Housing Options?

[SugarStick]

What is everybody doing for housing? I hate apartments and don't want to spend a ton of money on a house, so I am leaning toward going a little more 'extreme' in this area. It seems like getting an RV or trailer would cost very little and meet my needs fairly well.

Eventually I would like to build a small off-grid cabin in a remote area and lower my expenses even further.

[The Taminator]

Condo apartment. I would rather a house but location is more important to me. In my city the average price for a house is astronomical compared to my salary and I really like what I do for a living so increasing that isn't on the table for the forseeable future.

[Dynasty]

If you ever want to have a significant other, I'd highly discourage living in an RV or travel trailer.  Unless you can find that really really really special someone.

[Karl]

My wife and I used to manage an apartment building.  Our monetary cost for living expenses totaled one private phone line.

We have also considered purchasing a four-plex, renting three and managing the building from the fourth apartment.

[Nate R]

Buying a duplex. When it's paid off, the rented side will pay taxes, insurance, and should cover most of the maintenance for their unit.

[Kriegsspiel]

Buying a duplex. When it's paid off, the rented side will pay taxes, insurance, and should cover most of the maintenance for their unit.

This is what I'm planning on doing eventually.

[Nords]

It seems like getting an RV or trailer would cost very little and meet my needs fairly well.

Especially if your employer has a parking lot with an electrical plug. 

I think most people's first priority is for the short commute, and the second for the proximity to meeting/dating opportunities. 

Our daughter is considering the RV option when she graduates (and starts five years of military service) because she'll be going to about 15 months of training at three different locations before she gets to her first duty station.  She's hoping to just pull into a trailer park and be ready to go.

[Debbie M]

I bought a smaller 1950's house in a marginal part of town that was close in and have a housemate.  It cost just over 50% of the median price and was just barely on the "wrong" side of the freeway (still had good bus stops).  Nowadays it's more like 70% of the median house cost, probably because they moved the old airport from walking distance to my house to outside town and started building a fancy-schmancy walkable neighborhood in its place.

Another idea is to get a house in a place that will let you build a mother-in-law type place in the back, then you can live there and rent out the front place.

Prior to the house, I always lived in dorms or apartments with housemates (or at my parents' house with them).

What is it that you hate about apartments?  Being dependent on undependable landlords?  Being close to noisy neighbors or neighbors who think you're nosy?

[chatsc]

We bought a 50s bungalow, in what was considered the suburbs in the 50s.  Pretty central now.  It was the smartest move we have done (it was by luck though, not by master design).  The turnover of these houses is fast (houses usually sell in under a month) and the quality of the build is fantastic.