Your monthly cost of housing

[73ss454]

Ha, a $10 electric bill, now that's frugal. You're my hero.

 

[haha]

Ha, a $10 electric bill, now that's frugal. You're my hero.

Undeserved 73SS. Small apartment; mild climate (no AC); and cheap city electricity rates. Heat is payed in my rent.

Ha

 

[Frugality_of_Apathy]

Mortgage (P&I): $1183/mo
HOA fees: $415/mo

They must have one killer clubhouse to charge more than a third of your mortgage.


For me
Mortgage (P&I) ~$850
Taxes ~$200
Electricity, Water, Internet, Cell phone ~$150-$240 depending on time of year.
Garbage ~$20


Totaling around $1220-$1320/month for 1050 sq.ft on 0.21 acres. If I ever get around to finishing the bathroom I may rent out a room or two which could bring that down to around $350.

 

[FIREd]

Anyone here paying condo fees? My mom owns her condo outright but she still pays ever increasing condo fees (about $350 a month right now). So even though she owns, the condo fees make her feel like she is still paying a rent! I think that starting next year I will have to step in and help her pay for those fees because she is starting to struggle on her fixed income budget.

Many of the old-timers have moved on (many cashed out in the past few years) and they have been mostly replaced by yuppies who keep coming up with laundry lists of things they want to change (landscape improvements, larger elevators, etc...). Moving out is not really a viable option (for many reasons), so she is kinda stuck there...

 

[JohnP]

3200 sqft Condo in SW Ohio - No mortgage - two people retired for past 6 years-

Property Tax $390 /mo
Gas Heat 164
Electric 72
Water/Sewer 58
Cable/phone/cellphone/internet 150
House.Content Insurance 45
HOA (includes Structure Ins, Lawncare, Garbage, Pool, Streets, etc) 322
TOTAL $1,201/Month

I consider this cost to be a part of my "Infrastructure Cost"; with "Infrastructure" to include all those necessary basics that often are overlooked when thinking about our living expenses. For my budget, Infrastructure costs also include all auto costs and HC/LTC/LI/Medicare-Pt.B. Insurance costs and out-of-pocket medical costs. This seems to give me a stable yearly item for tracking and projecting expenses.

JohnP

 

[FIRE'd@51]

OK. Current value of home ~ $200K.
Invested in stocks, that would generate a return (this year) of maybe (-$50K).

I like this analysis. We are getting paid to live in our houses.

 

[Yankees Rule]

275 tax
80 electric 180 summer AC
40 natural gas
90 cable
73 internet and phone
90 insurance
80 sewer water trash

728 total 828 total summer

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

NH is a property tax hell state as we have no income of sales tax of my $792 a month, $333 is prop tax.

That's not that bad compared to some places in PA and NJ. In PA, my 1600 sq. ft. townhouse cost me $5800 a year in property taxes. The county, the school board, and the city each assesses a tax. In NJ, my sister's 2000 sq. ft. house cost her $12,000 a year in taxes. Both PA and NJ also have income taxes.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

OK. Current value of home ~ $200K.
Invested in stocks, that would generate a return (this year) of maybe (-$50K).
Invested in a 5% CD, it would net $10K.
But you have to live somewhere. $10K a year is $833 per month: not too much to spend on shelter, IMHO.

A paid-for modest house in a state with reasonable taxes and insurance offers a great return, but then we may risk turning this thread into another mortgage vs. no mortgage thread.

 

[shotgunner]

The last couple of posts got me thinking and just for fun I took a look at the numbers of my current home which has been in my family for 2 generations. The house was purchased in 1964 for $11,000. I had a market analysis done two weeks ago when a real estate agent was across the street showing my neighbors house. $210,000 was the goal for the final sale price in the current market.

If I was to realize the last number the house appreciated at a rate of 6.9% annually over 44 years. However there was mortgage on it from '64 to '87, my father had a GI loan at 4 point something % and of course over the years there have been numerous expenses for upgrades and repairs.

Currently at $792 a month for "complete" (all utilities included) it is a bargain for the locale. Checking the newspaper 2 bedroom apartments are going for $800 - $1000 a month and I would still have to pay for electric, phone and cable.

I gave up a house in a divorce, similiar size, I inherited this one 4+ years ago. In 2006 I decided to stay in it for ER, spent $30K on fixups, upgrades (new kitchen, bath, basement waterproofing, electrical system) and addition of deck and hot tub. It is now providing about as low a cost shelter with enough room for my stuff as one can have in my community. From a pure cash outflow for decent shelter this is working for me. However it is apparent from all these posts that some areas of the country are better for ER for monthly cost of housing.

