How much is a modest 2 bedroom home in your area?

[UdoKier]

Here in the SF bay area, it's around $600K.

How much is a modest 2 bedroom home in your area?

[Worst Username Ever]

1. Ne Mpls, probably about 180 K

Mine is a 3 bedroom one bath, 210K.

On edit, my buddy was looking for places to buy in SF, the cheapest he could find was 400 sq. studio for 310K. And that was like 2 years ago.

[Delphinus]

45. NE Indiana

3-bedroom, 1 bath, huge yard, 2 car garage. For sale at $60k.

[Nobody]

77. I'm in NE Mpls too

Mine's a fixer-upper, 1.5 bedrooms (realtor says that a bedroom has to have a closet, one of the bedrooms doesn't), attached garage, no yard to speak of, and I'm paying property taxes on about 100k. I bought it for less than 50k.

Those condos they're building downtown as "affordable housing" are around 100k. As if anyone looking for affordable housing can afford that.

[mongo]

2. God the rest of you DU'ers are rich

My modest 2 bedroom home cost $29,000 6 years ago. And that was a house in good shape, not a fixer-upper. I put up a 2 car garage in the back, and have updated the bathroom, so it would probably go for 36-38K

There are plenty of houses around here that would go for 30-50K.

Zanesville, oh and surrounding area.

[UdoKier]

5. Not necessarily.

I will never be able to afford a home here. Most SF Bay area dwellers could never afford a home here without the equity they have.


And many are renters, like me.

[murdoch]

53. I agree

I was just checking out this map

http://realestate.nytimes.com/community/searchindex.asp

$250-500k is the median cost for a house in almost all of Queens. Meanwhile, median household income for half of Queens is $25-$50k.

I can't afford a house, and I know people who work on Wall Street and have wives who work who can't afford a house. Even a $200k house in Queens is going to be a dump in a high crime neighborhood.

[MadHound]

6. Yeah, I hear you

My first house, that I sold a year ago, was quite modest, and went for $50,000. I read and listen about housing prices from other areas, especially the coasts and I'm just blown away by housing costs. I'm always wondering how people can afford to live there. Hell, all you folks who can't afford a house on the coasts, come on over to Mid-Missouri. Reasonably priced housing, beautiful country, and you can help us turn this state blue again.

[theboss]

61. My home has gone up more than that in value in 8 months

I'm not bragging. The DC market is just insane. I wish I had bought three years ago.

[MuseRider]

3. Well I don't really know but

if you move to red neck land out here in Kansas I can tell you that you would get one hell of a house for $600K. I live in a 5,000 square foot house. It is worth about $250K and it is only about 15 years old. I can't imagine paying that much for a house.

[KC21304]

4. How does anyone survive out there ?

We built a 3 bedroom, three bath, 3 stall garage on the Wisconsin River for $425K 3 years ago. We are in a small city.

Are the wages anywhere near what is needed for those prices ?

[UdoKier]

7. 50% so far are over $200K

You need an income of at least $46K to afford a house of that price, and that's if you have NO other debts.

That doesn't sound very affordable to me...

[maveric]

2 BR, $500,000.00 3 BR, $600,000.00. San Diego CA.

Ridiculous!

[Beaverhausen]

9. Same in Los Angeles. I don't know how people afford them

Totally ridiculous.

[demnan]

8. 230 - 300K in outer D.C. suburb

but if the thing has 3 bedrooms expect to pay over $300K for it. Inside the Beltway it's much higher. Two bedrooms will cost you about 400K.

My very small two bedroom condo (second bedroom is barely large enough for a futon) is going for between $180 - $200K

[redherring]

14. I'm in Fairfax. My two bedroom townhouse goes for

more than $300k these days. An actual house would probably cost $400k or more, IMHO.

[fairfaxvadem]

24. Exactly right.

My "dollhouse", 2BR townhouse in Centreville, of all places, is $300K plus.

I couldn't afford to buy my own home today if I had to.

Scary.

[kwassa]

18. I think it would be at least $500K in Arlington

I saw an ad for such a house a couple weeks ago, a tiny, post-WWII brick house built as a starter back then.

Housing has gone up about 70% in value in the past few years. People are screaming about their new tax assessments.

Prices are based on location and proximity to downtown DC.

[kimchi]

68. I live in one of those-it sucks.

Quite honestly, it is a piece of junk. Plaster walls-you need molly bolts to hang a picture. I am lucky and have a basement. One without a basement recently sold for 450. It is the land that is valued--the houses are only worth about 70k. They are so tiny that the three of us are actually cramped.

