s/o How much does a pretty nice house cost where you live?

[AmandaVT]

The house/salary thread got me thinking. How much does a pretty nice house cost in your area? I know this will vary with what people consider a nice house, but let's say: 

 

Appropriate number of beds and baths for your family

Either a safe neighborhood or a bit of land in a more rural area

No major fixes needed - move in ready, but not necessarily up to the standards of the people who are on House Hunters. :-) ie. appliances work, but they may not be newer/stainless, cupboards and doors may not be the highest quality, but they open and close properly. 

 

We're having a hard time finding anything decent under $250,000 unless it's in a sketchy area. In the $250,000-$300,000 range, you can get a pretty nice house here. Which is why I think we're struggling at our $225,000 budget. 

 

 

 

[BigMamaBird]

For a "pretty nice" house you're looking at $150-200k.  You can get a nice, decent, livable house for around $100k, but for a consistently nice neighborhood, larger home, bigger yard, "nicer" amenities, you'll have to go up to the $150-$200k range.  For over $200 you can get a "very nice" house.  

 

But really, all of this is subjective.  I'm happier with less of a home than many people.

[The Girls' Mom]

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/8419-Kimberwick-Ct_Powell_TN_37849_M71493-34603?row=40

As an example...a decent house (needs some pressure washing on the outside..lol) in a good neighborhood.  We actually looked at houses in this neighborhood and almost bought one on the same road, but the owner was being a bit difficult.

Here is a newer one for just a bit more:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/7229-Autumn-View-Ln_Powell_TN_37849_M76243-52200?row=44

 

And one closer to 250K

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/115-Windstone-Blvd_Powell_TN_37849_M85470-70234?row=2

 

 

[DawnM]

I think we would need to define pretty nice.   It will be different for everyone.  

[DawnM]

I just looked up the median home price for our city.  It is $158K.  However, when I put that number in a search for homes in the area we want (nicer area), there were 0 homes available.  When I went up to $200K, 4 homes popped up, but all of them are very old and need a lot of work.

 

There are obviously areas where you can get a home for $158K in our city, or the median wouldn't be that amount, but I wouldn't want to live in any of those neighborhoods unless I had no choice.

 

You CAN live further out and get something in the ok range for $158K, but not in the city.

 

But for a pretty NICE house (in my definition of pretty nice), you need to spend about $400K, definitely over $350K.

 

Some people might disagree with me though.  That is MY view.

[AmandaVT]

Here's what we've got around me:

 

OK house but in a terrible location: http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4-Moonlight-Ter_Montpelier_VT_05602_M46670-37189?row=2

 

Nice house: http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/193-Spring-Hollow-Ln_Montpelier_VT_05602_M49168-99832?row=3

[JustEm]

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/8419-Kimberwick-Ct_Powell_TN_37849_M71493-34603?row=40

 

As an example...a decent house (needs some pressure washing on the outside..lol) in a good neighborhood. We actually looked at houses in this neighborhood and almost bought one on the same road, but the owner was being a bit difficult.

 

Here is a newer one for just a bit more:

 

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/7229-Autumn-View-Ln_Powell_TN_37849_M76243-52200?row=44

 

And one closer to 250K

 

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/115-Windstone-Blvd_Powell_TN_37849_M85470-70234?row=2

In my area the cheapest of those 3 would be in the low 200,000. The most expensive one would be in the 300,000 range. Here 150,000 will get you a townhouse that won't be in the best neighborhood but won't be a dangerous one either. Or a house in a sketchy neighborhood.

[Chess Dad]

Great question:

 

Here in Georgetown, KY you can get a 4 bedroom, 2 full bath, 1/2 bath, 2 car garage, 1700 square foot home in a nice neighborhood for under 150k.

 

Here is one listed locally.  I'd say it's pretty nice.

 

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/125-Dunlap-Dr_Georgetown_KY_40324_M43625-69182?row=23

 

:patriot:

 

 

In contrast, here is a 500k dollar home in Georgetown, KY.  I'd say it's a Castle!  but that's just me.

 

http://www.homes.com/property/109-eider-ct-georgetown-ky-40324/id-600032395338/

 

FYI - Georgetown, KY is near Lexington, KY.  One hour from Cincinnati, OH and one hour from Louisville, KY.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgetown,_Kentucky

 

[Junie]

My dh was behind me when I looked at the poll results.  He said, "Oh look!  It's a bell curve!"  :)

[JFSinIL]

I voted $150 - $200,000, but that is an older home ( 75+ years) in an established neighborhood.  If you wanted newer construction on the outskirts of town in the more modern-looking suburban tract home area, then that would only get you a townhouse, and for a free-standing home with at least 3 bed/2bath you'd be over $200,000.  This is for Elgin, IL.  Small city of 130,000 about an hour n/w of Chicago.  If hubby needs to go into Chicago, he can walk to the commuter train.

