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20 votes
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The methodical plan to erase Chicago
4 votes -
I grew up in Michigan but currently live in Georgia. My GF and I are looking at buying a house, and both states have first time home buyer incentives, but they're income based.
So we make about $100,000 combined, I make just shy of 70K and she makes about 30K. Both states have programs for first time homebuyers, but our incomes together prohibit us from qualifying,...
So we make about $100,000 combined, I make just shy of 70K and she makes about 30K.
Both states have programs for first time homebuyers, but our incomes together prohibit us from qualifying, whereas separately we both qualify.
Would it be considered fraud if I were to apply for one as myself, get the house in my name, but we both pay on it? I can't find anything on either page about it, but obviously we are not legally married.
11 votes -
Rents are the Fed’s ‘biggest stumbling block’ in taming US inflation
16 votes -
Hawaii lawmakers take aim at vacation rentals after Lahaina wildfire amplifies Maui housing crisis
14 votes -
I am moving to New Jersey! Anything I should know?
Hi Tildeans, Today I accepted an offer in New Jersey situated in New Brunswick. My partner and I will be moving out there likely late July/early August. We will be bringing two dogs, one cat, and...
Hi Tildeans,
Today I accepted an offer in New Jersey situated in New Brunswick. My partner and I will be moving out there likely late July/early August. We will be bringing two dogs, one cat, and one snake with us. For those that live around the area, is there anything I should know about finding places to rent (e.g. places to avoid)? We are willing to be a little bit away from New Brunswick, but I would like to have easy access to the rail line that goes through the city so I can commute in without the use of a car.
Also, what are some recommendations for places to check out when we get there? We have pretty broad tastes when it comes to art, food, outdoor activities, and all of that. Lastly, if there is anything else you think I should know about the broader East coast area please feel free to share!
24 votes -
Hawaii ban on short-term vacation rentals moves forward in state legislature
28 votes -
Trying to get a better idea of what goes into having a house built
So I'm looking to get out of apartment living in the next couple of years, so I browse housing listings semi-frequently just to get an idea of what's out there and what I can expect cost wise. My...
So I'm looking to get out of apartment living in the next couple of years, so I browse housing listings semi-frequently just to get an idea of what's out there and what I can expect cost wise.
My boss made an offhand comment about buying a lot and getting a prefab installed on it, so I started looking into it, but I came back with a lot of questions.
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Home builders seem to have preset floor plans. Every time I try and find a prefab house, all I can find are blueprints for purchase. Do you find a plan you like and then find someone to build it?
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Home builders I find all build giant houses. I always see comments online about how "Builders can't build affordable homes because of red tape," but I don't understand how that means they can only build 5B/3Ba houses. I cannot find anyone that has preset plans for a 2B house.
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How much about getting a lot "ready" would be up to me vs a builder? Is that gonna depend on the builder and what they offer? Is that all done out of pocket, or would that be included in the construction loan?
For reference, I'm in Atlanta, though I imagine a lot of these answers will be "It depends on the builder."
29 votes -
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I bought a house, now what?
I posted previously about looking for a house for my disabled partner and myself and after several stressful months we're closing on April 30th! So, now what? I'm working on home insurance quotes,...
I posted previously about looking for a house for my disabled partner and myself and after several stressful months we're closing on April 30th!
So, now what? I'm working on home insurance quotes, I have the money arranged for closing. We're in the "these issues need addressed" phase of the contract process (there are no smoke detectors in this house wtf) and the home inspection raised no dealbreakers. No radon or termites.
So what don't I know about? What new homeowner things do I need to be thinking about now? We plan to move in the latter half of May. Accessibility suggestions are also useful, we're going to have to add a small ramp inside (one step), move a cabinet in the kitchen and replace carpet in the master bedroom.
Thanks for all the advice last time, please give me more of it?
54 votes -
Why Ireland’s housing bubble burst
14 votes -
Relative financial burden imposed on university students by housing cost in Germany steadily increasing. About a third of all students close to poverty line. How does this compare to your region?
