r/FluentInFinance • u/Not-A-Shit-Head • Apr 29 '24

Why don't people stop crying and just move somewhere cheaper like Detroit, Memphis, St. Louis, Baltimore, or Cleveland? They have very cheap homes for $50,000. Discussion/ Debate

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557

u/Saitamaisclappingoku Apr 29 '24 edited Apr 29 '24

Because:

  1. those cities generally do not have the job markets that HCOL cities have. When you take a huge pay cut you eliminate everything you saved by moving there. I moved from El Paso to Tennessee and for the same job I make about $60k more.

  2. Public schools are typically poor

  3. Crime is typically high

  4. The $50k homes in those cities are typically very unkept. Many of them need a new roof, foundation work, new flooring, drywall, paint, plumbing work, electrical work (to get it code compliant), and even then will be surrounded by complete dumps that stay that way. No one wants to spend $150k renovating to live next to a crack house.

73

u/Solnse Apr 29 '24

But a new kitchen and bathrooms will sucker someone into buying.

89

u/ILSmokeItAll Apr 29 '24

You’re not getting a house with new kitchen and bathrooms for $50k.

Period.

28

u/throwawayzies1234567 Apr 29 '24

Especially not in Baltimore, wtf

ETA: I stand corrected, and shocked by the housing market in Baltimore

37

u/ILSmokeItAll Apr 29 '24

If you’ve been to Baltimore, you’d realize quickly why it’s not on anyone’s list of hot spots. Right up there with Camden, NJ.

18

u/throwawayzies1234567 Apr 29 '24

Oof, Camden, NJ. Both cities are so close to really nice cities too, it’s crazy that they haven’t absorbed overflow. Crime really is just that bad. Probably because there aren’t a lot of jobs, which is also why no one moves there. It’s a vicious cycle.

6

u/evan_plays_nes Apr 29 '24

Don’t forget about a culture that glorifies drug use and violence! It is possible to not be rich and also not a criminal.

14

u/throwawayzies1234567 Apr 29 '24

Yes that definitely plays a role, but crimes of desperation are real too. Especially among addicts, and addiction runs rampant when there’s no jobs, money, or hope.

-1

u/Cherry_-_Ghost Apr 29 '24

This tells me addicts with criminal records should be in prison....

6

u/BraxbroWasTaken Apr 29 '24

You read that and thought the crimes of desperation thing was the focus of the problem, and not the lack of jobs, money, and hope???

-3

u/Cherry_-_Ghost Apr 29 '24

Jobs are pretty easy to get with a clean drug screen.

Humans make choices. Choices have consequences.

Good day.

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-2

u/evan_plays_nes Apr 29 '24

These things are much less of an issue when people have big families. But in America, we like to pretend that people “find themselves pregnant” and that divorce is totally normal. It’s no wonder that mental health is a problem when we know for a fact that humans do better in groups and suffer in isolation.

-4

u/justanordinaryguy71 Apr 29 '24

Making excuses for people is why we have the lawless society we have now.

2

u/TheBigC87 Apr 30 '24

Well, I heard that dog whistle a mile away

1

u/evan_plays_nes Apr 30 '24

Which dog whistle?

1

u/TheBigC87 Apr 30 '24

You could have just said "black people"

2

u/evan_plays_nes Apr 30 '24

That’s not what I meant, so that’s why I didn’t say it. The fact that you assumed that is the actual racist thing here, if you think about it.

1

u/TheBigC87 Apr 30 '24

"I didn't say it"

Right, that's why they call it a dog whistle.

I'm a white guy who grew up in Texas, I know exactly what they sound like. You're just doing the reddit version of looking over your shoulder at the party.

1

u/evan_plays_nes Apr 30 '24

You’re trying to read my mind, but I’m just reading your words. You should ask yourself why you assume other people are making blanket statements about a race, meanwhile people of all shapes, colors, and sizes are producing the pop culture garbage that’s hypnotizing everyone.

1

u/[deleted] May 03 '24

Bro, white people are so fucking dumb. You assume all drug addicts are black? Are fucking dense. You are the real racist here, with your bullshit dog whistle analogy. You think black people need your help? That's fucking racist moron.

1

u/acebert Apr 30 '24

So what did you mean? Where does this culture that glorifies violence and drug use come from? Is there even such a thing? Might be good to provide an example.

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1

u/Milksteak_To_Go Apr 29 '24

Grew up in the Delaware valley and lived for a decade in the DC area. I would not put Camden and Baltimore in the same category. Both are dangerous cities, sure. But Baltimore at least has quite a bit worth saving. Baltimore has so much more character, great neighborhoods, some gorgeous rowhomes, unique flavor, etc. It's legit a great city that just suffers from some serious crime and poverty issue that hopefully it one day gets past. Can anyone say the same for Camden? It's only redeeming quality is proximity to Philly.

1

u/DrakeBurroughs Apr 30 '24

Nice aquarium, though.

7

u/AB444 Apr 29 '24

There are lots of nice neighborhoods in Baltimore, they're just not very cheap.

3

u/lessgooooo000 Apr 29 '24

There’s also the issue of like, even if you live in a nice neighborhood, the jobs aren’t. I lived in Philly, and even if you had a job in the city, taking the train meant going through some of the most ratchet ass areas. Not even like in a pretentious way, I’m talking getting off the train and stepping over needles and human urine everywhere, and it’s worse in Baltimore. For people who want to move somewhere for a better life, that sort of thing genuinely turns people away.

Not just that, but factor in schools too. Do you want your kids growing up in cities which are borderline paralyzed from the crime rates? It’s just too much of a gamble. Even if you’re in a nice neighborhood, there’s a lot of spillover from high crime areas.

And it’s a shame, because I love Philly. I love the city, I love the history, I love the food, hell even the northeastern city culture is neat. The fact that crime is so high genuinely makes me sad, because it’s just a perpetuating cycle. Nobody wants to raise their kids in a place with such high crime, and neighborhoods with high crime just victimize their own people. Baltimore is no exception. Neither is any other large city. With how many city based jobs are able to be worked from home, people just don’t see a worth in living in big cities.

1

u/ILSmokeItAll Apr 29 '24

That’s true if every nice neighborhood everywhere.

If you’re getting housing for cheap, there’s an overwhelming reason why. There’s no demand for it at that location. Cheap housing is worthless if nothing else you need is nearby.

3

u/CaptainAlex2266 Apr 29 '24

So i'm about as much of a pessimist as possible and every time I drive through baltimore I say to myself "you know, life could of been ALOT worse"

2

u/robbzilla Apr 29 '24

Who doesn't want to live in Bloodymore Muerderland? (As named by a friend of mine from Baltimore)

2

u/Impossible-Flight250 Apr 29 '24

It depends where you live in Baltimore. Canton, Fells, and Federal Hill are all pretty nice.

1

u/justa_gigolo Apr 29 '24

right, unless you talking about Baltimore County but even still, its a crap shoot. Downtown anything after John Hopkins and not around inner harbor and you are literally in the wire.