What $520,000 USD buys for a single family home in Cut Off, LA

[dishdude]

Are parts if Utah crowded? Sure. The total population of Utah is just shy of 3.3 million. The current population of California is 39 million.

Depending on the criteria of a particular survey-Utah always ranks near the top for a desirable place to live and the state is very fiscally responsible.
But yea-you can buy anything decent along the Wasatch front for a half-million.

Phoenix metro is close to 5 million, I find it hard to believe parts of Utah are crowded. Beautiful state, btw.

I was in Reno this week, been there before but something about this time had me thinking I would really enjoy living there. Checked home prices, still not cheap but I liked it a lot.

 

[GON]

Phoenix metro is close to 5 million, I find it hard to believe parts of Utah are crowded. Beautiful state, btw.

I was in Reno this week, been there before but something about this time had me thinking I would really enjoy living there. Checked home prices, still not cheap but I liked it a lot.

IIRC some of the same people that designed SLC designed Phoenix. I am always in awe of the greater Phoenix loop highway system. SLC never had anything like that planned, and it is too late now. With the greater SLC area, and greater ST George area (where the majority of Utah residents reside, have simply become "California suburbs".

Scottsdale AZ is an excellent example of build the infrastructure before allowing the building of homes. This never happened anywhere in the greater SLC area. Great density growth in the greater SLC area, but a new mentality of "not in my backyard", prevents much needed infrastructure to ever be built- exact same problem for years in California.

The great Phoenix area has hundreds of awesome and diverse restaurants to dine at. In the greater SLC area, Chick fil A is by far the best restaurant, with the food court at COSTCO being a distant second. Yes, that is how bad dining is in the greater SLC area. Service industry employees (restaurant/ hospitality) can figure out a way to "make it" in the great Phoenix area, and in California. That is not the case in the greater SLC area. The result is major constraints on eating out in the greater SLC area. Heck, even Culvers which is known for decent fast food and clean restaurants, is a disaster as a restaurant in the greater SLC area.

Of note, my Wife loves the Utah terrain, as do I. Over the past six months, I regularly apply for jobs in Utah (three this month, two last month), but I never apply for jobs in the greater SLC area. Unless one needs to move to the greater SLC area, I struggle to find a net win for moving there. It is much easier to find a net win for moving to California than the greater SLC area.

 

[dishdude]

IIRC some of the same people that designed SLC designed Phoenix. I am always in awe of the greater Phoenix loop highway system. SLC never had anything like that planned, and it is too late now. With the greater SLC area, and greater ST George area (where the majority of Utah residents reside, have simply become "California suburbs".

Scottsdale AZ is an excellent example of build the infrastructure before allowing the building of homes. This never happened anywhere in the greater SLC area. Great density growth in the greater SLC area, but a new mentality of "not in my backyard", prevents much needed infrastructure to ever be built- exact same problem for years in California.

The great Phoenix area has hundreds of awesome and diverse restaurants to dine at. In the greater SLC area, Chick fil A is by far the best restaurant, with the food court at COSTCO being a distant second. Yes, that is how bad dining is in the greater SLC area. Service industry employees (restaurant/ hospitality) can figure out a way to "make it" in the great Phoenix area, and in California. That is not the case in the greater SLC area. The result is major constraints on eating out in the great SLC area. Heck, even Culvers which is known for decent fast food and clean restaurants, is a disaster as a restaurant in the greater SLC area.

Of note, my Wife loves the Utah terrain, as do I. Over the past six months, I regularly apply for jobs in Utah (three this month, two last month), but I never apply for jobs in the greater SLC area. Unless one needs to move to the greater SLC area, I struggle to find a net win for moving there. It is much easier to find a net win for moving to California than the greater SLC area.

I absolutely love Phoenix but the summers are getting to be a bit much, we try to travel a lot during the summer so that helps. Spring this year has been really mild, I was driving around tonight with the windows down and it was extremely comfortable. And you're right about the state freeway system here, it was well thought out and handles the traffic well. 101/202/303/51 are all great. It's the 10/17 I try to avoid. But the city streets are also well designed, a dozen different ways to get to any destination.

 

[CKN]

My, my . There are great restaurants in the downtown Salt Lake City area. The yelp reviews speak for themselves (White Horse at 4.5 stars @1,200 reviews, there are many others). However-if you are looking for Value and Eating out you are not going to find it in downtown SLC, as the top tier restaurants are pricy. Then we are not even talking about fine restaurants in the ski mecca of Park City.
When GON lived here he resided in Heber, and yea not much out there.

