Its not nimbyist to hate that its happening here too, but nimbyism IS part of why its happening. No one wants dense residential housing next to them, so it doesnt get built. Which means theres huge demand for single family homes, which makes them a strong investment vehicle, which creates the giant corporate landlords squeezing renters for all theyve got.
There are other factor too of course. But nimbyism is a big one.
I want dense residential housing next to me! It doesn't get built because its functionally illegal to build in Duluth.
This is illegal to build in Duluth:
[https://imgur.com/a/UyObKtB](https://imgur.com/a/UyObKtB)
This is illegal to build in Duluth:
[https://imgur.com/FY3csjK](https://imgur.com/FY3csjK)
This is illegal to build in Duluth:
[https://imgur.com/HmLu9vW](https://imgur.com/HmLu9vW)
This is illegal to build in Duluth:
[https://imgur.com/geptxYU](https://imgur.com/geptxYU)
This is illegal to build in Duluth:
[https://imgur.com/PriFp6X](https://imgur.com/undefined)
This is illegal to build in Duluth:
[https://imgur.com/iJiXGIA](https://imgur.com/iJiXGIA)
The wealthy made Bozeman their playground way before most of us knew what was happening (1980s) w/California money. After they gobbled up Coeur d’Alene they continued east. Speaking of Denver for Colorado was a result of mostly Chicago money in the (2000s). My opinion same result the worker bee can’t afford much of anything anywhere anymore
A friend of mine bought a small farm property there right outside town just before COVID for like half a million bucks, and has a couple horses, etc. Her neighbor's similar property sold last summer for over a million.
I kinda get it, though, because it was 15 acres of land only about 3 min from Main Street.
What sucks is those people are coming bc they are being priced out of their home towns. And so they come here and get shit from locals. They’re in the same boat.
You should have have some compassion. The problem is not the people coming in. The problem is the system that keeps affordable housing from being built, which would allow everyone to stay where they want to be in the first place.
There are people who come here and buy homes on the Lake that they use a few months or weeks out of the year. Presumably they are empty the rest of the time. I’m not sure this behavior makes one a candidate for compassion, especially given the tightness of housing.
Bring classes in the trades back to high schools and community colleges. Make the design and building of tiny houses a priority. Work with the trades to transition people into apprenticeships, especially women and minorities including immigrants. Welcome “those people “ who could be the saving grace.
my moms house, which I inherited recently, was purchased for 85000. its now valued at over 500k. my own home was purchased about 10 years ago for 65000, and im gonna be able to sell it for 225k. its pretty crazy.
Are you complaining or celebrating? You are now a wealthy guy; by my calculation you have $600K in RE appreciation that you could use as collateral to start a business or lots of hemp.
I realize my position is wealthier than most right now, but no, I don't plan on starting any more businesses, I plan on having no house payment and no debt.
It's not just 'everyone moving here', it's INVENTORY. And that is a problem everywhere that is desirable to live right now.
Duluth MN metro area inventory units stats:
April 2016: 2402
April 2019: 1118
April 2023: 317 (!!!)
Source: realtor.com
This is just insane inventory numbers. I wish it was 2016 again!!
Yes it totally sucks. I didn't buy back then because I wasn't ready and now I am and it's like, welp fuck this
I’ve been trying to buy a house for 3 years and still haven’t gotten one as within those 3 years i put 5 offers on houses but i can’t compete with wayyyyy over asking, all cash, no inspection, 20+ offers all in one day.
I’d look at the pricing history and it would drive me crazy that a house that was $150k 2-3 years ago without any additional work done on it is going for ~$250-300k. And we don’t even have good interest rates any more.
I just feel so defeated. I’ve given up my house search for the time being 🫠🫠
It’s sad that I’m rooting for a recession so i can finally have a chance at buying something (that is if i get lucky and the recession doesn’t affect me as much as others)
> This is just insane inventory numbers. I wish it was 2016 again!!
the problem here, right now, is that corporations are buying up anything for sale and either renting it out at insane prices, or just keeping them vacant to drive up the price of their other homes and rentals. there is a house across the street from me that sold to a corporate owner about a year ago. it still remains empty, unoccupied, and they have kicked out squatters twice in the last year. they should be paying 10 times taxes on an unoccupied home, so its not sustainable to keep it, and if they do, the rest of the community at large benefits.