 

If you wanted to be in the nicer towns of Geneva, Barrington or St. Charles, DOUBLE the numbers! 

 

 

examples:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1293-Sycamore-St-Elgin-IL-60123/4644318_zpid/

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Elgin-IL/pmf,pf_pt/4638999_zpid/17943_rid/1_pnd/days_sort/42.036465,-88.276627,42.017114,-88.318684_rect/14_zm/?view=map

 

this is my neighbor's house (older than mine) but it was a foreclosure.  There are a lot of older houses selling for pennies around here. http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/322-Perry-St-Elgin-IL-60123/4638775_zpid/

 

Found my house - it actually has five bedrooms.  I remember when this photo was taken - was just pulling into driveway when Googlecar zoomed down the street!  If you zoom in, our Labrador is peeking out the window. Hi, Captain!

http://www.trulia.com/homes/Illinois/Elgin/sold/21626358-318-Perry-St-Elgin-IL-60123

 

This is fun. Now I have looked up the first house I grew up in,in Orange, CA.  It was $23,000 new in 1963. Look at it now:

http://www.trulia.com/homes/California/Orange/sold/5363118-131-E-Chestnut-Ave-Orange-CA-92867

that is down some, a few years back it was over $850,000!!!!

 

In 1974 my folks bought this one new - for $54,000.  http://www.trulia.com/homes/California/Orange/sold/5358650-1722-N-Yurok-St-Orange-CA-92867

Sold it for over $250 in mid-1990s.  It was over a million at one time, before housing crashed in S. California.

 

We can NEVER move back to California. Simply priced out of reach. 

Oh, and Dad, keep talking about how great an investment a house is. You sold the Yurok house for about FIVE times what you paid for it 20 years earlier.  The house I am in now, going on 21 years, is probably worth about the same - or less - than we paid for it.

 

[xixstar]

$250-275 is is the lower range of of a nice house now. There are few closer to $200 but size is too small for our family of (soon to be) 6.

 

This is an area where you will be commuting an hour or more for work too, btw. If you want closer than that, you're looking at starting around $350 on the low end.

 

Oh a "pretty nice house" has you at $300-$350 I think. I was thinking more a functional nice house with no major repair needed. But it certainly won't be featured on HGTV anytime soon.

[gardenmom5]

in my area I found three entry family homes with under 2000sqft 3bd, 1 1/2 bath, 2-car garage, in run down - but turning, neighborhoods for under $550K.  a 70's split level will start around $650K.  new construction is at least $800+K (with no yard). you can *easily* spend more. (that's without a view or water rights or neighborhood amenities)

 

eta: if you are willing to drive/commute/live-further-out - you can reduce those numbers.  how much depends upon if you want a "nice" area or not.  and how far you're willing to drive.  here, commute distance is measured in minutes - not miles.

[Farrar]

My neighborhood and adjacent? 600,000 - 700,000 easily for a single family home that is fixed up. We luckily bought when it was a lot less.

[Truscifi]

For a 3-4 bedroom with a decent yard and in good shape, not way out in the middle of nowhere (like we are) you are looking at $100-150k here. If you can find one, you can buy the same house out in the boonies for under $100k, but most of the properties out here are mobiles. We lucked out finding our home.

 

But we are a small rural county. Prices are higher even just in the bigger towns nearby, much less the city.

[TrixieB]

For where I live, the poll needs higher categories.  $500K is the bottom of the barrel. 

[AimeeM]

You could find a nice 3 or 4 bedroom, newer build, in one of the new subdivisions, for 200-250K around here, IF you don't mind going to the outskirt towns. 

 

We're downtown right now, and the small cottage style homes, built in the 50's, with 2 or 3 (small) bedrooms, on very small lots, run 230K-400K depending on how "on-top-of" downtown you happen to be looking. The *more* downtown you are, the smaller the houses get, and the higher the price tag - and most of those homes are older (with the occasional problems that an "older" home brings). Of course, there is an appeal for people who live downtown - especially if they work downtown; better schools, easier travel, close to the hospital, the law offices, the courthouse, dining, etc.