 

[Dave Hess]

I absolutely love Phoenix but the summers are getting to be a bit much, we try to travel a lot during the summer so that helps. Spring this year has been really mild, I was driving around tonight with the windows down and it was extremely comfortable. And you're right about the state freeway system here, it was well thought out and handles the traffic well. 101/202/303/51 are all great. It's the 10/17 I try to avoid. But the city streets are also well designed, a dozen different ways to get to any destination.

Do you have a grid pattern of streets ?

I find that’s the best way for a big city so there’s a few ways to avoid a backup.

 

[Nick1994]

Do you have a grid pattern of streets ?

I find that’s the best way for a big city so there’s a few ways to avoid a backup.

Yes, we are on a grid. Each square is 1 mile. It really is perfectly laid out. North and South roads are numbered, East and West roads are named. The west side of Central Ave is odd numbered and they are Avenues. The East side of Central Ave are even numbered and they are called Streets.

I could tell @dishdude “Hey, let’s go have lunch at 35th Ave & Indian School Rd” and he’d know exactly where it is. Although, he wouldn’t show up to that part of town

 

[Number_35]

No offense at all. I have a job interview in a few weeks in NOLA, so I decided to check out the real estate.

Our kids are adults, so we are open to a place that is safe, values the US constitution, affordable housing, slower pace of life if feasible, and if the place has a non stop flight to Denver that is a bonus.

My motivation dips hard in cold weather. So warm temperatures are a big plus. We love homes on or above water. We looked at Minnesota a while back. Even in the cold Minnesota, no affordable homes on or above water did we find.

I was in McAllen TX yesterday. Unbelievable hidden gem. Very affordable housing, outstanding freshly made food very available day and night. Very safe. Super easy airport to fly in and out of. And a ton of business and industry growth in the area.

My wife would love to return to Utah. Much of Utah has become one massive California suburb, bringing all the disadvantages of living in California to Utah, not having any of the benefits that one gets when living in California , and steadily killing off all the advantages Utah was wonderfully known for prior to it becoming a "California suburb".

Have you checked out northern Colorado?

I acknowledge that I have "short-term visitor idealization syndrome" w.r.t. the Fort Collins/Loveland area, but a good friend (former coworker) worked in the area for several years c. late '90s and agrees that it's pretty much ideal. He says that were he able to do it all over, he would have relocated to the area decades ago.

 

[GON]

Have you checked out northern Colorado?

I acknowledge that I have "short-term visitor idealization syndrome" w.r.t. the Fort Collins/Loveland area, but a good friend (former coworker) worked in the area for several years c. late '90s and agrees that it's pretty much ideal. He says that were he able to do it all over, he would have relocated to the area decades ago.

N35,

Thanks for the recommendation. Reported by numerous sources, on some charts Colorado has become the second most expensive housing market in the US, only being beating by Hawaii. These charts show Colorado more expensive than California for single family homes.

I have an in-person interview in two weeks in Colorado, about 100 miles south of FT Collins. The Wife and I discussed it last night. We have grandsons in Colorado, so that is a wonderful thing- very wonderful. But we can't even come close to affording a home we like in Colorado. It is a good discussion- do we want to live in a place at our age where we can't afford a home that we like, and that the weather is not a match (cold)?

 

[Astro14]

N35,

Thanks for the recommendation. Reported by numerous sources, on some charts Colorado has become the second most expensive housing market in the US, only being beating by Hawaii. These charts show Colorado more expensive than California for single family homes.

I have an in-person interview in two weeks in Colorado, about 100 miles south of FT Collins. The Wife and I discussed it last night. We have grandsons in Colorado, so that is a wonderful thing- very wonderful. But we can't even come close to affording a home we like in Colorado. It is a good discussion- do we want to live in a place at our age where we can't afford a home that we like, and that the weather is not a match (cold)?

If you think Colorado is cold, you haven’t spent enough time there!

Sure, it gets cold, for a day or two, then it’s warm and sunny again. Golf is possible 12 months of the year, not that I play that sport, but when I lived in Colorado, and now, working there part time, there are plenty of warm, sunny winter days.

As far as the cost?

Yeah, shocking prices in the Denver Metro area, but for me, the access to the mountains, the wonderful, and I mean wonderful, climate, make that all worth it.

 

[CKN]

If you think Colorado is cold, you haven’t spent enough time there!

Sure, it gets cold, for a day or two, then it’s warm and sunny again. Golf is possible 12 months of the year, not that I play that sport, but when I lived in Colorado, and now, working there part time, there are plenty of warm, sunny winter days.

As far as the cost?

Yeah, shocking prices in the Denver Metro area, but for me, the access to the mountains, the wonderful, and I mean wonderful, climate, make that all worth it.