All the people with extra money around here are knocking them down and building 500k houses. There is one young couple in our neighborhood; the rest are older people who bought the houses many years ago. We couldn't afford to live here if we had not inherited it.

[kwassa]

23. More on DC suburb prices

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A40692-2005Apr9?language=printer

Montgomery County, Maryland is just north of DC)

Townhome Prices Rising Out of Reach
Montgomery Report Warns Middle Class
By Tim Craig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 10, 2005; Page C01

brief excerpt:

According to the Affordability Index, the typical Montgomery family has not been able to afford a new single-family home since at least the late 1980s.

Those homes had a median price of $660,000 last year, and if real estate trends continue, the cost could top $1 million by 2008, planners have said.

Also out of reach for a family of moderate means is existing detached single-family housing, which sold for a median price of $450,000 last year.

New townhouses in Montgomery were relatively affordable until 1999, but since have dramatically increased in price, now selling for a median of $415,000.

As of this week, 202 townhouses were on the market in Montgomery, but just 38 of those were listed for less than $300,000, said Susann Haskins, a Montgomery real estate agent and president of the Greater Capital Area Realtors Association.

"It's spreading like a virus," Haskins said of high real estate prices. "You just have to keep going farther and farther out to get something that is affordable."

[sbj405]

57. My neighborhood

Inside the beltway. Walk to Metro. 3bdrm, 1 bath homes 250-300k.

Of course, that's more than double what I paid 3 years ago.

[theboss]

87. 3 bedrooms? I would think $150K more at least...

Unless you are in some of the rougher neighborhoods in Arlington or PG County.

[WoodrowFan]

67. In DC area, if you have to ask...

My little cape cod inside the beltway was appraised at 330,000, which means it'd sell for more. We paid 151,000 ten years ago.

[seabeyond]

10. i marked 30-90 but more in line with

30-50................

my home is 300k. who knows how much it would be in other places. tthat is what i like about this area, what you get for a home is way above and beyond most places. husband brought back a realitor book from northern calif, san jose i believe, wow

one home in calif we bought for 45k, sold it for 90k in 7 years. 70's

[imenja]

11. median home price is about $265k in Palm Beach county

If I remember correctly. It's up $100 k in a single year. Values in my neighborhood have increased much less, about 6%.

[fryguy]

12. 2 Bedroom APARTMENT goes for over $600K here

and that's just a starting point . . .

[maveric]

17. For those prices you might as well move to CA. Better weather.

And comparable housing prices.

[fryguy]

29. but would have to endure Gov. Ah-nold

and besides - now that its spring on the east coast all is lovely!

[KC21304]

13. Madison WI area, 2 BR new condo

with fireplace, about 215K last fall. Our son bought one.

[dcfirefighter]

16. Suburban Washington DC

$300+ in the less than great neighborhoods

We are rapidly becoming a nation divided into renters and owners. The renters are losing hope of ever buying, unless they move into the hinterlands (sprawl), and the owners have no chance of buying 'up'.

This is what happens when we allow people to collect the product of society. If you bought a house 10 years ago for $150,000, neglected it for 10 years, and sold it for $300,000, where did the additional value come from? Your labor? Your foresight? Nope. It came from the community. It came from the neighborhood becoming more desirable due to social improvements and population pressure.

THAT is the revenue we should use to fund our community, not taxes on wages, income, buildings, or investment.

[theboss]

62. Then why buy?

If I can't claim my equity, I would simply rent forever.

[dcfirefighter]

76. Probably not

There are advantages to the stability of ownership. Plus, you'd own the equity of the building and any other improvements, just not all of the equity in the land.

Ideally, you'd then all the equity in your labor, as well.

[theboss]

82. I live in a condo...I own no land

I own a large - yet tastefully decorated - box on the third floor.

[Ron Green]

15. 3BR 2BA, 3 storey on an acre at the Pacific Ocean for 235K ...

We bought it a year and half ago.

[kwassa]

where was this??? Mexico??? Peru??? Chile ???

[maveric]

19. Not bad! Maybe I'll move to Oregon.

CA is getting terrible.

[grasswire]

54. oh no you don't!!!

What makes you think that Oregonians want any more Californians driving up prices? That's what has already happened! Oregonians aren't too happy about it; haven't been for several decades now.

Fix your own state. Californians trashed it. Don't expect neighbors to be happily welcoming emigres.

