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  1. #17551
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    Quote Originally Posted by AdironRider View Post
    I love how Alta's whole thing is fuck what you want, density is the only option.
    The definition of zoning is preventing people from doing what they want with the land. It's big brother government knowing what is best for the poeple, regardless of what the people are screaming for.

    Having lived in a shared wall townhouse, and one bedroom apartment, in Seattle for 8 years, I loved it. Not now that I have kids but some of the best years of my life. I walked/biked/bused/light railed/ubered everywhere in the city. Had a garage with a small car I used for mountain/coast escapes and Coscto/Lowes and was a 5 minute chill drive to both an I5 and I90 on ramp both directions (lived in North Beacon Hill). I would gladly return to that lifestyle later on in life. Don't knock it until you try it. And yes, I was pretty spoiled/privileged having that garage as most of these new places have no parking. Had friends in Seattle that didn't own a car who still got after it bumming rides and doing zipcar things. Whether we want it or not, this is the future of America.

  2. #17552
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    Quote Originally Posted by dan_pdx View Post
    I think we all agree it's more of a dystopian ideal, but how else do we make it possible for teachers to live in the districts where they teach, etc. etc.? Townhouse development beats the hell out of everyone commuting 90 minutes each way.
    Endless suburban single family sprawl is more dystopian.

  3. #17553
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    Quote Originally Posted by altasnob View Post
    The definition of zoning is preventing people from doing what they want with the land. It's big brother government knowing what is best for the poeple, regardless of what the people are screaming for.
    I am anti-single family zoning but zoning is the EXACT opposite of what you said. It's the people who live there trying to protect what they have, or what they perceive they have.

  4. #17554
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    Quote Originally Posted by RootSkier View Post
    I am anti-single family zoning but zoning is the EXACT opposite of what you said. It's the people who live there trying to protect what they have, or what they perceive they have.
    It’s a legal hurdle to change attractive to property buyers and owners

  5. #17555
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    I guess it depends on the property and your perspective. The person living on rural 20 acre zoning who wants to subdivide but can't would say zoning is preventing them from doing what they want with their land. The developer wanting to build a 50 story building when the zoning limits the structure to 30 would say the same thing.

    Zoning was invented in Euclid, Ohio in the 1920a

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villag...bler_Realty_Co.

  6. #17556
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    Quote Originally Posted by altasnob View Post
    I guess it depends on the property and your perspective. The person living on rural 20 acre zoning who wants to subdivide but can't would say zoning is preventing them from doing what they want with their land. The developer wanting to build a 50 story building when the zoning limits the structure to 30 would say the same thing.

    Zoning was invented in Euclid, Ohio in the 1920a

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villag...bler_Realty_Co.
    No shit. There are exceptions. But it's not "big brother," it's LOCAL GOVERNMENT purportedly representing the will of its constituents. Don't like it, vote for different people, or better yet, run for office.

  7. #17557
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    Quote Originally Posted by old_newguy View Post
    I’d rather live in that than a townhouse if I could avoid the HOA fees.

    We looked at townhouses and the HOA fees on those things are like 300-500 dollars a month in some cases. You can buy a lot of additional house with that kind of money towards a mortgage instead of HOA fees.
    Just curious, is this a problem because you see $300/mo as a high HOA fee? Or do you see it as considerably higher compared to what you think you'd spend/budget owning a SFH?

  8. #17558
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    Consider all the knowitall authoritarians that show up on this thread....how many of you would really like to share a wall with them or have them serving as your HOA president?

    The people around you are the same way...the only difference is they are polite to your face because they don't have a screen to hide behind.

  9. #17559
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    Quote Originally Posted by alpinevibes View Post
    Just curious, is this a problem because you see $300/mo as a high HOA fee? Or do you see it as considerably higher compared to what you think you'd spend/budget owning a SFH?
    I think for the market these are selling (“affordable” starter homes) that $300/month is a chunk of change that many people would rather spend on a single family home with more space and less restrictions.

    It’s probably more than most people would budget/save on a monthly basis for a newish build at that price point IMO.

    For me, I’d rather do something else with that $300 than give it to an HOA to manage for me.

    When we were shopping the conversation literally went “hey look at this townhouse, oh it has an $400 HOA, which is like $x,xxx mortgage/escrow payment, let’s keep looking for a SFH.”

    I am not opposed to HOAs on their face and have lived in one with reasonable fees for shared maintenance.

  10. #17560
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    Quote Originally Posted by sirbumpsalot View Post
    Consider all the knowitall authoritarians that show up on this thread....how many of you would really like to share a wall with them or have them serving as your HOA president?

    The people around you are the same way...the only difference is they are polite to your face because they don't have a screen to hide behind.

    ah yes the rugged individualist in…. Beaverton shows up.


    you cucks like zoning and restrictions, just “the right amount”

  11. #17561
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    Root, you are right. Zoning is at the will of the majority of the people in the state. My statements are from the perspective of someone being told what they can't do with their land. But it is not always what the majority in a city or county want, because there are state laws (like the growth management act) that dictate what the city/counties can do regardless of what the majority there want (at least in places like WA, OR, and CA). Anti-sprawl advocates successfully suing a county/city for failing to adhere to state laws in their comprehensive development plan is common around here.

  12. #17562
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    Quote Originally Posted by alpinevibes View Post
    Just curious, is this a problem because you see $300/mo as a high HOA fee? Or do you see it as considerably higher compared to what you think you'd spend/budget owning a SFH?
    Whether or not $300/mo is a "high" HOA fee depends on what you get for the $300/mo, how well funded the HOA reserve is, and how likely a special assessment might be for major maintenance. $300 sounds pretty steep if it just includes water/sewer/trash, the reserve is underfunded, and it's an older complex with major repairs looming that could require a special assessment.

