As most college students can't afford to buy a home, how much a four bedroom home costs in each of the ten named towns is not really helpful. And paying private school tuition or out-of-state fees will probably cancel out most cost of living savings
Thanks for the clarification on "Deep South". Living in Nebraska, it's a straight shot down and a long, long drive to Texas. It didn't occur to me that the other states were actually nicknamed as such :)
First of all, dual agency is illegal in many states. A listing agent has a fiduciary duty to represent the seller. In my state, the listing agent will drop to a facilitator status in the situation where a buyer calls them, directly.
The listing agent in the story has done more than one unethical thing. Representing both parties is unethical, if not illegal in that state and so is telling a buyer that there is another offer on the table if there is not one. Why on earth would a seller take a lower offer if both buyers were preapproved for a mortgage? Why would a listing agent want to work twice as hard for 3% when another agent working with the buyer can make the job so much simpler. You're very gullible to believe this to be true. There is no standard for commission percentages and it's not always 50/50. You think you know so much but, truly, you're making it up as you go along. Your "trick" to makes me want to hurl. I wonder what you do for a living and hope you aren't an attorney or a doctor or anyone who can hurt others by your unethical outlooks.
There are many reasons to use a buyer's agent. A buyer's agent must sign an agreement stating that s/he will represent the buyer to the exclusion of any seller. S/he will work together with the lender and the closing agency from beginning to close to make sure everything goes smoothly. A buyer's agent must provide all listings that suit the buyer's needs, research the history of the property and find actual sold properties that compare to the subject property before making an offer. A buyer's agent has no reason to lie to a buyer and no incentive to coerce a buyer into purchasing a particular property. A buyer's agent will know what to negotiate into the contract while the listing agent IS, and regardless of what you think, working for the seller. After all, they have already established a relationship.
And zillow...is INACCURATE INFORMATION. Comparing home values takes skill and knowledge which is why agents and appraisers are licensed and educated. Homes must match age, construction and size by a small margin to get proper value. Zillow uses area alone, regardless of size of home, construction or age AND tax records are oftentimes incorrect about square footage so price per square foot is inaccurately being calculated. Values from one subdivision to one half a mile away can vary drastically.
So take advantage of buyer representation, people. The agent will not only provide you with values of sold properties, S/he will negotiate in your behalf, knowing what terms are to your benefit and follow through to the closing and be there for you after, for as long as you need. It's true that there are bad apples in every bunch but this is the exception, not the rule. Think of what you do for a living and ask yourself if what people deem the worst of your profession pertains to you before you label any one group.
10 Ultra Affordable College Towns — Looking at relocating for your college education? Consider this list of places with a lower living price tag. (Hint: You may have to go deep south to get your savings.) MainStreet
Texas and Oklahoma are not the Deep South. The Deep South is defined as Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Parts of east Texas (although none of the places in this list) retain characteristics of the Deep South.
This is awesome, Sierra. I hope you write a followup on how you got your car useage down so low.
I don't buy straight up carbon offsets, but we added $600 to our charity budget this year for a charity called Floresta that plants foodbearing trees and teaches agroforestry. They have started advertising themselves as a carbon offset lately but it's sort of like Cheerios advertising that they are fat free - nothing changed, planting trees is what they do. They claim it's about $1/tree.
@Chris - I don't plant my own trees because I live in an established urban neighborhood (where I can bus or bike to everything I need) and we are all full up on trees. No more room.
I agree.
There are some people who can do what they love and make a good living. There are more people who can do what they like most of the time and make a good enough living so that they can do what they love in their spare time.
And I think I'm like a lot of people that I really enjoy a lot of things but either not enough to do them full time or I just don't have the gifts/talents/genetics to be successful at making a living doing those things. I like hanging out with the high school kids at my church (I'm a volunteer youth leader), doing some teaching, taking them on trips, leading small groups. But I definitely don't have the skills required to go into the ministry full time. I enjoy spending a week or two a year building houses of schools or such for various groups. But I wouldn't want to become a contractor or manual laborer full-time.
I like to read comic books and watch television, workout at the gym, geek out about the weather. But have not desire to go into the entertainment industry, professional sports or meteorology.
And I'm also not willing to sacrifice my relatively well rounded life in order to only sleep four hours for a night for months at a time in order to maybe make something huge happen. Maybe I'm not ambitious enough. I'm okay with that. I'm pretty happy with my life of doing what I like well enough to spend the time required to earn the money I need to enjoy the rest of my life. And, when asked for career advice, I encourage my high school kids to pursue that type of course of action.