[mondo joe]

20. In my Seattle neighborhood 2 bedroom bungalows go for over 300k

And anything beyond that size is a lot more.

[Cats Against Frist]

47. (Seattle) Wallingford 2-VERY MODEST-bedroom $230k

Upper Queen Anne 2 bedroom w/basement, sound view $475,000.

Shorewood (let's just say White Center, shall we?) -- 1 bedroom, shit-ass moldy bungalow 110k.


___________________________________Now to Iowa:

2 Bedroom, lakefront home $160,000.

2 Bedroom, close to campus -- $200k

2 bedroom townhouse (older), by the Wal-Mart & the Mall: $90k

___________________________________Now to Greenville, IL: (pop. 5200)

2 bedroom, heart of town (old): $30,000

Modular home on one acre of what used to be a milo field: $50k

Brand New Condo that's like Trump Towers by the Car Wash/McDonald's: $75k

[Cats Against Frist]

48. I need to add that these Seattle prices were five years ago n/t

[Cats Against Frist]

50. I also need to add

that the house was on a street that was a well-beaten path between the whorehouse/hotels on Aurora and the Stone Way 7-11.

[mondo joe]

73. Yup - I'm right over in Fremont. A house down the street sold for 660k

though not a modest 2 bedroom.

I got a great deal on my little bungalow, but when I tell my family back in Buffalo they think I was ripped off because I should have gotten a mansion for that amount!

[knitter4democracy]

21. Move to SW Michigan!

Great weather, great arts, great lakes (big and small) and rivers to play on. We're looking for a house right now and will be putting in a bid tomorrow on a house in Battle Creek with almost 1900 s.f., 4 bedrooms, two and a half baths, a great deck, good and dry basement (partially finished) for $147K. It's not that unusual to find, either. Heck, one of the Kellogg cabins on one of the local lakes (gorgeous!) is selling right now for $250K.

Great place to live and work!

[shrike]

30. It sure is

I keep trying to get hubby to move there, but so far no luck.

[knitter4democracy]

63. Hmmm. Has he visited?

That's all it took for my hubby. He was (is) in love with Cleveland, but a trip up here to check out a residency program was all it took. He's really switched in so many ways (and XM radio takes care of his need for Indians baseball ;) ). The produce delivery service really nailed it for him, I think. We have the best produce in the world (of course, I'm a bit biased)!

[begin_within]

22. San Diego, 2 BR, 1BA, tiny yard, $630,000 (Kensington)

[UdoKier]

25. When I lived in SD, that wasn't even an especially nice neighborhood.

I lived in North Park, which was borderline ghetto.

That's astounding. I can only imagine what houses with views in Mission Hills or LaJolla must fetch these days...

[begin_within]

40. Kensington is one of the high-dollar neighborhoods in San Diego

My grandparents bought the house I live in in 1938, for $7,200. No house on my street has sold for less than $630,000 in the last year. We just got a real estate flyer today, 3BR/2BA house on Adams avenue sold for $950,000. 4BR/4BA house on Hempstead Circle sold for $1,235,000.

[maveric]

27. Those are old homes in Kensington.

50-90 years old. And Kensington is just a few blocks away from "The Hood", too. The same goes for Talmadge too.

[begin_within]

41. Kensington houses are old but highly prized...

My grandparents bought the house I live in in 1938, for $7,200. No house on my street has sold for less than $630,000 in the last year. We just got a real estate flyer today, 3BR/2BA house on Adams avenue sold for $950,000. 4BR/4BA house on Hempstead Circle sold for $1,235,000.

[Benno]

26. In the St.Louis County

Area my brother just moved into a brand-spankin new 2 bedroom (a little over 1,000 square feet)house that had a base price of about $123,900. Though he added extras (such as a walk-out basement) and pushed the total price to over $137k.

[Extend a Hand]

28. here in sw OH

$70-100 in the inner-ring suburbs (probably get 3 bedrooms)
$175-200 in the so. suburbs for a new 3-4 bedroom ryland model
200-300 for a custom 3-4 bedroom 2-3 car
300+ granite counters, 3car garage, all the "luxuries"

[GOPisEvil]

31. I have a 1050 sq. ft. 2BR, 2 bath home in Austin: $92,000, approximately.

This is a 23 year-old garden home that needs some work, but overall isn't too bad.

[Nikia]

32. Under $90,000

There are homes as low as $50,000 in the town where we live. Most of these that low are extremely small or in sort of bad shape. For $90,000 though, you could get what I would could consider an average older home. Location is a factor, the further you move from civilization, the cheaper the home, for older homes without much acreage at least.
$600,000 around here is a mansion. People making six figures are usually more than satisfied with new $300,000 homes to show off the fact that they have money.

