Dut dut. There IS affordable housing in St. Mary's. What you're saying is that it isn't what YOU want. Champagne tastes, beer budget.
K
Katie
Guest
I haven't started looking yet, but I have found some stuff that is under 150 in St. mary's but like in the middle of nowhere which is just fine with me!
Katie
sleuth
Livin' Like Thanksgivin'
Probably closer to Import Beer Tastes, Domestic Beer Budget.
If I was married and knew I would have a second income to work with, I could afford a nicer home. And even though I plan on renting out rooms, I can't justify spending more than I can afford on my own without the renters.
If I was married and knew I would have a second income to work with, I could afford a nicer home. And even though I plan on renting out rooms, I can't justify spending more than I can afford on my own without the renters.
SmallTown
Football season!
150K isn't exactly champagne tastes. Right now, there are roughly 27 properties in St. Marys in the range of 100K to 150K. Many of those are properties you would not want to be in. Having a lower budget shouldn't mean you have to live in the dump. Part of this falls on the shoulders of the residents in the community. If they had a since of pride, they could make their neighborhoods and their houses very nice. Look at the houses behind Shoppers. Kinda plain and simple, but affordible. But not a place you would see and jump to it. A little landscaping, a few gallons of paint, and the place would look completely different. If each resident took $500 and did landscaping and painting, you would have a neighborhood that is affordable, and actually looks nice.
You really DO live in a dream world, don't you? Why do you think they DON'T fix up their homes? Why do you think low-income housing is typically such an eyesore?
K
Katie
Guest
Smalltown...
Because common sense tells you...
They are lucky to have the money to feed the kids, never mind all the pretty stuff. Get out of that *rich* land and get with reality.
Ding ding ding ding ding! Tell the boy what he's won, Johnny!
So now explain to me why people who work hard to afford a nice house in a nice neighborhood should have to deal with these people living next door? Answer: they shouldn't. And like Steve said, the lower the budget, the dumpier they live. I hate to be a snob (okay, no I don't) but it's a fact. Look anywhere, in any neighborhood.
So again, WHY wouldn't a builder want to build low-income housing? Answer: there's no money in it. And builders build to make money. Bankers lend to make money. They don't do this out of the goodness of their hearts - it's a business.
SxyPrincess
New Member
Don't forget BINGO!
Honestly though, I've seen some pretty "rough" looking creatures at liquor stores, and BINGO joints. How come they have the $50/3 days a week to play BINGO, but don't have the extra funds to make their living quarters presentable? :shrug:
One more thing, then I'll call it a day on this topic:
There's a name for sections of low-income housing - they're called "slums". And communities have been trying forever to get rid of them. So why would any right-thinking Commissioner want to actually BUILD one?
There's a name for sections of low-income housing - they're called "slums". And communities have been trying forever to get rid of them. So why would any right-thinking Commissioner want to actually BUILD one?
SxyPrincess
New Member
Originally posted by SxyPrincess
Don't forget BINGO!
You already said that. 
Pete
Repete
There you go. The vast majority of people screaming about affordable housing are the ones who let there current places reduce to squaller while they spend their cash on the items you mentioned. They want the government to build them a new "project" and charge reduced rates. How is this possible? TAXES, so now ontop of feeding them, medicating them we get to support their domicile too.
Don't be fooled, these people are not for affordable housing, they are angling for the governement to step in and pay their way. Now the county commisioners cannot force a contractor to build up a low income development and lose money. There are 2 ways they can do it, 1. Pass laws denying permits to builders unless they build low income housing too, that will make it impossible for builders to make a profit, in which case they will move on to another location and the local economy dies. 2. Force the builders to build low income housing and subsidise it with taxpayer funds.
As somebody who actually DID that commute for 20+ years, you're full of it. YOU try sitting in traffic to make the 35 minute commute that USED to be 20 minutes that once or twice a week runs into the 50+ minute commute.I just built a house in St. Mary's. I enjoy NOT driving down the myriad of lights on 235, NOT having the normal bridge backups, NOT dodging the multiple red-light runners, and NOT having to deal with the hundreds of Northern Virginia idiots driving 65+ up 235 so they can make their 2 hour commute in 1 hour and 50 minutes. I like my nice, easy 20 minute commute, TYVM. My time is a heck of a lot more VALUABLE than "saving" 10k on a home.
ohstate
Member
Originally posted by jazz lady
Whoa! I live in Lusby, and make the commute in 25-30 minutes. The only time it is more than that is when there is
a. an accident
b. snow/ice
c. change in traffic patterns, so everyone has to slow down to figure it out. duh..look at the pretty sign....doh!
I love living where I do, and can't imagine wanting to live in St. Marys just to save 10 minutes from my commute. (Of course, I commuted up Rte 4 to DC for a few years, this is heaven compared to that.)
sleuth
Livin' Like Thanksgivin'
That sounds like a Democrat way of doing things...
Another way would be to advertise the fact that there is a huge market for mid-range housing... for the single person who makes in the neighborhood of 35-60K per year... of which we have a lot of in St. Mary's (All I have to do is look around my building and they're everywhere)...
If one or two builders came in and catered to that market... they'd make a killing by not having to compete with the higher-range builders.
SmallTown
Football season!
Originally posted by jazz lady
I just built a house in St. Mary's. I enjoy NOT driving down the myriad of lights on 235, NOT having the normal bridge backups, NOT dodging the multiple red-light runners, and NOT having to deal with the hundreds of Northern Virginia idiots driving 65+ up 235 so they can make their 2 hour commute in 1 hour and 50 minutes. I like my nice, easy 20 minute commute, TYVM. My time is a heck of a lot more VALUABLE than "saving" 10k on a home.
Man, I can't win. I blast the place, people jump my case. I repeat what others say about why they like calvert and the commute vs. cost of living is great, I get jumped for that as well. Oh well, I tried.
or d. look at the pretty bird, piece of trash on the road, etc.
or e. Hey - let's stop on top of the bridge and take a picture.
or f. I'm a trash truck that can't make it up the hill at more than 15 miles per hour.
or g. Road construction never ending on 235 - which lane(s) will be closed TODAY?
h. It's five o'clock - there's three lanes of traffic emptying into one on Rt. 4...
or... (you get the idea)
I've lived in both counties for many years, and believe me - I've seen it all. I used to commute to La Plata - 50 minutes door-to-door non-stop. It's all relative. I love my commute now. I have several options of HOW I can get home, so if one is closed or slow, I can take the other. I couldn't do that in Calvert. I have absolutely nothing against Calvert except the horrible commute to and from. I don't know what time you go to and from work, but there was rarely a week that didn't have some backup somewhere on the commute. And it all depends on where you live in Lusby and where you're going on base. That itself can add 5 to 10 minutes to the commute.
And oh yeah - anybody ever mention the time they CLOSED the bridge for 6 months or so? I found out the hard way after commuting down from La Plata. My 50 minute commute turned into 3 hours. There was NO notice - they just closed it because of structural problems. Fortunately, I wasn't working at Pax then, so I didn't become one of the "boat people."