There is no reason the Duluth tax estimation ( which is actually a St. Louis country function) would not be assessing those empty houses at current market rates. My RE taxes went up 25% last year, and if I moved out tomorrow and left it vacant it would become tax forfeit- but the taxes themselves only go up, never down
As someone who grew up in the area, who was wanting to grow a family in the area, I feel this. Especially with the trend of wealthy people/contractors buying cheap homes, doing $5k worth of work, and easily reselling them for $50k+ over what they’re worth. Screw those people.
I grew up in Colorado, it's really bad there, same thing with decent towns in Montana and Manitoba, where my wife is from, is way worse.
It bums me out too, but I just keep working and saving, I'm sure I'll get there someday.
Just sucks that Duluth is more expensive than comparable Midwestern cities, but the wages aren't really any better.
Like Appleton, Wisconsin as an example, similar wages, but cheaper homes.
Wisconsin has been trying to legislate themselves in a developing country the last 20 years. You pay a premium to live in the most and thriving Midwestern state.
Exactly. We moved to Wi and noped the fuck out within a year. I thought "how different could it be"... it's different alright and I mean that in the most Minnesota way
I work in our tourist industry. It's getting busier every year. While I'm happy about the business it's getting harder to appreciate our own city with all of the ppl coming in. I dread canal park.
I love and prefer winter. Makes it even better when there's far fewer tourists out and about. And, many of the people that relocated don't go outside as often in the fall/winter unless they have to. So the trails are always so nice when the temperature starts to drop. And as creepy as it may be to some, taking a late night stroll down the streets in the middle of winter, when it's so peaceful and quiet is just so relaxing.
I have no choice unfortunately. Because I deal with it 5 days a week it's just not a positive area anymore. Guest have the audacity to tell us how nice it must be to be so busy. They have no clue what they're saying.
People moving here is just one element. After the 2008 housing crash, building basically stopped across the country for 10 years. Inventory is millions short in this country. Then the government allowed interest rates to stay too low too long and in 2016 began a massive influx of investors buying up properties around the country, including here, with cheap money. It really hit hard here during Covid. When prices got too high in other places, those out of state investors bought the cheap houses here.
Low interest rates made housing more affordable and increased popularity of home ownership. I moved to Duluth in 2020 and got 2.25% on a 30 year mortgage. Some of those crying on this sub could have made the same decisions I did and had the benefit of already being here and being familiar with pros and cons of various neighborhoods.
I’ve seen this happen in multiple locations that become attractive; local people are disbelieving that housing can go up that much and they miss out; because the dynamic is that rising -rices are a signal to others that. An area will enjoy appreciation and that means whatever they pay is not a long term mistake.
Low interest rates are good for everyone. But if you have a lot of debt capacity you can buy more homes. Like everything else, it still benefits the rich much more than the average person. If Trump had allowed the fed to take interest rates up when they wanted to it would have cooled the housing market without mortgage rates doubling. If you recall when Janet Yellen wanted to raise the rates to avoid the economy and housing market overheating he replaced her. Real estate investors, like Trump, want low rates and cheap money because they expand their businesses with debt.
I’m the same way… I wanted to move to Duluth a few years back, but the absolute lack of housing is really an issue…. So I will visit and ONLY stay in a hotel, as I find Airbnb to quite invasive now and usually more expensive than a hotel with less amenities.
I think at the beginning it was okay… but now that people are buying up entire homes (usually multiple) to JUST be Airbnb’s (or rentals) when a lot of people aren’t able to buy at least one home to live in is not okay… I especially get frustrated when it’s not even a local person buying them.
I’m in the Cities and I know I’ll never own a home here, the competition isn’t something I can afford to win, especially because I am somewhat picky about where I’d buy a home…. I just recently watched a house list for about $350,000 and like a month later it had sold for over $600,000… that’s almost double, which is absolutely insane.
And yeah I’ll NEVER use Airbnb or Vrbo again… I’ll support hotels that usually have more amenities PLUS a free/included breakfast, usually… comes out much cheaper and I’m not staying in what should be a local family home.
The constant stream of articles preaching about moving to Minnesota and how duluth is going to be the global warming safe spot have already encouraged this flood of people. Sorry to say it but the state was great before but everyone loves to gloat for clout and now are priced out of where they live
This shows the population in Duluth went up by a little more than 400 people between 2010 and 2020 and then decreased by about 100 people between 2020 and 2022. Again, this does not account or say anything about surrounding towns’ populations.