[all.of.me]

33. taos, new mexico ~200K

i have seen small 2 bdr's going for 175K to 215K.

i bought my house six years ago - 4 brd, 2 ba, 1 acre for 130K. they say it's now worth over 300K!!!

[name not needed]

34. probably about 300k

Ah, the housing bubble...

[Terran]

35. Just bought my first home

in Cole County, mid-Missouri. A 105 year-old Folk Victorian, three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, all updated, for $91,000. When I told my mom in LA the purchase price she about had a fit. Her property, with two houses on it, in SoCal, is probaly worth a million (for now), and the houses are certainly modest. When I was a kid (circa 1970 or so), my parents almost sold it for $35,500.

[tinanator]

36. might be more informative to look at the rise in price

over the last three years.
ownership society i guess.

[LSK]

46. paid 180k for my home 2 years ago, previous owner paid 117k in 97

[Worst Username Ever]

51. Yeah I hate that.

I bought mine for 182K two years ago, my next door neighbor's almost identicle house 5 years ago was like 110K. I bought mine from the ORIGINAL owners (who built it in 1955) and it cost them... 10,000 dollars. Wow.

[CountAllVotes]

37. 1200 sq. feet (includes garage)

In Calif.

Bought for $85,000 in 2000 - now its worth approx. 3X this amount!

:kick:

[n2mark]

38. In Phoenix. (Garden Home)

2 bedroom, 2baths, 1,300 sq ft., fireplace, 2 car attached garage, shaded and enclosed small yard, ceiling fans in bedrroms and living room, shutters on all windows, last estimated a few months ago at $130.00

[MrSlayer]

39. South Philadelphia rowhomes are going for 200K to 400K.

Absolutely ridiculous. These houses were 6 to 13 thousand dollars 30 years ago.

[Hobarticus]

42. NE Iowa, about $110k...

I think homes are overpriced here, in comparison with the rest of the state, though...

[taught_me_patience]

43. 400k-in LA (west valley)

700-800k in Santa Monica.

taught.

[LSK]

44. Chicago suburbs 200-300k

[Cuban_Liberal]

49. $60-75K (rural central Illinois) n/t

[Cleita]

52. A little less, but I'm only 200 miles down the road from you.n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

55. It looks like you can still buy a small home here in Anchorage

for around $150,000, although they do go much higher, of course.

[Reverend_Smitty]

56. about 200,000

and that is for a town house. One down the street from us sold for about 200k. So I'd say somewhere around 300,000 for a regular house. The market is way bloated where I am, our house has doubled in value in less than 7 years.

On edit:
This is in Central New Jersey

[Horse with no Name]

58. I have a 4 bdrm-2 bath-2 living area-~2600 sq ft home

on 1 acre with chain length fence and detached 600 sq ft garage w/covered porch that is fully finished for $32,000.
It's a beautiful fully remodeled colonial-style home with hardwood floors, fireplace, built in 1952. It is in a desirable neighborhood. No crime and the President of the bank lives next door.
I will have a difficult time selling it when I move even at that price.
You can pick up a 2 brdm modest home around $12-20k.
We live in a veryyyyyy depressed area with no property value and a crappy school district though.:( Once you buy something you are stuck with it.
I wish I could just move my house with me when I go.:(

Edited to add: rural East Texas

[LeftyMom]

59. It's hard to find a 2 br, but 3br fixer, marginal neighborhood= $200K

That's in Sacramento. The white flight outer migration ring is much more.

[CitySky]

60. come on down to Texas, y'all!

We could use more Democrats! :7

The median home price in the Houston area is around $180K -- but that is not a "modest 2-bedroom." That's a gi-normous* 3 or 4 bederoom house in the suburbs. So I voted for a lower figure for a "modest 2-bedroom".

The central Houston area where I live is more expensive: a fancy-schmancy new 3 bedroom, 3 1/2 - bath 3-story townhouse will run you anywhere from $260-$450K, depending on how fancy-schmancy. An older, smaller home, less.


*my standards for "gi-normous" may be influenced by my upbringing in Oakland CA and 5+ adult years in Boston MA. The not-exactly-heated bedroom I slept in on Newbury Street, Boston was smaller than the CLOSET in my bedroom now!

[Blue_In_AK]

64. They'd have to give me a house to get me to live in Houston

again. No offense...

