"You - you said - what'd you say a minute ago?

They had to wait and save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they're so old and broken down that they... Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle." -- George Bailey

Oh yeah... $68K x 3 = $204,000. Either the median income has to rise or the median price still has some falling to do...

Welcome back Jamie ;)

Very appropriate movie quote!

Thanks for the welcome back. Good to see you back, too.

This is dumb. First of all it does make mention of taxes or the fact that the non-earners in B'more drag the whole median down. This is broad generalization.

You can live in Lauraville or Beverly Hills in a beautiful 3-4 bedroom home that is well beyond expectations for less than these suggested prices, easy. This is the problem with having a "Wonk" from Howard County. There you can barely afford to live, here (in the City) you can live well... minus the taxes and schools which she refuses to make meaningful opinions about.

This is suburban fodder.

I wondered when you'd notice I was blogging again, Christian. :-)

My main point above is that it's much, much, much quicker to buy a house by taking out a mortgage than by saving up the full cost upfront. As I note, that was also true back in '99. That's when the median for the metro area was $127,000, below the city's current median.

You can live in Lauraville or Beverly Hills in a beautiful 3-4 bedroom home that is well beyond expectations for much less than these suggested prices. Great tree-lined street bungalows, Cape codes, Farm houes for $180-250k.

I am pretty sure this median salary in this article includes is a lot of people that are not middle class. If we got rid of the and top 5-10%, we'd realize how lucky we are.

According to this same paper we are the "Richest State" with the "Best Schools," that should be worth something.

Whatever, this blogger has her adgenda.

I've noticed and restrained.... Telling myself I will never reply to your or Lorraine’s post again. You too are cooler than me, have more exposure, and are suburbanites.

Congratulations on your new baby.

I would love to welcome you to the City. Our schools are improving.

BTW: Your article makes nosense for at least 98% of people.

I have also noticed since the attacks on me resulting from my blog posts here is that no one lives in the city!

Is this a Baltimore real estate Blog spot or not?. Urban living is different than suburban living. Can we get this straight? This is a Metro (suburban)Blog.

Christian Dunn,

Where did anyone claim, "Is this a Baltimore real estate Blog spot or not?. Urban living is different than suburban living. Can we get this straight? This is a Metro (suburban)Blog."

Stop spewing your agenda of requiring people to living in the City or they must be considered worthless, irrelevant, and biased. And stop acting like a martyr with your self righteousness that your better than everyone for living in the city.

Jamie is providing good blog topics here and you continue to personally attack her. If you continue I will be forced to come out of "blog retirement" and personally expose you. Don't make me post the graveling email you sent me begging me to stop writing bad about Bmore and you. Stop Dunn or else what little RE sales you get now will dwindle to nothing as your name will be mud.

Please, everyone, I don't want to see this forum devolve into attacks. I don't like to be put in the position of wondering whether I should censor a comment because it's over the "too mean" gray line. I don't like censoring, period.

But I am getting tired of the never-ending loop of one commenter complaining about me, others complaining about him, and then him complaining about them. Let's not waste our valuable time. Let's talk about the housing market. (On-topic complaints are always fine, of course.)

Remember that many rowhomes here in B-more (city) were originally sold with that ancient relic: ground rent. Therefore, a buyer (presumably w/o a mortgage) was only buying the house, not the land under the house, which is a large cost component of buying a house nowadays. This would seem to complicate direct comparisons on buying a house back then (w/o a mortgage) to buying one today.

Good point, Bob! I don't know what that meant for rowhome prices back in the day when ground rent was a benefit and not a problem. Too bad monthly home sales data doesn't go back that far.

This calculation wouldn't apply to pre-mortgage days, anyway, since there's a bit of a chicken-or-egg problem. We saw during the housing boom how mortgage products themselves can help drive up prices by making it possible for more people to buy (and for more people to buy more house).

So what's the point of this post? Sheer number-crunching wonkishness, I'm afraid.

I just flew over the 'burbs last night, the largest land marks were parking lots! These all create runoff. I understand this blog is pointed to the Metro area and I am a City boy.

None-the-less, I don't think that caring about runoff, expendid energey in the grid, divisevness, lack of mass transit [rail], racial divides, and lack of community continue is a bad thing..

I get it. Baltimore is the under-class town that even the local media wants to distance its self from.

I really do get it... Does any one else?

It really is a beautiful town! I am amazed every day.

Christian, I don't know if it's worth repeating myself on this point, but I don't have anything against the city and don't see where my blog gives that impression. You're offering up a straw man argument. But feel free to argue against anything I specifically do write -- that's perfectly fair game.

I wish in the New Year that JSH will state that this blog is for the METRO area.

Please leave the city out of this.

Jamie-

Your research can be done in minutes, seconds in fact. Most of it is done off of Realtors Websites. Weird.

You are die hard Howard County resident. You are doing well at that. We are very different. Congats on your new baby!

My belief that the city and new-urbanism has created much fuss with your suburban readers... I am placed between "Realtor "*hore" and George Bush due to your suburban perspective on city living. I get it it. You are better than we are.

