5 ms·

Housing can be very cheap if you're willing to live in a small town. It feels expensive only when people want to cluster around the same, limited number of are

Housing can be very cheap if you're willing to live in a small town. It feels expensive only when people want to cluster around the same, limited number of areas. If you're not tied by an employer, then you can be way more flexible about how you spend your housing budget

dragonwriter 4y ago
> It feels expensive only when people want to cluster around the same, limited number of areas. Yes, it is cheaper to live where fewer people want to live. But, usually, there are reasons fewer people want to live there.
- yamazakiwi 4y ago
  Most adults are tied to an employer unfortunately
  - Gigachad 4y ago
    I work remote and chose to buy an apartment in a highrise. There is so much more to life than just working. Being close to everything improves so much. It’s hard to explain how good life is when you live within walking distance of friends and can spontaneously decide to go to the cafe for breakfast rather than having to schedule an event days in advance so people can transport in.
    - twelve40 4y ago
      I've been thinking about this recently. I have friends who happily move out to pretty remote places, like the Pocono mountains or remote parts of Koh Phangan, etc, none of which is walkable and typically requires a 1+hr trip on a car or a scooter. Yet, they seem to have no problem socializing and having over tons of friends and partners. I guess it depends on charisma or something? If your friends or tinder dates think it's totally worth heading out to boondocks every time. I'm more with you, really want to be in the middle of things and everything walkable, but I have seen very sociable people thrive without that.
      - Gigachad 4y ago
        I'm 24, in Australia, and none of my friends own cars. When I was in the suburbs, no one would ever visit me unless I wanted to pick them up. We would have to arrange some other meeting place in the city which was expensive and not as comfortable as a dinner party. Moved to the city and some of my friends live here while the others have very easy public transport to the city from their houses so now I meet up with friends several times a week. Often they don't have to travel at all and just walk from the office to my place after work. For me it's been life changing.
      - bradlys 4y ago
        It also depends on the types of friends you want and seek. Some of the types of people we desire to be around aren’t going to be in those areas. If you’re into tech but live around a bunch of troglodytes - you’re not likely to make many friends around tech subjects. If that’s your passion and you want friends who share that passion - gotta move. Some people have incredibly low standards (anyone will do) for friends and lovers. Some have high standards (very few will fit). If you live in niche small towns/villages with little in common - it’s gonna be rough to be someone with high standards.
mikebenfield 4y ago
There are two big factors that make housing in a given area expensive. Yes, one is that a lot of people want to live there. That one's inevitable though. Some places are more desirable to live than others. I don't want to live in a small town with nothing to do. The other factor is when a city refuses to build sufficient housing. This one is not inevitable. It usually comes about due to entrenched interest in the value of existing housing. For instance, north San Jose has built no new housing in a decade, despite a well known housing crisis.

dragonwriter 4y ago

> It feels expensive only when people want to cluster around the same, limited number of areas. Yes, it is cheaper to live where fewer people want to live. But, usually, there are reasons fewer people want to live there.

yamazakiwi 4y ago
Most adults are tied to an employer unfortunately
- Gigachad 4y ago
  I work remote and chose to buy an apartment in a highrise. There is so much more to life than just working. Being close to everything improves so much. It’s hard to explain how good life is when you live within walking distance of friends and can spontaneously decide to go to the cafe for breakfast rather than having to schedule an event days in advance so people can transport in.
  - twelve40 4y ago
    I've been thinking about this recently. I have friends who happily move out to pretty remote places, like the Pocono mountains or remote parts of Koh Phangan, etc, none of which is walkable and typically requires a 1+hr trip on a car or a scooter. Yet, they seem to have no problem socializing and having over tons of friends and partners. I guess it depends on charisma or something? If your friends or tinder dates think it's totally worth heading out to boondocks every time. I'm more with you, really want to be in the middle of things and everything walkable, but I have seen very sociable people thrive without that.
    - Gigachad 4y ago
      I'm 24, in Australia, and none of my friends own cars. When I was in the suburbs, no one would ever visit me unless I wanted to pick them up. We would have to arrange some other meeting place in the city which was expensive and not as comfortable as a dinner party. Moved to the city and some of my friends live here while the others have very easy public transport to the city from their houses so now I meet up with friends several times a week. Often they don't have to travel at all and just walk from the office to my place after work. For me it's been life changing.
    - bradlys 4y ago
      It also depends on the types of friends you want and seek. Some of the types of people we desire to be around aren’t going to be in those areas. If you’re into tech but live around a bunch of troglodytes - you’re not likely to make many friends around tech subjects. If that’s your passion and you want friends who share that passion - gotta move. Some people have incredibly low standards (anyone will do) for friends and lovers. Some have high standards (very few will fit). If you live in niche small towns/villages with little in common - it’s gonna be rough to be someone with high standards.

mikebenfield 4y ago

There are two big factors that make housing in a given area expensive. Yes, one is that a lot of people want to live there. That one's inevitable though. Some places are more desirable to live than others. I don't want to live in a small town with nothing to do. The other factor is when a city refuses to build sufficient housing. This one is not inevitable. It usually comes about due to entrenched interest in the value of existing housing. For instance, north San Jose has built no new housing in a decade, despite a well known housing crisis.