My Home Depot

Which investment funds would invest in a profitable affordable home building company in an emerging market? A profitable builder in an emerging market country with a goal of building and financing affordable housing

UK: Can someone tell me Y labour only built 14,000 new affordable homes during 13yrs in power ? As above. I really like to know why so little new affordable housing was built during the Labour parties term in power. It don't make sense and Labour were supposed to be the party of the common man/women? Is there a conspiracy to keep house prices artificially high in this country ?

What do u think about building a house 6 blocks away from pollution control plant? there is a company is building new affordable homes 6 blocks away from the pollution control plant , is it unhealthy to live around that area?/

Is the Labour parties stance of building more homes in the uk realistic? With regards to green policies such as keeping green spaces and can it go on forever and be practical with regards to issues such as waste management and water supplies? Are they looking at the whole picture? Also with land so scarce and at a premium- due to excessive demand- will these new homes really be affordable housing? Loads of good answers here- thanks everybody.

What manufacturer in Ontario makes the best affordable modular homes? Too many times you get dealers who represent Manufacturers thus your costs add up. Has anyone in Ontario built a modular home on your property? Who should I consider in the Ontario region of Linsday, Beaverton and Kirkfield. Many Thx

are steel homes affordable in Texas? I'd really like to build my own home. I have four acres here in smalltown,Texas. I just need to find the cheapest route and I realize the cheapest route might get me in trouble as well. I just need some info from real people not the businesses that will tell you anything to make a buck.

why are monolithic Dome homes more affordable to build than other shaped homes? Im looking into building a home and im opting for the lowest cost. Im deciding between a dome home and a tumbleweed enesti home shown below. dome home: -804 square feet - 1 floor http://static.monolithic.com/plan-design/sample_plans/pic02.html tumbleweed enesti: -681 square feet -2 floors -rectangular http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/download-catalog/ -u have to download the catalog, but its short and the enesti is one of the last ones if this isnt the best section, do u guys have another section to suggest?

Can I hire students to design and build an (affordable) green house in CA? I wonder if it is possible to hire advance students to design and build a green (and affordable) home. I'm thinking about a shipping container house and find someone who can lay out wiring, plumbing, septic, isolation, etc. Do I need certified professionals in California to build one? Thanks so much for your answers.

What is a affordable home computer build? I am looking for 500 dollars or less.

Do we really need more affordable houses in the UK? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8477709.stm The number of planned affordable homes built over the next 10 years could be halved by government spending cuts. The government has pledged to build three million new homes by 2020, a third of which would be affordable. "Reducing the number of new homes by such a huge degree would kill off the dreams of more than a million people in desperate need of decent, affordable housing, leaving many to live in cramped, unsuitable conditions for a generation. Chief executive David Orr said "as bad housing is closely linked to poor health, poor educational attainment and higher crime rates, ministers should give funding for the house building programme the same untouchable status as health, education and policing, and protect it from the coming savage cuts." In your opinion do we need more housing? Are these houses for first time buyers getting a step on the ladder, or council let properties? AN Mouse - I agree.

Gordon Brown's pledge to build homes? How is it Brown is promising to build 300,000 affordable homes by 2020 when right now in many UK inner cities there are hundreds of boarded and bricked up massive and solid houses easily viable for refurbishment ?

Is it affordable to have your home built using a Va Loan? I would like to use my VA Loan to build my home some where in Texas. Possibly Waco or Round Rock area. How would I begin to have it done.

Afew days ago, you had an article and link to a manufactorer of factory built homes. Please refresh my memory? These homes were quite small and affordable.

Who is a quality affordable home builder in San Antonio and what is the best first step? My husband and I want to put our house on the market. We are planning to build a new home at Medina Lake where we own land. We thought we should find a builder and finalize plans before putting our house on the market. Not sure how the timing would all work. Anyone been here before? Our first choice of builder right now is Design Tech. Any opinions? BTW, we are looking for a custom home builder, not just a build-on-your-lot builder.

Is it more affordable to buy a home, or build your own? I will soon have my credit to income ratio to the point where I will qualify for about a $150,000 home loan. Our income is not high enough to get much more than that. We will need a 3 bedroom home for our family of five, but there is very little in my price range with that may bedrooms unless I want to move an hour or more away from our jobs. Would it be significantly more cost effective to build our own home? Where can I get more information on this? Googling offers me alot of junk and useless information that doesn't help. If I built my own I would have to contract out for the major things like foundation, roofing/trussing, etc. I may be able to reduce costs by doing my own drywalling, siding, etc. though. The question is wether or not it's practical enough to be worth my time.

custom super homes, what kind of MLM is this? is it a real product? I see that on BBB.com it comes up as not so good but is the house they build affordable and of good quality? Has anyone ever seen one? How old is the first "super home" they built and how is it holding up? Any other opinions?

How to build an affordable prefab house using steel framing and steel exterior cladding? Currently, I am looking to build an affordable house using light gauge steel framing with miniral wool insulation. The only problems are that I want to us as much steel for the house as possible. The exterior walls, interior walls, roof truss, roof sheets and fixtures. Problems are that no one company can supply such materials or constructs an affordable house made of steel. The house must be fast to build because of tropical weather, little wood as possible due to termites and expense, easily constructed with little or no skills. I remember Sears had steel homes in the 1920-30s does anyone have any solutions or suggestions?