Salt Lake City and Denver - get about the same amount of snow annually. A little less than 60" a year. Of course the mountains outside each city get much more.

 

[AZjeff]

AZJ,

Sell your Arizona "dude ranch" and grab this 2020 built waterfront home in Slidell, LA for $760k USD.

https://www.realtor.com/realestatea...dell_LA_70461_M84851-58112?from=srp-list-card

I think I looked over and saw this property when we went to Florida on I-10 last year.

As before, not a single reason for us to live there.

We like mountains not water.
We like warm don't like humidity.
Fine dining is not in our vocabulary.
We only go to city (Phx) if absolutely necessary.

If it works for you best of luck making it happen.

We were thinking about Ft. Collins, spent a week there checking things out. Until wwillson spent a week at 15 BELOW ZERO in his trailer there a couple of winters ago. Nope, not happening.

 

[Number_35]

N35,

Thanks for the recommendation. Reported by numerous sources, on some charts Colorado has become the second most expensive housing market in the US, only being beating by Hawaii. These charts show Colorado more expensive than California for single family homes.

I have an in-person interview in two weeks in Colorado, about 100 miles south of FT Collins. The Wife and I discussed it last night. We have grandsons in Colorado, so that is a wonderful thing- very wonderful. But we can't even come close to affording a home we like in Colorado. It is a good discussion- do we want to live in a place at our age where we can't afford a home that we like, and that the weather is not a match (cold)?

@GON, I am blessed to live in the same city as my grandchildren, and that keeps me here when so many others retire to milder climates. I would bet Mrs GON feels strongly about proximity to grandchildren.

Out of curiosity I checked out home prices (online) in Fort Collins. It appears to me that US$500K to $700K gets you quite a nice place. Pricey by my standards due to the CDN$-USD exchange rate, but actually not as high as I'd expected.

As far as the weather, I think I'd love it. I like four distinct seasons, and I think the CO winter would be short and mild by our standards here. I don't like high heat or humidity, and CO's elevation takes care of that. My wife and I love hiking in the mountains, and it would be so nice to drive an hour to get there rather than 15!

And bonus! Our own @wwillson can show you a great breakfast spot near Fort Collins.

I hope your interview goes well! Best wishes in making a good decision about where to settle down.

 

[dishdude]

I could tell @dishdude “Hey, let’s go have lunch at 35th Ave & Indian School Rd” and he’d know exactly where it is. Although, he wouldn’t show up to that part of town

I'll happily meet you for lunch anywhere east of 7th Ave.

My company had a manufacturing plant at 43rd Ave and Roosevelt, so glad they sold it off. No place around to grab lunch, and I'd pick people up at the airport and drive them there and have to explain this isn't the Phoenix experience.

 

[PandaBear]

Here is what I know for sure. I retired at 55 years of age because I had income property. So you can list all the negatives. But it allowed to to retire early. Are there other avenue for retiring early-sure. But income property allowed me to do so.
BTW-I have never, every had a "squatter," evict someone, etc. That's what background checks are for. Have some left the rental in less than desirable condition after moving out? Sure. The security deposit HAS ALWAYS COVERED IT.

I understand. My parents are also small time landlords and they have been building their wealth the same way.

The point was they (and you) got into the ownership cheap. Today's prices are way overpriced and are there due to low interest rate. Buying today to be a landlord likely land you negative to low single digit return that makes no sense. Plus the cost of repair, maintenance, legal fees, and political climates have all been very landlord unfriendly now. I would not recommend anyone enter the landlord business intentionally. It would need a large correction to make the equation worth it again.

Large apartments are build and appraised at a different price than SFH, and would have a very different cost than being a mom and pop landlord. Those would likely stay afloat IMO.

 

[Dave Hess]

Here is what I know for sure. I retired at 55 years of age because I had income property. So you can list all the negatives. But it allowed to to retire early. Are there other avenue for retiring early-sure. But income property allowed me to do so.
BTW-I have never, every had a "squatter," evict someone, etc. That's what background checks are for. Have some left the rental in less than desirable condition after moving out? Sure. The security deposit HAS ALWAYS COVERED IT.

Do you still have rental properties or did you sell them ?

 

[CKN]

Do you still have rental properties or did you sell them ?

I have sold one in the last couple of years-but still have others.

 

[Brons2]

How did we pivot from talking about Louisiana to talking about the SW?

One good thing about the house in Cut Off, if the Mississippi decides to relocate itself to the Atchafalaya basin, as it is want to do (see structures to hold it back on Google Maps Street View on LA-15), the house will probably survive as it is on slightly higher land between the existing route of the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya.

It would not survive a sea rise of more than 3-4 feet or so though.