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I think the reason this story became so popular is because it was initially wrongly reported that the town was giving away these $165K land+home packages for an

I think the reason this story became so popular is because it was initially wrongly reported that the town was giving away these $165K land+home packages for anyone that is willing to move there. But in reality, they aren't offering anything for free, they were trying to reach out to NZ citizens that wanted to escape the high cost of living in cities. There are lots of places in rural (and not so rural) America where you can get a house+land for $165K. Here's an article that mentions the earlier misleading headlines: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/02/new-zealand-town-we-have-lots-of-jobs-and-housing-but-we-wont-pay-to-move.html http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/02/new-zealand-town-we-have-lots... "There is currently a story that has been published by overseas media that we are paying people $160,000 to move to Kaitangata and people should ring the Mayor about it. This is NOT TRUE," a statement on the town's website read.

jacquesm 10y ago
In rural Canada you can get houses + a huge amount of land (100 acre lots) for < $100K.
- Glyptodon 10y ago
  But do they have the jobs to go with like this place supposedly does?
  - jacquesm 10y ago
    Well, this place has only a pretty select range of jobs by the looks of it, local industry is quite limited. By the same token you can be a logger in large parts of Canada. I think the best way to interpret the article is to realize that there are many places where people no longer wish to live after several generations and the cities lure with their - presumably - higher incomes and easier access to 'life'. So you get this kind of cycle, where people move out of some rural spot and then need to be replaced by others that have grown tired of life in the fast lane. I've made this switch myself several times and it is always interesting to see which parts you miss the most of what you left behind.
  - bryanlarsen 10y ago
    They did. Until the oil patch imploded, you could easily get a job with an annual salary that paid more than the average cost of a house. $70k salary, $60k house, for example in rural Saskatchewan.
- betaby 10y ago
  Where exactly? Unlikely withing Quebec City–Windsor Corridor.
  - jacquesm 10y ago
    Northern Ontario, large chunks of Quebec.
philliphaydon 10y ago
http://www.cluthadc.govt.nz/your-council/public-notices/news/Pages/News.aspx?newsItem=id%3A1ufsw8n791cxbyb5db8q http://www.cluthadc.govt.nz/your-council/public-notices/news... Official statement linked in the cnbc article.
- Johnny555 10y ago
  I didn't include the direct link to the town's statement because the website has been struggling under the load, it was timing out yesterday.
  - philliphaydon 10y ago
    Oh, sorry. I just read the link and followed it and thought I would share it directly. :(
dzhiurgis 10y ago
Also, Kaitangata is far south in New Zealand. The climate there is nowhere close to compare with SF.

jacquesm 10y ago

In rural Canada you can get houses + a huge amount of land (100 acre lots) for < $100K.

Glyptodon 10y ago
But do they have the jobs to go with like this place supposedly does?
- jacquesm 10y ago
  Well, this place has only a pretty select range of jobs by the looks of it, local industry is quite limited. By the same token you can be a logger in large parts of Canada. I think the best way to interpret the article is to realize that there are many places where people no longer wish to live after several generations and the cities lure with their - presumably - higher incomes and easier access to 'life'. So you get this kind of cycle, where people move out of some rural spot and then need to be replaced by others that have grown tired of life in the fast lane. I've made this switch myself several times and it is always interesting to see which parts you miss the most of what you left behind.
- bryanlarsen 10y ago
  They did. Until the oil patch imploded, you could easily get a job with an annual salary that paid more than the average cost of a house. $70k salary, $60k house, for example in rural Saskatchewan.
betaby 10y ago
Where exactly? Unlikely withing Quebec City–Windsor Corridor.
- jacquesm 10y ago
  Northern Ontario, large chunks of Quebec.

philliphaydon 10y ago

http://www.cluthadc.govt.nz/your-council/public-notices/news/Pages/News.aspx?newsItem=id%3A1ufsw8n791cxbyb5db8q http://www.cluthadc.govt.nz/your-council/public-notices/news... Official statement linked in the cnbc article.

Johnny555 10y ago
I didn't include the direct link to the town's statement because the website has been struggling under the load, it was timing out yesterday.
- philliphaydon 10y ago
  Oh, sorry. I just read the link and followed it and thought I would share it directly. :(

dzhiurgis 10y ago

Also, Kaitangata is far south in New Zealand. The climate there is nowhere close to compare with SF.