We are living in a world where up is down, left is right, and common sense is non-existent. This is such a scam and you have bought into it. Why don't you take the $50 and plant your own tree? Are you too lazy? This whole carbon market scam is playing on people's emotions and laziness. People are being duped into feeling like they have to do something to offset their emissions, but they are too lazy to do anything about it. Sounds like a great little scam to me.
not usally staying in the 40s but it takes an hour to get it back up above 70 and i already ahve long acting insulin, lantus have to take 40 units of it. my blood sugers havnt gone over 200 for a month now.
I agree with "seriously!" as far as better academic achievement. There is fascinating research that shows when children learn an instrument it increases the cerebral cortex of the brain which in turn literally increases intelligence!! These children can then have an edge over some of the others.
I am an adult piano student. It has taken my instructor a lifetime to learn her art. I play at about a grade 7/8 level and the more I learn about the piano the more I realize I don't know! Many of these instructors have incredible knowledge and skill and I gladly pay what they are worth.
Few are able to do what they love and make a living from it. Hence, it's important to be PRACTICAL, and also do what you love on the SIDE.
I love writing, stirring up controversy, understanding new perspctives, and creating brands. That's why I work, but also created Financial Samurai. It's been immensely fun so far, and when I no longer have to work, I'll just do what I love (write) "full time."
Keigu,
Financial Samurai
"Slicing Through Money's Mysteries"
Yup, they're at it again. I live in a VERY small town in New Hampshire where you think this type of thing will never reach you. I had never heard of this scam before, but something about the whole deal just didn't feel right. So, I searched and found this. Thank goodness! Otherwise, I may have fallen for it! Thanks for the great info and I'm now aware and will watch for this type of thing in the future.
We have our delusions. We think we DESERVE something, when we have no business deserving anything.
If you slacked off in school, don't work hard, and have minimal pay, why do we deserve to have the same things that those who worked their b&tts off? We don't.
We shouldn't delude ourselvs in wanting more.
Keigu,
Financial Samurai
"Slicing Through Money's Mysteries"
My wife and I share a 4500 sq. ft. house (not counting the basement and 3 car garage) and love every inch. Lots of space to roam and a kitchen to die for. Entertaining is a joy, and we especially like our pool table room with a tournament size table. My favorite is the home theater I installed in the basement with a 12' screen. Really makes movies come to life! I grew up in a 900 sq. ft. house with 1 bath and 6 people, I like large MUCH better!
I always cringe when I hear a university professor tell an audience to do what they love. It is easy to say for someone who has been able to achieve that but it is not very practical. When I emigrated to the U.S. I thought I would like to be a teacher. I saw that the pay was poor so I became a software engineer instead. I don't love my job but I like it. I have a lot of freedom to do what I love after work and the means to do it.
Four of my five children have followed me in choosing the same profession. The fifth will enter university next year.
As for teaching? I have taught many times at church in seminary and gospel doctrine. It didn't detract from the experience that it was unpaid.
I advised my children to be pragmatic when it comes to work. Your prime responsibility is to earn a living, raise a family and to pay your way. That said, I don't begrudge the idealists, good luck to them.
Take some time and read Web of Debt.. Many, as does your article, attempt to address the symptoms, but not the disease.. the Web of Debt shows and outlines the disease.. and it's pretty insidious, to say the least. Money comes from debt, that's what runs our monetary system, without debt there is no money and the machine stops running.. Appears to be an anachronism, but it definitely is not.
I think hucksters like that guy (Gary) are full of nonsense. Not everyone can "do what they love" and make money at it. There has to be some sort of benefit for other people or companies in order for you to make money doing something.
Gary has done well with his wine site which is great but the wine industry is huge and full of dollars - if you can grab a slice of it (which is hard) then there is money to be made.
The problem is that people who have success is a field will then try to make more money "teaching" others how to have success when in reality those people probably couldn't replicate their own success in a million years.
If a topic you "love" happens to be a thriving industry (ie personal finance/investments/wine etc) then there is the potential for good income to be made. It will be hard work and you might not make it but the potential is there.
If "what you love" is some obscure field where there isn't much of an industry then your odds of making good money are close to zero regardless of how successful you are.
I like the advice about starting part time - that way you can see if you can make any money in your desired field.
I have to say, I agree with Julie above. I thought this was more of a tongue in cheek piece. It might have been insensitive, given the shocking number of readers who happen to be musicians, music teachers, and music students who seem to read Wise Bread, but it's not something that's to be taken literally. At least I didn't, and my mother REALLY IS a piano teacher.
As most college students can't afford to buy a home, how much a four bedroom home costs in each of the ten named towns is not really helpful. And paying private school tuition or out-of-state fees will probably cancel out most cost of living savings
Thanks for the clarification on "Deep South". Living in Nebraska, it's a straight shot down and a long, long drive to Texas. It didn't occur to me that the other states were actually nicknamed as such :)
Keep commenting!
