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Is it because we want to live in nice homes in nice cities? Or is it because literally no matter where you look, it is impossible to buy a home there. I suspec

Is it because we want to live in nice homes in nice cities? Or is it because literally no matter where you look, it is impossible to buy a home there. I suspect a lot of column A, a little of column B. You can still get $80k homes in nice little towns in the midwest. But can you work there?

gamechangr 5y ago
No question desired locations have more pressure on housing, but all the large cities are having lower inventory.
clircle 5y ago
I was really hoping that the pandemic would basically "solve" US housing by normalizing work from home. But no.
- Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
  WFH has certainly increased. But it hasn't solved housing because the simple fact is, setting aside cost, most people want to live in big cities. You have more options for everything from food to entertainment. Then there's the politics...small towns tend to lean right. My brother got a job that lets him WFH, and he thought about moving to some podunk town in Iowa since he saw tons of houses on Zillow for under $75K, then he took a closer look in Google Street View and saw more Confederate flags than he felt comfortable with.
  - otoburb 5y ago
    >>[...] then he took a closer look in Google Street View and saw more Confederate flags than he felt comfortable with. In a way, your brother is probably grateful that the flag bearers flew their colours in the first place, instead of purchasing a house, moving, and then finding out much later.
    - rayiner 5y ago
      I’m sure the Iowans are also grateful his brother didn’t move in.
      - jvanderbot 5y ago
        I'm much more left than most people in my wife's very small hometown. But I'll tell you one thing: Jokes about Tesla's aside, they are welcoming folk and a joy to be around. Big family focus, lots of community, and plenty of time at the lake fishing.
  - thedougd 5y ago
    Confederate flags in Iowa?
    - idontwantthis 5y ago
      There are confederate flags in rural areas all over America. Really gives the lie to “heritage not hate”. Especially in WV, which seceded from VA after VA seceded.
  - gamechangr 5y ago
    People warning of Confederate Flags in Iowa are like people warning of Maga hats in LA. Something doesn't add up.
    - Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
      As someone else said, go to any rural area in the USA and you'll find Confederate flags. Less common than southern states for sure, but you'll still find them in the eastern half of Oregon, even.
- smackeyacky 5y ago
  I thought it might have the opposite effect. If you are working from home, you need a work space. Trying to crowd two people around a kitchen table or working at a lounge isn't as nice as a desk in a dedicated space, so I thought there would be some pressure to upsize your living space to accommodate that.
polski-g 5y ago
As a programmer? Yes. As a plumber? Only if competition is low enough.
codefreeordie 5y ago
All of the above. There are tons of houses available all over the country [except within a 2 hour driving commute of the few major financial hub cities] for prices that the median household income would readily qualify. There's tons of new house construction going on, primarily in areas that are just barely outside of easy affordability (places like all of Texas that isn't Austin, for example). What there is not is much house construction in the super top most desired cities, in commute-range of the big financial and tech hubs. The combination of high demand and anti-housing policy have made housing in those locations utterly unobtainable. It's not even really that all the property is going to big investors -- most of the big investors prefer markets like Texas where the ratio of rents to prices is more workable. Much better to pay $500,000 per unit and rent out for $2,400/month than to pay $2,000,000 per unit and rent out for $5,500/month.

gamechangr 5y ago

No question desired locations have more pressure on housing, but all the large cities are having lower inventory.

clircle 5y ago

I was really hoping that the pandemic would basically "solve" US housing by normalizing work from home. But no.

Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
WFH has certainly increased. But it hasn't solved housing because the simple fact is, setting aside cost, most people want to live in big cities. You have more options for everything from food to entertainment. Then there's the politics...small towns tend to lean right. My brother got a job that lets him WFH, and he thought about moving to some podunk town in Iowa since he saw tons of houses on Zillow for under $75K, then he took a closer look in Google Street View and saw more Confederate flags than he felt comfortable with.
- otoburb 5y ago
  >>[...] then he took a closer look in Google Street View and saw more Confederate flags than he felt comfortable with. In a way, your brother is probably grateful that the flag bearers flew their colours in the first place, instead of purchasing a house, moving, and then finding out much later.
  - rayiner 5y ago
    I’m sure the Iowans are also grateful his brother didn’t move in.
    - jvanderbot 5y ago
      I'm much more left than most people in my wife's very small hometown. But I'll tell you one thing: Jokes about Tesla's aside, they are welcoming folk and a joy to be around. Big family focus, lots of community, and plenty of time at the lake fishing.
- thedougd 5y ago
  Confederate flags in Iowa?
  - idontwantthis 5y ago
    There are confederate flags in rural areas all over America. Really gives the lie to “heritage not hate”. Especially in WV, which seceded from VA after VA seceded.
- gamechangr 5y ago
  People warning of Confederate Flags in Iowa are like people warning of Maga hats in LA. Something doesn't add up.
  - Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
    As someone else said, go to any rural area in the USA and you'll find Confederate flags. Less common than southern states for sure, but you'll still find them in the eastern half of Oregon, even.
smackeyacky 5y ago
I thought it might have the opposite effect. If you are working from home, you need a work space. Trying to crowd two people around a kitchen table or working at a lounge isn't as nice as a desk in a dedicated space, so I thought there would be some pressure to upsize your living space to accommodate that.

polski-g 5y ago

As a programmer? Yes. As a plumber? Only if competition is low enough.

codefreeordie 5y ago

All of the above. There are tons of houses available all over the country [except within a 2 hour driving commute of the few major financial hub cities] for prices that the median household income would readily qualify. There's tons of new house construction going on, primarily in areas that are just barely outside of easy affordability (places like all of Texas that isn't Austin, for example). What there is not is much house construction in the super top most desired cities, in commute-range of the big financial and tech hubs. The combination of high demand and anti-housing policy have made housing in those locations utterly unobtainable. It's not even really that all the property is going to big investors -- most of the big investors prefer markets like Texas where the ratio of rents to prices is more workable. Much better to pay $500,000 per unit and rent out for $2,400/month than to pay $2,000,000 per unit and rent out for $5,500/month.