 

[Fastfade]

I my part of TX, property taxes for an average home about equal what I pay for rent. Think I'll stay put.

 

[OAG]

3600 SF Condo
Condo Fee: $300 Monthly (effective 1/1/09; high but reserve fund is the reason)
Electric: $54 Per month (Level Pay Plan - usually results in a month of "no charge")
Gas: $73 Per Month (Level Pay Plan - just raised but will be a couple of "no charge")
Water: In Condo Fee
Trash: In Condo/RE Taxes
Contents Insurance: $14 Per Month (Condo Fee covers outside insurance)
Cable TV/Phone/HS Cable Internet: $95 Per month
RE Taxes: $600 a month (this is the bummer)
Total Monthly: $1,150 (Plus of Minus)
No Mortgage.
Market Value: $345K

 

[dm]

3000 sq. ft house on two acres. I'm about 30 miles outside St. Louis.

240 taxes
155 insurance
175 cable, internet, phone
20 trash pickup
50 sewer/water
200 electic.
200 yard, maint., misc.

so a total of $1040 a month for a mortgage free home that I paid around $250,000 for in 2001.

 

[Texarkandy]

3450 sq ft on 3 acres with pool in the city
we have approx 2/3 equity

P&I - 1000
T&I - 600 (texas prop taxes - I don't pay state income tax)
Electric/Gas - Avg 400
Water/Sewer/Trash - Avg $70
Yard Maint - Avg $50
Cable Internet/TV/DVR - $120
Hard line phone $27
2 Cell phones $70

Total approx $2349 month

 

[TromboneAl]

$498

Monthly Average: $498

 

[REWahoo]

Monthly Average: $498

I don't see anything here for mold abatement and wood hardening...

 

[kowski]

Central Florida
1300 SF
$437 mo

 

[saluki9]

Chicago area

2500sq ft on 3/10 acre with two car garage

$2,401 P&I
$725 Taxes
$74 Insurance
$21 Garbage
$95 Electric
$100 Nat Gas

$3416 Total

 

[TromboneAl]

I don't see anything here for mold abatement and wood hardening...

Medical is not included in this.

 

[Fireup2020]

Rent (ALL included - elec, H2O, cable, wireless, local land line), 2 parking spaces, 1400+ SF, 2BR/2BA= $1865/mo.....totally reimbursed by the US Taxpayers with per diem. Thank you. This will last until Aug '09. I'd rather be paying rent at home!

 

[cardude]

Ug....mine is painful to write. 4400 square feet, brick, 3bath, 4 bedroom.

P/I $3786
Insurance 283
Property Tax 778/mo (Texas)
Electric 359
Water/Sewer/garbage 215 (big yard, lotsa water)
Yard 210 (big yard)
Cable/phone/cellphone/internet 150


TOTAL $5781/month

Anybody want to buy it? LOL

Not retired yet..........can't sell my business

 

[FinanceDude]

Ug....mine is painful to write. 4400 square feet, brick, 3bath, 4 bedroom.

P/I $3786
Insurance 283
Property Tax 778/mo (Texas)
Electric 359
Water/Sewer/garbage 215 (big yard, lotsa water)
Yard 210 (big yard)
Cable/phone/cellphone/internet 150


TOTAL $5781/month

Anybody want to buy it? LOL

Not retired yet..........can't sell my business

I'm sure the amalgamation of GM/Chrysler will have a buyout plan for you........

 

[FUEGO]

$378 a month for a 1925 sq ft house in the southeastern united states, in a major metropolitan area. Does not include $1078 a month on a 10 year mortgage (8 years left).

property tax 118
Gas/Electric 150
water/sewer/trash 39
insurance 38
phone 20
cable 13
TOTAL 378

Property tax, gas and electric, insurance and phone have all dropped in price since last year.

 

[tmm99]

Northern CA - South Bay

Rent 1600 (1200 sqft)
Gas/Electric 80
water/sewer/trash 65
phone 80
cable 86

Total 1911

 

[slimm]

Central Oklahoma

2400 sq. ft. brick house, horse barn, 20 acres
(sep. parcel from the ranch)


Taxes 60.
Electric 45.
Garbage 14.
Water 20.
Propane 50.
Phone 24.
Internet 16.
Ins. 65.
Cell phone 70.

Grand total: $ 364.00 Yikes, my spending is getting out of control!!

sorry about the uneven columns