The latest iteration of a study regarding the cost of student housing in Germany found, that rent prices for students have risen to a germany-wide average of 479€. Three years ago the average was...
The latest iteration of a study regarding the cost of student housing in Germany found, that rent prices for students have risen to a germany-wide average of 479€. Three years ago the average was just 391€. In Munich the average cost for student housing has risen to no less than 760€. This is more than double than the housing-cost covered by BAföG, a public program providing financial support to students from low-income families. [1]
Statistically, more than a third of students in Germany are at risk of poverty at the moment, meaning they have less than 60% of the country's mean income available. [2] [3]
Also with regards to Munich specifically, the number of designated student housing facilities has not grown significantly or even dropped over the past few years, while the number of students has been steadily increasing. This means that more and more students have to look for rooms in shared apartments on the city's highly competitive housing market. Statistically, these students are those that live close to the poverty line particularly often.
I realize that the cost of high-quality higher education in Germany is not as majorly fucked as for example in the USA, but still the financial burden on students is steadily increasing due to housing cost. How does this compare to where you're from? How is student housing organized in your city, how much does it cost relative to the mean income, and do you experience similar trends in your region?
Sources (german), besides in-person conversations and experiences:
[1] https://cms.moses-mendelssohn-institut.de/uploads/24_03_19_Wohnkosten_Studierende_804a7b53ef.pdf
[2] https://www.spiegel.de/start/statistisches-bundesamt-mehr-als-ein-drittel-der-studierenden-lebt-unter-der-armutsgrenze-a-460cb19f-8a62-43ab-8b52-652814234250
[3] https://youtu.be/UVaY8SCtjwg28 votes -
The hotel guest who wouldn’t leave
25 votes -
How does Paris stay Paris? By pouring billions into public housing.
17 votes -
Atlanta’s squatter problem is vexing Wall Street landlords
24 votes -
In defense of squatting - the community utility of squatting in a world of algorithmic landlord collusion
25 votes -
350,000 Californians are now on the FAIR Plan, the last resort for fire insurance. Now what?
36 votes -
Muji has a prescription for the loneliness epidemic in Japan
10 votes -
Why small developers are getting squeezed out of the housing market
18 votes -
Price fixing by algorithm is still price fixing
59 votes -
Arizona attorney general sues landlords and software company RealPage Inc over 'astronomical' apartment rent hikes
34 votes -
Leasing like a state, or: public housing is development policy
7 votes -
House hunting tips for a millennial who's never owned one
I'm starting the process of looking to buy a house. My partner uses a power wheelchair and anything we buy is going to need to be accessible or modifiable. So I know we're looking for a ranch,...
I'm starting the process of looking to buy a house. My partner uses a power wheelchair and anything we buy is going to need to be accessible or modifiable. So I know we're looking for a ranch, probably 3/2 at most is what will be affordable but I'm finalizing my pre-approval now.
That said... I'm almost 40 and I've never bought a house before. What are some things I need to know when looking at a house? I have a realtor and we're looking at our first place tomorrow. I'm bringing a measuring tape because the accessibility will matter.
But I don't even know where to start and what the normal questions are!48 votes -
What Texas can teach San Francisco and London about building houses: it’s not a housing crisis — it’s a planning crisis
13 votes -
The hottest trend in US cities? Changing zoning rules to allow more housing.
42 votes -
Berkeley's upzoning would be among America's largest
20 votes -
Demonstrators claim lack of affordable housing in Gaeltacht region threatens the survival of the Irish language
13 votes -
What if US public housing were for everyone?
29 votes -
Iceland plans to buy out home owners in volcano-struck town of Grindavík – total cost of the buyout could be as much as $440 million
20 votes -
UBC student flies to school from Calgary (because Vancouver is that unaffordable to live in)
31 votes -
The relative share of Americans living in the West of the US has declined
21 votes -
Why we can’t build family-sized apartments in North America
33 votes -
The man in room 117 – Andrey Shevelyov would rather live on the street than take antipsychotic medication. Should it be his decision to make?