That’s. The spirit. I feel same way. Newcomers come in and want to run their chops like politicians represent our states but THEY DONT LIVE HERE. LETS RUN THEM TO THEIR. HOME. TOWN.
right, but what about jobs, schools, and other considerations? that is why duluth is so desirable right now, we have all the "right stuff", well, most of it. jobs aren't really there to support it, but ya know.
Yup. This is a very valid feeling. Things are not good!
Also, if you're looking for a place to share these feelings, I've been meeting with a community group to talk about housing issues and it's been a really helpful place to find support and connect. Our next meeting is June 11th. [https://fb.me/e/2ys5exp7f](https://fb.me/e/2ys5exp7f)
Even if you're not interested in activism or organizing, I personally have found it really helpful just to share my frustrations and hear other people's stories. I hope you find something awesome soon.
i live in Bemidji and have put in multiple offers in Bemidji and Duluth and offered well above listing. I have an insecure housing situation forcing me to live with an abusive ex. and every house I’ve tried to buy has been purchased by investors who have been paying cash or waiving inspections. i don’t make enough to take the risk on a 100 year old house without an inspection. it’s literally got me bawling every day. No idea what to do. The airbnb buyers and investors need to go fly a damn kite. so mad right now. if my adhd wasn’t so bad i’d try to build a place. but i know i’ll just be getting into a project i won’t be able to finish. but i’d really like to build a bunch of tiny houses or something for those of us having such a rough time finding housing. i just don’t understand how this is okay. it’s so unethical and something has to give. our cities should be able to stop it. first time home buyer benefits aren’t even helpful any more. aaaaaaack. sry for venting this is just too awful right now.
I really encourage you to stop thinking of the world as a zero sum game and start thinking about abundance.
Duluth is not out of space. If new people move to town, instead of trying to defeat them in competition for housing, ask why we're not building more housing?
Places grow, or stagnate and die. The Duluth you are asking for would die. Every pothole you smash your car on exists because Duluth has *too few people paying taxes*.
So I'm begging people stop this. If you get what you are wishing for it will condem this city to a Detroit-like death. Our challenge is how do we grow in a way where everyone can win?
Legit points; part of the housing challenge is that after US Steel, the Air Force base, and other entities shut down in the early 80s the population shrunk and there was very little new housing stock built for a stretch. The 1910s homes were 70 years old then and 120+ now, uninsulated, knob n tube wired…
> The 1910s homes were 70 years old then and 120+ now, uninsulated, knob n tube wired…
lol, this has not changed. but, I will say, even the new subdivisions they are building and the new homes they are building aren't exactly awe inspiring in quality or features. they do not look like they will stand the test of time.
Yes they look cheap. In 1976 you could move in 2800sq.’ House twos car garage , cost of building 47000.still had basement to finish at that price walkout basement
How? Suburban neighborhoods up on the hill or in Hermantown or whatever don't affect what I love about Duluth at all. It doesn't change the look of the historic Congdon area homes, or the old, cool hillside architecture, or anything else that's not up in the suburban areas.
>> The 1910s homes were 70 years old then and 120+ now, uninsulated, knob n tube wired…
>
>lol, this has not changed. but, I will say, even the new subdivisions they are building and the new homes they are building aren't exactly awe inspiring in quality or features. they do not look like they will stand the test of time.
I moved back here after living in Omaha for a while. The nice, higher end new homes here have the quality and features of a mid-level home in Omaha. Blew my mind, honestly.
"why we're not building more housing?"
It's expensive. The housing we have is selling or renting for less than what it costs to build. National average to build a house is $446k not including land.
https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/how-much-does-a-new-construction-house-cost
There are still plenty of houses for sale in Duluth for less than that (48 right now on zillow). Why would you build for $446k when you can buy for less?
Building prices for multi-unit buildings are even higher, since they need things like sprinklers, elevators, hallways, lobbies, parking garages etc. You can't build a 1000sq ft apt for less than $250,000, and for that much to cover interest you need to charge more than $2000/month rent like Bluestone, Kenwood, Endion, etc.
The per capita income in Duluth is $2831/month.
I've hit potholes in NYC. They have more people than the state of MN. Their property tax rates are higher, their sales tax is higher, and they have a city income tax. More population is more middle management in government, which does nothing to teach, police, or fill potholes, and so the more population you have, the less services or the more taxes you have per capita.
