s/o on moving thread: how great a house would 450K get you where you live?

[Joker]

I looked it up and according to realtor.com it would get you a 4BR/3BA 2800 sq. ft home. It makes sense when you consider what we paid for our 3BR/2BA 1000 sq. ft. home.

[CAMom]

It wouldn't get you my house which is 1482 sq. ft. on a 10K sq. ft. lot. Mine is just an average 3 bedroom/2 bathroom ranch home.

 

I'm in Southern California.:)

[Georgiana Daniels]

Moderate brand new 4 bedroom townhomes were selling for $400K a few years back. For a detached home, you can get a 4 bedroom, but not new.

[RoughCollie]

Go to www.realtor.com and enter 425k to 475k in the search box and choose a zip code and voila!

 

Gosh, where I live, one can buy a 4 bedroom, 3 bath house, 3 car garage, central air, on 50 acres of land which has 2 outbuildings on it. That is the only house for sale in that price range, and they are asking $425,000 for it.

Edited August 9, 2010 by RoughCollie

[BethInNH]

You get quite a bit fr your $$ in this area: http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/270-Wentworth-Road_Walpole_NH_03608_1116742432

[AlaskaGrownFamily]

A pretty awesome house in a really nice neighborhood, or a ton of land and a nice property further out.

[Laura Corin]

Stone-built three bedroomed cottage in a village.

 

Laura

Edited August 9, 2010 by Laura Corin

[K-FL]

That's pretty 'entry level' pricing for us. You can get water-front condos, 3/2 built in the '60s (1200 sq. ft. +/-) w/ 60 x 100 lot , or a smaller Old Town house. You might find a house on a boating canal that needs total renovation. We don't have new developments here since land is a premium & 1/2 the town is historic district.

[Carrie12345]

Just curious.... how do you all define "McMansion"....

 

Large home from a stock plan, usually repeated multiple times within the neighborhood (and across the country at this point!), often (though not always) thrown up on a treeless lot. "Custom" choices limited to things like flooring, appliances, and colors- the only things distinguishing one from the next. More expensive than your standard Colonial home, but actually rather inexpensive (relatively speaking) because they tend to be built in bulk, and the building company can practically throw them up in their sleep. Often considered tacky and out of place (though I've seen a few done quite tastefully).

[Disney Dreaming]

The average price of a house in the county we live in is about $225,000. Typical av. size for a house that price is app. 1800sf 3bd/2ba and a bonus room. For a $450,000 you could get 4-5 bedroom, bonus room, huge kitchen with stainless steel appliances, unfinished basement, on about an acre.

[MyThreeSons]

Where we live now -- very nice, big house on at least a couple of acres.

 

Where we moved from -- I don't know that you could buy anything safe for that price.

[Parrothead]

That would get you a working farm here. The house across the street was for sale when we moved in here. That one has over 2000 sq. ft and they were asking $79,000. Ours (which we are renting) is 2300+ and they were asking a bit over $125,000.

[FaithManor]

Where we are in Michigan, you could get a mansion. I am not joking. Real estate has absolutely bombed out here. So, you could go up to Sandpoint in Lake Huron, Harbor Beach, Port Sanilac, or Lexington (all of these being lovely communities) and get beach front property plus an empty lot or two next door (several large homes with adjacent property in these areas) with private beach access and boat dock, 4500-6500 square feet, with all of the amenities of life.

 

Or, if quiet country living was more your speed, you could take that money and purchase 100 acres with a 3500 square foot log home, solar panels, wood heat, and large barn, some fencing, and possibly a horse stable and riding area and still have some money left over. That would be in Mid-Michigan. I don't think you could get quite that much in places such as Traverse Bay, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Mackinaw, or Ludington. Those communities are still going pretty strong although the prices have definitely come down.

 

Faith

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

In our suburb, the houses range from about $250,000 - $800,000, so that would get you a "medium" home here, which would be about 3000-3500 sq. feet, and may or may not be updated.

[Country Mouse]

You can get a good sized farm (70 acres) with 5 bed/5ba historic home in my area for $450K, according to Zillow :).

[Matryoshka]

Out in the outer 'burbs here it would get you a nice, older house with a decent yard - around 3 bedrooms on an acre, or a decent condo.

 

Newer houses in developments are going for closer to $6-700K. "Luxury" condos go for similar. Even out here those were going for close to $1m just a few years ago, but it's come down a bit.

 

Get closer in to the city (but still in a suburb), and that would get you a small post-war ranch with a 1/4 acre lot. Maybe. In the near suburbs we're talking homes well in excess of a million dollars, even multiple millions. I would just love to know where all that money's coming from.

[chiguirre]

Large home from a stock plan, usually repeated multiple times within the neighborhood (and across the country at this point!), often (though not always) thrown up on a treeless lot. "Custom" choices limited to things like flooring, appliances, and colors- the only things distinguishing one from the next. More expensive than your standard Colonial home, but actually rather inexpensive (relatively speaking) because they tend to be built in bulk, and the building company can practically throw them up in their sleep. Often considered tacky and out of place (though I've seen a few done quite tastefully).

