Struggling suburbs

The Sun has an interesting series going on about housing prices in the region. We just bought our wee Cape Cod in July, so real estate stories always catch my eye.

Today’s article was about Baltimore’s less-fancy suburbs, like Dundalk and Parkville, and how they’re the last bastion of affordable housing, which is kind of important if you’re, say, a teacher or a part-time newspaper-putter-together-er.

Where I’m from, in Northwest Ohio, a $300,000 house had four garages, six bedrooms and a racquetball court. Here, that’ll buy you a “normal” three-bedroom SFH in a nice neighborhood, or a townhouse and some nice furniture. The house we’re living in would probably go for $60,000-$80,000 back home — at least half of what we had to pay here. I think it’s just nutty.

In fact, that’s why Owen is in daycare this afternoon. An important goal for our son is to give him a single-family house with a yard, the way we grew up. To do that around here, we both have to work. It sucks that families can’t get by on one income like in the olden days.

March 21, 2005 | Filed Under PoBCo

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Comments

6 Responses to “Struggling suburbs”

Josh on March 21st, 2005 1:09 pm

You can always move back to Ohio where the land prices are sane and reasonable. We have schools and newspapers here too—plus you’re Presidential vote will be worth like four times what it is in Baltimore:)
Malnurtured Snay on March 21st, 2005 2:30 pm

Why can’t you just rob banks to suplement your income like I do …

… I mean, don’t.

Seriously, though, I read an article last week (I think) — maybe in the Sun? Or USA Today — about how, financially, it might be smarter to rent - more bang for the buck. Something about rental prices not increasing with the bubble, but rather increasing with inflation.
Malnurtured Snay on March 21st, 2005 2:31 pm

Wasn’t an article - idiot me - it was NPR, early last week. Sorry.
Rachel on March 21st, 2005 3:27 pm

These Sun articles are really pissing me off. I’m sure they’re setting off panic buttons all over town and now the market will be worse because people will think, “I have to buy now or I will NEVER BE ABLE TO BUY EVER!!”
Centerleft on March 21st, 2005 11:16 pm

Hello, congrats on the home and your adorable son, and welcome to the Atlantic Bloggers Alliance (may the celesttial light of the heavens be forever upon it), or ABA for short. You are now linked through Natalie’s site, which had a blogroll installed today, and mine, which also features a welcome post and an explanation of who we are and what we’re about (it’s mostly a joke). Stop on by.

Jeremy.
Pete on March 22nd, 2005 9:47 am

It sucks that families canít get by on one income like in the olden days.

Yes, yes it does.

I keep telling my wife to get promoted so I can stay home. I’m sure I could mix in some child-raisin’ with my Xbox playing.