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A Million Dollars - And The Kids Sleep On The Couch?

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Are people aware of the housing options out there? Sometimes it sure doesn’t seem like it. The other night my wife and I were watching a program on one of the cable networks. In it, Deepak Chopra, famous writer and teacher on spiritual topics, was shopping for a condo in Hawaii. He was shown several and had to choose one quickly due to limited time. The condos ranged in price from about $600,000 to 1.3 million dollars.

Now, I understand entirely that when it comes to the price of things, everything is relative. While it is crazy for a middle class couple to pay a million dollars for a condo, it makes perfect sense for someone with enough money. You have to spend it on something after all. I also feel strongly that it is nobody’s business what a person spends his money on. On the the other hand, I guess we gain the right to ponder those choices when they are made on national television.

In this case, Deepak finally decided on a condo that cost about $700,000. Again, it makes sense if you have enough money. You look at your housing options differently. A nice condo on a Lake Michigan beach might go for as little as $300,000, but if you want that Hawaiian climate and you have the money, why not look at that warm-weather real estate, right? Another $400,000 may not be that much for you to pay.

But what is difficult for some of us to understand is how with that kind of budget, the kids still have to sleep on the couch. Yes, you read that right. The condo he chose was a one bedroom condo, not even on the beach (but with close access). In the course of the program, we hear Chopra and the real estate agent discussing how nice the view is and how the kids can sleep in the living room.

How much money do you have to spend now to have a condo with a nice view that doesn’t require that the kids sleep on a couch? Obviously a lot less than the Chopras, who chose the view and location over space considerations. With an hour of internet searching, anyone could find a dozen places with great waterfront condos that were less than $700,000 - and which have a room for the kids.

Now, once again, I have to say that it is not my right (or anyone else’s) to say what someone should buy with their money. But it certainly does make one wonder if sometimes people lose touch with what housing options are out there. Maybe all their friends are buying in a certain area, or buying a certain type of housing, and that is all they see in their choices.

With that in mind, what are some of the housing options that are available for $700,000? Here are some that come to mind.

- How about four beautiful condos for around $175,000 each in four great locations around the world. If you don’t think this is possible, you aren’t looking very hard.

- How about a beautiful condo on a lake somewhere for $400,000, and then invest the other $300,000 to pay for a $25,000 round-the-world vacation every year for the rest of your life?

- Maybe a little shopping in Hawaii could mean a $600,000 condo with two bedrooms, so the kids get a place to sleep and you have $100,000 left over.

I could go on, but in the end people will make their own housing choices. They will buy their $700,000 or million-dollar condos, and you and I will be left to wonder if they really considered all the options out there.

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About the Author: Copyright Steve Gillman. To see a photo of the house we bought for $17,500, get a free ebook on Cheap Housing Options, and a free real estate investing course, visit: http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

Article source: http://www.easyarticles.com

Posted in kids |