# Let's compare square footage and $$$$'s **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971 "2005-11-20T19:47:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/21 "2005-11-21T13:03:59Z")
90m[sup]2[/sup], so about 800ft[sup]2[/sup], 10th-floor condo in a newly built high-rise two stops from Ueno in Tokyo. Nice view of Mt. Fuji, too. US$360,000. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/22 "2005-11-21T13:22:19Z")
Bought in ‘93 for $89,000us. 1700 sq ft mountain conteporary. Still working on a 2 story 500 sq ft addition. Which will push it up around 2200 sq ft. Very steep 2 acre mountain lot with a tiny little stream running through. 11,200 feet in elevation with 2 - 14,000 foot peaks right across from me. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/23 "2005-11-21T13:28:11Z")
Bought 7 years ago in Westover, Arlington, VA for $190K US - 1500 Sq. Ft. on a 1/10th acre lot ~ $126/ sq ft. Added a few improvements ~ $12K - total $202K ~ $135/ sq ft. Today, I could sell it for about $500K, due to some insane real estate price increases, so that would be ~ $333/ sq ft. , something like a 250% gain in 7 years. Woohoo! I couldn’t afford to buy my house now, though. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Canadiangirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Canadiangirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadiangirl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/24 "2005-11-21T13:52:17Z")
Well, I know I definitely could NOT afford to live in Hawaii!!! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/25 "2005-11-21T14:12:11Z")
About 2400 sq ft, 4 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, finished attic family room, full basement, on a lot that’s barely bigger than the house in a very college-student/yuppie part of St. Paul. Bought it about 12 years ato for $175,000, appraised a couple years ago at $250,000. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/26 "2005-11-21T15:09:11Z")
Good gravy, y’all live in some expensive places. Our house is 1861 square feet, built less than a year ago in the 'burbs of Lubbock, TX. Lot is 65x109, which I think is about 1/6 acre. Cost: $135K, or about $75.50 per square foot (although, using the Texas homestead exemption, we pay taxes as though it were worth, as I recall, just $110K). ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/27 "2005-11-21T15:22:31Z")
2500 square feet finished, another 1500 unfinished but finishable for the most part (walk out basement). Maplewood, Minnesota (about half a mile outside St. Paul). Built in 1998 for just under $200,000. Would sell today quickly for $360k. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/28 "2005-11-21T15:23:46Z")
My place is 1400 sq ft. The basement is another 800 or so, and is not really finished, but is good enough for my wife’s studio (and let’s us write-off 1/3 of our house expenses). 3BR, 1.5 bath. We paid $105K for it in 2001 right when it started getting crazy. We could probably sell it for at least $275K, which is about what we could have got for it a year ago, also. Neighborhood prices have slowed down. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/29 "2005-11-21T15:31:17Z")
East Alabama, 16 acres of land butting up on two sides to 3300 acres of protected pulp land (third side is a quaint little cemetary); 3000 sq ft house plus 1000 sq ft courtyard and ~1000 sq foot garage. Paid $27,000 in 2001 for the land and about $130,000 to build the house. Appraised in 2003 (1/2 completed) for $200,000; we expect the impending refinace appraisal to come in around $230,000. It is by far the most expensive house in the area; our appraisors have to go across the state line to find comps. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/30 "2005-11-21T15:45:44Z")
City of Euclid, an inner-ring, lakefront suburb of Cleveland, OH: Lot size - 5,000 sqft Basement - 824 sqft (412 finished) Attached garage - 220 sqft 1st floor - 824 sqft 2nd floor - 618 sqft 4 bedrooms, 1 full bath, 2 half baths Price - $105,000, bought it 1 year ago. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/31 "2005-11-21T17:38:16Z")
I’ve never been happier that I live in TN. No wonder everybody is moving here. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/32 "2005-11-21T17:54:21Z")
Evidently I don’t get out much. Seeing the posted prices and values is an eye-opening experience. I got a great deal on a 750 sq ft 1BR in northern Manhattan. It’s about as far north of Harlem as Harlem is north of downtown. As Manhattan real estate goes, it was very moderately priced, and in a neighborhood that is now becoming desirable. 750 sq ft, $300k. We bought it in December 2004. Now it could sell for about $340k, $350k on a sunny day. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/33 "2005-11-21T19:09:18Z")
