The place where I was born and raised is #2 on Money Magazine's list of "Most Affordable Homes."
That's right. You can own a home in balmy Buffalo, New York for about $45,000. Go twenty miles north on Niagara Falls Boulevard, and you'll be in Niagara Falls--#3 place on Money Magazine's list for "Most Affordable Homes". Just throw down $47K and you'll have a home.
I haven't lived in Buffalo in 13 years, so these numbers leave me shaking my head like a baboon with the cocaine shakes.
I live in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire and it's consistently listed in annual lists of "Top Places to Live" because of its georgraphic location, culture and history. But the homes in Portsmouth range from $250K to $8M.
Sometimes I ask myself, "Is it worth all of this money living within walking distance to the ocean when I could live in my hometown for a fraction of my mortage loan?"
The answer is "Yes."
And I don't even own a boat.
There's a calmness that comes with living--or at the very least knowing--the ocean is nearby. The smell of a sea breeze is a priceless commodity. The quirks of my New Englander home gives me a sense of history every day. And there's nothing better than getting up at dawn, walking downtown with our Yellow Lab, grabbing a hot coffee from a place not named Starbucks, and taking him swimming in the ocean.
You can't put a price on those things. Because those are the things that make you feel alive.
No offense to Buffalo, of course. I have great memories there. And there will always be a place in my heart for chicken wings, the Bills, and 4AM last calls seven nights a week.
So if you want an affordable home, go to Buffalo.
Just make sure you don't pinch pennies on the insulation.
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