I visited my in-laws in Ocala, Florida and couldn't believe how much new
house you got for the money compared to central North Carolina. As an
example, my parents in NC live in a 1 story townhome that is probably 1500
sq feet and cost them $200k. In Ocala you get a nicer built individual
house, made to resist substantial storms, almost 50% bigger for about $150k
with swimming pool. Land costs cannot explain it all. I doubt the
subcontractors are getting paid much more in NC.... they are mostly from
south of the border. Am I missing something? My pricing is year ago
pricing by the way before the recent run up by storm damage and China
demands but both pricings were from around the same time. Both homes are on
a slab.

"Art" wrote in message
nk.net...
I visited my in-laws in Ocala, Florida and couldn't believe how much new
house you got for the money compared to central North Carolina. As an
example, my parents in NC live in a 1 story townhome that is probably 1500
sq feet and cost them $200k. In Ocala you get a nicer built individual
house, made to resist substantial storms, almost 50% bigger for about $150k
with swimming pool.


One of my co-workers is looking for a house in Florida. In some areas, the
price of housing it going up at 30% a year. One house was sold for $170,000
15 months ago. It had $5,000 in improvements and just sold for $238,000.
Nice profit. Supply and demand at work.

That is why I noted that my prices were pre-hurricane. I'm sure everything
is out of wack now price-wise, but my in-laws have been in Ocala now for a
decade and their prices are incredibly lower than central NC.


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news:9lHrd.8978$_E3.8965@trndny06...

"Art" wrote in message
nk.net...
I visited my in-laws in Ocala, Florida and couldn't believe how much new
house you got for the money compared to central North Carolina. As an
example, my parents in NC live in a 1 story townhome that is probably 1500
sq feet and cost them $200k. In Ocala you get a nicer built individual
house, made to resist substantial storms, almost 50% bigger for about
$150k with swimming pool.


One of my co-workers is looking for a house in Florida. In some areas,
the price of housing it going up at 30% a year. One house was sold for
$170,000 15 months ago. It had $5,000 in improvements and just sold for
$238,000. Nice profit. Supply and demand at work.

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 16:00:52 GMT, Art wrote:
I visited my in-laws in Ocala, Florida and couldn't believe how much new
house you got for the money compared to central North Carolina. As an
example, my parents in NC live in a 1 story townhome that is probably 1500
sq feet and cost them $200k. In Ocala you get a nicer built individual
house, made to resist substantial storms, almost 50% bigger for about $150k
with swimming pool. Land costs cannot explain it all. I doubt the
subcontractors are getting paid much more in NC.... they are mostly from
south of the border. Am I missing something? My pricing is year ago
pricing by the way before the recent run up by storm damage and China
demands but both pricings were from around the same time. Both homes are on
a slab.

Location, Location, Location.

We have a $120K house in Upstate NY. About 4 years ago, we went house
shopping down in the RTP area in NC. The equivalent square footage in
a development totally devoid of any trees, landscaping, sidewalks, etc
was going for approximately 1.75x my house. And yet the houses in
NC were of relatively poor construction - some of the builders seemed
to think of caulk as a structural material, for example.

OTOH, my parents moved from a 1200 sq ft house up here that they sold
for about $95K, and moved to Ocala into a perfectly nice house of the
same size, and paid $80K - including a heck of a lot more community
resources, and a very small monthly HOA fee.

- Rich

Art,

Housing prices are only loosely related to costs. Also, comparing
townhomes to houses is like comparing apples to oranges. Still $150 k for
2200 sq ft with a pool seems exceptional. Are you sure of these prices?

Dave M.

The townhome in NC was the more expensive home at $200k whereas the cheaper,
nicer single home on a nice size lot was in Ocala. All things being equal
the townhome should be cheaper to build especially since it is much smaller
but it costs much more. The prices I listed are a bit old but still
comparable.... in other words both homes were built and sold a few years
ago so things have gone up since then but Ocala still is a riduculous
bargain compared to central NC. Yes Ocala prices have gone up but NC prices
have gone up even more.