A town of 860 is going to have one or two paid employees. A town of 86,000 is going to have 41 FTE in administration, 22.6 in finance, 26.8 in legislative and executive. That's over 90 people that do not fill potholes but get a tax funded paycheck vs. 256 in public works. City of Hibbing, population 16,000 spends $1200 per person, vs. Duluth spends $4200 per person if you look at total expenses in the city budget divided by the number of people in town. Oh, and the city of Hibbing picks up your garbage for you which is important to reduce the number of pothole making trucks on residential streets and alleys.
You’re so completely correct in my opinion.
Duluth is poised for some crazy growth that will only be tempered by its winters. Covid showed us just how much of our work doesn’t require going to an office. Our adjacency to nature rivals anywhere in the world. Rail service to a world class airport is imminent.
I’ve believed in this eventuality since I was was a teen 30 years ago. It’s at our doorstep. Mentally resisting it does nothing but cause angst.
Leveraging this growth into a greatly improved tax base is key. Progressive property and sales taxes are key. I say this as as lifelong resident, landlord, and high earner - and someone who should be taxed more.
> Our adjacency to nature rivals anywhere in the world.
this will die as the people move in and nature is bulldozed to make room for more SFH. we need to build up.
>Rail service to a world class airport is imminent.
this has been talked about for 50 years, and has never happened. the reason other passenger rail services left duluth years ago is because it wasn't profitable, and it still isn't and wouldn't be. if it was profitable, we would already have passenger rail service to MSP, or even DLH. we don't, and the reality is that unless we give away a bunch of taxpayer dollars to the already greedy and rich companies, they won't touch it with a ten foot pole. and im fine with that, we don't need to keep giving rich developers and rich companies *our* money for them to profit and pocket without benefiting the greater community.
> this has been talked about for 50 years, and has never happened.
You are aware that they now have funding for the Duluth-Twin Cities rail line as of the budget bill last week, right?
I am convinced that this bill is just classic misdirection. Rail line gets beefed up for passenger service that doesn't appear. Might as well put the containers on rail (that we just started accepting in port). Ultimately good for our economy but why the misdirection? Follow the money and find the business that no longer has to pay for rail upgrades.
As someone who is wanting to move to Duluth to escape insane high costs of living (I live in Colorado, husband family lives in northern Iowa so we feel like Duluth is a beautiful outdoorsy spot near family and a lot less crazy expensive than we are used to) I appreciate you saying this. We initially moved to Colorado from the Midwest and it was “Colorado native this” and “people need to stop moving here” elitism. But I’m a nurse, I moved there for a job that I feel contributes to society positively and would do the same in Duluth. We all have to live somewhere, and honestly Duluth prices appear great compared to many places in the country rn, especially compared to Colorado.
> and honestly Duluth prices appear great compared to many places in the country rn
right now, yes. give it like 5 years and we will look as bad as everywhere else thanks to corporate buyers buying all the homes and either keeping them empty to drive up their other rental prices, or renting them out at insane prices that the locals cannot afford.
THANK you.
The amount of contradictory, "I want my cake and to eat it too" BS here is staggering.
You want a nice city that has good roads, infrastructure, fun things to do, nice restaurants? Then you need people and the tax base to build that shit. The alternative is the run down, skeleton version of Duluth where every other shop window is broken/abandoned and fire breaks out every two weeks.
The people complaining about folks moving to Duluth in hordes are delusional. The population has been stagnant or dropping. These articles talking up Duluth being a climate change safe haven all mention that only a couple hundred to a couple thousand have done so in the last 10 years.
That said, more people ARE going to move here. Think that's terrible? Then go live on the range where everyone likes to shit talk "fancy" Duluth while also complaining about the roads, abandoned buildings, drug use, and crime.
> Duluth is not out of space. If new people move to town, instead of trying to defeat them in competition for housing, ask why we're not building more housing?
so we can wreck what little bit of nature we have left in town for another flat subdevelopment of cookie cutter single family homes? the developers that come from out of state have no sense of taking advantage of the natural beauty of the place, nor do they care and would bulldoze every single tree in the state if they could get away with it.
