Forbes Best 'cheap' places

[Brat]

http://www.forbes.com/

 

[renferme]

looked at the web site and can't figure out how to find a list of the "cheap" places.
Am I missing something?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

looked at the web site and can't figure out how to find a list of the "cheap" places.
Am I missing something?

It's here.

 

[Sundance Kid]

It appears to me that somewhere along the line, the definition of "CHEAP," has taken on a whole new meaning!

 

[Arif]

It appears to me that somewhere along the line, the definition of "CHEAP," has taken on a whole new meaning!

It did come out of Forbes but I agree. The house I bought 3 years ago in GA for $102k with 2000 sq ft on a half acre was cheap. A house in Miami for 300k is not cheap. I don't even think they calculated the unobtainable hurricane insurance in the FL picks they had listed. You can still buy a very large (albeit thrown together) house in Atlanta for under 200k. Relative to their picks that is even cheaper.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Yeah no kidding, and "best" also seems to have taken on new meaning.

After plodding through their "we'd like you to take as many pages to read this information to maximize our web advertising" method of displaying the 'locations', the two california ones listed are Sacramento and Davis. Neither of which I'd characterize as "best" or "cheap".

 

[Arif]

Case and point about the insurance issues in FL. Hint hint, it ain't cheap:

In Monroe County, which includes The Keys, property insurance for a five-year-old masonry house valued at $150,000, costs between an average of $3,000 a year from the lowest-cost insurer to an average of $5,779 from the highest. That's with a 2 percent hurricane deductible and a $500 deductible for other damage. All figures are from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/07/real_estate/florida_paradise_lost/index.htm

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

if you can find a 5-year-old florida keys house for $150k, buy it.

just a quick realtor.com search of the lower keys shows the cheapest house at $339k. middle keys looks like there are 5 houses under $300k. upper keys shows one under $200k and 8 of them are under $300k. i bet they're all fixer-uppers though.

at the $150k mark you'd probably pay ~$2500 taxes & let's say $4k insurance. so your $150k buys you the privilege of paying $540/month to live in the keys, as opposed to spending $150k for the privilege of paying, what, $300 per month for someplace else that aint half as nice.

anyway, i don't know where that all came from. what i really meant to say was simply: quit picking on florida. go pick on some state your own size. :::raspberries:::

 

[Arif]

anyway, i don't know where that all came from. what i really meant to say was simply: quit picking on florida. go pick on some state your own size. :::raspberries:::

I could compare FL to Panama. Nah, never mind, it would only make it worse.

 

[Mwsinron]

Yeah no kidding, and "best" also seems to have taken on new meaning.

After plodding through their "we'd like you to take as many pages to read this information to maximize our web advertising" method of displaying the 'locations', the two california ones listed are Sacramento and Davis.  Neither of which I'd characterize as "best" or "cheap".

Sacramento housing prices almost make me vomit and laugh at the same time. All I have to say is my dw and I only have about 7 more years left in this area and adios.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I may not stick around that long. We've got a nice place in a nice neighborhood, but it was nice when you could get twice the house for half the price of a similar offering in the bay area, and just had to eat the heat and the crime as compensation.

Its definitely a much nicer area now, much better retail/stores/etc. The inflow of money has had a positive effect.

But the roads are jammed, real estate is nutty and due for another slide like '90-96, and the weather the last two years has sucked. 50 and rainy straight to 100 degrees straight back to 50 and rainy.

I'm just not too sure where I'd go from here. Need to stay in CA, need to not go too far from the grandparents in Grass Valley and Roseville. Cant think of anything cheap and with the 'mediterranean climate' I'd prefer thats within a couple of hours.

 

[kcowan]

I like Davis because of the university town feeling and the trees everywhere. Unfortunately the last time we visited in April 2004, they hit record highs in the mid-90s. We escaped to Pacifica and the Best Western Lighthouse to enjoy the heat wave with Pacific breezes.

But I agree that the Forbes study lacks credibility in many of its conclusions.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

The last two summers have been hotter than hades around here as well. I live about a half hour from Davis.

Homes are ridiculously expensive there too.

 

[Mwsinron]

Sacto is a beautiful area weather wise. However Im willing to ER to an area where housing and the cost of living is alot cheaper to deal with weather that is not as good. Housing just simply isnt even reasonable in this area. Last reports I have seen houses are at 57 percent over valued. Obviously if you can afford it and dont care its a great area

 

[Brat]

Sacto is a beautiful area weather wise. However Im willing to ER to an area where housing and the cost of living is alot cheaper to deal with weather that is not as good. Housing just simply isnt even reasonable in this area. Last reports I have seen houses are at 57 percent over valued. Obviously if you can afford it and dont care its a great area

Employers are moving their facilities your way as housing is cheaper than the Bay area. Sacto is still a reasonable drive from SF or SJ.