 

I agree, except for the out of place part. Around here, the McMansion is the standard house and my whole burb is full of them. We do have trees though. Oh, and for 450 K, you can get a top of the line McM with luxury finishes and a pool on a wooded quarter acre.

[Laura Corin]

I agree, except for the out of place part. Around here, the McMansion is the standard house and my whole burb is full of them. We do have trees though. Oh, and for 450 K, you can get a top of the line McM with luxury finishes and a pool on a wooded quarter acre.

 

..comes from building up to the boundary line. The McMansions I saw in Dallas were built in neighbourhoods where previously relatively modest three-bedroom single-storey houses had been. When they built the McMansions, they took out the trees to build to the boundary.

 

Laura

[Perry]

This is typical of new home construction at that price.

 

 

~3500 sq ft, 4 br, 2 1/2 baths

[Nestof3]

Drool!

 

This is typical of new home construction at that price.

 

 

~3500 sq ft, 4 br, 2 1/2 baths

[gingersmom]

This whole thread makes me want to move!!!

 

$450,000 would be a starter home in my neck of the woods. You could choose from a 3 bed 1 bathroom in fairly good condition (about 40-60 years old) or a 4 bedroom 2 bath Cape Cod (that would be mine!! :001_smile:)

[kmacnchs]

HUGE! 4-5 bedroom with a study on the main level. A finished walk-out basement and a 3-4 car garage. Beautiful kitchen! In a very upscale neighborhood, too!

 

I want one.

 

OMg! Our house has 4 bedrooms (though should really have 3 - we forced the 4th - it is 1600sqft) and it was $157,000. I can't imagine what that much dough would buy for us!!!

[AngieW in Texas]

It would be a mini-mansion or have land here.

 

I did a search and these are representative of what I found:

5bdrm,4bath,4600sqft,pool

4bdrm,3.5bath,4800sqft,0.3acres

3bdrm,2.5bath,2300sqft,3.1acres,pool

[3littlekeets]

Here, a wonderful 3500 or more sq. foot home in an upper class neighborhood with all the upgrades!

 

OR, a great home with TONS of acreage...you choose :D

[Whereneverever]

Wow, for that here you could get over 300 acres and a 5+ bedroom house.

I just checked realtor.com and there's a home for 375K with 320 acres and 4 bedrooms.

[Desert Rat]

In the tanked economy that is Vegas? Sky's the limit, well, almost. A 3,500 sq. ft. house-4 beds, 3.5 baths on a large lot with a pool was bought for $550,000 about 4 years ago. It sold for $214,000. The house next door to us was picked up in foreclosure for $48,000. That's less than half what we paid 11 years ago.

[Stacy in NJ]

Even in this economy this area (suburb of NYC) is still really expensive.

[Whereneverever]

Wow, for that here you could get over 300 acres and a 5+ bedroom house.

I just checked realtor.com and there's a home for 375K with 320 acres and 4 bedrooms.

[Embassy]

A single family 2000 square foot house in a decent neighborhood with a city sized lot.

[RahRah]

Executive level home - 4000-6000 SF, on acres of land (2 to 6), upgraded interior finish like crown molding throughout, higher than average ceilings (9-12 feet), expansive rooms, marble-tile-hardwood floors, with hardwood under any carpet. Basically a beautiful house.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Pretty much anything you wanted. $450 is the top luxury home in our area. 4000+ sq, pool, 3 car garage, with acreage

 

For just a little bit more you could buy a compound. Two homes, an on site private office building, a pool, a private outdoor ice skating rink, a tennis court, etc.

 

You could also buy a working farm or forested land with streams or ponds.

 

 

Or a huge Victorian with original wordwork and a private ballroom. Well, these actually run in the $200s. So you could buy 2 homes.

[ChristineW]

Where we currently live in the East Bay: medium sized (1500-1900 sq ft 3 BR) condo/townhome or smallish (1100-1700 sq ft 2-3 BR) house that needs updating on a small lot in an okay neighborhood.

 

Where we used to rent on the Peninsula: a small (<1100 sq ft 1-2 BR) condo in an okay neighborhood or a small house in a bad neighborhood.

 

Same here.

[kpnick in nc]

I found a 20 year-old, 4 BR, 3000ish sq ft, 1 acre around here for close to 450K.

[bluemongoose]

A medium sized 1800 sqft mcmansion or a townhome with no yard that is new in the new trendy part of town. Many of these are on narrow streets with rock or brick and made to look like New England type city townhomes.

 

Or a larger sized (2200) older mcmansion that is starting to look a bit worn with a little more yard in a more established part of town.

 

Or a run down '70s duplex with a large yard in the not so great part of town, next to the railway.

 

Or 5 acres and a double wide in the country.

 

Or 10 acres-no house.