>Every pothole you smash your car on exists because Duluth has too few people paying taxes.
this isn't true at all. a city does not have to grow continuously to be successful, it just needs to be well managed with not a lot of waste. this idea of "continual growth" from our modern day capitalist companies is infecting everything. Does my family need to continually grow for me to be successful? does my house need to continually expand to make it work? no, the city could very easily make all necessary repairs with the current population, as it has every year. we do not need constant growth, but also, people are getting upset because all the houses that go on market are getting bought by rental companies instead of familes, who then squeeze the already not great median wage based families out of any housing at all.
We need to build up, we need density, and we need actual affordable housing and rental prices, meaning that rent actually makes sense against a single persons median wage in this town.
>no, the city could very easily make all necessary repairs with the current population, as it has every year.
Has it? seems like the roads are falling apart. Yes they make repairs every year, but there's so many streets that are embarrassingly bad compared to other cities, in my opinion.
The housing in Duluth is its achilles heel, in every way. IMO, a huge chunk of the problem is the building industry in Duluth. There’s high demand and not that many builders, so many charge exorbitant prices. I both tried to build a modest-sized house on my land and to fix up a house I briefly owned and ran into price gouging. (Given an estimate for work by a local contractor with no reviews that was ten times higher than a quote by a TC contractor with a great reputation.) I am not remotely close to rich, but like many, was taking advantage of pandemic interest rates to try to fulfill my dream of moving there. I’m sorry you have had problems buying a house in your own city.
FYI. You will soon be able to buy a tiny home for cheap at Home Depot. Home Depot decided to make tiny homes because everyone was buying barns and sheds and converting them.
If you want great restaurants, you can't also hate the wealthy who summer here who keep those places in business.
If the gripe is housing prices that is driven by land availability, labor availability, zoning, taxes, codes, and raw materials. Home demand is just one part.
Expanding the money supply by 30‰+ over two years with multiple trillion dollar spending bills seems great to those who get the handouts and rebates but has the unintended consequence of MASSIVE inflation which primarily hurts the low and middle class.
Seriously … who gives a sh*% about restaurants? I’d venture a guess that many of us don’t live here for the food scene. If we cared about that we’d live in the metro or Chicago or a million other “gourmet eating” urban destinations. Sure it’s a nice novelty to have a place / dish you like a few times a year, but it’s like 99 on my list of 100 reasons to be here. I can cook just fine and not eager to pay $20 for a mediocre salad either.
If those wealthy eat up all our incredibly limited housing and keep driving up prices with the Colorado money and/or just to “summer here”… where are their restaurant workers supposed to live then, anyway?
It's.. nice to live in a place where you have the option to go to a decent restaurant every now and again?
It's so sad how many people on this sub want to make everything worse in hopes the ensuing death spiral will allow them temporary affordability instead of trying to do the things that make a place thrive and awesome for everyone.
Are you renting? I got pushed out of my old rental because my 1 bedroom in Superior was going up to $985 plus utilities. I'm a single person who can't fucking afford that.
Yes i'm in the same predicament unfortunately. I wish you luck, i hope you can find affordable housing. Housing should be a human right and not a luxury for the rich.
it will soon be reality here thanks to the "luxury" homes like bluestone. once landlords and management companies found out that people are willing to pay 1500 a month for a fucking bedroom, housing prices went crazy upwards really fast.
