My next apartment was 850 a month, and I paid 450 dollars of that. That was in 2000, but at the time I was making 25K a year, so roughly 22% of my income in rent. Things have definately improved. Students dependent on financial aid who went to school year round (as I did), should be running the US economy. WE can survive on anything.
-Brandon Lacy Campos -Powderhorn Park
Chair National Lavender Green Caucus Green Party of the United States
Lavender Greens: www.lavendergreens.org Brown Tones: www.brown-tones.curvedspaces.com YouthAction: www.youthaction.net
From: "j c harmon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] my first swingin' bachelorette pad Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2003 19:45:07 -0600
My first apartment was a 1 bedroom, 1 bath efficiency in an octoplex in Camden for $320/month in 1988. I was working full time making $5.50/hour ($10,560 gross per year) at the time, and I took the bus to work and back - never considered a car the, worked downtown and likely couldn't have afforded one anyway what with repairs and maintenance. My rent credit that came in August was usually about $500, and I was single at the time. There were times it was tough - I remember paying my bills the day before getting paid and by the time I deposited my bi-weekly check I had $7 liquid to my name. I honestly don't know how I did it. Shopped at thrift stores for clothes for work mainly, and ate alot of mac&cheese and ramen noodles I guess. By the time I moved about three years later, I was making about $7.25/hour and the rent hadn't increased in that time. It was a clean, comfortable little basement apartment, sans the incoming roach swarm, and all the other renters were female seniors at the time. They told me I was a 'test case' because I was only 22 at the time, and they didn't want some rowdy, party-girl causing trouble or 'humbuggin' (a direct quote from the landlord.) I didn't...much.
Upon purchasing my first home, I was making about 28K/year. I had $9000 from a divorce settlement to put down, and bought at 5.99% fixed in 2000. My house payments were about $530/month then and I got a lot of a fixer-upper house for the money - almost 3 bedrooms, 2-story, but built in '21 though so very few closets. Double garage, creepy basement to store stuff in. It was recently appraised for $113 but I'm sure if we sold we'd likely be able to get more for it - (God willing and the creek don't rise.)
As an aside, a house in my current neighborhood that looks as if three different additions were added over time, using three different materials was recently listed at $113K. It looks kinda rickety. There's a wire and wood fence similar to something you might see on an emu or llama farm and it's set way back on a corner lot. I thought the price was way too high due to the condition of the property, but in a couple weeks someone overbid and it sold for $140,000!
Amazingly affordable are two condo units (they may have already sold) at the old Bremer school building on Lowry & Emerson. They listed a one bedroom 1 bath for $59K and a two bedroom for $79K. It's a secure building and is likely the lowest priced ownership housing I've seen recently. Surprisingly, two similar units at the Bremer were for sale when I was looking for about the same price. I often wish I would have opted for a condo. No mowing, shoveling, schlepping. I've always loved that building but have never been inside to see the actual units...
Jill Harmon Cleveland
List members, what are your recollections of your first apt, house, and howmuch of your pay it consumed?
Craig Miller Former Affordable Housing Provider Living in Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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