17 ms·
As already mentioned, you're ignoring a fact that even by working there for 10 years, it's close to impossible to buy a part of land and build a house anywhere
by akerro 10y ago
As already mentioned, you're ignoring a fact that even by working there for 10 years, it's close to impossible to buy a part of land and build a house anywhere near a city. Land and house prices are too high to stay there for live. It's only profitable to live there, make savings and buy 2-3 houses in Uk/Germany for it. Like two of my co-workers did.
- s3nnyy 10y agoIn Zurich city it is not impossible to buy property, it is just very hard. Everything surrounding Zurich is affordable also for software engineers. I was looking into buying a three room apartment in Effretikon (20 min from Zurich by train) for 370k. I work here for 2 years and could afford the downpayment (20% of the buying price).
- chinathrow 10y agoParent was posting about buying a house with land. Your example is for a (small) condo - way cheaper than what he was talking about. Edit: Parent was posting about buying a house in Switzerland - and that is really expensive in the surroundings of Zurich. Buying a condo is cheaper in any case - I just made a statement that you can't compare oranges to apples.
- kuschku 10y agoBuying a house with land in a city is a very american thing – which is why the focus on a small condo is a lot more realistic. Imagine a city with everyone living in a small house with land, it’d be impossible to live in, as the distances would be far too large.
- lrem 10y agoHave you seen Dublin? ;)
- etatoby 10y agoI think even in the US nobody really buys a house (with land) in the city, but in the suburbs. Big difference and much more similar to the 1 hour drive discussed above.
- tptacek 10y agoMost of Chicago, the third-largest city in the US, is single-family houses with yards. For that matter, when I lived in San Francisco back in 99-2001, I had a yard.
- ams6110 10y agoThe standard Chicago city lot is only about 25' wide though. The houses are very close together, with a tiny front yard and a slightly large back yard but only a narrow strip on either side.
- tptacek 10y agoThat's a big part of what makes them not suburban. I like the narrow lots. Why would I need more than the typical Chicago lot?
- godzillabrennus 10y agoHe only thing I don't like is that I feel like I live in a bowling alley because all the homes are long and narrow.
- wglb 10y agoAntenna towers.
- willu 10y agoLess lawn care. :-) That said, there are large pockets on the northwest side that have lot sizes comparable with some near suburbs.
- dmix 10y ago
- HillaryBriss 10y agoLos Angeles used to be approximately like that. We're still emerging from that kind of pattern and distribution. I think, taken as a whole, the greater LA area is still sort of like that. Some people think it is impossible to live in.
- sologoub 10y agoI'm pretty sure LA is still a sprawl and density has increased very little. Even in Santa Monica, and the rest of beach areas, there are plenty of single family homes. Not sure if they make up the majority of residential land, but sure feels that way.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- enraged_camel 10y agoI've never understood why people believe/feel that buying land and/or a house is the pinnacle of... something. Sure, it gives the person a feeling of control and stability. But rooting oneself in one labor market (vs. being mobile) decreases one's employment options and therefore their salary. It's also very risky, as it's the equivalent of putting one's eggs in one basket and leaves their financial wellbeing in the hands of the real estate market. Renting is, unfortunately and quite inaccurately, viewed as "throwing money away." The real estate industry does a great job brainwashing people that they should buy, buy, buy, that buying a house is a great investment and a very good way to build wealth. İt's probably one of the greatest lies perpetuated in modern times.
- mathgeek 10y agoIn reality, the truth lies somewhere in the middle between "rent in throwing money away" and "it's a great lie that buying a house is a very good way to build wealth."
- riprowan 10y agoI've heard it said that real estate is a risky investment. On the other hand, it's really hard to raise a family of four in a mutual fund.
- enraged_camel 10y agoI don't understand what you mean. Raise a family of four on a mutual fund? Why do you feel that you need a mortgage in order to raise a family of four? Why not rent?
- reitanqild 10y agoIt's kind of a joke or a proverb I guess since both houses and funds are investments with a certain risk but houses also double as a place where you and your family can live ;-)
- tptacek 10y agoBecause moving a family of four is extremely disruptive for everyone, and it's very rare to have more than a year's security with a lease, even with a good relationship with the landlord. Not only that, but if your kids are school age, there's serious pressure to find a new rental in the same school area, which makes shopping for a new home that much harder.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- funkyy 10y agoOr you can buy studio in the city and huge farm house with land 1 hour drive away... Then weekends spend in your farm house and weekdays in your studio... It would be close enough to pop in in week days also. 1 hour drive aint bad.
- trgn 10y agoThat would be the best of city living (practical, all amenities in walking distance, low maintenance, social), and the best of rural living (bucolic, silent, spacious, reserved). It's much better to separate it out than try to combine it in one suburban house.
- ZeroFries 10y agoHow do you account for all the wasted space when the houses aren't in use? The extra costs?
- jdhzzz 10y agoAirbnb
- ams6110 10y agoIt's accounted for in the value of the land and the farmhouse, which the owner has paid for.
- omonra 10y agoSame way you account for the time your car is not being driven - you consider the total cost of ownership vs benefits and your ability to afford it.
- cplease 10y agoThis is a bad analogy missing the point that ZeroFries was making. A car's lifespan is mostly determined by mileage. When a car is not being driven its condition and value is largely unchanged. It is not analogous to a vacant house. If you drive a car twice as much of the time it will have to be replaced nearly twice as soon.
- Hydraulix989 10y agoSounds just like SV!
- jack9 10y ago> you're ignoring a fact...it's close to impossible to buy a part of land What does that have to do with s3nny's post? I can't afford to buy a house in the area I work.
- rayiner 10y agoNot being able to buy a house near work is pretty common for younger people these days across the world.
- ethanbond 10y agoNot wanting to buy a house seems pretty common for younger people, at least in my experience (in various parts of the US). I think young people realize that the suburban dream was just that.
- deadtofu 10y agoBut is a condo affordable? When people say "buy a house" that can be a euphemism for "own my dwelling".
- Turing_Machine 10y agoYoung people almost always change their mind about that once they have kids. This isn't a new phenomenon.
- rayiner 10y agoBuying a house doesn't necessarily mean buying in the suburbs. We've got kid and live in the city, and we know other families that do as well. Probably still a minority, but a growing trend. Remember, it wasn't that long ago that people with kids lived in cities too.
- tptacek 10y agoThis is a weird comment. Is this a Baltimore thing? American cities are full of families. With the possible exceptions of San Francisco and Manhattan, they are mostly families, aren't they?
- jbmorgado 10y agoWhy do would I want to buy part of the land, specially in a foreign country?
- Zelmor 10y agoThen rent.