Apartment living, how can you stand it?

Question

I look at vision of people living in high rise apartments all over the world, having to get lifts to and from their front doors to the street.
I'd hate not being able to walk out my front door into my garden, or out the back to swim in my pool or play with the dog.
Do you have to have a lot of money in America to have a front and back yard? or do people choose this way of living?

Answer 1

While cities have high rise apartments, most apartment dwellers in the US are in the suburbs, where apartments are 2-3 stories high and have stairs. In some areas you do need a lot of money to have a yard. I wish I had a yard, but all I have in my apartment is a north-facing balcony with little sun for plants and facing another apartment 50 feet away.

In my area (Fremont, CA) you can get a crappy condo for around $350,000, a decent condo for at least $500,000, and a house for at least $800,000. A large house with a nice yard in a good neighborhood is going to be well over $1,000,000. I believe the average income here is around $50,000, which gives you an indication of how ridiculous house prices are.

Answer 2

The median price of a home in America is around 230k meaning your mortgage would be $16-1800 not including property tax, utilities, and maintenance. A decent 1 bedroom apartment in a big city will be less than a 1k. Basically 50% difference. If you're starting out, it is not affordable. With an uncertain economy, poor real estate market, and jobs being outsourced it is risky to buy a house right now. A foreclosure will cripple you financially for a very long time.

Answer 3

I owned a house with a huge yard and lots of upkeep on both the house and the yard for 10 years until my husband became disabled. Now we choose to live in an apartment complex where the yard work is done for us, the pool is cleaned for us, if the dishwasher breaks down a repair is just one phone call and no additional charge away. We do pay $300 a month more for the convenience of apartment living than we did for our house!!

Answer 4

I've lived in both high rise apts/ and single family homes. Loved both alternatives. My husband and I are thinking of giving up suburbia for city living. We'd love to make the streets of a major city, with all the activities, restaurants, and opportunity to walk more and drive less, a way of life in retirement. IWe won't miss mowing the lawn, house maintenance, etc. Think of all the additional free time you have when you don't have to maintain a house. Just give me a balcony and a glass of wine! Price has nothing to do with it. There are high rise apartments that cost millions of dollars.

Answer 5

Hello, it depends what part of the USA that you are in. What you are probably seeing is city living. I have a home with 2 acres of land for under $60,000. So, its very affordable in some places here. And i agree, i dont see how people can stand apartment living, but i think it would be more bearable to live that way if you lived in the city and have so many things to do and see so close to you, it maybe worth it then.

Answer 6

The average home price in my town is $500,000. So yes not every one in America can own a home with a yard and a garden..... Also some people just like city living.....

Answer 7

you're fortunate you stumbled on somebody keen to place a roof over your head once you at the instant are not contributing something. you're infrequently able to whinge. you won't be able to do something in any respect till you have a job and earnings. as quickly as you have some money, the least perplexing and maximum inexpensive course to an place of abode is examine someplace like craigslist for persons searching for roommates. Splitting the lease would be extra value-effective, and you're waiting to evade having to pay 2 month's lease and protection deposit up front that way. you will likely have a perplexing time looking somebody keen to lease to an 18 3 hundred and sixty 5 days previous, nevertheless. once you try to lease an place of abode on your person, no longer merely will you like first and final month's lease and protection, you will likely additionally ought to bypass a credit examine, pay the credit examine fee, an application fee, and doubtless different expenditures. Then in case you do be waiting to get the area, you will ought to arise with money to pay your utilities. And your nutrition and all the different expenditures which you at the instant are not paying now at your boyfriend's households abode. And the lease, on time, each and each month. Did you get kicked out of your person relatives's abode or something? Thank your fortunate stars you stumbled on somebody keen to take you in and pay all your expenditures. bypass finished up each and everything it may value you to be out on your person and then bypass say an excellent thank you on your BFs relatives for what they're doing for you.

Answer 8

In as few words as possible, "I can't!". Took me a number of years of very hard work and financial strategy, but I have my own home, nice yard, dog, cat (no pool), nice, new SUV in the side driveway and great neighbors. What more can I say? (Other than, "Let's sit on the deck and enjoy a nice, cold brew")

Answer 9

I live in california and it's very expensive to own a home. I have 3 of them, and was very lucky. Alot of people like condo's and townhomes. No yard work at all.

Answer 10

high rise apartments are only in cities. I've lived in apartments where i had access to shaded trees, grass, a pool. not all apartments allow dogs, but some do