Linsey Knerl
First of all, dual agency is illegal in many states. A listing agent has a fiduciary duty to represent the seller. In my state, the listing agent will drop to a facilitator status in the situation where a buyer calls them, directly.
The listing agent in the story has done more than one unethical thing. Representing both parties is unethical, if not illegal in that state and so is telling a buyer that there is another offer on the table if there is not one. Why on earth would a seller take a lower offer if both buyers were preapproved for a mortgage? Why would a listing agent want to work twice as hard for 3% when another agent working with the buyer can make the job so much simpler. You're very gullible to believe this to be true. There is no standard for commission percentages and it's not always 50/50. You think you know so much but, truly, you're making it up as you go along. Your "trick" to makes me want to hurl. I wonder what you do for a living and hope you aren't an attorney or a doctor or anyone who can hurt others by your unethical outlooks.
There are many reasons to use a buyer's agent. A buyer's agent must sign an agreement stating that s/he will represent the buyer to the exclusion of any seller. S/he will work together with the lender and the closing agency from beginning to close to make sure everything goes smoothly. A buyer's agent must provide all listings that suit the buyer's needs, research the history of the property and find actual sold properties that compare to the subject property before making an offer. A buyer's agent has no reason to lie to a buyer and no incentive to coerce a buyer into purchasing a particular property. A buyer's agent will know what to negotiate into the contract while the listing agent IS, and regardless of what you think, working for the seller. After all, they have already established a relationship.
And zillow...is INACCURATE INFORMATION. Comparing home values takes skill and knowledge which is why agents and appraisers are licensed and educated. Homes must match age, construction and size by a small margin to get proper value. Zillow uses area alone, regardless of size of home, construction or age AND tax records are oftentimes incorrect about square footage so price per square foot is inaccurately being calculated. Values from one subdivision to one half a mile away can vary drastically.
So take advantage of buyer representation, people. The agent will not only provide you with values of sold properties, S/he will negotiate in your behalf, knowing what terms are to your benefit and follow through to the closing and be there for you after, for as long as you need. It's true that there are bad apples in every bunch but this is the exception, not the rule. Think of what you do for a living and ask yourself if what people deem the worst of your profession pertains to you before you label any one group.
10 Ultra Affordable College Towns — Looking at relocating for your college education? Consider this list of places with a lower living price tag. (Hint: You may have to go deep south to get your savings.) MainStreet
Texas and Oklahoma are not the Deep South. The Deep South is defined as Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Parts of east Texas (although none of the places in this list) retain characteristics of the Deep South.
This is awesome, Sierra. I hope you write a followup on how you got your car useage down so low.
I don't buy straight up carbon offsets, but we added $600 to our charity budget this year for a charity called Floresta that plants foodbearing trees and teaches agroforestry. They have started advertising themselves as a carbon offset lately but it's sort of like Cheerios advertising that they are fat free - nothing changed, planting trees is what they do. They claim it's about $1/tree.
@Chris - I don't plant my own trees because I live in an established urban neighborhood (where I can bus or bike to everything I need) and we are all full up on trees. No more room.
Hi Sierra,
Any chance I can print a shortened version of this article in our office's monthly newsletter? I would, of course, credit you and WiseBread.
Thanks!
I have used MS Excel for years to track all of my finances. I love pivot tables and can't imagine giving them up.
I agree.
There are some people who can do what they love and make a good living. There are more people who can do what they like most of the time and make a good enough living so that they can do what they love in their spare time.
And I think I'm like a lot of people that I really enjoy a lot of things but either not enough to do them full time or I just don't have the gifts/talents/genetics to be successful at making a living doing those things. I like hanging out with the high school kids at my church (I'm a volunteer youth leader), doing some teaching, taking them on trips, leading small groups. But I definitely don't have the skills required to go into the ministry full time. I enjoy spending a week or two a year building houses of schools or such for various groups. But I wouldn't want to become a contractor or manual laborer full-time.
I like to read comic books and watch television, workout at the gym, geek out about the weather. But have not desire to go into the entertainment industry, professional sports or meteorology.
And I'm also not willing to sacrifice my relatively well rounded life in order to only sleep four hours for a night for months at a time in order to maybe make something huge happen. Maybe I'm not ambitious enough. I'm okay with that. I'm pretty happy with my life of doing what I like well enough to spend the time required to earn the money I need to enjoy the rest of my life. And, when asked for career advice, I encourage my high school kids to pursue that type of course of action.
I think the coke-a-day thing will give you kidney stones,
How irrelevant is this?
Its a scam to make people feel good.
And of course, gives them something to hold out over the lowly commoners.
Send me only 25 bucks and I grant you twice as many offsets!
