A failed experiment... possibly

[ny biker]

I've rented condos twice and there are definitely aspects of it that I prefer to regular rental apartments. But yes there is always the risk that the owner will want you gone so they can sell. I got the feeling that the last renter of the place above mine had to leave before she wanted, because the place was put on the market just after she left.

I think you're generally right about keeping the wolf from the door. Owning a place seems to give more control over expenses. Of course there will be some things that need to be fixed or replaced, and property taxes can be very high in some areas. But the mortgage doesn't increase like rent does, if you have a fixed rate mortgage.

To Crankin's point, I know when my neighbors come and go and have a general sense of their schedules -- who leaves early for work and when then they typically get home. I know where they're from or where they went to school, from seeing their license plates and car decals. And I see who has dogs and who gets visits from kids who are probably nephews. But I don't know them personally, don't even know what a few of them look like. (I wish I knew which ones are breaking condo policy by putting out garbage at night, because it's getting out of hand. But I digress.)

I can see the benefits of living in a secluded area but I think I would be creaped out at night any time I heard a strange noise.

[Pax]

NY, fortunately for us, home (Central IL where the University of Illinois is) is super affordable, you can still buy a nice home in the $95,000 to $110,000 range, and a newer fancier home in the $135,000 to $165,000 range. We'll be able to pay cash for a place once the FL condo sells; I'd rather have a big fat bank account, but watching it dwindle as we age, and being at the mercy of a landlord's whims doesn't appeal much.

[Crankin]

That is really cheap for nice housing....

[Pax]

That is really cheap for nice housing....

Flyover states (outside of big cities) have some seriously affordable housing. Best kept secret of the Midwest; here it's a combo of a college town and very hard winters, equals a lot of movement in and out of town; tends to keep prices down.

[shootingstar]

To Crankin's point, I know when my neighbors come and go and have a general sense of their schedules -- who leaves early for work and when then they typically get home. I know where they're from or where they went to school, from seeing their license plates and car decals. And I see who has dogs and who gets visits from kids who are probably nephews. But I don't know them personally, don't even know what a few of them look like. (I wish I knew which ones are breaking condo policy by putting out garbage at night, because it's getting out of hand. But I digress.)

I can see the benefits of living in a secluded area but I think I would be creaped out at night any time I heard a strange noise.

I actually don't quite understand a profound desire to live in a secluded/isolated area (ie. single detached home) as one becomes a lot older. ie. living far from people. Unless you make sure you have a dog /security system. It does help to have general distant idea of your neighbours.

I had an employee whose elderly father suffered brain damage after he was beaten by an intruder in his single detached home. The dog prevented further injury... by barking at the intruder..

My partner's daughter's dog also stopped a thief who broke into her apartment suite...

[TrekDianna]

I think that depends where you live. I live in the middle of nowhere and I prefer it that way. I have a clear view of the mountains from my back deck and no noise from the neighbors who are very far away. I live quite a way down a dirt road up a 17% grade hill. People have to be here as a destination. It's also a dead end. Thieves etc don't seem to like dead end roads -- there's only one way out. I feel completely safe here. I don't feel safe at any time of day or night in the city. It's all what you are used to I guess.

I actually don't quite understand a profound desire to live in a secluded/isolated area (ie. single detached home) as one becomes a lot older. ie. living far from people. Unless you make sure you have a dog /security system. It does help to have general distant idea of your neighbours.

I had an employee whose elderly father suffered brain damage after he was beaten by an intruder in his single detached home. The dog prevented further injury... by barking at the intruder..

My partner's daughter's dog also stopped a thief who broke into her apartment suite...

[Crankin]

I wouldn't call where my last house was as isolated. Just a street on a huge hill (which thieves ignore), with houses on 2 acre lots of woods. I could see the houses of both my neighbors, but I was not close. The house before was in a typical cul de sac newer home neighborhood. The lots were also 1.5 to 2 acres, but mostly lawn and not as big as my last house. It was in a more rural suburb than Concord, but neither of these places qualify as isolated or "country" to me. I don't worry about intruders, etc., maybe because the crime rate is low here. Some think it's weird, because there's a medium security prison in my town, but, it's like part of the fabric of life here, it's on the highway, and has been here since the 1800s. There's also a minimum security prison, here, a farm, where prisoners are trained in various trades. This is right behind the hill and conservation trails of my former neighborhood. We could hear the softball games in the prison yard in the summer. Only once do I remember someone breaking out, and they did not run up the hill to escape... so, what Shooting Star mentions is not even in my thoughts in thinking about where I will live as I age. I certainly don't want to live someplace really rural, as we enjoy the amenities of small town life, with being able to walk to restaurants, shops, etc.
But the prices that Pax mentions, well, the last time I saw that was when we sold our house in Tempe, AZ, in 1990. I don't think there is anywhere in MA where you can buy for 95K.

[Pax]

Crankin - my cousins in and around Boston tried to convince my brother and I to move out there for years, but most of them had to move to NH or other far out destination to be able to afford a house. The old family home in Melrose sold for 500k, same house in IL probably 150k. The first house we bough was in 2000 and it was $64,500; however, I think we earn less than people on the coast do? For example, a Masters level therapist in an agency would make mid 50's and in private practice with a full four day client load would make mid 70's.

[Crankin]

Well, generally salaries here are higher in all fields, but what you quoted is different for master's level therapists. First of all, very few clinic/agency jobs are full time salary; they are fee for service jobs at a very low rate of reimbursement. What happened is that we all basically get paid close to the Mass Health rate of reimbursement, since we've had health care for all, starting in 2002. This is way lower than private insurance reimburses. So, a full time 4 day clinician would make a bit less less than 50K. However, private practitioner salaries are way more than 70K, partly because most of them don't even accept insurance, charge between 150 and 300 per session, with some sliding scales. There are enough people here who can pay this and don't want any "record" of seeing a mental health practitioner. I have struggled with this idea. I am too lazy to apply for insurance panels and do the business aspect of a practice. I also feel a little conflicted about charging that much money, kind of unethical. But, everyone does it. There are group practices where I could earn 80-90 per hour and still have someone to do the business work, but for right now, I am sticking with the clinic, as I have a wide variety of people. I did make more money as a teacher, than in AZ, though. It was more that the upper end of the salary scale was much higher. We also had a professional work day, i.e. we didn't have to stay at school after the kids left, which for me, was good, as I got there super early to do my planning. It was just more professional, overall.