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Old 11-01-2008, 05:46 PM   #21
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1250 sq foot house, mortgage free. Altogether approximately $250 per month.
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Old 11-01-2008, 05:47 PM   #22
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 46
Rental House (w/carport)
1210 SQ FT

$545 Rent/mo inc. maint.
60 Gas/mo
100 Elect/mo
-0- Water/Sewer/Gargage (Paid)
145 Renter's Insurance ($75K coverage) annual
180 Cable & Internet (all premium Channels)/mo
20 Phone (Land Line only- excludes Cell Phone Serv.)/mo

~$10,765/yr. ($897/mo)
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Old 11-01-2008, 05:53 PM   #23
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Posts: 479
paid-for one bedroom apt in NYC - Maint 600/mo which includes RE taxes.

Phone, electric - another 50 ?

ta,
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Old 11-01-2008, 06:04 PM   #24
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Posts: 125
Tax: 350
Gas: 40
Electric: 50
Water/sewer: 30
Oil: 200 gal/yr (this year likely around 65 a month)
Phone/DSL: 50
Insurance: 100

Total per month: 685

Repairs and upgrades on this 1200 sf, 120 yo house eats up a good bit, I figure:

Maintenance: 500 (comes in big chunks, this year 10k roof)

Still cheaper than renting around here but no mortgage...with opportunity cost figured or a note, renting would be a no brainer but we're kinda fond of the place.
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Old 11-01-2008, 06:08 PM   #25
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Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,067
Roughly $325/mo for a 1,100 sq foot 1965 brick house. Nothing fancy and not worth a lot, but a house I will inherit from my aunt. She lives with my mom and this works for now.
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Old 11-01-2008, 06:17 PM   #26
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Location: Central Coast, California
Posts: 923
2-bedroom, 950 sq ft condo in Central Coast area of California. No garage, no basement, attic crawlspace but no improved/livable attic space.

Mortgage (P&I): $1183/mo
HELOC: $500 / mo (soon to be paid off)
HOA fees: $415/mo
Property tax: $550/mo
Cable & Internet: $95/mo
Electric (light & heat): $70/mo average
Phone (cell & land line): $90/mo
Water, sewer & trash & hot water paid for through HOA fees
Insurance: $100/mo
No ADT.

Total: $3300

Compared to others on this board, this may seem like a lot. It is. But I would like to defend my frugalista chops here -- this is an average condo for our area, and FOUR of us live here (two adults, two small kids). We are thrilled that housing prices have fallen in the past six months because 3-bedroom, 1400 sq. ft. ranch-style houses (built in the 1960's, on 1/5th of an acre suburban lots) are finally coming back down into the high $700k and low $800k range. (Just last summer they were up in the $900k range).

If prices keep falling over the next four years, we might get lucky and be able to trade up. But I'm not holding my breath.
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Old 11-01-2008, 06:19 PM   #27
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Posts: 2,840
2800 Square Feet Northwest Indiana
Mortgage P&I: 686
Property Tax: 150
Heat Electric: 281
Insurance: 133
Garbage: 20
Cable: 65
Phone/DSL line: 73
--------
Total 1,408
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Old 11-01-2008, 06:34 PM   #28
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Location: Sarasota,fl.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Meadbh View Post
1250 sq foot house, mortgage free. Altogether approximately $250 per month.

Wow that is also inexpensive ! I really never thought there were areas you could live for that much a month but I maybe I've been jaded by living in New Jersey and Florida ?
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Old 11-01-2008, 06:47 PM   #29
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1200 sq feet in northern Iowa, two people, $566.
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Old 11-01-2008, 06:51 PM   #30
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1890 Square foot, 2 car garage

Property taxes/insurance: $200 (they are waiting to the election to figure out property taxes I think)
Gas/Electric $150
Water/Garbage/Sewer: $55
Phone: $30
Cable/Internet: $115

$550
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Old 11-01-2008, 06:53 PM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg View Post
I was also wondering how you get taxes , electric , water & sewer , cable & phone and home insurance for that price . I'm moving there . Even when I had a much smaller house in Florida my expenses were more than that .
Oops!! I made a mistake. That's how it was so low.
I was figuring it out in my head since I couldn't find the calculator or a spreadsheet on Frank's other computer, got distracted, and goofed.

Here's the breakdown:

$45/mo property tax
$125/mo electric & gas
$16/mo water/sewer/trash
$60/mo cable TV & internet
$22/mo phone
$116/mo homeowners' insurance
$43/mo flood insurance

Total: $427/mo Better? I was off by $209.

Meadbh is our winner!!
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Old 11-01-2008, 06:58 PM   #32
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Location: minnesota
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We make about $550 a month by living in an apartment in the building we own. That is after all expenses are paid. That is why it is so hard to sell and move into a house.
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Old 11-01-2008, 07:23 PM   #33
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Posts: 4,006
Currently renting ~950 sq ft apt. in rural MS

Rent: $709
Electric/Heat/AC: $70
Cable/Internet: $90
Cell Phone: $45
Sewer/Water: $25


Total Monthly Costs: $939
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Old 11-01-2008, 07:25 PM   #34
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1600 sq ft house, no mortgage

$771 a month itemized as -

Property Tax - $200
Insurance- $55
Water and sewer - $66
Trash - $17
Electric - $78
Gas - $204 budget plan
Satellite TV - $85
Internet - $47
Phone - $19

These all seem reasonable except the gas for heat. This has gone way up as the prices have climbed. Also, we have only replaced a few of the windows and need to do the rest. Better insulation would help, too.
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Old 11-01-2008, 07:52 PM   #35
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Location: Chicago
Posts: 13,148
I don't see anyone including the opportunity cost of holding the equity in your home. If folks are going to include mortgage payments as a monthly cost, the cost of having no, or a reduced, monthly payment should be included. If your house is paid for, or if it's current market value exceeds the mortgage, charge yourself the opportunity cost of the equity value you don't have invested in a 5% CD. It'll make for a better apples to apples comparison vs. renting......
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Old 11-01-2008, 07:59 PM   #36
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3000 sq ft house: about $2000 a month includes mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities
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Old 11-01-2008, 08:11 PM   #37
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Posts: 2,433
~4000 sq ft in central VA - no mortgage

property taxes - 465
insurance - 115
heat, ac, elec - 234
cable/internet - 104
phone - 23
trash pickup - 24

total - 965
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Old 11-01-2008, 08:26 PM   #38
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Lawn chair in Texas
Posts: 14,183
2008 monthly average, through Oct. 1650sq rayunch in the burbs of Dallas...

MORT, PT, HOI - $841.19
ELEC - $135.24
NATGAS - $36.30
WATER/SEWER/TRASH - $55.70
CABLE/INTERNET - $107.68
LAWN - $51.15


TOTAL - $1227.25
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Old 11-01-2008, 08:50 PM   #39
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Location: St. Louis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Meadbh View Post
1250 sq foot house, mortgage free. Altogether approximately $250 per month.

That is awsome, what state do you live in? Is that for one or two people?
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Old 11-01-2008, 09:58 PM   #40
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2650 sq ft ranch in suburban Dallas, per month average over last 12 months:

Taxes 420
Cable 53
Electric 136
Gas 83
Phone and DSL 110
Water, Sewer, Trash 67
Insurance 178

Total 1047

Not included in the total is about 50/month on lawn and landscaping stuff -- we do our own.
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