We are living in a world where up is down, left is right, and common sense is non-existent. This is such a scam and you have bought into it. Why don't you take the $50 and plant your own tree? Are you too lazy? This whole carbon market scam is playing on people's emotions and laziness. People are being duped into feeling like they have to do something to offset their emissions, but they are too lazy to do anything about it. Sounds like a great little scam to me.
I always asked how
to make money doing nothign, this post give some explinations, thanks
I don't believe a word of the hype about carbon credits. It sounds like another investor swamp to me.
John DeFlumeri Jr
not usally staying in the 40s but it takes an hour to get it back up above 70 and i already ahve long acting insulin, lantus have to take 40 units of it. my blood sugers havnt gone over 200 for a month now.
I agree with "seriously!" as far as better academic achievement. There is fascinating research that shows when children learn an instrument it increases the cerebral cortex of the brain which in turn literally increases intelligence!! These children can then have an edge over some of the others.
I am an adult piano student. It has taken my instructor a lifetime to learn her art. I play at about a grade 7/8 level and the more I learn about the piano the more I realize I don't know! Many of these instructors have incredible knowledge and skill and I gladly pay what they are worth.
Few are able to do what they love and make a living from it. Hence, it's important to be PRACTICAL, and also do what you love on the SIDE.
I love writing, stirring up controversy, understanding new perspctives, and creating brands. That's why I work, but also created Financial Samurai. It's been immensely fun so far, and when I no longer have to work, I'll just do what I love (write) "full time."
Keigu,
Financial Samurai
"Slicing Through Money's Mysteries"
My cousin breaks into song whenever a telemarketer calls. She recommends show tunes for maximum enjoyment--she recently had a caller hang up on her!
Yup, they're at it again. I live in a VERY small town in New Hampshire where you think this type of thing will never reach you. I had never heard of this scam before, but something about the whole deal just didn't feel right. So, I searched and found this. Thank goodness! Otherwise, I may have fallen for it! Thanks for the great info and I'm now aware and will watch for this type of thing in the future.
We have our delusions. We think we DESERVE something, when we have no business deserving anything.
If you slacked off in school, don't work hard, and have minimal pay, why do we deserve to have the same things that those who worked their b&tts off? We don't.
We shouldn't delude ourselvs in wanting more.
Keigu,
Financial Samurai
"Slicing Through Money's Mysteries"
My wife and I share a 4500 sq. ft. house (not counting the basement and 3 car garage) and love every inch. Lots of space to roam and a kitchen to die for. Entertaining is a joy, and we especially like our pool table room with a tournament size table. My favorite is the home theater I installed in the basement with a 12' screen. Really makes movies come to life! I grew up in a 900 sq. ft. house with 1 bath and 6 people, I like large MUCH better!
I always cringe when I hear a university professor tell an audience to do what they love. It is easy to say for someone who has been able to achieve that but it is not very practical. When I emigrated to the U.S. I thought I would like to be a teacher. I saw that the pay was poor so I became a software engineer instead. I don't love my job but I like it. I have a lot of freedom to do what I love after work and the means to do it.
Four of my five children have followed me in choosing the same profession. The fifth will enter university next year.
As for teaching? I have taught many times at church in seminary and gospel doctrine. It didn't detract from the experience that it was unpaid.
I advised my children to be pragmatic when it comes to work. Your prime responsibility is to earn a living, raise a family and to pay your way. That said, I don't begrudge the idealists, good luck to them.
Take some time and read Web of Debt.. Many, as does your article, attempt to address the symptoms, but not the disease.. the Web of Debt shows and outlines the disease.. and it's pretty insidious, to say the least. Money comes from debt, that's what runs our monetary system, without debt there is no money and the machine stops running.. Appears to be an anachronism, but it definitely is not.
I think hucksters like that guy (Gary) are full of nonsense. Not everyone can "do what they love" and make money at it. There has to be some sort of benefit for other people or companies in order for you to make money doing something.
Gary has done well with his wine site which is great but the wine industry is huge and full of dollars - if you can grab a slice of it (which is hard) then there is money to be made.
The problem is that people who have success is a field will then try to make more money "teaching" others how to have success when in reality those people probably couldn't replicate their own success in a million years.
If a topic you "love" happens to be a thriving industry (ie personal finance/investments/wine etc) then there is the potential for good income to be made. It will be hard work and you might not make it but the potential is there.
If "what you love" is some obscure field where there isn't much of an industry then your odds of making good money are close to zero regardless of how successful you are.
I like the advice about starting part time - that way you can see if you can make any money in your desired field.
I have to say, I agree with Julie above. I thought this was more of a tongue in cheek piece. It might have been insensitive, given the shocking number of readers who happen to be musicians, music teachers, and music students who seem to read Wise Bread, but it's not something that's to be taken literally. At least I didn't, and my mother REALLY IS a piano teacher.