ready to harvest for making lumber. In southern Mississippi and Louisiana not too far from New Orleans you can buy a house,3-4 bedroom, brick,2 baths, garage, fireplace and a large lot or an acre of ground for @$100,000.00. Mississippi is one of the country's best kept secrets. It had earned a horrible reputation for what happened in the 60's but has grown way beyond the type of hatred and racial animosity it was known for in the past. More middle class and prosperous blacks are moving back "home" to the deep south states than anywhere else. And we welcome them gladly. No everything is not perfect, and yes there are still jerks around who judge people by the color of their skin but these people are getting harder and harder to find. Property taxes in La. are non existent if the property is valued at less than $100,000.00 by law in the La. Constitution. In Mississippi you'll pay @ $500-$2,000.00/yr in property taxes, depending on how close you live to "big" cities. Utilities are generally cheaper than up north- doesn't get too cold here. Propane or natural gas heat is @$100.00/month during the coldest months of Jan and Feb. During the summer, from May to late Oct., you can be sure that you'll pay about the same every month for electricity for your air conditioner.
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Stacy Smith
You can get a nice sub 2000 square foot fixer upper for about a half million in our area if you shop smart. One ready to move into is about 100K more.