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Locust

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Locust
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  • We are building a custom home right now on the Eastside near Redmond. I would expect $250/sf and up for a custom home builder. It really doesnt make any financial sense as a way to save money, because the production home builders are so much more …
    in Any opinions on building a home on the Eastside? Comment by Locust June 2008
  • I agree that the high transaction costs make real estate a very impractical short term investment. But if one believes that real estate and stocks will go up by a similar amount, one could make a lot of money under favorable tax treatment by levera…
    in Real Estate Transactions Costs Vs. The Stock Market Comment by Locust June 2007
  • I read today that something like 1/3 of the earnings of the S&P 500 comes from overseas operations of the large multinational companies. So even a plain vanilla S&P 500 index fund gives you some currency hedging in today's globalized market.
    in Other currencies Comment by Locust June 2007
  • Yes, two white collar incomes are a requirement for home ownership if you are new to the real estate market. Or one really good income, but most people at that point are already in the real estate market. This is not a good thing for society, but …
    in Median income of *home owners* ? Comment by Locust June 2007
  • It may be that the price paid in 2005 was pretty premium for the time. That certainly seems like a nice house for the money in today's market.
    in Take a look at this listing... Comment by Locust June 2007
  • The social dynamic I experienced growing up in the SF Bay Area was-- As a young married couple with two jobs and no kids, we only socialized with a few friends from work. We didnt know any neighbors or really anyone in the suburban town we lived…
    in Seattle Freeze Comment by Locust February 2007
  • I have been told that lumber costs are way down from what they were a year ago. It is due to the big slowdown nationally in new residential construction. The frustrating part is that this does not seem to bring down the overall cost very much. …
    in High end homes Comment by Locust February 2007
  • My recent experience has been the same on construction costs. We are getting ready to start building a new home, and the contractors laugh when you talk about pricing under $200 per square foot. Nicer stuff like you would want in an actual custom…
    in High end homes Comment by Locust February 2007
  • I think the main factor in the pricing of new or nearly new high end homes is simply the cost of development plus 10%. Obviously, the buyer doesnt care what the builder spent, he only looks at market prices, but the developers will certainly try ve…
    in High end homes Comment by Locust February 2007