(Untitled)

[candyce]

Someone posted in the austincommunity LJ looking for a 1 bedroom apartment for $1400/month. ?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Holy freaking crap, dude. That's more than my mortgage, insurance, taxes, AND HOA fees for my 4/2.5 HOUSE WITH A YARD. I am totally dumbfounded by people willing and eager to waste their money on a trendy upscale (tiny) apartment so they can

Comments

[theoldone]

And he'll soon discover that a "relationship" with a neighbor is a Really Bad IdeaTM.

[fairgoldberry]

I sent her an offlist rec for my place, which has a quick bus (like 10 minutes quick) to downtown and is less than a grand

[candyce]

I think you are reading a whole lot into this that wasn't actually there. This wasn't meant to be a "value judgment" about renting versus buying. I could just as easily have said, "I paid $825 for a super awesome 3/2 apartment. I can't believe anyone would pay $1400 for a little 1/1!!!" Because that's also true. Yes, I do believe that buying is a more sound LONG-TERM financial decision, but I also recognize that renting has its very appropriate time and place in almost everyone's life. It's not like I didn't rent for 8 years or so before we bought our house. My point was supposed to be that I think that amount for that size apartment is utterly, utterly ridiculous. I'm sorry if that offends people, but no part of me will ever think that's reasonable - but no part of me has any desire to live downtown either, so obviously I'm in disagreement with quite a large number of people. I simply don't understand it, and that was my point

[northwall]

yeah, i was about to post a response, but i read Badger's first, and she pretty much covered all my points at least as eloquently as i could have.

i'm not trying to start a fight, but i consider the evils of urban sprawl (including environmental impact from development, increased traffic and pollution, and the car commute that contributes to the american sedentary lifestyle) much greater than me having to pay extra for an apartment close to where i work (or house, if i could afford one.)

[ellison]

The fact that that price sounds insane is one of the reasons we kind of considered moving to Austin, hehe! That's just normal rent in L.A. We paid $1600 for a 1/1, then moved to another 1/1 for $1300. Now we're in a 2/2 for $1600 and our friends keep telling us that we got such a great deal. Crazy, huh? I do know people who want to live in trendier areas who pay over $2,000 for a studio which is nuts to me. But yeah my mom's mortgage + fees in Washington state is like $900 and Joe and I try not to think about that or we'll cry, ha!