Middle Ground

I guess I need to get back to posting, I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things.

So, I was thinking today that Columbia and HoCo in general, definitely has it wrong when it comes to housing.  I realize that Columbia/Ellicott City are prime places to live in the United States, but seriously (even in our recession) housing prices are still ridiculous.

What I've found however is that there really isn't any middle ground for housing in HoCo.  You basically have three options for housing.  You can pay huge bucks to live in a relatively new house, you can overpay for a decent house that is a few more years older, or you can overpay for a fixer upper shack that is really old.  In any case you are screwed when it comes to finding anything that is affordable.

I guess the best thing one could do is live in an apartment and save up for a future down payment on a house.  Unfortunately, we all know how people are at saving, so it looks like we've created a viscous cycle here in HoCo.  It kills me to see people that are house poor, but it's even worse to see people living in an apartment and driving a BMW or a Benz (obviously not saving money for the right things).

No one really knows what the future holds for the housing market in HoCo, but one can only hope that prices will level out.  I'm not saying we need huge cuts to home values, but a more realistic approach to home values would certainly help.

Ideally, to achieve a middle ground, home developers need to avoid building McMansions and houses with wasted space (i.e. two story foyers).  Next, home buyers need to understand that bigger doesn't always mean better.  No one needs a formal dining room, no one needs huge closets in ever room, and no one needs that jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom.  Homes should be energy efficient, built for connivance and not for excess, and finally homes should be realistic.  Maybe this is too much to ask.