(quote)..."I have recently been given 30 days to vacate my home with my hubby & 22 month old. I find it ridiculous that I can't find a home that doesn't cost me over $1200/month!!! Is there a house anywhere on the outerbanks where I'm not paying someone's entire mortgage??? If I could pay a mortgage I'd own my own home!!! Are we so money greedy that we need $1600 for a 3 bedroom 1 bath home???? in COLINGTON?? I don't think so!!!! Not to say that gas is crazy...
I have been driving up and down streets in hopes of finding ONE place that says for RENT...not RENT- Vacations. Why is it so hard for a local to find a place to live? OH i know...because the tourist are WAAAY more importatnt...but guess what? Locals work here and need a home too!!! I think we need some affordable housing built on the OBX instead more HUGE beachboxes that no one can live in. I'm finding it very upsetting that I"m having such a difficult time finding a place to live :0( Obviously i'm not the only one...there are a tremendous amount of listings on the "housing needed' page of craigslist. I know I posted one 4 days ago and can't even find mine anymore because so many have been thrown on there...craziness!!! Anyone else experiencing the same problem???..." (unquote)
At 70 years of age, EOD remembers when he first entered the workforce 50 years ago and was forced to find affordable housing for his spouse and child. It wasn't that hard back then. His family's first, one bedroom, home rented for a mere $45 per month, or about 10% of his gross monthly salary of $396 per month. As his salary grew, slowly, he graduated into a $110 per month rental (2 bedroom apartment) before being able to purchase the first family home, costing $24,000, albeit it had a 7% mortgage interest rate. And life's story continued...
The point to be made here is how sad it is that honest, hard working families here on the Outer Banks (and elsewhere) have to struggle so hard to make it these days. What has our world come to?
Life on the Outer Banks may be great for those who visit here for a week every year...but, unfortunately, the money mongers and many of our local leaders and developers who don't know when and how to stop, have created an undeserving miserable life for many locals who work so hard to support our local economy. Perhaps it's time our business owners started to realize this and, with compassion, began giving their employees a bigger piece of the pie. When was the last time you gave your workers a raise, Mr. Outer Banks Business Owner?
21 comments:
When you were paying $110. a month did you have two Smart phones ($180 per mo.) 2 vehicals , internet connections, and all the other "necessary inovations" or as we did , a 13 inch tv with rabbit ears and no telephone and one old worn out car? What is necessary has changed over the years.
Good points, Anon. Wasn't it fun toying with those rabbit ears each time we got up to change one of the two or three tv channels by hand? :)
No doubt, people had a different perspective on "what was necessary" in order to make them happy way back then.
Am I supposed to buy a $200,000 home,rent it for $900(because that's all YOU can afford)and take a huge loss every month?I don't think so...
Believe it or not,rents are comparable to 2003 levels($1200-$1300),for a 3 BR 2 bath home.
Ray,I heard this same story 25 years ago,nothing has changed....
There is no shortage of greed on the outer banks, that's for sure. Let's clutter the oceanfront with more cookie-cutter McMansions.
But there is more to owning a home than mortgage payments. You've got taxes, insurance (hazard and flood), and maintenance (significant on the OBX).
Contact the CDC they work on affordable housing everyday hopefully they can help you find a home to rent
This is clearly Residents vs. Tourist. Unfortunately, at the current state of future prospects that owners can take in, long time residents will lose. This County wants your home to be a rental. More tax money can be brought in by having a $5000/week rental than any single resident can pay in several years. Slowly, Dare County is setting up a path for more density, but this density will come at a price and tourism will fail. The amount of tourism dollars brought in may seem like a lot to most of us but by the time the County pays out all the bills for existing projects and future projects, they won't have enough tax revenue to cover the cost. There is a reason why the Romans and other powerful civilizations aren't ruling the world. They didn't plan to be conquered.
If you listen to the news(which I'm sure you do),the demand for rentals and rising rents is occurring nationwide,not just here.
Those who have foreclosed on their owner occupied homes have no other choice but to rent,if they choose to stay on the OBX.That factor alone has put a strain on the availability of rentals.Combine that with new residents,tougher mortgage requirements and the seasonality factor and you have a problem that's only going to worsen in time.
Too often landlords rent to the first person who has the first months rent plus a security deposit.At the end,they get burned....This beach is full of deadbeat tenants,but the good news is there's no shortage of qualified people who CAN afford to live here.
I don't believe govt should be competing against private markets.The land on the OBX is too valuable to be building subsidized housing.If they're going to do it,there's plenty of land on the Currituck mainland.
Just my 2 cents...
I would like to add to your ending line...When was the last time you gave you employees a raise Mr.Outten?
I don't understand why the CDC builds on prime beach properties when there must be cheaper opportunities on the Dare County mainland. That way, the "affordable housing" they tout stays in the County and really might become affordable. Building a 2 bed/1.5 bath condo for a family of 4 is not how people want to live these days.
Yes, we all make could do with much less, but that is a moot point if no one either wants to buy what is available, or can qualify for it. Also, the "CDC gets first dibs on later re-sell" is a crock. Why not just keep renting if an "owner" can't sell later at FMV the same as all other owners can do?