  13. #17563
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    who is in on the 4 way ?
    Listing agent, their managing broker, selling agent, and their managing broker.

    Quote Originally Posted by liv2ski View Post
    If you're a dope agent in a 50/50 office that may be true. Many offices give the agent a waaaay better deal. A good agent should be able to get 90% of the split paid to their office.
    Some firms here do a percentage up to covering the fees, then nothing thereafter, while others do something along the lines of what you said.

    Either way, it's a split.

  14. #17564
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Whether or not $300/mo is a "high" HOA fee depends on what you get for the $300/mo, how well funded the HOA reserve is, and how likely a special assessment might be for major maintenance. $300 sounds pretty steep if it just includes water/sewer/trash, the reserve is underfunded, and it's an older complex with major repairs looming that could require a special assessment.
    Not sure about ALL condo/townhall HOAs but I understand many of them include some portion of homeowners insurance which saves costs you'd spend on your own with SFH.

  15. #17565
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Whether or not $300/mo is a "high" HOA fee depends on what you get for the $300/mo
    Should have stopped there. Not all HOAs are aggressive nimby Ville

    Quote Originally Posted by sirbumpsalot View Post
    Not sure about ALL condo/townhall HOAs but I understand many of them include some portion of homeowners insurance which saves costs you'd spend on your own with SFH.
    some plow the roads, sidewalks, cut grass, do much of the maintenance for that price. So if you are lazy or older, it’s taken care of.

  16. #17566
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    Quote Originally Posted by altasnob View Post
    That's hideous. Bellingham needs to get over themselves and start building proper townhouses like the rest of the west coast, with shared walls and minimum three floors. They could cram way more housing into that space. Just another community refusing to accept the density that is coming.
    There are some newish townhouses, but the majority of multi-housing being built right now is apartment buildings. And there are a lot under construction right now.

  17. #17567
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    Quote Originally Posted by mfcf13 View Post
    If you're willing to go a little smaller than B'ham, you might want to consider La Conner.
    La Conner is inundated with tourists eight months of the year. But if you are into rural living, the northern part of Skagit County is an amazing location. Just as close to Baker as Bellingham, closer access to the rest of the Cascades, close to mtb trails, closer to Seattle and the airport, and less Canadians at the Costco. Voted 52/44 for Biden. Lots of aging hippies and ag workers.

  18. #17568
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Whether or not $300/mo is a "high" HOA fee depends on what you get for the $300/mo, how well funded the HOA reserve is, and how likely a special assessment might be for major maintenance. $300 sounds pretty steep if it just includes water/sewer/trash, the reserve is underfunded, and it's an older complex with major repairs looming that could require a special assessment.
    Exactly. To me, $300 isn’t crazy for water, sewer, trash, insurance, landscaping and cap reserves, but I pay $450/mo for 1000sq ft subsidized housing condo here

  19. #17569
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    Quote Originally Posted by alpinevibes View Post
    Exactly. To me, $300 isn’t crazy for water, sewer, trash, insurance, landscaping and cap reserves, but I pay $450/mo for 1000sq ft subsidized housing condo here
    Yeah, if I’m getting all of that. I’m my experience that 300 was covering a fraction of that.

  20. #17570
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    Quote Originally Posted by dan_pdx View Post
    Ha! My wife said the same thing on Tuesday night, and sent me a link to that house. The RE there is a breath of fresh air after chasing our tails in Bellingham for the last 4 months, and closer to Bellevue is nice too. It doesn't seem to have the trail access that's a major draw to B'ham, but maybe I'm wrong about that - it would be great to talk with your friend. Can you put us in touch?
    I'll get in touch with my friend and then connect you. There's some great hiking by Baker Lake and Darrington, I prefer those hiking trails to the ones closer to B'ham, due to fewer crowds. The road biking ought to be pretty good and access to Whidbey is nice. MTB is obviously not as good a B'ham, but few places are.
    The Skagit valley is really nice, it's too bad that La Conner is the only town in that areas with a nice walkable downtown. Mt. Vernon has potential but it just doesn't have a nice vibe (at least to me).

  21. #17571
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    Agree with all that. Especially the Mt Vernon having potential but somehow perpetually not quite there part. However, they do have the best Thai food - scratch that - ONLY authentically good Thai food in two counties.

  22. #17572
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    Yeah, zoning is almost exclusively run by localities in terms of what actually matters. State rules are often the simple stuff, like don't build on wetlands and make sure you have valid septic/lot lines. As others have said, most change resistance comes from existing residents, who ultimately are the ones that serve on zoning commissions and apply/enforce rules and grant/deny variances. There are many that want to freeze their towns in amber because they moved in 20 years ago and how dare you try to change things.

  23. #17573
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    Real Estate Crash thread

    I petitioned the city to change my R1 zoned .30 acre residential neighborhood lot to an M2 so that I could manufacture pig manure fertilizer. They said no, fucking bullshit overbearing government. What about my rights as a landowner?

  24. #17574
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    Quote Originally Posted by schuss View Post
    As others have said, most change resistance comes from existing residents... many that want to freeze their towns in amber because they moved in 20 years ago and how dare you try to change things.
    Definitely.

    And the flip side of people moving to town, and wanting to reshape it into what they imagine it should be rather than what it is.

  25. #17575
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    I think I could make a pretty good argument that Bend was a much more pleasant place to live 10-20 years ago than it is today.

    I’m probably wrong since people keep moving there.

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