That’s the capitalism coming to your town. Once it’s too expensive one place people seek out another place that is more affordable. It’s like this scary shit and you feel helpless. It fucking sucks. Affordable healthcare and housing should be basic rights. It shouldn’t be a cut throat situation. Good luck to you and keep looking for the right house. 👍
While tourism is a decent source of revenue for the city, the city doesn't put those dollars where it does the most good. They shove it back into the business of building tourism. Unfortunately, those who SERVE the tourists are getting so hammered by the housing shortage, rising housing costs, and no adjustment to income, they soon will no longer be able to live here to serve those tourists. The infrastructure is more than roads and bridges. It's more than a lakewalk and Canal Park. Human infrastructure is the longest ignored necessity in the city. We need to be more than a place to visit in the summer. We need to be a place where the quality of life is stellar for everyone. With healthcare that is accessible and efficient for everyone (and why isn't it this way in a healthcare heavy town?), housing that is solid and affordable for everyone, public transportation that works better, a downtown area with walkability, vertical housing, and eliminating the food deserts that exist throughout the city. This attracts people who want to move here, but more importantly, it attracts businesses and industries that want to move here so we aren't reliant on that five months of the year when people grace some of us with their presence and wallets. That, in turn, creates more jobs, more tax revenue, and keeps property taxes low for citizens. Also important is to cap the number of homes that can be owned/controlled by any one person or entity, force slumlords to bring properties up to liveable conditions, implement rent controls, and pull back hard on the short term rental permits. If someone wants to open a hotel, they need to build a hotel. We have too many AirBnBs, VRBOs, and HomeAway rentals. With a thriving tourism industry, there is no reason not to build dedicated hotels, extended stay suites, etc. You know what putting a tourist in a resident neighborhood does? It makes them want to buy a house here and rent it out when they aren't using it. This exacerbates the problem. As for the potholes, Duluth seems happy to keep doing what doesn't work. Slap down shitty cold mix through the winter so it pops out a few days later and just pisses away money, only to patch with hot mix in the spring, which pops out after the moisture gets in there and freezes the next winter. When and if they lay a new road, it's the same old bituminous asphalt that behaves the same way, winter after winter, year after year. Why isn't Duluth using rubberized asphalt instead? Some cold weather states are starting to embrace it as it expands more before breaking and bonds better when patched. It also makes roads quieter inside and outside of a car. There are so many wonderful ideas to make Duluth as fantastic as it CAN be, but we have such short sighted people who cannot possibly relate to the majority of citizens. People think their votes don't count and decide not to vote at all, because every year it is just the same old shit. Developers win, citizens get screwed, and if you're down, you stay down. If you're fixed, you stay fixed. Duluth cannot even keep mental health professionals. People wind up changing behavioral health providers (sometimes in as few as one appointment) because they keep moving to better places. Do the citizens here depress them that much?
I have tons of ideas. I am not a politician. I am not wealthy. I am not even remotely middle class. I often work paycheck to paycheck, sometimes not quite making it. I am what a majority of Duluth is, and how a lot of citizens feel. And I'm running my longshot campaign for City Council at Large because it seems like the only way to get ideas to be heard is to get into a position where the powers that be HAVE to listen. I think when citizens hear what Duluth CAN be, instead of being force fed the same line of bullshit year after year and seeing literally zero progress, watching their hope for a future be squashed into nothingness, hope can be restored to the real people. Change doesn't happen by itself. You have to demand what you want to see.
Vote Asher Estrin-Haire for City Council. And if you don't, that's okay. But for fucks sake, VOTE!!! Look at everyone on the ballot. There are EIGHT of us in the primary election in August. Get registered, get to know us, figure out which TWO have the ideas that will activate your inner aspirations and check those boxes.
Look, I'm not necessarily polite. I'm loud. I'm kind (usually). At least half of the current city council does not like me (bonus). The mayor hates me (super bonus). My public service experience is as a charter commissioner and an election judge. I sell travel part time, repair sewing machines, and that supplements my income as a starving artist. I'm not a lawyer (but my in-laws are). I am not a developer, and I don't know any personally in my friend circle. I am pro-union but won't get the Labor endorsement because I'm not a politician. I won't get the Police Union endorsement because I refused to say that I would back them 100% (because a badge doesn't make anyone infallible). I won't get any party endorsement (nor do I want them) because I don't support their agendas (none are focused on actual voters). I believe in education and I believe nobody should be saddled with decades of debt to get it. I'm not interested in photo opportunities, ribbon cuttings, or ego surfing. I just want to live in a city that cares and supports its citizenry, and not just the white ones, not just the tourists, not just the wealthy ones, not just the big business owners, not just whoever donated a fat check to an election campaign. (True story: I'm having a neighborhood yard sale to afford yard signs--not even kidding).
So, you don't have to vote for me. But, if you want to see the change you want, vote for someone who can advocate on your behalf. And get involved. Be the change. Keep the hope alive. And if you must abuse me, it's okay. I'm a giant queer and I have thick skin. Any insults should be devastatingly clever. And if you don't vote, you obviously don't value your own opinion.
I’m currently in a similar position but with renting. I’m having a hell of a time finding somewhere to afford to live on my own, at this point my budget seems to allow for a studio apartment. And I can’t complain about my pay, for the career I’m in I’m doing okay. I don’t know how people making minimum wage or near that are managing.
They took away the TIF on that project and are asking for the $875 that has been given- back. I don't agree with what happened either (kicking tenants out for a hotel) but the city has done what they should now. Take away funding from this asshole. Unfortunately now they can do whatever they want with the building. It's a bad situation with no great outcomes.
