If you’ve not met Teri Lussier or read her blog “The Brick Ranch”- it’s time to run over and read this post:
I had an interesting conversation the other day. A potential buyer is looking online and finds me and gives me a call. He’s a Californian. He’s a family man. He’s a hard-working construction guy. We have a long talk.
He lives east of San Francisco and has been looking for a home out there for two years. He can’t afford anything, so he starts to look elsewhere. For some reason he looks at Dayton Ohio. “I could pay cash for a house in Dayton.” Yes, yes he could. I have to ask, “Why Dayton?”
“I’m sick of paying rent. I can’t afford to live in California and own a home. I want my kids to have some room.” That’s why people buy homes out here in Dayton, but there was something else, something more. The ties that had bound him to the west coast all these years were gone and now he was free to start a new life somewhere else. Why Dayton? “I don’t really know. My wife and I have been talking about this for a very long time and we think it’s time to reverse the wagon train.”
That struck me. “Time to reverse the wagon train”….
continue reading at Dayton Ohio Real Estate | Why move to Dayton Ohio? “It’s time to reverse the wagon train” | TheBrickRanch.com | a conversation about where and how to live happily in Dayton Ohio [1].
Dayton is an affordable place to live, even if you forget about the part about having abundant water, no earthquakes, easy traffic and commutes, a decent amount of culture and a nascent hip indie music scene.
Thanks to the BRAC [2]– we’ll also have a lot of construction jobs- which will lead to other jobs. If you are sick of a 600 square foot apartment in NYC for $2000 a month- or, can’t afford to buy a house in California- we’re waiting for you in Dayton Ohio.
Yes! Low cost of living is one of Dayton’s best qualities. I couldn’t afford the giant apartment I have now in most other cities, even Columbus or Cinci. The low cost allows me free time to work on other projects (art, music, friends, etc…) Most of all, I don’t have to work more than one job to support myself. The Dayton lifestyle is great!
What we paid for our wonderful house in Dayton would not have bought a tool shed on a residential lot in Montana.
Talked to someone the other day whose friend decided to head for the Big City many years ago. After 7 years he realized he put himself behind the 8 ball. He left a town he could have been very successful in and went to a town that ‘really didn’t want’ him. Coming back to Dayton, he still had contacts, but lost 7 years of progress in his career.
There is NOTHING wrong with being a big fish in small pond. Dayton offers a great quality of life. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, we could live anywhere but can’t imagine ever leaving Dayton. We act like “being a great place to raise a family” is a bad thing – I can’t think of any greater compliment.
@Larkin — that’s surprising to me. It’s not what I would have guessed about Montana. I’d have figured (if I’d thought about it, which before today, I hadn’t) that since Montana was so big, land and housing would be as cheap if not cheaper than in Ohio.
He lives east of San Francisco and has been looking for a home out there for two years. He can’t afford anything, so he starts to look elsewhere.
The Bay Region. Some of the highest housing costs in the US.
This was the case as far back as the 1980s. The “drive till you qualify” phenomenon was leading to suburban growth in Modesto, on the other side of the Coast Ranges and “Big Valley” from the Bay Area!
And high land costs was driving industrial development in Sacramento (in this case computer companies and chip makers, but other things too). It was cheaper for business to set up in Sacto and ship to the Bay Region (or wherever) than locate closer in to SF/Oakland.
Hey David-
This is not an unusual situation- I am hearing this with more frequency. People want to own a home and provide a place for their family, and are truly tired of crazy real estate prices and an unattainable lifestyle. This is what drove folks out of the cities on the east coast and out west in the first place, and I’m doing everything I can to see that we bring those people who are looking for a world of abundance, back here. We have so much here, so much to share, so much to offer anyone who is willing to work, it’s an exciting time for many reasons.
Thanks for the mention.