Regarding the TVs and gadgets, etc.--I know renting families who can barely pay the rent but, because they don't want their kids to be the "poor kids" in their classes, they buy them every toy, gadget and whatnot that's out there, which I can somewhat understand, given our haves and have-nots delineation here. JMO.
I do believe it has been 4 years since county employees have had a raise of any kind. No cost of living - nothing. It is really hard making ends meet on the amount we make. I know most folks look down on county government giving employees raises because they are afraid it will increase their taxes. But everything is going up - including private sector salaries.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful for my job, but it seems the only thing that is posted about county money is how much the commissioners spend on themselves. Unfortunately employees never get to take any of these trips or go to fancy resturants to eat. It would be nice if the commissioners would spead the wealth.
Sadly, none of this current discussion helps the nice folks in the Craigslist rant needing to find suitable property to rent.
But I fear it'll only get worse and become more like Hilton Head or such, where the entire steady workforce comes to work each day from across the bridges and farther away from the beaches.
Someone should be looking at mainland tracts for developing regular, middle-class working-people subdivisions, IMO, in Currituck, Dare or even Tyrell Counties. It would not be outrageous to consider because, in most cities, commuting to work is the norm.
Is it true that the hotels hire exchange students and give them a room because the locals can't afford to live nearby?
Hotels and other businesses hire exchange student,because they have a better work ethic.They actually show up and do their job!Thank goodness we have them....
It's my understanding that Lowe's has had a difficult time filling 130 positions,because people can't pass the drug tests!Until recently they ran an add in the Coastland Times for weeks and set up a recruiting office.You would think the locals would be beating the door down and begging for a job,but why work,when you can ride on the backs of the taxpayers?
This beach sure has changed.The quality of the younger generation is deteriorating rapidly.
Sorry to go off topic
Anon #8:
There was a scheme very much like the one you mentioned cooked up by several business owners on the beach to build low-cost worker housing in Tyrrell county and purchase a fleet of passenger vans for shuttle service back and forth. This was back around 2003-4ish when the insanity over housing and land prices even hit Columbia, where 100 year old houses downtown were going for nearly half a million.
The plan was abandoned because of the ridiculous land prices east of Columbia at the time, plus gas costs for hour commutes each way would've negated any potential savings.
Some years ago I had an employee who came to me from a locally owned business whose owner is very well known here on the beach. She was being paid so little by this person that she qualified for food stamps and medicaid for her son. The employer carried no health insurance and also kept her on "salary" so that he did not have to pay her overtime. I was able to raise her wages sufficiently to properly compensate her for her quality of work, as well as proper health insurance. She was indeed a fabulous employee. She was able to give up all forms of state and county assistance in my employ. We also moved her to a decent apartment, because all she could afford prior was a disgusting hovel that should have been condemned. That dwelling was also owned and not at all maintained by another so called Outer Banks civic leader. Both of these individuals, the former employer and the landlord, publicly and loudly proclaim their Christian faith and are so called leaders in their respective churches. Ironic, don't you think, as they were both dedicated to grinding this poor gal into the ground.
re: Apr 3 - 2:08 PM Anon -- you hit the nail on the head! I am a church-going Christian, and am appalled by how many so-called Christians treat their fellow man like that. We all pick and choose what we want to follow from the Bible, but the basics of how we treat our fellow human beings should not by overlooked by anyone ! We have a good, clean, rental here, 3 bds, 2 baths, and rent it for less than $1,000 to a family of 5 who are good people, but not rolling in dough. Our choice to help others. Furthermore -- let's discuss how employers bring over foreign students -- required by gov't to provide 40 hours -- and then cut their hours once the students get here. Disgusting !
I purchased a home in the late 90's when everything was still reasonable and that is how I can afford to live here. However, after 15 years of living here and being employed by Dare County, my wife and I have reached a point where we are asking ourselves why we are still here. We have actually cancelled some things such as cable tv and our home phone to help pay bills. After we pay our monthly bills, there is no money left over, sometimes we are short and have to dip into our savings account to make up for the shortage.
I am not one of the high paid county employees that most people think of, I am one that has to work a second job to help ends meet.
Too many times the person looking for a place to live is too picky. There are houses on Roanoke Island and Currituck for rent... just look in the paper or call a real estate agent. HOuses are expensive on the neach so ent is expensive. Is it champayne taste on beer budget?
Do we know why they are being forced out. Renters have more rights protecting them than the landlord- why aren't they fighting this?.... There are too many questions.
Living on the Outer Banks is a luxury that some of us can't afford. If you can't afford it, then move inland. You're not the only one who doesn't make enough money in this economy. One week at the beach per year is all we can afford and it will have to do.
Anonymous April 4.....
If you change the 15 years to 7... then you have my story. Haven't had a "real" vacation since we moved here. We pay the bills, work, sleep, work, sleep. What a crying shame. Do the tourists have any idea? We would move back if we could but we can't get the money out of our home to make it worthwhile. Has this place ever heard of cost of living increases, merit pay, etc.
I blame the employers who won't pay a living wage. When you open a business, you take on a lot of responsibility, including obligations to your employees. If you can't accept that, do NOT open a business.
As for the county employee who is complaining about low wages...that's a joke! County employees make twice the amount of most other office workers in Dare County!
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