houses

So being 29 edging closer to 30 I definitely have been thinking lately that it's time to make somewhat of a grownup step and start looking at houses. Interest rates are ok. My credit is doing good. Im starting to feel financially ok. So maybe it's time. So I have started looking.

1st issue. I live in Massachusetts. Home of the housing bubble. EVERYTHING and I do mean EVERYTHING is too pricey. I have looked at condos, houses, multi families. I have looked in the city, in the suburbs, up by the New Hampshire line, down by Rhode Island. I have now come to the conclusion the only places to look are west and south. But by west I mean really west- like past Worcester west. More like past the Connecticut line west.

Now I make a decent living. I don't really have too many expenses. how is it that I feel like I can't afford a simple 2 bedroom condo. I will tell you why. Even though housing prices are "falling" they have not fallen to the affordable level yet- i don't know if they ever will. Unless affordable eans spending 300,000 on 900 square feet and no yard.

I think about where I grew up. A nice house- 4 bedrooms- 2 baths- a large yard. I know that the house that I grew up in cost about 100,000. It is now appraised at 700,000. Why? it's the same house. It's in the same crappy town. It's older - I just don't get it. But what I do get is that I want to have a house like that someday.

I grew up in just that one house. There wasn't a "starter house" mentality back in those days. Now I am approaching real estate like a starter house, maybe a middle house and then finally the house that I want.

That is unless I move. Which I am back to debating- though that raises another huge debate. But it does get depressing when this is what 150,000 can get me where I would like to relocate to:
http://www.realtor.com/FindHome/HomeListing.asp?snum=5&mlsttl=&frm=bymap&pgnum=1&mls=xmls&js=on&target=&ct=Durham&st=NC&sbint=&sbls=&sblo=&stype=&areaid=1046&mnsqft=&fid=so&vtsort=&mnprice=150000&mxprice=99999999&mnbed=0&mnbath=0&typ=1&poe=realtor&x=9&y=7&sid=0812678ADDCBC&snumxlid=1066870899&lnksrc=00001

and here is what it gets me here:

http://www.realtor.com/FindHome/HomeListing.asp?snum=31&locallnk=yes&frm=bymap&mnbed=0&mnbath=0&mnprice=0&mxprice=150000&js=off&pgnum=4&fid=so&stype=&mnsqft=&mls=xmls&areaid=1004&poe=realtor&ct=Boston&st=MA&sbint=&vtsort=&sorttype=&typ=1&typ=2&typ=4&x=55&y=4&sid=081268531AFFC&snumxlid=1056409875&lnksrc=00001
just something to think about