NFR How's the housing market where you live?

Non-fishing related
According to Fox News Live this morning.........481 US cities where the average home cost is now one million dollars. o_O o_O o_O
 
The times wouldn't let me access the article but I'm guessing that it says something like this.

"About 53% of the houses sold in Spokane County in 2012 were affordable to someone who qualifies as a first-time buyer. By 2020, that number had fallen to 14.8%"
Very lengthy article (and you hit the gist of a portion), but it's main thrust was the very complicated dynamic of once affordable communities (like Spokane) all over the US aggressively selling themselves as 'one of the last best places' ....until they aren't. Citizens tend to love economic growth up to the point it affects them personally in a negative fashion.

It also mentions the aggravated local housing construction community regarding the national firms moving into such markets.

I found it interesting that the interviews with the local realtors mainly consisted of those that had just moved here relatively recently...reminded me of carpet-baggers.
 
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Very lengthy article (and you hit the gist of a portion), but it's main thrust was the very complicated dynamic of once affordable communities (like Spokane) all over the US aggressively selling themselves as 'one of the last best places' ....until they aren't. Citizens tend to love economic growth up to the point it affects them personally in a negative fashion.

It also mentions the aggravated local housing construction community regarding the national firms moving into such markets.

I found it interesting that the interviews with the local realtors mainly consisted of those that had just moved here relatively recently...reminded me of carpet-baggers.
Carpet-bagger - interesting analogy.

Several of my former coworkers retired from good paying jobs and have become realtors, I suppose hoping to cash in on easy money. The problem, even in this backwater little town, not a lot of inventory on the market for all that easy money.

My wife and I had been thinking about selling our house and moving into a one level house on a level lot (two stories, steps everywhere and a lot with 20' of elevation changed front to rear): we're staying put until we can't.
 
We’re blessed, we doubled up on our house payments while I was still pulling down big bucks at Boeing. Now both places are paid off. My wife is still working as she loves it. I’m on SS and my pension. We’ve thought about selling the Everett house but can’t settle on where to go, just out of Washington. With all the equity in the house we could probably make an even break. Most of what we see in Post Falls, Hayden, and CDA hasn’t impressed us to move yet. Montana is too far to the ranch and we don’t really want to sell it too. So we’ll stay here for now…
 
We paid off our mortgage as well, and have no intention of moving (and no interest in being snowbirds...we like winter and having 4 seasons). Family is all in Spokane, and we go back five generations here.

Our plan is to age in place, adding whatever modifications necessary to facilitate mobility issues that will inevitably arise. We're both comfortably retired, with pensions, SS, savings and investments.

We both see moving to retirement villages or condos as the fast path to disability. We've seen those that do often deteriorate rapidly since they're freed from doing much of anything at all associated with taking care of a home.

But, as the old saying goes...'If you want to make god laugh, tell him your plans'.
 
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Every once in awhile when I'm really bored, I'll turn on the TV and watch some of the remodeling shows while tying flies.
I think the two most popular are based in Waco TX and Laurel Miss. Same concept, they go around to look at a few different houses, buyer picks one and they remodel / update it based on the buyers budget. There is always the unexpected / built in issue that pops up with the remodel in every episode.

The pricing on the homes is always interesting as are the budgets for the remodels, which wouldn't get much done in the way of remodeling here locally in the Puget Sound area.
I'm not advocating for folks to move to TX or Mississippi, but if you can work remotely there seems to be lots of parts of the country were it might be affordable to live. Much more so affordable then the PNW. The big question of course is would you want to live there and what would you have to or be willing to sacrifice to do so......
Some Laurel Mississippi listings.
SF

 
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Let's see, based on places I have lived or traveled to extensively - weather-wise I want to live where there are no tornados, no hurricanes, no very high humidity with high temps, no Nor'easters, no blizzards, no ice storms, no dust storms and no winter lake effect.

Not too much to ask for...
 
Let's see, based on places I have lived or traveled to extensively - weather-wise I want to live where there are no tornados, no hurricanes, no very high humidity with high temps, no Nor'easters, no blizzards, no ice storms, no dust storms and no winter lake effect.

Not too much to ask for...
So...is an occasional volcano acceptable?:unsure::)
 
Having spent a bit of time in TX and MS I'll give it a hard pass.

Can't say I blame you, but there are locations available for folks willing to look at and relocate to if that is an option.
I'm with @RCF in regards to the weather where I'd want to live and being near saltwater would be a must for me.

If you couldn't work remotely, obviously you'd need to determine if the local economy would offer enough opportunity to make a living.
Also, do those communities offer the types of amenities you would want or are used to and do they line up with your lifestyle and beliefs.
If you wanted to stay in state but get outside the I-5 corridor, there appears to be options for that as well.
SF

 
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Can't say I blame you, but there are locations available for folks willing to look at and relocate to if that is an option.
I'm with @RCF in regards to the weather where I'd want to live and being near saltwater would be a must for me.

If you couldn't work remotely, obviously you'd need to determine if the local economy would offer enough opportunity to make a living.
Also, do those communities offer the types of amenities you would want or are used to and do they line up with your lifestyle and beliefs.
If you wanted to stay in state but get outside the I-5 corridor, there appears to be options for that as well.
SF

I've never been there (Aberdeen) but I'm thinking of making an exploratory trip. I've been looking at listings there lately. You can get so much more for your money. Partner and I both work remotely. I guess it's also a floodplain if you don't buy the right property. Crime is supposed to be high too. I imagine the fishing opportunities aren't too bad. Another reason I like where I am now.
 
Or a wildfire or perhaps a massive earthquake....It's a true "pick your poison" scenario.

The list of events I listed originally are annual events , or more often, it is just if one in the pathway. Nowadays one can say the same for fires.

Volcanoes and massive earthquakes are once in a lifetime, maybe less often.

Still roiling dice....
 
The list of events I listed originally are annual events , or more often, it is just if one in the pathway. Nowadays one can say the same for fires.

Volcanoes and massive earthquakes are once in a lifetime, maybe less often.

Still roiling dice....
I was joking about the volcano probability but on the serious side we have snakes, ticks, murder hornets, wolves, grizzlies, cougars, etc.😉
We are pretty fortunate weatherwise here in the northwest, just don't let the cat out of the bag.🤫
 
I've never been there (Aberdeen) but I'm thinking of making an exploratory trip. I've been looking at listings there lately. You can get so much more for your money. Partner and I both work remotely. I guess it's also a floodplain if you don't buy the right property. Crime is supposed to be high too. I imagine the fishing opportunities aren't too bad. Another reason I like where I am now.
You do live in a very nice area. Looked there many times. Had some acreage in Cape George - never should of sold it. Just make sure you have insurance for the helicopter ride in the event of an emergency...
 
I've never been there (Aberdeen) but I'm thinking of making an exploratory trip. I've been looking at listings there lately. You can get so much more for your money. Partner and I both work remotely. I guess it's also a floodplain if you don't buy the right property. Crime is supposed to be high too. I imagine the fishing opportunities aren't too bad. Another reason I like where I am now.

I’ve only driven through there 100’s of times going to the coast, but never lived there.
I was just using it as an example. There are likely many other places like Aberdeen that might be worth exploring when it comes to housing and the other things such as crime in relation to where you might want to live.
We probably have some members that know the area well that might chime in.
Good luck with your search,
SF
 
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