We're leaving downtown in favor of moving to a more affordable outskirt town, where we can buy a MUCH larger home (and much newer) for a MUCH "more decent" price (obviously it's all relative - every family wants something different).

 

We have a contingency offer in on a 6 bedroom, 5,000+ square feet home, newer build (just a few years old); full, finished basement and a fenced in backyard. Small subdivision with amenities. $365,000

Home prices in the area seem to be pretty great EXCEPT downtown, lol. We live in a pretty low COL area, though. 

[TrixieB]

 

 

In contrast, here is a 500k dollar home in Georgetown, KY.  I'd say it's a Castle!  but that's just me.

 

http://www.homes.com/property/109-eider-ct-georgetown-ky-40324/id-600032395338/

 

 

 

This is a $1M - $3M house in my general area, depending on its location.

[Arcadia]

2 bedroom condo > $600k
2 bedroom town home > $700k if you are lucky, mostly asking for above $800k
The single family homes are more than a million with a tiny front lawn and very small backyard..

 

[Wheres Toto]

Our 750 square foot, 2 bedroom (plus one super small "den" that was built out of the corner of the living room and we use as a bedroom), 1 bath, falling apart bungalow built before the 1940's but on a nice, almost acre of land in a great school district could go for $250,000 or more depending on how much work we did first.  If it was in good repair including the garage, we could get over $350,000. 

 

I went with the $300-400,000 selection but we'd probably have to move at least a little bit farther from where the jobs are to be able to afford the 4 bedroom, at least 2 baths that we truly need for that price.

 

In my town, currently available:  a 4 bedroom/21/2 bath condo is $515,000, a 3 bedroom/1 bath 908 square feet on an acre of land is listed at $339,000.  Average home price in my town is $400,000, there are quite a few old summer bungalows and there are currently 14 hours listed for over $1million.

[Pawz4me]

Based on your description of nice, I'd say you'd have plenty of houses to choose from in this area for $150,000 or even slightly less.

[catz]

Here this can vary so much on location.  If you want certain areas of the city or nicer suburbs, you can be looking at 400,000+ for a pretty basic nice family home.  Further afield, that much money will get you much more.  For a decent single family home within first ring suburbs in a not scary neighborhood you're probably looking at 200,000-300,000.  And up from there if you want a better location.

[gardenmom5]

For where I live, the poll needs higher categories.  $500K is the bottom of the barrel. 

 

agree.

 

dear niece moved back here from a much cheaper area. (where she had a big new house with a big flat fenced yard)  they wanted five acres and to build their own house all for $400K. . . . . oh - and they had very specific areas they wanted to live with a reasonable commute (less than 40 minutes each way). :smilielol5:  

 

my dd&dsil did manage to talk them into less land . . . . last I heard, they're moving back to that cheaper area.  (her mother doesn't know that yet though . . . . )

[gardenmom5]

This is a $1M - $3M house in my general area, depending on its location.

 

$1.5M - $6M here . . . . .depending upon location, and if it is near a lake or not.

 

eta: those are small class sizes . . . . . people sue/legislate for them here, and the money *always* goes to administration and the classes don't shrink.

[MEmama]

Housing prices have really risen this year in our town. I'm seeing nice, "regular" 3 bedroom homes on small in town lots going for $250,000-$300,000 this summer.

 

If you want a house on the oceanfront it will be higher, but it's very easy to go much lower if you want rural (edge of town or beyond, anything more than 10 minutes from downtown), even right off the water.

 

If you want a stately period home right downtown, $600,000 ought to do. If you want to spend $2 million, you can do that easily too.

 

LOVE that cape you posted, Amanda!

[poppy]

You stopped at $500,000 which is a base starter home in many of the Boston suburbs. 

My 2 bed, 1100 sq ft home is worth $350,000-ish. 

I'd prefer cheaper houses but I, like many other people, put up with it. Totally worth it to live here :)

 

[QueenCat]

Nice is too subjective, which I see from the posts already made......... To me, "average nice" but nothing special is around 2000 sq ft, less than 15 years old, needs little work, has around 1/3 acre, is in a decent but not great school district, has pergo style not wood floors, vinyl in the kitchen, maybe tile in the bathrooms, and has decent brand name appliances (not the cheapest but not the most expensive from the given brand). Around here, that would cost about $175,000.

[ScoutTN]

In my neighborhood, 1200-1600sq. ft. 3br 2ba, with 1980s kitchen and baths and on a quarter of an acre wiht no garage runs about 175K.