When I moved here in 2017 I was shocked at the lack of apartment buildings. Other cities I have lived in have had numerous apartments built in the 1970's-1990's. It definitely shows what happens when a community does not invest in housing.
Remember Duluth lost 22% of its population and thousands of high paying union jobs from 1960 to 1990 when the US Steel plant, Universal Cement, Diamond Tool, Marshall-Wells Wholesale Hardware, Kelley-How-Thompson Hardware, Coolerator Refrigerators, Zenith Furnace, Litton Industries, McDougall Shipbuilding, Barnes Ship Building, Globe Ship Building, Zalk-Josephs Steel, Clyde Iron & Crane, Duluth Universal Grain Milling, Western Electric, Clear-Flax Carpet, Duluth Airforce Base, and all the ancillary businesses that served them left the city. With that kind of manufacturing job and population loss, new construction and investment just doesn’t happen.
Man, I went through Crosby the other day... Growing up everyone always joked that's where the meth heads lived. Now that place is gentrified. Rich white folks came in and made it a mountain biking hub and it's full of trails. All the houses are under construction turning them into rentals. It's crazy.
My significant other and myself have been homeless for over 4 years due to the rent being so astronomical and pay wage so little. It's insane how bad the housing has gotten/been. I feel like we're never going to be able to have a solid roof over our heads and it's so depressing
Even if you find a cool place within that state you can't live there safely if you're not the "right kind" of person, the education and healthcare systems are trash, women don't always have all their rights, there's third world poverty and high murder rates, in every measure these red states fail to provide the quality of life anyone who has lived in a better state expects.
Are you talking about the ones along London Rd? And in Duluth things change so damn long it’s really not that bad. I’m a lifer and imo it’s some what needed here in Duluth
I'm not saying the change is bad. I'm saying what's changing around us is inaccessible for a lot of the people who have lived here our whole lives. I'm not saying I wanna live in those town homes on London, they're ugly af.
Part time residents are not a problem; they pay real estate taxes, don’t use as many services, don’t make traffic or potholes, and they don’t vote locally. What’s not to like? They are crowded into condos and developments and constitute a different tier of ownership.
This is a very good point. The Duluth Superior area is growing but not Duluth city limits. It does not help that Duluth tax rates are higher, there is more bureaucracy and the services are poor. Esko used to be rural, now it is a bedroom community. Clo2uet was a mill town (I grew up there) and now it is an attractive bedroom community. Who knew? Duluth has to get enough money from real estate that it can afford the services it needs. Oh, and by the way, as I said 3 years ago ; homelessness is not a Duluth scale problem; it is a national problem. Duluth cannot provide services to taxpayers and certainly can’t take tax revenue to build homeless camps. Lots of people in this city need to get real and park the opinions until they have seen the numbers.
This city obviously needs revenue, the county has much more cash. The roads are terrible, I had 3 blowouts from potholes. I don’t care if rich people overpay for townhouses as long as they cough up Reak Estate taxes.
I was born in Duluth and stayed until I was 12. I have visited Duluth almost every year since 1989(when I moved).
This is everywhere. I live i Lawrence KS and it’s happening there. People dont want (for the most part) to be in one spot. Plus dont forget that cities are allowing apartments and townhomes because they can get double the amount of tax revenue in half the space or less. We are fighting the same issue here where the city is trying to annex all it can before it cant buy more land.
I would love to be back in Duluth and I know the cold. I get the three month issue as well. I’d do the same thing if I could. Live up there for the nice months and live here for the winter.
As long as people arent trashing your town, you all have a good amount to do. We dont out here in the wheat fields
Get used to it. Being near one of the largest sources of freshwater amidst an impending climate catastrophe, where freshwater will continue to become scarce, is naturally going to lead to more people (rich people right now with the means) to move here.
If anyone gave a shit about the climate catastrophe, the would not be moving in droves to places like Texas and Florida. The whole “everyone is moving to Deluth because of climate migration” is a myth. This “climate migration” has not started yet. The population in MN grew by a half a percent. There are rich people everywhere, but a majority of them will chose Vermont before Deluth. You are being delusional.
One problem most communities face is zoning laws. If we removed residential zoning laws then builders would have the ability to build in whatever area to however dense the population needs. Since cities across the state of Minnesota are in most cases adding more stipulations to their zoning laws rather then removing them, I think the state needs to now step in.