I agree that the 3 rules of housing costs are location, location, location.
But in Ocala they cannot be building and selling houses below cost so that
means that someone is making a killing in central NC. Now if this was in NY
or a NY suburb where they are out of land, that would be something else.
The sky is the limit for housing on Long Island. But here in NC we just got
over a big surge in unemployment with no significant drop in housing costs
so you would think that means that they are selling somewhere near the cost
of construction. But if that were true, how can they build a house so much
cheaper in Ocala, Fl?


"David Martel" wrote in message
ink.net...
Art,

Housing prices are only loosely related to costs. Also, comparing
townhomes to houses is like comparing apples to oranges. Still $150 k for
2200 sq ft with a pool seems exceptional. Are you sure of these prices?

Dave M.

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 18:56:49 GMT, "Art"
wrote:

The townhome in NC was the more expensive home at $200k whereas the cheaper,
nicer single home on a nice size lot was in Ocala.
snip

I agree that the 3 rules of housing costs are location, location, location.
But in Ocala they cannot be building and selling houses below cost so that
means that someone is making a killing in central NC.
snip

Demand hasn't been mentioned. An object is only "worth" what someone
is willing to pay for it. If nobody was willing to pony up $200K for
the townhome, the price would lower.

David

I agree 100% that supply and demand are a big factor. But I was wondering
if there could be something else that makes Florida contruction cheaper that
I missed. Otherwise it means that builders in NC are getting richer faster
than builders in Florida.


"DJ" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 18:56:49 GMT, "Art"
wrote:

The townhome in NC was the more expensive home at $200k whereas the
cheaper,
nicer single home on a nice size lot was in Ocala.
snip

I agree that the 3 rules of housing costs are location, location,
location.
But in Ocala they cannot be building and selling houses below cost so that
means that someone is making a killing in central NC.
snip

Demand hasn't been mentioned. An object is only "worth" what someone
is willing to pay for it. If nobody was willing to pony up $200K for
the townhome, the price would lower.

David

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 16:00:52 GMT, "Art"
wrote:

I visited my in-laws in Ocala, Florida and couldn't believe how much new
house you got for the money compared to central North Carolina. As an
example, my parents in NC live in a 1 story townhome that is probably 1500
sq feet and cost them $200k. In Ocala you get a nicer built individual
house, made to resist substantial storms, almost 50% bigger for about $150k
with swimming pool. Land costs cannot explain it all. I doubt the
subcontractors are getting paid much more in NC.... they are mostly from
south of the border. Am I missing something? My pricing is year ago
pricing by the way before the recent run up by storm damage and China
demands but both pricings were from around the same time. Both homes are on
a slab.

Yes you are missing something. You may pay less, but you'd still be in
Ocala. Location...location...location.


*-------------------------------*
NEVER FORGET!!!
http://cf1.newsday.infi.net/911/vict...me.cfm?id=2105

"Art" wrote in message
nk.net...
I visited my in-laws in Ocala, Florida and couldn't believe how much new house
you got for the money compared to central North Carolina. As an example, my
parents in NC live in a 1 story townhome that is probably 1500 sq feet and cost
them $200k. In Ocala you get a nicer built individual house, made to resist
substantial storms, almost 50% bigger for about $150k with swimming pool. Land
costs cannot explain it all. I doubt the subcontractors are getting paid much
more in NC.... they are mostly from south of the border. Am I missing
something? My pricing is year ago pricing by the way before the recent run up
by storm damage and China demands but both pricings were from around the same
time. Both homes are on a slab.

This is Turtle.

You go South to retire and head North to work. Here is Louisiana I can put you
in a 2,500 Sq. Foot , brick , a slab , 1.5 Acre lot in a subdivision, 20' X 35
' swimming pool, 2 central units for cooling, Concrete Streets and sidewalks and
street lites, and in a town of 10K pop and cost under $160K. Now in a larger
city like 50K pop you will have to give just short of $200K.