[LisaKinVA]

New... about 2800-3200 square foot house on a city lot (about an hour outside of DC)

 

Newer Forclosure... about a 4500-5000 house on a city lot or a 3500 house in 3 acres.

 

Historic Row House (2000-2500 sq. ft) remodeled, in okay part of city.

 

Double wide on 10 acres.

[dansamy]

Depending on where you buy:

 

Small North County Town This house is in the small town in the north part of the county.

 

This is by the Country Club.

 

Retire across the Bay

 

Country Club across the Bay

[Mejane]

That's my house in CT. 3,000 sf, four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths on 4 acres. Twenty years old, in need of much updating. ;)

[Melora in NC]

Big, gorgeous, new 3-5 bedroom houses, on acreage, with mountain views!

[Laura in CA]

My house :001_smile:

I just checked the Zillow estimate for our house -- 1900 sq. ft, tiny CA yard -- and it's $459k. Which is absurd! I do love my house, it's semi-custom, built-in bookshelves & sideboard, but I grew up in Western NY and I know what an almost-half-million-dollar house looks like -- or should, at least. We bought this hs in the late 1990s for just over $200k. The house I grew up in (near Buffalo) is worth $150k according to Zillow -- and it has well over an acre of land. That's more reasonable. Of course, my dad left WNY back in the 1970s because of the job situation ... & most of my cousins have also ended up in CA ...

[LizzyBee]

We only paid $117,500 for 1350 sf (3 bed, 2.5 bath) on an acre lot that backs up to woods with a creek. It's a basic house without any extras. We've upgraded the windows and siding, but only paid about $5k because my dh did all the labor himself except painting.

 

$450,000 would buy a very nice home in our area.

[kokotg]

I checked last night...in my zip code, very nice 5 bedroom house on 5 wooded acres. You could also get a brand new, super fancy enormous house on a quarter or half acre lot with no trees, but I'd take the 5 acres myself. Or I'd move to the closer in town 25 minutes from here and have a good bit to choose from (probably a very nice, somewhat older 3 or 4 bedroom house on wooded half or 3/4 acre in a somewhat walkable neighborhood).

[Mom2J112903]

Lakeside property, with acess, a boat house, about an acre of land as well. The home would have a 2 or 3 car garage, 4-5 BRs, 3 bathrooms, formal LR and DR, hardwood floors thru-out and at least one in-formal room.

 

If you are looking in that price range here, you will *not* find something that is *not* on the lake.

[dangermom]

A fairly nice house: 4 bdrm, probably a bit over 2000 sq. ft, maybe a 3-car garage, on a 1/4 acre plot (tops). In a nice but definitely not wealthy neighborhood--a mix of cops, teachers, and business people.

[hornblower]

You can get a nice older 1-2 bd condo in a concrete high rise.

 

As far as house, here you'd be lucky to get a building lot only (50x120) in a decent location for that price. Any house on it would be a tear down/condemned property.

 

There's actually not a single lot or house listing at that price in my neighbourhood right now.

[Disney Dreaming]

Here is what you could get here, we haven't had a big hit on the values of houses:

 

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1101-Pembrook-Lane_Watkinsville_GA_30677_1118034466

 

$420,000 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath. 1.49 acres. 3166 sq feet. 2 car garage.

[skueppers]

I should think that right now, $450,000 in my neighborhood would get you a moderately sized, two-story 3-4 bedroom house with 2 baths, built about 75 years ago, on a small lot. Good public services - police, library, school district, parks, etc.

[scrappyhappymama]

3000-4000 sq ft, 2-10 acres- pretty much top of market here. Or 1/2 acre+ & 2500+ sq ft on the lake.

[OleanderRain]

In my town, here in MD, you could probably get 3-4 BR, 2.5 BA, 2300-2900 sq ft, 2 car garage, on about 1/3 - 1/2 acre lot. Just a little east would get you a little more and a little west would get you a lot less.

[peachskittles]

I always like to look through the MLS listings for my county but I never go all the way down the page...For $349,500 on 13.4 acres of land built in the late 1990s you can get...

 

"Newer 1 story home sits on 13.40 acres and features a 2 car garage & large shop, 4 bedrooms (2 on main - includes master - & 2 possible down), 2 1/2 baths on main & 1 huge full bath down, open eat-in kitchen with hardwood floor (2nd kitchen down), oak hardwood floor in dining roon, carpeted living room, main floor office and laundry, full- finished basement with family room,game room and walk-out, large rear wood deck, gas fireplace in living room, electric fireplace in master and wood burning fireplace down, Propane GFA heat and central air. This home also has Pella triple pane windows, is wired for surround sound on main, new counter tops and back splash in kitchen, central vac, large bedrooms with walk-in closets and tons of storage."

 

That doesn't matter to me because for $65k, I can get 6 acres of land and a 4bdrm 1.5 bath house built in the 1900s....Sure it's on the back roads, but if ya got a good truck for winter it wouldn't be a big deal...Some houses just are way overpriced...Or maybe I just don't need all that fancy stuff in whatever house we decide to buy...That could be it...