"Socialists", why don't you use the Free-Market to show the benefits of socialism? What's stopping you from forming a private organization that helps the poor? What's stopping you from building cheap and affordable homes for the homeless (other than stupid building codes)? Nicholas- I'm not against private charities. Stop generalizing.

Who knows of any home project builders that include baxis site costs etc? Does anyone know of any good affordable project homes built to lock up and basix,flooring etc included in costs??

What does the general public think of the fire resistant homes available? The Victorian Government has ignored fantastic fire resistant homes that can be built in bushfire prone areas. These homes are aesthetically pleasing, affordable and best of all fire resistant. Why aren't they promoted? http://www.nash.asn.au/nash/home.html Yes, it would be a personal choice dependent on the council convenants and research done by the individual. The government should be strongly promoting this alternative. Being proactive is the preferable option. Governments do not think logically.

we want to build a log home, finished for an affordable price. We have the land.? We have the land but, we need to hve enough money left over to put a septic, well, perk test, and all the other permits required.

Who is buying all the 600K+ homes?? I live in a large city and my fiance and I have college degrees and decent paying jobs. We are both slowly moving up the corporate ladder. However, combined we only make about $75K. To me that is alot of money, however the average home price is 400K-600K+. The only thing you can find for less is run down and in a bad neighborhood. Condos seem cheaper until you add in the HOA fee and then you are pretty much paying the same amount as a single home mortgage without HOA. Plus we don't want to live in a condo forever. I've even noticed that the areas where there are affordable homes, they are being torn down and 400K+ homes being built. Who has the money for these? At my company the only ones that have high salaries are the executives, everyone else makes 100K tops. What do people do for a living that they can afford these expensive homes and why aren't they building cheaper ones as well for all us middle class that make decent salaries and will never be rich?

Wasn't Bush brilliant in creating government financing plans so people did not need downpayments on their home? in the middle of a housing bubble? More Americans than ever own their own homes, but we must continue to work hard so that every family has an opportunity to realize the American Dream. In 2002, I announced a goal to add 5.5 million new minority homeowners by the end of the decade. Since then, we have added 2.3 million new minority households. My Administration has also set a goal of adding 7 million new affordable homes to the market within the next 10 years. In my FY 2006 budget, I proposed a single family housing tax credit and two mortgage programs -- the Zero Downpayment mortgage and the Payment Incentives program -- to help more families achieve homeownership. In 2003, I signed the American Dream Downpayment Act, and I have proposed more than $200 million to continue the American Dream Downpayment Initiative to provide downpayment assistance to thousands of American families. By promoting initiatives such as financial literacy, tax incentives for building affordable homes, voucher programs, and Individual Development Accounts, we are strengthening our communities and improving citizens' lives. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2005 as National Homeownership Month. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies and activities recognizing the importance of homeownership. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050525-14.html So far two false responses. This program was initiated by the Whitehouse in 2002 with the full support of the Republican Congress. Look at Bush patting himself on the back for it in 2005 in the link. Pure brilliance.

I'm in Portland, OR- Can building a house be more affordable than buying an existing one? My husband and I have 3 young children and we have never owned a home before. We are young and are on a very limited budget. Everything out there with the "family yard" is out of our reach. I know I could design a 1000 sq. ft. home that would be perfect... even for my family of 5, but is it unrealistic to think we can afford to have it built? After we purchase the land, is it possible to build a house for $100,000?

I need your opinion? There is a construction company that is building affordable homes in an area located 6 blocks away from pollution control plant (sewage treatment).it is one mile away from the plant .what do u think is it agood idea to buit there in terms of resale value and health issues or no please give me your opinion??

If you were me-where would you take your family to live in Australia? If you were me-where would you take your family to live in Australia? Looking for hard core advice and truths about the country that we are infatuated with. I am a nurse and my husband is a residential builder. We have eight children (adopted and natural) plus a grown daughter and her husband that want to accompany us as we immigrate to Australia from the USA (they are seminary students). If you could pick anyplace to live in Australia-why would you choose it? Schools, economics, future opportunities, beauty, crime, politics, convenience-where would you recommend? Our dream is to build affordable homes for families as a nonprofit organization. We are Christians and desire to build a church that loves to reach out to the community and meet real life needs (such as building affordable homes, adopting abandoned children, assisting the elderly, etc). Any cities that you see opportunity for a family like ours?

Was Republican George W Bush mostly responsible for giving loans to people that couldn't afford them? I just had to ask since the coward that blocks people that don't agree with him won't let sensible answers come ! More Americans than ever own their own homes, but we must continue to work hard so that every family has an opportunity to realize the American Dream. In 2002, I announced a goal to add 5.5 million new minority homeowners by the end of the decade. Since then, we have added 2.3 million new minority households. My Administration has also set a goal of adding 7 million new affordable homes to the market within the next 10 years. In my FY 2006 budget, I proposed a single family housing tax credit and two mortgage programs -- the Zero Downpayment mortgage and the Payment Incentives program -- to help more families achieve homeownership. In 2003, I signed the American Dream Downpayment Act, and I have proposed more than $200 million to continue the American Dream Downpayment Initiative to provide downpayment assistance to thousands of American families. By promoting initiatives such as financial literacy, tax incentives for building affordable homes, voucher programs, and Individual Development Accounts, we are strengthening our communities and improving citizens' lives. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2005 as National Homeownership Month. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies and activities recognizing the importance of homeownership. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/...

