[austinTparty]

Abolish rent control...

[Ronin]

Ha!

Come to Japan and I will show you some small apartments! My first place was 4.5 tatami's. Bed? Forget it, I used futons. When I laid down I could stretch out and touch both walls at the same time.

Price was a mere 35,000 yen per month.

[July 4th]

160 square feet is bad...but 250 is definitely livable. I've lived in apartments not much bigger for the 7 years I've been in school. And most of them had killer views, which made up for the cramped feeling of the apartment. For those who were dropping huge $$$ on high rent, finally having something to own makes a lot of sense.

[StatesEnemy]

Ahhh... Cityfolk.

Such idiots.

[Mark Turbo]

The kitchen is a refrigerator, stove and sink sandwiched into the hallway

I thought I had a small kitchen. I actually have my microwave in the living room to save counter space. Thank God I don't have to be in New York.

[TheMole]

Did you notice those "maintenance" payments? About $500 a month for these chicken coops? That's not part of the mortgage. Then there will be property taxes, which in NYC won't be going down any time soon. They add up to something near $10k a year forever. That and the joy of negotiating with your co-owners or buiding managers or whatever (these aren't detached single-family homes) should set you right up for life in cement city.

[Hank Rearden]

Morons.

I'd rather live in my car than live in New York.

[BudgieRamone]

Wow, I pay $300/ month, mortgage, taxes and insurance and have a nice modest 900 sq ft home with a full basement (not inc. in the square footage). Where I am, $150,000 will buy a very nice house in a very new neighborhood. This article is frightening...to me anyway.

[KellyAdmirer]

Notice the loft ceiling in the 250-foot apartment. Makes an apartment seem much bigger. I lived in a small loft apartment once and, let me tell you, the high ceiling is a great thing to have. Mine was creative, with a built-in closet with a nice big bed on top (you'd have to see it to appreciate it).

Btw, maintenance usually included property taxes. Any maintenance under about $600/month these days can be considered "cheap."

[vpintheak]

Its the liberals and every other form of unneccesary, unneeded government regulation or program that is causing this insanity. It's the reason that folks in the city are so pissed all the time.

[CarmelValleyite]

Well, at least one can't become a pack rat! There's something to be said for THAT!

[Clemenza]

Plenty of bargains to be had here in Bay Ridge (Brooklyn), if you can stand an hour commute by subway. Just be careful where in the neighborhood you choose to live or you may be surrounded by the American chapter of Hezbollah and their "gangsta" children (and the A-rabs have a TON of these).

BTW: Rent Stabilized here. I am against rent control/stabilization, but just hope they wait until I leave school to abolish it.

[lowbridge]

bump

[Spyder]

Whew. Nice to see something that actually makes Oahu prices look good. Why would anyone live in Manhattan when they could live here?

[pyx]

First Freeper National Housing Cost Survey. Please put only the following information.
State ----- City or Town ----- Square Ft. ----- Approx. Price


An interesting exercise we might also consider doing this for are things such as gasoline, diesel fuel, one dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, one gallon of milk, etc.

[SamAdams76]

When I was single, I could live in an apartment like that. All I need is a laptop, a stereo and books to read and I'm happy. Laptop and stereo doesn't require much space and I could always get books at the library to read (if there isn't room for bookshelves). Being New York City, what would one need a kitchen for? When you are surrounded by at least 10,000 restaurants/delis within walking distance and can get a corned beef sandwich at 2 in the morning, you've got it made, foodwise.

[Okies love Dubya 2]

2.5 acres, 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch for $84K (slowly being remodeled but in nice structural condition for 25 years old)--that's our spread. My parents bought 57 acres in Indiana for $18K back in 1987 and put a house on it that last appraised for 250K. Now that Indianapolis has expanded, they would be rich if they sold off some of that land!

I guess I have gotten a little spoiled not having a neighbor sitting on top of me, but I will never do it again. Can't understand why my sil paid over 110K for a house on the smallest lot possible with her neighbors breathing down her neck. Her parents are getting away from it as well--down to s. Indiana from Chicago area to build a log cabin home on almost 15 acres--they can't wait!

[billhilly]

What is the maintenance cost for. It is unbelieveable that a 250 square foot hutch could justify over $4,000 in annual maintenance. Or am I wrong?

[Allegra]

Wow.

I live alone in a nice 1500 sq. ft. home with big rooms and pay way less than $1,000 per month.

And I live in one the the U.S.'s biggest cities. It can be done.

You just have to pick the right city. :)

[mtbopfuyn]

We thought our old 750 sq ft rental was tiny. Mr. M joked if one turned around too quickly in the bath they'd end up having sex with themselves. I had to put the microwave on top of the fridge. But back in the 80s, the price was right at $250 mo and included (for Mr. M's viewing pleasure) the lawn mowed by the cute landlady in her short shorts.

Now we're in a remodeled 1600 sq ft waterfront home on a tiny lot priced at $150K 10 yrs ago but would go for almost double today. Just 5 years ago the neighbor closeness wasn't a problem but with the city folk & yankees moving in by the SUV load it's way too crowded, what was countryside is now developments, and the taxes have ridiculously tripled to over $2k. Give me a 100 acres away from everything and everybody and I wouldn't care how small the sq ft.