 

To get a more typical umc, suburban home with a larger lot, all updated, 2800-3400 sq ft. could run anywhere from 400K to near a million, depending on the neighborhood.

[creekland]

$150 - 200K will give you plenty of nice options.  If you could go up to 250K you'd have oodles and oodles of options - possibly even up to some House Hunter shoppers' standards.

 

Less than 150K could get you an adequate place too - perhaps older - but perfectly liveable.

[frogger]

I could have a family of four or a family of eight. Do condos or attached townhomes count?

 

I think the poll would be more accurate to ask how much does a three bedroom home, 1800 square feet, and a 1/5 th of an acre cost if you are in an urban area. Towns and rural need to have a separate poll. I just don't think they are comparable.

[DawnM]

 

We can NEVER move back to California. Simply priced out of reach. 

Oh, and Dad, keep talking about how great an investment a house is. You sold the Yurok house for about FIVE times what you paid for it 20 years earlier.  The house I am in now, going on 21 years, is probably worth about the same - or less - than we paid for it.

 

That is pretty much where we are too.  If we both went back to work full time we could technically do it, but it would be tough.  But I miss CA terribly.

[VeteranMom]

Prices in our area are climbing.  The realtors are begging people to list with them, since inventory in our area is low.  A 4 bed/2 bath/2 car garage house around 2000 sq feet that is "decent" (outdated kitchen, laminate counters in bathrooms, and 1980 style fixtures) is selling for around $250,000 in my area.    

[SparklyUnicorn]

The house/salary thread got me thinking. How much does a pretty nice house cost in your area? I know this will vary with what people consider a nice house, but let's say: 

 

Appropriate number of beds and baths for your family

Either a safe neighborhood or a bit of land in a more rural area

No major fixes needed - move in ready, but not necessarily up to the standards of the people who are on House Hunters. :-) ie. appliances work, but they may not be newer/stainless, cupboards and doors may not be the highest quality, but they open and close properly. 

 

We're having a hard time finding anything decent under $250,000 unless it's in a sketchy area. In the $250,000-$300,000 range, you can get a pretty nice house here. Which is why I think we're struggling at our $225,000 budget. 

 

The list wouldn't apply to my area.  Nobody has land.  There are safe and crap areas, but it's not the burbs.  Even the fixer thing barely applies because most of the homes here are older homes.  There is no new construction or even newer construction.  For one thing the population was at one time over 90K and is now around 65K so there is an excess of housing which lowers prices more.

 

And I don't consider those things making a home "pretty nice".  I wouldn't have moved here had I not liked the area.  It may not be what all people like though.  I get that.  Just saying it's a hard question to answer. 

[Guest]

For a nice home that just barely fits out family, has a small lot, and is older but functional and well appointed? Anywhere from 300-400k. For a newer home that isn't as cramped and has slightly more updated finishes? 500-700k.

[SeaConquest]

This is a $1M - $3M house in my general area, depending on its location.

This is about the same for us.

[Guest]

This is about the same for us.

This must depend on the part of San Diego - living downtown I could see those prices, but fortunately there are many nice parts that we cheaper. My brother just bought a 2000 sq ft home is a nice area with probably 1/3 acre of land for 300k. But we all reside in North County, and the closer to the beach one gets the more expensive it gets, so they are inland along the 15.

[Guest]

Nice is too subjective, which I see from the posts already made......... To me, "average nice" but nothing special is around 2000 sq ft, less than 15 years old, needs little work, has around 1/3 acre, is in a decent but not great school district, has pergo style not wood floors, vinyl in the kitchen, maybe tile in the bathrooms, and has decent brand name appliances (not the cheapest but not the most expensive from the given brand). Around here, that would cost about $175,000.

That very same home in my neighborhood would be 400k. I want to move where you are :D

[JenneinCA]

A 3 bedroom 2 bath house not quite 1200 square feet (not a mobile home) in our zip code costs a minimum of $750,000. That is in a non preferred school district with no yard to speak of and backing up on a major road (an expressway).

 

On the other hand it is close to multiple freeways, light rail, and walking distance to two large parks. It is also very close to a major amusement park and about a mile away from the bay.

[Guest]

This is a $1M - $3M house in my general area, depending on its location.

Yeah, that's in the million range for this town, too.

[Spy Car]

Round here you'd need to add another zero.

 

Bill

[AmandaVT]

The list wouldn't apply to my area.  Nobody has land.  There are safe and crap areas, but it's not the burbs.  Even the fixer thing barely applies because most of the homes here are older homes.  There is no new construction or even newer construction.  For one thing the population was at one time over 90K and is now around 65K so there is an excess of housing which lowers prices more.