Why are newly built homes always so big and expensive? It seems like everytime a new house is built in the US within the last like ten years it is always so big, what ever happened to starter homes and ranch style homes from the 1970's and before that were affordable for a middle class family to purchase new. And I am taking inflation into consideration. It just seems every new home that is built would only sell to someone making 100K per year. Any ideas guys?

Why Can't Obama Close the Deal? Could it be that Americans don't trust him? Maybe it's his associations and longtime friendships with Resko, His Racist Book, His Racist Associations with Rev. Right and the head of the Black Muslims Louis Farrakhan, his thin and padded resume? That he claims Hillary is a liar and tells people what they want to hear, when that is in fact what he is guilty of? Is it because not everyone is affluent, young, and elitist, and Obama has no record of being a change maker, so why believe him now? The friendship between the Obamas and Rezkos included occasional dinners and the Obamas once spending a day at the Rezkos' Lake Geneva retreat. It began in about 1991, when Obama became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review and Rezko offered him a job building affordable homes with his Rezmar Corp. Though Obama declined, a friendship and political alliance began. His first big contributor http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/polit... Working link: http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/425305,CST-NWS-obama13.article Link in post: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-obama-rezkomar15,0,2968927.story

Britain: Can anyone answer this ? Why there are so many boarded up and derelict houses a lot of which are reasonably easy to refurbish. A PM who keeps banging on about building affordable homes and nothing is happening. Alongside of this TESCOS stores keep growing out of the ground seemingly overnight so why cant essential housing be put together just as quickly ?? It great when nosy people bite the bait of your profile and get steamed up over it. Thats exactly what its there for and why I regularly edit it. Someone intelligent and indifferent would just ignore such carrot dangling. Lol ?

Should all the Stimulus money have gone into Health Care? This Country is getting old and if we want to create a future its the Business of taking care of the elderly that would have been an investment not just a band-aid. There is already a Nursing shortage would be a stepping stone for a great place to start. Start Building affordable elderly care homes. The more expensive ones are already popping up every where. The time to act is now before we are an Old nation. http://www6.miami.edu/miami-magazine/spring98/aging.html

question!! how is building a house cheaper than buying one? i mean.. don't you need to buy the land and then all the material to build your house and then hire the construction workers? i don't get it! i always hear how building a home is much more affordable well is it?

I have a home for sale under the affordable housing program, I cannot sell it. Anyone have any ideas? Our home was built in 2006 it is a 3 story town home 3 bed 2.5 bath w/ 2 car attached garage. Living room, family room, large kitchen, master has walk in closet, pantry, stackable washer and dryer located upstairs across from master. It is under the affordable housing guidelines for the City of Tusin. See income restrictions below: -2006 Orange County Moderate Income Limits- 3 person household a maximum of $84,600 4 person household a maximum of $94,000 5 person household a maximum of $101,500 6 person household a maximum of $109,000 7 person household a maximum of $116,600 I have lots of information if you are interested. We need to find a family with 3 or more persons with an income of at least $80,000, but no more than the maximum income as indicated above. We are desperate and have listed it on craigslist and with an affordable clearinghouse. If you have any ideas where else to find buyers please let me know. It is located on Newport Ave near Sycamore. This home is qualified under the affordable housing limitations, I do not have a choice in selling it any other way. I am getting a divorce not flipping a home and I cannot afford to use a realtor, and their commission cannot be paid out of escrow, I would have to pay them out of pocket. It is 20% below market, therefore is not effected by the soft market, it is just hard trying to find people who qualify under this type of program. Sorry for any confusion.

would letting drug dealers out of jail help society? Would letting drug dealers out of jail help society by allowing them to sell marijauna. By selling, in turn pay state tax on how much they sell and use that money (Millions of dollars) to build affordable homes, fix up schools, and contribute to local and state run programs. Giving hard honest workers a tax break.

Is the affordable housing plan affordable enough? "Campaigners for more council housing have given a lukewarm response to Prime Minister Gordon Brown's promise to build 110,000 "affordable" homes over the next two years." http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/britain/brown_s_affordable_housing_plan_not_enough

Why do I love George Bush? although he is an easy target to pick at, I think Iraq was a great choice. How can we let a criminal like Saddam murder and create mass graves of children and adults? remember all the oil fields that he caught on fire and allowed the oil to spill into the sea? remember all the videos of the animals soaked in oil? I would bomb him just for that. Been to Colombia lately? I have 5 times, great clean country and much different from 10 years ago thanks to george w bush. Low taxes allowed me build a big company and compete with the big boys and pay great wages to my employees with good health care. The people who are suffering...people that borrowed more than they can afford, banks that loaned money to people who couldn't afford to repay deserve their misery and you should be ready with your saved money to jump in and profit from their bad choices....I am...I have bought over 40 properties in the last few years and tons of land that I can develop later. You call me an opportunist...I call me one too but I have also renovated these properties and now have tons of happy renters and I plan to continue to build affordable homes for all my friends of america!!! to the first 4...HATERS!!! jajajaja Jamacia???? are you locked in a dark section 8 apartment in Detroit or something!!!!LOSERS. I LOVE BUSH!!!

