Thanks to all of YOU.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 5:04 pm

Nope, Howard, LA is a big city, Chicago is a big city. SF is a small city with a big reputation.

Still, it is culturally diverse; I'd think a WW thing would be somewhere here.

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 5:50 pm

Crikey, it is small! Around 770,000 against Melbourne's 3,600,000. I guess all the Dirty Harry movies just made it look bigger!

Cheers

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 6:54 pm

Well, it is THE city! (As they like to call it, short for the City by the Bay.)

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:17 am

Well, Steve--you don't live here, do you?

Where a one bedroom condo goes for $675,00?

Where a 1,000 square foot house goes for $850,000?

Where it costs me $13.00 a day in tolls and parking to get to work?

Where I know several people wth 6-figure incomes who live in roommate situations so they can save enough money for a house down payment...

Probably the most $$$ city in the USA.

Once the sun comes out (it's been raining pretty much since January 1st with a couple of days off) I'll feel better!

bmi_guy · Post by **bmi_guy** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:28 am

Steve,
Paul is such a cry baby...

I have familly that lives in Seattle - they say it's outrageous as far as cost of living.
Paul - you could move to America...
I know where there's a hog farm you could get cheap!!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:17 am

I guess you mean Middle America, Michael. I tried it (wuz born in Chicago, lived in Mpls and Charlottesville, VA) for a total of 1/2 my life, not ot mention a time in Brasil, where I will probably retire in 10 years or so...

I enjoy SF for its diversity, but don't flat LOVE it. My fave is So Cal, where I lived in Newport Beach, halfway betw. LA and SD. Not nearly as $$$ as SF, great weather, lots of free parking.

Wah Wah.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:08 am

Paul obviously hasn't visited Newport Beach lately!

And Michael may hold the same opinion that many do, that California is not part of America.

bmi_guy · Post by **bmi_guy** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:18 am

Hey I've been to CA - I liked it a lot - just giv'n you a hard time.

I remember you saying you were born in Chicago - I really dislike that town. Way to much crime for me. Not much in S. Illinois - believe me!!! SF is cool - lots of opportunitites for music there, just too busy for my blood. S. CA is nice - I've been to SD and really enjoyed the visit. But hey, that's why they make Fords, Chevys, Toyotas - Even SAABs - everyone has different tastes.
I was not kidding about Seattle. If I could live anywhere else, it would be there - but, the cost of living is just outrageous. Couldn't live there unless I won the lottery, and I'm not playing that!!

Want me to check on the price of that hog farm?
Nice house (3 bedroom) good buildings, about 250acres - probably get the whole shoot'n match for about $500K.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:28 am

Median home price in Orange County is still below $500K. Marin, where I live now, sees a median of over $900K. And you don't get much for your money in Marin, compared to OC.

Newport's median has skyrocketed to $1,300,000, thanks in some part to the new development and teardowns/rebuilds. But the home I bought in Harbor Ridge in 1997 for $410K (3 BR, 3 BA) recently sold for $825K.

I was back last November.

bmi_guy · Post by **bmi_guy** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:52 am

Paul,
I help the local farmers around here put up hay for their cattle. I've got an old International Farmall 350, hay rake and small bailer. (Helps supplement my songwriting job!) I'd be happy to give you a hand, should you decide to buy that farm. It's in a very nice place setting right up against about 2,000 acres of National Forest ground. Got two spring fed creeks on it with water that's crystal clear... Keep in mind this is 250 acres - that a sizeable chunk of ground!
(I'd have to teach you to say "you-uns" and "heck-fire" properly!!)

jaybic · Post by **jaybic** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 11:02 am

Michael - "HECK-FIRE" - that sounds like a perfect piece of heavan for me. I grew up on a farm and my wife grew up with horses. We're currently living in a small town that is rural enough, but it's just not the same. If we had the money, we'd be on that in a heartbeat. Both of us grew up in central, IL and would love to be neighbors to you-uns

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 11:07 am

Y'er behind the times, Paul:

Orange County Home Prices

Newport Beach Home Prices

I once flew down and visited with Stuart Mossman in Winfield, Kansas, looking to buy his acoustic guitar company. On our way to lunch we drove just out of town and considering that I might need to move down there for awhile, I kept my eyes open for places. I noticed a lovely farm with all red brick construction, even the barn I think, just a magnificent place. I asked Stuart what he thought the place might sell for. He said "Wow, John, you REALLY have expensive tastes, that place must cost at least $50,000!".

bmi_guy · Post by **bmi_guy** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 11:12 am

Jason - you and yur "little filly" wud be more'n wecome in these here parts...

I always say - "It's what is doesn't have that makes it good"...

bmi_guy · Post by **bmi_guy** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 11:18 am

Mr. Hall - I met Stuart Mossman - I had one of his acoustics - a Mossman Flint Hills model. I met him at the National flat picking championship in Winfield. Nancy Blake (who played a cello solo on an Ozark Mountain Daredevils song called Cobblestone Mountain) won the hammered dulcimer contest that year - about 1985.
Seems like her husband, Norman, won the flat picking event. (He usually does!!)

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 11:34 am

John, I checked similar links a couple of months ago for my own numbers.

Checking them just now, I find that the median in NB says $1,100,000, no doubt assisted by zip code 92662 (Newport Coast), which was just opening phase 1 when I lived there.

OC median shows as $663,000 on your link. I'm behind the times on that one! And my old house did sell at $825,000 recently, although its similar neighbor without the view went for $815,000. This was a hilltop house with nice views (could see the blimp hangers off there in the haze!), etc, about 2200SF, built 1980.

Here in Marin, that amount would get you a 2BR 1200SF house about 50 years old. That was the point I was trying to make.

When I moved to Charlottesville, VA, in 1986, it was the same kind of culture shock that you had in KS. We bought a gorgeous passive solar, architect-designed house built around a 1773 log cabin (which was turned into the living room of the house), only 2 years old, on 7 acres of wooded land, 4BR, 2 FP, 3 different heating systems, full walkout basement, etc., etc., for $139K. Median in that county at the time was $52K!

Then we mved back to CA after a couple of years and were priced out of the market for awhile!