The death of the American suburbs

[coolgeee]

At first everything looks reassuringly normal. After all, aren't peace, quiet and order what suburban America is supposed to be all about? But then you notice them – the weeds sprouting in once-mulched flowerbeds, the lawns that haven't been mown in this most lawn-conscious of universes, and the blue plastic key boxes for agents showing the house to allow themselves and their clients in. And then there are the For Sale signs, two three or four on every block, some with the dreaded word, "foreclosure", appended.

Is this the second swindle in U.S. History? Will this be the great transfer of wealth these elitists seek?


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The ominous sound of jingle mail: The death of the American suburbs
comments welcomed

 

[sealybobo]

what's the first?

 

[Epsilon Delta]

About time people started moving back to the cities, where the REAL party is.


AOSdiHPSDOIAHSdPODSiHDSpOAIsdhpdsoi. JK.

 

[Ravi]

Yeah, the burbs are overrated. I'd rather be in the city or in the country...half measures are booooring.

 

[BaronVonBigmeat]

The buildout of suburbia, encouraged and/or mandated by government rules/regulations/subsidies, has been one of the biggest misallocations of resources in human history.

If you want to know what development will look like in the future, look at towns built before WWII. Or, look here.

 

[Tristan]

Pity the poor burbs.

That's some nice compassion there Lou.

But who shall weep for the 97% of American homes not in foreclosure? Poor pitiless bastards!

Won't someone say a prayer for the forgotten most?

"two three or four on every block"

ROTFLMAO

 

[editec]

When we were a more energy affluent people suburban life made sense.

Times they are a changing, folks.

 

[Jeepers]

Pity the poor burbs.

That's some nice compassion there Lou.

But who shall weep for the 97% of American homes not in foreclosure? Poor pitiless bastards!

Won't someone say a prayer for the forgotten most?


ROTFLMAO

You mean the 97% whose property values are tanking....


luckily I'm still equity positive...

 

[editec]

I like to think of it as real estate prices being half full.

There now ...isn't that comforting?

 

[Tech_Esq]

At first everything looks reassuringly normal. After all, aren't peace, quiet and order what suburban America is supposed to be all about? But then you notice them – the weeds sprouting in once-mulched flowerbeds, the lawns that haven't been mown in this most lawn-conscious of universes, and the blue plastic key boxes for agents showing the house to allow themselves and their clients in. And then there are the For Sale signs, two three or four on every block, some with the dreaded word, "foreclosure", appended.

Is this the second swindle in U.S. History? Will this be the great transfer of wealth these elitists seek?


________________________________

The ominous sound of jingle mail: The death of the American suburbs
comments welcomed

Well, gee, since I owned a home for 11 years in Dale City in the "P"s off of Princedale right across from Queensdale and I remember when Hylton built those homes, I think I'm uniquely qualified to comment on this topic.

I still live in the same county, though on the other end. Ok, here's the deal, Hylton homes are "cheap" not cheap as in inexpensive, cheap as in of poor quality. Everyone knows it, but if you need a starter house in this area, you ain't buying in McLean. I purchased my "starter" Hylton home when I was 27 in the early 1990s. Although it was a good long way from DC, we felt lucky to have it. Within 2 years the RE market crashed. For the following 6 years my house wasn't worth what I paid for it. (So, you see this isn't the first time for Dale City, which has been around since 1969). In this latest run up the price on my Dale City house got to a point where I said, we better sell it, cuz it just isn't worth this much money and we better get while the gettin's good. We sold it for over $100k more than we paid for it.

Back in the bad old days (the mid-1990s) the two houses to the left us, the house to the right of us and the house behind us were walked away from and the banks owned them. So, a couple of houses on one court is nothing. Remember, we are also kicking out all our illegals so that has also impacted housing inventories.

IMHO, this article is just a shovel full of coal in the hysteria furnace that is the housing "crisis"

 

[AllieBaba]

Yup.

 

[Jeepers]

Yup.

Dude.. what are you talking about.. I doubt you own a car let alone a house...

 

[AllieBaba]

And that has exactly what to do with anything? Recognizing the truth has nothing to do with finances, though there aren't many lefties who understand that.

 

[Jeepers]

And that has exactly what to do with anything? Recognizing the truth has nothing to do with finances, though there aren't many lefties who understand that.

Please tell me dear ol mum isnt still buying the grocerys....

 

[Tech_Esq]

Please tell me dear ol mum isnt still buying the grocerys....

Hummm.....Allie was just agreeing with me. Is there something I said you'd care to take issue with Jeep?

 

[Jeepers]

Hummm.....Allie was just agreeing with me. Is there something I said you'd care to take issue with Jeep?

Touching...

Naa .. Ive got no issue with the mass hysteria theory, though I'm sure the problem might go a bit deeper than that... I am however waiting for INS to start the whole illegal round up. For one thing I've got my ten gallon hat and some chaps and ... I've had my eye on a nice house round yonder corner that some darkies been livin in.. I mean not so dark however that they might be construed as anything but mexican...

Seriously.. your illegal round up concept is laughable...

 

[Tech_Esq]

Seriously.. your illegal round up concept is laughable...

I'm not sure how to take that whether you are questioning whether it is happening here in Prince William County (Illegal immigration crackdown) or the effect it is having on housing (Housing impact of the crackdown on illegal immigration). As you can see, I'm not speculating, I'm describing an impact in this county right now.

As you can see from the article, it's really not so much a round up, it's more a "No Trespassing" sign. Just as a No trespassing sign conveys a "you aren't welcome here" sentiment, so does the fact that our police check the immigration status of everyone stopped for illegals. So, they are leaving.....in droves.

So what's the laughable part. I really don't see anything funny.

 

[Jeepers]

How bout them apples.. Never would have thought it.. Thousand pardons, and I stand corrected....

 

[Tech_Esq]

How bout them apples.. Never would have thought it.. Thousand pardons, and I stand corrected....

No worries, happy to illuminate.

But, you can see how this situation with the illegals in this particular county makes the story that this thread is about, somewhat suspect. This makes the housing situation look worse than it otherwise would. Luckily we have such growth in this county that the housing market will not stay slack for long even without illegals.

 

[AllieBaba]

Please tell me dear ol mum isnt still buying the grocerys....

You're showing us exactly what you think of those who don't have all the advantages of life you apparently enjoy....in other words.... you're showing your bigotry.