Is there affordable land for sale in the Northeast? I'm interested in purchasing land in New York or some other state in the Northeast and was curious what were good locations. Doesen't have to be a lot of land either, I'm content with at least 1 acre, but would love 10 or more acres to build a home. I'm willing to consider more northern states such as Maine, and even Minnesota (I know that it isn't really northeast, but just saying I'd consider it) Looking forward to hearing some suggestions. And don't mention Yahoo Real Estate or some other Realtor website please, because I've been using websites, I just want a person's personal opinion.

Looking for a Book that teaches you everything you need to know about building a small home? I have this crazy dream, one day I would really like to build my own grain bin home. I have a talent for building small toy doll houses and toy barns but I've always wanted to do a larger scale. I'm really interested in these small affordable alternative living homes but I don't know the basics about construction, foundations, installing windows/doors, plumbing and so forth. I'd like a book that teaches you everything you need to know about how to build a small home or convert steel buildings into homes. I know where to buy books, I'm looking for a recommended book Title.

What type of affordable and green heating for historical building? Hi there, A good friend just recently purchased an old historical home that is in need of a heating system for its carriage house which will become a full time studio for her and possibly a rental area upstairs. However, the overall size of the building is small. Somewhere around 400 sq. ft. total (2 stories). There is a covenant that states that the building must remain authentic to the period (Colonial times) on the exterior. So solar panels are out if they can be seen by the public. The flooring is a slab of cement. So radiant might be tricky since the ceilings are quite low. So my first two ideas won't work. She's looking for ideas on heating options that are green, that won't show from the exterior or a very minimal amount and affordable. What do you all think? Thanks!

Should we promote employers to provide homes for employees? I mean, what if every employer, or every business building had a apartment complex built on top of the business. And, if the employers got a huge tax break for each family living in the apartments built above their business. That would cut down on gas right? Affordable housing for the poor, high tax breaks for employers, and cleaner air and less gas consumption for all. Is there anything we can do to promote this? Of course, you could always move. I'm just suggesting ways to reduce consumption of gas.

What are the cons in affordable housing? I need to know what the cons are for affordable housing in an already "ghetto" neighborhood. This company wants to build these apartments near my home and I need some ammo to take to a meeting this thursday. I don't want them built!! And I need to get my community involved by showing them that this is a terrible idea!!

In order to make it easier for people to be housed, should there be government investment in-house building? "The prospects of getting an affordable home are looking bleaker than ever for millions of people because of "inadequate" public and private house-building, campaigners have warned." http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/86534 "Labour MP Austin Mitchell, who chairs the Commons council housing group, called for more government investment in council-house building." "We need a huge increase - more than 100,000 council homes a year for rent in addition to what the private market builds for sale," he said. "House building can also help Britain get out of the recession quicker by creating thousands of jobs and boosting the consumer market as it did during the 1930s recession."

Government has been the principal factor preventing the “affordable housing” that politicians talk about so mu Government has been the principal factor preventing the “affordable housing” that politicians talk about so much. Amid all the hand-wringing and fingerpointing as housing markets collapse, mortgage foreclosures skyrocket, and financial markets panic, there is very little attention being paid to the fundamental economic and political decisions that led to this mess. The growth in risky “sub-prime” mortgage loans by people buying homes they could not really afford has been a key factor in the collapse of housing markets, when the risks caught up with both borrowers and lenders. But why were home buyers suddenly taking out so many risky loans and lenders suddenly arranging so much “creative” financing for these borrowers? One clue is the concentration of such risky behavior in particular places and times. Interest-only mortgages, where nothing is being paid on the principal for the first few years, enable many people to get started on buying a home with lower mortgage payments at the outset. But of course it is only a matter of time before the mortgage payments go up and, unless their income has gone up enough in the meantime for them to be able to afford the new and higher payments, such borrowers can end up losing their homes. Such risky mortgage loans were rare just a few years ago. As of 2002, fewer than 10 percent of the new mortgages in the United States were of this type. But, by 2006, 31 percent of all new mortgages were of this “creative” or risky type. In the San Francisco Bay Area, 66 percent of the new mortgages were of this type. Why this difference in times and places? Because housing prices were skyrocketing in some places and times, so that people of modest incomes had to go out on a limb to buy a house, if they expected to buy a house at all. But why were housing prices going up so fast, in the first place? A number of studies of communities across the United States and in countries overseas turned up the same conclusion: Government restrictions on building. While many other factors can be involved — rising incomes, population growth, construction costs — a scrutiny of the times and places where housing prices doubled, tripled, or quadrupled within a decade shows that restrictions on building have been the key. Attractive and heady phrases like “open space,” “smart growth,” and the like have accompanied land use restrictions that made the cost of land rise in many places to the point where it greatly exceeded the cost of the homes built on the land. In places that resisted this political rhetoric, home prices remained reasonable, despite rising incomes and population growth. Construction costs were seldom a major factor, for there was relatively little construction in places with severe building restrictions and skyrocketing home prices. In short, government has been the principal factor preventing the “affordable housing” that politicians talk about so much. Politicians have also been a key factor behind pushing lenders to lend to borrowers with lower prospects of being able to repay their loans. The Community Reinvestment Act lets politicians pressure lenders to lend to people they might not lend to otherwise — and the same politicians are quick to cry “exploitation” when the interest charged to high-risk borrowers reflects that risk. The huge losses of sub-prime lenders, some of whom have gone bankrupt, demonstrate again the consequences of letting politicians try to micromanage the economy. Yet with all the fingerpointing in the media and in government, seldom is a finger pointed at the politicians at local, state, and national levels who have played a key role in setting up the conditions that led to financial disasters for individual home buyers and for those who lent to them. While financial markets are painfully adjusting and both lenders and borrowers are becoming less likely to take on so much risky “creative” financing in the future, politicians show no sign of changing. Why should they, when they have largely escaped blame for the disasters that their policies fostered?