21 votes -
Palm Springs capped Airbnb rentals. Now some home prices are in free-fall.
49 votes -
I rent a million-dollar home: Why can’t I buy one?
27 votes -
HomeVestors (the “We Buy Ugly Houses” company) overhauls policies in the wake of ProPublica investigation
19 votes -
Canada announces cap on international students for next two years
29 votes -
The case for American single-stair multifamily
26 votes -
Russia’s fabled war ally ‘General Frost’ turns on Moscow
16 votes -
Iceland keeps feeding its tourist boom. Will it push locals out? – about six times as many visitors as residents came to the tiny island last year
8 votes -
Inside the world's highest tech prison - HMP Fosse Way
12 votes -
Mark Zuckerberg is building a top-secret compound in Hawai'i
32 votes -
Satellite images show China building houses on Bhutan's territory
10 votes -
The old new way to provide cheap housing
18 votes -
America isn’t ready for the two-household child
26 votes -
Minneapolis has a YIMBY message for America: Build more houses and get rid of suburban-style zoning and inflation will disappear
28 votes -
Not your grandma’s granny flat: How San Diego hacked state housing law to build ADU ‘apartment buildings’
16 votes -
Joe Biden administration offers $35 billion in low-interest loans to support US transit-oriented development
24 votes -
Solar power to the people: California program brings clean energy to Oakland
11 votes -
US increased number of limited liability company landlords leads to difficulty requesting repairs, increased evictions
32 votes -
Graduated and moving to an apartment in a major city in the US, advice/tips?
I graduated in the spring and spent the last few months at home with family. I'm hoping to find an apartment/job in a major US city working as a legal assistant or paralegal. I've never rented...
I graduated in the spring and spent the last few months at home with family. I'm hoping to find an apartment/job in a major US city working as a legal assistant or paralegal.
I've never rented before, so I have questions, but due to circumstances related to the ones pushing me away from staying at home any longer, I don't have any parents or older siblings to ask for help, so I'm hoping to crowdsource wisdom here. I have specific questions, but also happy to hear any general advice for someone renting an apartment for the first time.
Some relevant context:
- Studio apartment is nonnegotiable. I don't know anyone I trust enough to be my roommate. If that weren't enough, I'm one of the only people still wearing a mask and trying not to get COVID, so it's gotta be a studio for me to be able to relax.
- I'm looking for a walkable neighborhood and good public transit in addition to affordability, so really looking at Chicago and Philly right now.
- I love to cook, but I know studios often have really lackluster kitchens. Hoping to find one with a usable amount of counterspace.
Those questions I had:
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If you offer to pay a landlord the cost of the lease in full, is it typical for the landlord to waive the requirement that you provide proof of employment, or if you asked them to waive that, would they be likely to say yes? I would really like to take some time off, and coming home was intended to be that, but toxic family means I've just been stressed the whole time, so being able to get a place without needing a job right off the bat would be a fantastic setup to make sure this new start goes well. (If I save up part-time earnings for the next 2-3 months, I'll have enough to pay a lease on a $1200 studio in full, furnish it with the necessities, and feed myself.)
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Recently I realized that when apartments are listed as unfurnished, that means no bed or mattress either. (I kind of see now why futons are a thing.) How do people usually address this issue? Do you buy a mattress and bed frame with the expectation that you'll take it with you whenever you move out to the next apartment?
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Since I don't live in the city I'll be moving to, I most likely won't be able to see the apartment in person before committing. Any particular ideas on how I could handle this or what I should be wary of? I've heard of services where you can pay someone to show up to a tour and video call you so you can follow along (https://www.gandertour.com/). $50 doesn't seem too steep, but I don't know if that specific service is trustworthy, or if there's a cheaper or simpler way to deal with this.
Those are my questions, and like I said above, any advice not 100% related to these questions is welcome too!
38 votes