Bought in June for $560,000. A similar house a block over sold in August for $600,000. 3 BR, 2.5 BA, roughly 1480 feet. Of the homes we looked at, this was one of the cheaper, at about $380 per foot. Once they close the nearby naval base, we expect values to climb farther up. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/34 "2005-11-22T02:32:08Z")
> [@Canadiangirl](#): > > Well, I know I definitely could NOT afford to live in Hawaii!!! My grandparents bought this place back in 1970 before the big tourist boom here. They sold their large house on a large lot in Kailua so they could have a place and travel a lot. I don’t even want to think how much that place could go for now. You could however find something cheap on the Big Island if you were willing to live way out in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps you’d like to see something volcano adjacent? ---
**Author:** ![Jammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@Jammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jammer)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/35 "2005-11-22T04:42:26Z")
Metro Greensboro, NC. 1998 3000 sf all-brick, 4 bedroom, 3 bath, two story with two car garage and 400 sq. ft. unfinished walk-up attic that could be made into office, etc. Also has a 1000 sq. ft. custom deck that covers the length of the house out back overlooking the 7 acre pond that borders our 1 acre lot. Paid $223,000.00 when we built it. Probably could get $360-ish pretty easily today. Jammer ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/36 "2005-11-22T05:23:18Z")
Calgary, Alberta - paid $158,500 two years ago for a 1040 sq. ft, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, fixer-upper. It would sell for over $200,000 now with very few modifications. There are very few houses for sale in Calgary - our over-heated real estate market has taken a surprising superheated turn. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/37 "2005-11-22T05:39:48Z")
> [@Campion](#): > > Do you know what a depressing thread this is? On a per square foot basis, houses out here are running in the $400-450 range. So your 1800 sf place, **Metacom** , would run you upwards of $700K. And that’s not even the expensive parts of town! LOL, I think there should be a separate thread for California (and Hawaii). I live in a 2000 sf CONDO on the west side of LA. Bought it for $525K a few years ago. (We won a bidding war with three other buyers.) It’s probably worth about $800K today. Houses that size in this neighborhood are going for over a million. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/38 "2005-11-22T05:56:47Z")
Rural southeastern Kentucky, in a very nice old neighborhood in town. 4400 square feet plus brick patio and garage totalling probably another 1000. Two acres, give or take, though a lot of it is too oddly-shaped, wooded, and steep to be useful. Built in the 1950s but completely renovated on the inside within the last ten years. Paid $275K six months ago. We also have a house in Greensboro, NC that’s about 1100 square feet with a full unfinished basement on a half-acre; we paid $130K for it three years ago, and we’re having a hell of a time selling it for that now, thanks to a shitload of new construction in that part of town. We’ll be taking a bath on it. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/39 "2005-11-22T06:07:33Z")
North NJ suburbs. Roughly 1500 sq feet. The house has three bedrooms, two and half baths, a dining room, a separate office on the first floor complete with door to the outside, attic and basement storage plus a nice porch and a very private backyard. We bought it in 2001 for 289k. The cheapest house in my neighborhood currently runs about 460k so I think it must be worth more than I paid for it. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971/40 "2005-11-22T06:12:30Z")
Northern VA, 5 minutes from beltway near Tyson’s. 1760 square foot lot, 3 floor townhouse with 3BR, 3 1/2 bath, ~2100sq feet of living space plus one-car garage, ~300 sq foot garden. Bought 3 years ago for $418K, currently appraised at $475K, would easily sell for $600-650K tomorrow. _Eagerly awaiting input from those who live in Manhattan/San Francisco/DC._ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-compare-square-footage-and-s/331971.md?page=3)