Liberals, what is preventing you from setting up private charities? What prevents you from taking action in your communities and setting up private charities, renting homes at affordable prices to the poor, building your own solar and wind farms, investing your own money into green technologies, starting a business that favors the workers, etc? Why does the government have to fix everything when individuals can do it themselves? Mateo- But for some reason they still want government involved. Mike- Ever hear of being redundant? Mike- Ever hear of being redundant? Ever hear of being repetitive?

Liberals, why must you impose your policies on to everyone? What prevents you from taking action in your communities and setting up private charities, renting homes at affordable prices to the poor, building your own solar and wind farms, investing your own money into green technologies, starting a business that favors the workers, etc? Why does the government have to fix everything when individuals can do it themselves? I'm not trying to troll around and say that there are no such thing as liberal charities or anything like that, I'm just wondering why you people still want government to be involved. I do not support laissaz-faire either.

Why was my Acorn question removed? Detail acorn is a non profit organization aimed to help low income families buy affordable homes also acorn is currently building home for the hurricane Katrina victims to which most of them are living in fema trailers.I also said Someone said that Obama has donated 800,000 dollars to Acorn shouldn't this show that he cares for the poor or middle class." Blessed is he that considers the Poor". My question was Why Target Acorn? and this was deleted even after 30 answers why? Chum know i went on acorn website although I knew about acorn before mccain decided to use them to try to defame obama to win an election http://www.acorn.org/ http://acornhousing.org/TEXT/wwa.php

My husband and I have decided to relocate. Any suggestions on small towns in sunny areas affordable to live? We are planning to build a new home and would require minimally 10 acres of land. We would love to build all solar and environmentally conservative. Our only big no areas include snow over 4 inches , remote areas without adequate phone or cable access and highly populated cost of living areas. If anyone knows a dream community or town we would appreciate the knowledge you could share.

New Homes in Victorville , CA worth it? Is it worth buying a home there. Ive seen some of the new homes built and there so beautiful and affordable. Would it be difficult to find a job there? Im having second thoughts, because driving to work 2 hours everyday is just ehhh .__. I love the houses. 3-5 br 200-300K = WOW what a deal. I also heard there was nothing there just the desert . Than again this is such a good deal. Homes in Southern California dont come this cheap D=

People in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisianna area know anything about these homes....? I've gotten some great advise on Jim Walters Homes from Y!A users. My next question is, how do they compare in price and quality to Southwest Homes? I stopped in today to Southwest Homes and got some floor plans and prices. I really liked what I saw. I'm thinking Jim Walters Homes might be even more affordable. Anybody know how they compare? Do you know anybody who has built either? http://www.southwesthomestexas.com/2100-2800.asp

Is "affordable" housing out of reach for the "little man/woman?"? My wife and I watch Flip This House and always see houses that some young couple buys, fixes, and then tries to resell for a tidy profit I've seen a few episodes where they buy a Craftsman style home for "only" $600,000 dollars, put another $100,000 into it then try and sell it for $800,000. The first thing I do is wonder what do they do to be able to get a loan on a $600,000 dollar home? Our Craftsman home was built in about 1929. Ours cost us about $60,000, the average price of other similar homes in our town. Is it really "location, location, location?" Is the housing market really that insane in other areas of the country (we live in Missouri)?

how to make a motorized projector lift? building home theater. Need ideas on easiest (most affordable) way to electrically drop my projector from the ceiling.

4 Million New Homes to be built, the Pm has said, should we build on Greenbelt land? do we have a choice? Do you agree with the Government that we should use a little Greenbelt space to alleviate the affordable housing shortage? The Prime Minister has announced that 4 million new homes are to be built by 2020, most of them on Green Belt land as there is only enough regeneration and Brown land to build one million homes. We all know we need new homes, we would all like to live in a good size of home space with a view, why shouldn’t we use a little bit of that vast Green Belt space. We can't choke ourselves by living in tiny homes in the city with little in the way of parks and ever diminishing recreational space. Lets release that Greenbelt space; I want a space I can afford, in the countryside.

