🚀 go-pugleaf

Thanks for all the input.  Someone mentioned the "Homesteading Act" What is
this?  Also, I was not aware that the $5000 home purchase tax credit was not
guaranteed if the economy slows.. Is this correct??


wrob <wrob@erols.com> wrote in message news:37A4E461.BD054130@erols.com...
> Yes, but I think blaming the people who currently live there for the
situation
> is like blaming black Africans for the Triangle Trade. It's the people who
want
> to move in who establish the price. And the people who want to move in
intend
> to do so only if they can be assured 5000 other people the same as them
will make
> the same decision.
>
> Need I go any farther than to point out the rank hypocrisy of Loose Lips
et al.
> over Diversite nightclub and Tenleytown (Deal) Elementray, etc.?
>
> -BER
>
> klaatu wrote:
>
> > wrob wrote:
> > >
> > > Sir, I share your concerns. But I am afraid that your situation is the
> > > quentessential illustration of the decline in DC's middle class tax
base.
> > >
> > > >I am a little confused about housing costs within DC.  According to
all the
> > > >statistics, DC has had a loss of population the last 10 years wheras
noVA
> > > >has had a gain.  Would this not bring housing costs down due to an
> > > >over-supply?
> > >
> > > Simply put, the market demands of the wealthy are forcing the middle
> > > class out of DC. DC spends much of its gov't effort keeping
"desirable"
> > > and "emerging" neighborhoods safe and clean, leaving very little to
attract
> > > middle income people to anywhere else in the city.
> >
> > Well, who th' heck would _want_ to live at, say, 5th and I SouthEast,
given
> > any other choices? Although actually the area is improving rapidly, and
is
> > expected to continue to do so. For ex-military, that general area might
be
> > fairly attractive.
> >
> > >
> > > (To klaatu -
> > > The Brookings Institution says this is a *good thing* - because after
all,
> > > who else would "take care" of those horrible-looking neighborhoods
like
> > > Shaw and Petworth that only the middle-class can afford to live in?)
> >
> > Actually, only the middle- and upper-classes can presently afford to
_buy_
> > in those neighborhoods. Most of the homeowners in that neighborhood
bought
> > those houses with VA loans, generally quite some time ago; on average
within
> > a few years of WWII if memory serves. Most of those houses are
long-since
> > paid-off and the sales-prices are being jacked up by the kids who stand
to
> > make enough of a bundle off of selling to yuppies so as to move their
entire
> > extended family to nice houses in the 'burbs. So you can place the
> > gentrification of, say, Columbia Heights/Petworth squarely at the feet
of
> > greedy ghettites. And it'll only get worse as the Columbia Heights
station
> > opens, and construction of the new Megaplex at 14th and Park NW gets
towards
> > final staging.
> >
> > BTW, I just drove through there last night, and actually, living right
> > around 14th and Irving NW doesn't look too bad _now_ and I predict that
in
> > two or three years, the place will be in very high demand. They've taken
> > most of the vacant lots, yanked absolutely all vegetation, and
surrounded
> > all of the vacant wasteland with razor fences. All of the people who
were
> > formerly lurking in there are, however, right out on the street instead.
> > Still, even now there are worse places in DC that you could live,
there's a
> > Safeway right there, it's walking distance to Adams Morgan if you don't
look
> > affluent, it's a short drive to Rock Creek Park, etc etc.
> >
> > >
> > > >Ultimately, I would prefer to live in Washington, DC vs Northern
Virginia,
> > > >but according to everything I mentioned, this does not economically
> > > >feasible.  Is this correct?  or  am in misinformed?
> > >
> > > If you buy a house, you might actually be able to find good bargains
but only
> > > in middle-ring neighborhoods such as Mt. Pleasant and Takoma Park.
> > > On Capitol Hill, however, you will probably be able to find a good
deal in a
> > > slightly higher price range, with the ability to sell up.
> >
> > Market value probably won't increase at as rapid a rate as in the rest
of
> > DC; the place is pretty overpriced as-is.
> >
> > >
> > > >I would greatly appreciate any input anyone may have, or any advice
from
> > > >people who have had to make a similar decision.
> > >
> > > I don't know enough about the condo market, but my recommendation is
DC..
> > > There are real quality of life issues that you give up in Arlington,
> > > unfortunately.
> > > The homeowner tax credit, if it applies to condos (anyone??) should
offset things
> > > somewhat, the overall tax rates aren't that much different. Also, DC
just
> > > slashed its taxes.
> >
> > Takes effect over the next three years, and can be halted at any time if
> > there's an economic downturn, very wise I think.
> >
> > Actually, the thing to do would be to pick up on some of the squatter's
> > wrecks and do the Homesteading Act thing, live there for five years and
> > return it to habitability and meeting code, and it's yours for a song.
Of
> > course, that's definitely not an adventure for the timid.
> >
> > >
> > > -BER Takoma Park, MD
> >
> > --
> >                     "We look through a glass but darkly:
> >                  What we see is more colored by our beliefs,
> >                than what we believe is colored by what we see."
> >     Be kind to your neighbors, even though they be transgenic chimerae.
> > Whom thou'st vex'd waxeth wroth:   Meow.
http://www.clark.net/pub/klaatu/
>