 

And I don't consider those things making a home "pretty nice".  I wouldn't have moved here had I not liked the area.  It may not be what all people like though.  I get that.  Just saying it's a hard question to answer. 

 

It is hard - it was just supposed to be a fun question on a Saturday morning though, nothing more intense than that. 

 

I know not everyone lives in the burbs (I don't currently). I guessed that wherever people live, either a safe area or a bit of land would kind of equal each other out. Also, we haven't looked at any newer houses - the one we saw the other day was built in the 1890's. By no major fixes, I meant that the windows have been replaced sometime in the last 30 years or so, but not necessarily brand new ones. Or the flooring may be older, but functional (no holes to fall through). That kind of thing. 

 

We've looked at so many houses recently that I've had real estate on the brain I guess!

 

And I think we're looking in the wrong part of the country. I'd LOVE to be able to find a house for under $200k that wasn't terrible. 

 

Queen Cat - I'm with Arctic Mama - I'd love to buy an average house where you are! Here that'll get a house with at least a few major issues.

[mamakelly]

We live in San Diego- you need to add higher numbers haha. When I look at the cost of homes in other areas, I'm shocked how nice a home 200-300,000 can buy. In our neighborhood, there's nothing under 500,000 and very few in that range. Most are between 600-800,000.

[kroe1]

About a million here. It is a resort area.

[QueenCat]

That very same home in my neighborhood would be 400k. I want to move where you are :D

 

The cost of a home is not "everything". We have low property taxes and our public services show for it. So-so library, so-so schools, we have some public parks but most of them are just so-so, city pools that many won't go to. I've lived in nicer areas, where we paid just a bit more in taxes and for our home. Say another 50,000-75,000 for the same home but a bit older and another $750/year for taxes, and schools were better, amenities were better (especially the pools and library). etc.

[Jasperstone]

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/8419-Kimberwick-Ct_Powell_TN_37849_M71493-34603?row=40

 

As an example...a decent house (needs some pressure washing on the outside..lol) in a good neighborhood. We actually looked at houses in this neighborhood and almost bought one on the same road, but the owner was being a bit difficult.

 

Here is a newer one for just a bit more:

 

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/7229-Autumn-View-Ln_Powell_TN_37849_M76243-52200?row=44

 

And one closer to 250K

 

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/115-Windstone-Blvd_Powell_TN_37849_M85470-70234?row=2

Wow!!!!

 

We only get half the house for double the price where we live!!!!

[Jasperstone]

Like these-

 

https://m.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-molendinar-119932289

 

 

https://m.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-arundel-119066383

[Guest]

Oh wait! I forgot about the third house we once owned, again in the same city:

 

4bdrm/2bath, @2500sqft, 3 acres = @$225K

That's it. We are moving to San Antonio.

[Laura in CA]

I just saw an article in our local paper -- the median price for a single-family detached home in our area (the three local towns) currently on the market is $925k. Yowza. And we are out in the relative boonies -- long commute to Silicon Valley. This isn't anywhere close to the prices in, say, Berkeley, SF, or Palo Alto.

 

We bought 18 years ago when things weren't so insane. Plus we had my husband's pension from his overseas job, which we used as our down payment (20%). I feel so sorry for people who are just starting out now.

[Guest]

I picked $500k+. It is hard to touch so much as a buildable lot or extremely rough fixer for $150k or less.

 

I am in Maryland, commutable to D.C. Thus, housing is expensive.

[teachermom2834]

When I read these threads I can't imagine how different our lives would have been in a higher COL area. I can't fathom how anyone even gets their footing financially. Home ownership has been good to us. We bought a starter house for under $75000. Second house we bought for $140000. Just relocated and bought for $187500. We have been able to sell our homes quickly for a profit. We are far from wealthy but being able to own our homes instead of renting has been good for us. Can't imagine if we had needed to pay $250000 even for a first home :( We would have never gotten there I don't think. My dh was looking at jobs in higher COL areas and the wages did not even begin to compensate for housing costs. Sympathies to those in that position. I know it isn't always possible to pick up and move.

[idnib]

I would say $700k-$1M. Like everywhere it depends on location. But another factor is how well-maintained the home is. We have a lot folder Craftsman bungalows and Victorians. A really-well maintained Victorian is worth more than a 1950s ranch with the same sf and BR/BA.