In 1980 i bouight my house for $40K and it's 2,250 sq. ft. brick , 1.1 acre lot
and in a very nice subdivision and I've been told I can get a UnGodly price for
it at $90K. Now I can't choose the people who live near me but there is 2
doctors and hate say this but there is 2 lawyers live near me.

When you leave the northern states prices drop way down. One example of this is
also i pay $68.00 year on house property taxes and i'm ****ed off about it for
it use to be $55.00 not 5 years ago. I have heard other up north pay more than
this.

TURTLE

In NC on a $200k house in the city property taxes are about $1800 per year.


"TURTLE" wrote in message
...

"Art" wrote in message
nk.net...
I visited my in-laws in Ocala, Florida and couldn't believe how much new
house you got for the money compared to central North Carolina. As an
example, my parents in NC live in a 1 story townhome that is probably 1500
sq feet and cost them $200k. In Ocala you get a nicer built individual
house, made to resist substantial storms, almost 50% bigger for about
$150k with swimming pool. Land costs cannot explain it all. I doubt the
subcontractors are getting paid much more in NC.... they are mostly from
south of the border. Am I missing something? My pricing is year ago
pricing by the way before the recent run up by storm damage and China
demands but both pricings were from around the same time. Both homes are
on a slab.

This is Turtle.

You go South to retire and head North to work. Here is Louisiana I can put
you in a 2,500 Sq. Foot , brick , a slab , 1.5 Acre lot in a
subdivision, 20' X 35 ' swimming pool, 2 central units for cooling,
Concrete Streets and sidewalks and street lites, and in a town of 10K pop
and cost under $160K. Now in a larger city like 50K pop you will have to
give just short of $200K.

In 1980 i bouight my house for $40K and it's 2,250 sq. ft. brick , 1.1
acre lot and in a very nice subdivision and I've been told I can get a
UnGodly price for it at $90K. Now I can't choose the people who live near
me but there is 2 doctors and hate say this but there is 2 lawyers live
near me.

When you leave the northern states prices drop way down. One example of
this is also i pay $68.00 year on house property taxes and i'm ****ed off
about it for it use to be $55.00 not 5 years ago. I have heard other up
north pay more than this.

TURTLE

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 16:48:17 GMT, "Art"
wrote:

That is why I noted that my prices were pre-hurricane. I'm sure everything
is out of wack now price-wise, but my in-laws have been in Ocala now for a
decade and their prices are incredibly lower than central NC.

Nobody wants to live in Ocala.

Here in Naples, we've averaged 21% increases in value for the last
decade. It's slowing down and the Fort Myers/Lee County area is now
picking up.

Jeff


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news:9lHrd.8978$_E3.8965@trndny06...

"Art" wrote in message
nk.net...
I visited my in-laws in Ocala, Florida and couldn't believe how much new
house you got for the money compared to central North Carolina. As an
example, my parents in NC live in a 1 story townhome that is probably 1500
sq feet and cost them $200k. In Ocala you get a nicer built individual
house, made to resist substantial storms, almost 50% bigger for about
$150k with swimming pool.


One of my co-workers is looking for a house in Florida. In some areas,
the price of housing it going up at 30% a year. One house was sold for
$170,000 15 months ago. It had $5,000 in improvements and just sold for
$238,000. Nice profit. Supply and demand at work.

That is why I noted that my prices were pre-hurricane. I'm sure everything
is out of wack now price-wise, but my in-laws have been in Ocala now for a
decade and their prices are incredibly lower than central NC.


What do you mean by "central" NC? BTW, property taxes are very high in Florida
which is why we didn't move there.
Pat

"Patscga" wrote in message
...
That is why I noted that my prices were pre-hurricane. I'm sure
everything
is out of wack now price-wise, but my in-laws have been in Ocala now for a
decade and their prices are incredibly lower than central NC.


What do you mean by "central" NC? BTW, property taxes are very high in
Florida
which is why we didn't move there.


Raleigh/Research Triangle Park area