I really do get it... You are better than us. Congratulations, you win.

There are many other ways to buy a home that you aren't even scratching at.

Maryland hasn't even come close to pulling out all stops. Perhaps that is because we are doing well...

Are you doing the research or not?! We haven't even gotten close to the creative stuff.

REALLY? Are you badmouthing Baltimore City?

Please get your legal and financials straight. I am sick of the local media bad mouthing the city with no creative help. You aren't getting close.. and being divisive. Look at yourselves before pointing fingers... We have a better record than you you, although you are trying to tear us down. I get it at least.

Good job Columbia girl.

I just tried to call the Editors here... They no longer exist....

This is the Chicago Tribune.

JSH, please tell us more how we suck and provide fodder.....

Let's face it, this paper doesn't care about this city.

We are done though this paper's eyes.

Many times my points don't make sense. I really wish they did.

They are tough to defend...

JSH and I are polar opposites.

Well -- I'm not going to repeat myself again today, so I'll only point you toward the Sun's contact information if you really did want to talk to an editor: www.baltimoresun.com/about/bal-about-sun-contact,0,2796354.htmlstory

Forgive me... This has to be at least a little fun.. You have aligned your blog with popular 'burb "haters." From the West Coast to The northern Baltimore 'burbs you have a following with many readers. You are a die hard suburbanite who cares little about Mayland issues; runfoff, the Bay. tranisit, community, race, equality, environment, etc...

Your appeal is to the people living in the Metro area, which you have stated to me many of times. You take no opinon, yet you do. It scares me, because you are backed so highly. Very few of your readers live in Baltimore, the ones I have met are too scared to comment.

I have read your stories for years, yet as a Baltimore City Realtor could explian more in 15 minutes. In fact you confuse these.

From my point of view you are a life long Comubia resident, which you are, and use the City as your employment base but consider it trash. This is normal.

Your back ground is clear. I think you should move away and come back.

I get it.

I am sick of talking to the the Editors. They are nasty and mean, and think they are Rockstars. I don't think any of them live south of North Avenue. I have never talked to a more egotisical bunch of people in my life. They don't even live here.... They don't care.

I have called many times.

Scarey... I am not as 'burbs person. I don't know how it is out there.

You scare me. I think you are one of the worst things that has happened to Baltimore City since the 20th Century. You along with the other privalaged real estate reporter who think the 'burbs are the only thing to report and 'cooler' than all else dutifuly bitch slap Baltimore. Good for you.

I know you grew up in Columbia. MD, never left and think Baltimore City sucks.... Go some placeelse! Enjoy this town that you poop upon. BTW: Why are you so mean?

Yes, you are a suburban resident with a big parking lot. You think you are cooler because you don't have the Baltimore Colloquialism.

Give it a break, please.

I'd just like to note, that the city has more imperviously top than the burbs do on a comparable basis, ie. acre for acre.
Also Dunn, normally I'd say you sound like your going postal, but what is more fitting is you've gone Realtor.

I plan on contacting Iona Harrison and Steve Meszaros regarding your actions on this blog and asking for your license to be revoked.

This is a great idea and I've done it myself. I live in Texas and started saving for a property since I was 19 years of age the properties in texas are cheap $80 - $140. I was able to buy my house for less than 80k after saving for 5 years and I don't have to worry about the bank taking 50k to 70k more out of my pockets. The hole idea of mortgage is evil if you look at amortization table you will see how much money the bank drains from you about 20 - 30 years. If I ever moved away I could rent this property and make more money than the money was making in a money market or CD.

Wow, thank goodness for mortgages as that sure make saving up the 5 to 20% down payment a lot easier to do when you consider just how long it would take. I guess it pays to be patient now doesn't it.

My goodness as a realtor associate and working with a lot of clients buying homes today I cannot even imagine the average couple having the ways and means to purchase a home without a mortgage.

The only market where I see homes being purchased without the aid of a mortgage would be in the adult communities.

More often that not, the typical adult community home buyer uses the proceeds from the sale of their current home and uses it towards purchasing their retirement home.

For the typical first time home buyer it is hard enough for them to try to come up with over 20% down to avoid PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) let alone forking over the entire price of the home itself.

FHA loans used to be reveered as taboo but more and more they are becoming the norm just because of the simple fact that a first time home buyer can put down as little as 3% and as long as their income is strong along with their credit score they can usually get into a home with no problem.

They will, however, be subject to MIP (same as PMI just called MIP typically when dealing with FHA loans) for a period of years, and home buyers need to know that it will drop off so make sure you inquire about that after about the first 4 years into the loan, it usually takes longer but it is good to speak to your mortgage lien holder to keep up with them regarding that charge.

I enjoyed your article and I will let my realtor associates know about the site here.

In a buyer's market, seller financing is a suggested selling tool by most Realtor's, but not every home will fit into this criteria. A simple way to find such homes is by doing a MLS (multiple listing) search and find each home listed as, "seller financing" options available. Most agents will give you a free list if you request one.