Could we promote green businesses by building apartments for employees on top of business buildings? Could we promote employers to provide apartment homes built on top of business for employees? I mean, what if every employer, or every business building had a apartment complex built on top of the business. And, if the employers got a huge tax break for each family living in the apartments built above their business. That would cut down on gas right? Affordable housing for the poor or middle-class, high tax breaks for employers, and cleaner air and less gas consumption for all. Is there anything we can do to promote this? This would reduce congestion on the highways, reduce the need for oil, and has many other benefits. James Star, I live only about 20 miles north of Seattle, and the prices for even a 2-bedroom apartment is staggering. It's hard to touch anything for less than $1000 per month.

Is there an affordable 5.1 sound card with optical or composite output? I am pricing parts to build a home theater PC. I already have a decent 5.1 sound card, but it has seperate outputs for every channel. I want to connect it to my exsisting surround sound system, which has just the standard optical and composite inputs. I'd prefer a composite output, as my Xbox 360 is hooked up via optical. Thanks! Just to clarify, my reciever doesn't have individual rca inputs for different channels, just an optical input, and a single composite input.

alternative living, my ideas. Your thoughts? I'm looking for like minded people to possibly join me. here's what my goal is: to partner with a few other people in purchasing acreage, (preferably in the rural pacific northwest) to build small affordable homes on, grow gardens, chickens etc. It doesn't make sense to live where I do, I'll never be able to buy a home here. I'm a single guy,30, no kids, probably will not have any in the future. this planet is populated enough anyway, right? I know it may be a stretch to find the right people, but I have to try. if you're interested, contact me. take care

Where is the most affordable parking in downtown San Francisco? I start a new job near the tail end of Makret St. by the Ferry building, and I'm brand new to the city. I was looking at taking public transpo, but I'm probably gonna need my car for a few things. Would a monthly parking pass for the Embarcadero be the wisest choice? Or are there easy cheap places to park? Example: In Santa Monica, get off the 10-West at 4th st. Turn right, and right after you pass Colorado, Make a right turn into the elderly home. Drive all the way to the bottom of the complex. Bam. Free parking. Something like that would be truly awesome. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

HELP OUR NATION, HELP OTHERS AND HELP ME! Can the USA thrive on their own or do they need outside assistance? We are a free nation, we elected our president, we can vote him out. Until then, what should we do? I'm not happy. Why can't President Bush take control of the USA; give all inhabitants what they need, return all our troups, goverment officials and tourists back home to safety? Why is our president not trying to better the USA before helping others elsewhere? Is this the route to take for harmony in the USA? ...to take care of others...first? I feel we have been tricked and the Gov't knows that. Does this mean that Americans are not important? Why are we being ignored? What must we do before we find peace. Why can't the government leave other countries alone & focus on re-building the USA, quit giving us excuses, stop creating House and Senate bills? Why not concentrate on HOME? When will they provide affordable homes, jobs, feed and cloth the needy? When will USA address our needs? Is the gov ignoring us? I want to contact our Gov't, how should I proceed and what should I say?

Will it be less money to have a home built than it will be to purchase a home that is already built? I am interested in having a home built because I think that maybe it would be more affordable for me to have a home bult vs a home that is already built. I don't have a down payment to put on a home that is already built and if i take out a loan from the bank to put a down payment on the house, then I would have to pay the bank and real estate and that would just be more money that I can't pay.. But If I were to just take out a loan and have a home built, the only people I would have to pay back is the bank. Does this sound like I would be making a good decision if I were to have a home built vs. buying one?

whats a good affordable mic to record vocals for a rapper? im trying to build a home studio and im trying to get a good mic that can make me make music that has good sound quality so i can produce good songs people can enjoy

If I allow my home to foreclose, will I get sued for the amount the bank does not recover when they sell? I am married (although the house is only in my name), and I have a second mortgage. I am just going to foreclose on my home because we got into a risky mortgage that we totally cannot afford and payments are skyrocketing. As a result, we are living check to check, barely getting by and the principal balance is growing exponentially. Luckily, the house is only in my name and I have a second mortgage as well. I am considering the following steps: 1. Find a more affordable home (to rent) and sign a lease 2. Skip my mortagage payments for a couple months to save money (which we are currently unable to do). 3. Leave the home I am in and allow it foreclose 4. Rebuild and improve my credit and build cash reserves over the next 3 years.

Where can I find affordable furniture for an apartment? And this may sound dumb(sorry, but I've never moved into a high rise) ,but how am I supposed to furnish(get the furniture in there) my apartment. Aren't they built like hotels kinda? It seems like it would be more difficult that furnishing a home or duplex or something to that effect.

What is the cheapest cost per square foot to build a custom home in White Hills Arizona? If any one knows of a builder who is affordable, or knows anything about sub contracting the building of a custom home, I would greatly appreciate the info. Thank you

I want to build a enviro-friendly "green" house. Where can I find plans and costs for LEED and green homes? I need architechtural plans and realistic way to cost out a "green" home less than or about 2000 or so sf. Here is what I want: -passive solar -Depending on costs: --gray water recycling --under floor radient heating --consider alternative construction like straw bale/rammed earth or modular --recycled materials for insulation --bamboo --natural materials --solar panels --heat pump I'd really like to do it right but I'm of moderate income and single middle aged woman. I need it to be affordable. I'm in Alabama and few do this. I need to keep humidity and heat and climate in mind. Under or around 2000 sf Any info on financing for green homes would be welcome too;

Where can I find an affordable composter? They don't carry them at the big box stores like Lowes or Home Depot. I'm not that handy so I don't want to build one. I have looked online on Ebay but I wanted to see if any of you gardeners had any thoughts about where to get a good composter so I can have some nice black compost in the spring for my new garden areas. I'm looking to spend around the 100 dollar mark or just over that with the shipping. Thank-you.