[GodHelpUsAll2]

83. Dallas TX Suburbs

I have a 4 bedroom 1.5 bath 2 living areas 1 car garage home built in 1961. I bought it 7 years ago for $68,000.00 It appraised 2 years ago for $94,000.00 ( and that was in the middle of a remodel job with bare concrete floors and half the walls torn out).

[kohodog]

65. We have torn down all the two bedroom homes. McMansion all the way

But at least we're going to allow Civil Unions in CT.

[rockedthevoteinMA]

66. 2 bedroom North of Boston 400,000 (and that's a fixer-up, in bad

shape)

[Massacure]

69. three bedroom 1200-1300 square feet house about $110,000-120,000.

I'd guess 80,000-100,000 for a two bedroom house.

[Oeditpus Rex]

70. About 50 miles south of the Bay Area

such a home would go for around $350k. Median price in the county hit $535k a couple months ago. The construction moratorium has a lot to do with it, as does the fact that we're part of Silicon Valley South.

[lonelysoul2020]

71. In Bowie county Texas its 15,000-30,000

[BamaGirl]

72. Some of these prices are pretty freaking scary lol

In my part of town (Dothan, Al), a 2 bed 2 bath house is in the 80-90k range, and we are on the high side of town. Course, sucky incomes are commiserate with the relatively low price. I have a couple of cousins who used to live in SF (one still does). Those are some frightening prices out there! Neither of them was doing particularly well there and they are both doctors.

[Kerrytravelers]

74. Pasadena and Vacaville California

Pasadena: This is where we live. We've been looking around, but it doens't look too hopeful. A two bedroom, one bath home with no garage and really no yard is about $450k. This particular home was built in the 1920s and needs a LOT of work. The kitchen was barely big enough to fit two adverage-size adults.

Vacaville, about 40 miles outside of San Francisco, is a small town where my parents live. They bought their house in 1982 for $87k. They keep it very clean and nice, with a simple but neat yard and constant upkeep. It is a four bedroom, two bath one story home. It was built in 1977 and now goes for $450k.

Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.

Just a side note, but since * took our country hostage, we have lost two jobs due to corporate cutbacks. We now earn one fourth of the income we did just two short years ago.

Thanks a lot, *.

[minerva50]

75. Upper Marlboro, MD outside Washington DC

I own a 2BR/2Bath Townhouse, understand one in the neighborhood (3 bedroom plan, but same SF as mine) sold for $200K.

[solinvictus]

78. Birmingham, AL..

It depends on the city/suburbs. A 2 bedroom in some areas of Birmingham can run about $90-130K. In the run down areas, the same style house can go for $29-50K. Now, in the little kingdom of Mountain Brook, a 2 bedroom home will run well in excess of $350K.

[LibDemAlways]

79. 2 bedroom condo in my So. Calif. suburb is

in the 400s. 3 bedroom/2 bath 25 year-old poorly built tract homes start at 600K. Anything with 4 bedrooms is over 700K. Any of the McMansions built within the last few years is now over a million. And homes are selling - even at these ridiculous, vastly inflated prices.

I own one of the 3 and 2's - bought it new 25 years ago. Could never afford to buy here now.

[tinrobot]

80. LA - three bedroom down the street just sold for $799k

My 3 bedroom is a little smaller, probably worth over $700k Two bedrooms are at least $600-650k in this area (silverlake)

I bought for $214k in 1997. Looking at some of those prices nationally, I'd love to be able to leave LA and cash out, but my family and career come first. If I sell and move within LA, the only thing that changes is my property tax, which goes up. I'm staying put for now.

[Red State Rebel]

81. 1/2 hour from downtown St. Louis under $90,000

[SF Bay Area Dem]

84. SF Bay Area - Paid 854k in August 2003 --- (New). Now worth 1.5m

I am one of the lucky ones who has a large backyard in a new development. Most new homes in California and Bay Area have nothing for a backyard. You can spit out your back door and hit the back wall or neighbors house! Anyway a pad that is similar to mine without the backyard just sold for 1.2m... so maybe I can get more out of some poor sucker if I can sell before the real estate bubble pops and/or I can sell without having to pay gains after having the property for two years...

[jab105]

85. north central florida...3 bedroom, 2 bath...less than $100K

that was 4 years ago...

I couldn't imagine paying much more than that...

[ornotna]

86. 4 BR, 2 BA, 2 car garage we bought 5 years ago for 110K

I could sell it tomorrow for double that. (S.W. Florida)