Today the Government will allow councils to keep all money from rents and sales? Today the government have said they will allow all rent and sale of property money to be kept by the council so they can build more affordable home? Do you feel council estates should be grades so that good tenants do not have to live with tenants that cause problems in the community. Should anti social people be kept all together so good people can enjoy a quiet and happy life? A grading system would take into account if they have ASBOs how they look after their home and garden have the complaints from neighbours re their or their children’s behaviour. A grading system would allow even the worse case families to improve and be up graded or in some cases downgraded. Why should good people live in misery on council estates when we could keep at the anti social people together? What do you think?

Where is a good, relatively affordable place to live in the Phoenix area? We currently live in Utah and have considered a relocation to the Phoenix area for work but I've only been through there twice and know very little of it but I know there are many places like Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria etc, they just don't mean anything to us since we are unfamiliar. I know that commuting is terrible but that goes with the turf. Where can you find a relatively affordable 3 bedroom, 2 bath (minimum) home with a pool (mid 200k to 300k range??) that would be safe, in a family type neighborhood, allow a large rv (need rv pad) and some collector cars and NOT have an HOA? (Home Owners Associations don't really like us car collectors and large rv people) How far out would you have to go? We don't really care about the newest home built last month but are interested in clean, safe and relatively quiet yet not too quiet neighborhoods. Can anyone tell us about the lifestyle there? Things to do ( we're 40 something adults, so not the club scene), lakes for boating, hiking, restaurants, etc. What are the peak summer and winter temps? Does it kill to pay the air conditioner bills?

HGTV Dream Home Question? Since the HGTV Dream Home is so expensive and most people cannot maintain the taxes or upkeep of the home, why won't they build a more affordable home or make it where the winner can have the home of their dreams built in their current city at a rate they can afford? As much as I love HGTV it just does not appear to be feasible to continue building such an expensive home. Also, does anyone know if there is any sort of clause preventing the winner from selling too quickly?

How do I get my name on the lottery for "affordable homeownership in Cambridge MA? I am a Cambridge resident and am looking to my name on a list for the lottery they sometimes have...I need more info on how to do this. I know when they build town house or condos they sometimes have to make a portion of those at 80% less or lower and people who have their names on the list will get picked to try to purchase it. However I am not a first time home buyer and most programs I see are for first time buyers..any help :) thanks

are homes nicer in canada? wondering if homes in canada are more affordable and or built better than in the united states

Can counties stop placement of mobile homes because of year model only when it was built to the federal codes? In Georgia some counties are not allowing placement if the home is 10 years old regardless of the condition of the home. The value of the homes are being affected by the actions of the county officals not by the condition of the home. People are being forced to rent or to only do business within their county as to selection of their new home in order to be able to trade their present home in. I would think people would have some protection under federal law as to free trade across county lines and to keeping the value of there property from being siezed or destroyed by county officals who do not like the form of affordable housing they have chosen Has nothing to do with zoning or construction standards only deals with the fact the home is more than 10 years old. meets all other standards STATE FEDERAL AND LOCAL. So how can it be legal to reject because of the age when it meets all other standards

Are there plans available for easy to build wind generator? I live on the Oregon Coast and have PLENTY of wind. I want to utilize this wind to suplement electricity to my home. Are there affordable kits available or easy to build and understand plans?

Is there really a housing bubble in the US? It doesn't take a lot of thought to realize that the housing market is in real trouble. The number of affordable homes has seriously declined over the last 3-4 years. While experts provide a whole lot of statistics and financial advisors love to tell us that there's nothing to worry about, in reality, there is a lot to ponder. Middle and low-income prospective home buyers have been pushed out of the market. This is causing a serious social/psychological/emotional effect on Americans. Americans can no longer afford the "American Dream" because the housing market has abnormally driven up the prices of homes across the country. This negative socio-psychological effect will hurt Americans all across the country. What is the solution, you might ask - A serious correction in housing is required across the country. The correction is already happening but gradually and the housing downturn will continue until the average prospective homebuyer can realistically afford to buy a home in his/her own community. However, the housing downturn isn't occurring fast enough to relieve the build up of psychological and emotional distress that affects most Americans across the country. Actually - it would be wonderful to see the homebuyer "community" across the country issue a moratorium on buying a home. Just for a month or two - that would really produce a jolt in the much needed housing correction.

How much has the war in iraq cost your state in tax money? The American Friends Service Committee reports that Montana taxpayers, by the end of 2007, will have spent nearly $700 million to pay for the war in Iraq. Worse yet, 21 young Montanans have died in the war. Other Montanans have been physically maimed and mentally damaged in the war, a total of 211 casualties from Montana, so far. Just think what we could have done for Montana with $700 million, if only we had spent our tax money here instead of supporting the privatization of a war for profit. We could have built 85 new elementary schools, for example. We could have built 6,687 new affordable housing units for Montanans providing homes for Montana families. Or, we could have provided 148,203 university scholarships for Montana students!

How well do heat & glow gas fireplaces heat? We are building a new home and our contractor uses Heat & Glow gas fireplaces. A local retailer tried to push the Mendota because they heat better. However, we are on a budget and the Heat & Glow is more affordable.

About how much would it cost to build a modular home (NOT a trailer) in Alabama? A 3BR/2Bath, about 1600-2000 square feet, in the Troy/Jack/Enterprise area (nearest large city is Dothan). I've just started to look at property. I will be relocating from FL to AL within 6 months, and I'm not familliar with the housing market there. I've been trying to find pricing info online, without much success, to see if this is an affordable option. If you have built a house in this area, modular OR stick built, I'd like to hear about your expenses! Thank you!

questions about building a decent htpc? i have been wanting to build a home theater pc for a while and i was just mulling over my choices before i commit to what to get. obviously i would like it to perform well, but i am not really looking to overspend on resources i won't realistically use. i plan on connecting it to either a 19 or 26" hd lcd tv, and mostly for using the internet, record and watch tv shows, listen to music, convert videos, and play a little world of warcraft here and there. here's what i have so far: AMD Athlon™ X2 5000+ Dual-Core CPU 500 watt power supply 2 gigs of ram 500 gig harddrive basically i am having trouble picking out a video card. my options are the nvidia 8400-8600 series. i am not a hardcore gamer and don't plan on needing elaborate graphics, but i want an affordable solution for hd video. i'm sure warcraft would run okay enough for me on the 512 mb 8400, i'm not picky and don't really need a lot of frills. also, for an htpc would you go with windows mce 05 or vista?

How to search for new home, but in good school district- Lake Elsinore/ Riverside County? OK... I've given up on the thought that I may be able to buy in So. OC where I currently rent. I've tried to leave the state in search of affordable housing, but that didn't work out. I've never wanted to move to Riverside County (it wasn't as nice as OC and was just as expensive), but recent builder incentives make a new home purchases possibly affordable. So I went out and looked along the 15 FWY and saew some nice houses.... BUT all the schools are in the ghetto and have bad reputations. All these nice houses and no schoold built yet... likely years from being constructed. Does anybody know of any good schools in Riverside County or a good site that grades the schools?

If I vote for you .. Will you....? attempt to Americanize 2 million illegals a year in a national guard to assist in growing foods and building homes that are affordable? This would assist in training cut down on crime and legalize them in a working capacity. Would you ban vehicles under the year 1999 and begin manufacturing safe vehicles to cut down on the ozone problems. It could create jobs and help the economy and the global warming issues. Would you iniate a healthcare for all? Would you help fund a relevant economy where 6 persons would not have to work to afford one house. Would you implement a farm program to assist everyone to afford nutrition and not have to live on rice and beans which is killing most of us. Would you implement education for better jobs so less persons need to struggle for minimum wage? These are some things I would like to have done in the near future How about you? What would you like to happen to better our society? I appreciate everyones feed back and hope that though it needs perfecting illegals are dealing drugs prostitution and guns and the crime rate is ridiculously dangerous. This is an alternate to jail where they are paid for anyway. Train them to be a solution than a problem for housing and citizenship for a period of two years.

Why are there no affordable townhouses? They keep building $130-$150k townhouses around here. Aside from that, there are either apartments or tiny condos that only roommates with virtually no furniture could live in. I want a $100k townhouse that is affordable. What is the matter with people?? And they say that buying a house is cheaper than renting? Not! There is a major difference between paying $600/mo and paying $1200/mo, not to mention all the home loan scams going around. I will never get out of renting, ever, b/c there is no affordable place to live that is within 100 miles of here and I live in a major city! Ok thanks for letting me vent...lol :)

Best AFFORDABLE A/V receiver or HDMI HTIB for use with PS3? Hi there, I got a PS3 for Christmas 2007 and love it. I love the Blu-Ray player and the games and the internet access. I picked up a 47 inch Vizio HD LCD tv a couple months later, so I'm slowly building my home theater up to specs. However, I don't have an up to date a/v receiver. The Panasonic HTIB I have does not have an optical in/out or HDMI inputs, which stinks, so I really need to upgrade. I can get surround sound with normal dvds through the Panasonic HTIB, but no such luck with the PS3, as the HDMI connection is only going into my tv. My question is, can anybody recommend a good, affordable surround sound HTIB with HDMI or a good affordable A/V HDMI receiver? Also, I've read a lot about HDMI passthrough and "true" HDMI...can anyone explain this? I'm looking for the $200-$400 range, max. Thank you!

Any tips on obtaining a Small Business Loan? I am interested in building a set of apartments or a subdivision with smaller affordable home for the working man.

Seeing as there is undeniably a housing shortage in the Uk whats the bst solution to this? House prices are way up high and there are many that need housing that is affordable. Obviously the answer is to build new homes but how should it be done without detrimenting the environment and social fabric of the country? - is the answer to build new towns? - expand cities - higher rise in city centres, after all london is very low density. - or how about if they just built FIVE new homes in EVERY settlement in the Uk, would that solve the shortage.