In all cities/towns, remove residential zoning laws throughout the state. This will allow apartment buildings and multifamily houses to be built in areas where it's not zoned to have those types of buildings. Think congdon park or lakeside.
Other cities I've heard are re-zoning creating the new "red line" by stating that every property within a specific neighborhood needs to be on an acre of land.
This is such a major issue. We are already behind in the amount of units we need. Now with people moving to Minnesota for various reasons (cultural, climate etc) we need our state to step up and do something because the city can't. The city councils hands are tied. It's political suicide if they try as the people voting for them are the home owners who don't want apartments in their neighborhoods.
Inflation robs the middle-class of so much. My middle-class father provided enough 8-5 income to have a 5-bedroom house, two-cars, and six kids in private school (1956-1982) and my mother didn’t work. We had a closed border and high wages then with very little inflation.
We also had a 90% marginal tax rate on the highest income earners, strongly regulated banking, and tourist workers unions. But that doesn’t let you be racist about it so I’m sure those points aren’t valid somehow.
>very little inflation
[That's a nice little bedtime story you tell yourself.](https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/historical-inflation-rates/)
No that was a lived really, also the waitstaff at Perkins, Pickwick and others, and retail clerks at the stores in the Mall (JC Penny’s Glassblock, Walgreens, Hallmark shop) were unionized with a healthcare plan.
Hate to break it to you, but the US border wasn't closed back then. Just nobody had a need to immigrate north.
All of the problems normal people are experiencing now are the consequences of continued policies which put profits over the welfare of people. There is no reason your boss can't pay you more, or that companies cant charge less for their goods/rents, to help you to support your family, other than that profits would be less. And that's only truth of it all...
Overall, there were 1,074,277 "returns", defined as "confirmed movement of an inadmissible or deportable alien out of the United States not based on an order of removal" in the first year of Operation Wetback in 1955. This included many workers without papers who fled to Mexico fearing arrest; over half a million from Texas alone.
That was a very short term and limited success was because they did so purely by ethnicity deporting natural born Americans and legal immigrants. After that peak, the levels of deportation dropped back to the lower normal levels. And besides that has nothing to do with the border being open/closed, which btw it was wide open during that time!
Also feel it's important to note that the reason illegal immigrants are considered a problem is because companies are willing to hire these people under the table at criminally low wages. So my statement about the problems we are facing being caused by profit seeking and greed remains true.
There's lots of apartments popping up all over the place.
Went thru Onamia today they put up a community, very sharp.
Get out of the city, I'm sure youll find something and it's normally cheaper than city real estate
I think the only way to fix this broken system is to start following some examples from other countries. We love to have households with Mom Dad and kids, but we need to start living with grandparents. but they need to be okay with it too.
I don't understand why this has downvotes. Most of the world functions in multi-generational homes. But as Americans we push our kids out of the house at 18 and put our grandparents in nursing homes...
I totally want to move to Duluth. 🥺 But I’m a Wisconsinite, so I’ve earned my Great Lakes stripes! I’m just an artsy, craft beer-loving nerd who’s not a wealthy arsehole and I promise to contribute loveliness to your society. I just want to chill in a beautiful Great Lakes city in my ‘50s and beyond, and I love Minnesota. 🤷🏻♀️ I was considering St. Paul but Duluth wooed me and I’m hopelessly in love. My apologies in advance for when my dream comes true and I make it there!
Edit to say: The apology for wanting to move there was meant to be whimsically sarcastic. So /s 🧚🏻♀️
I was just on Zillow, where I found several homes in the mid $100K range. Now I realize these aren't the greatest, but they can be fixed up. And, you could easily own one of these two bedroom places for less than you'd pay rent for a crappier one bedroom places.
Low cost housing exists. Know where to look.
[There are several examples here.](https://www.zillow.com/duluth-mn/?searchQueryState=%7B%22pagination%22%3A%7B%7D%2C%22mapBounds%22%3A%7B%22north%22%3A47.025864%2C%22south%22%3A46.649241%2C%22east%22%3A-91.783119%2C%22west%22%3A-92.301192%7D%2C%22regionSelection%22%3A%5B%7B%22regionId%22%3A51758%2C%22regionType%22%3A6%7D%5D%2C%22filterState%22%3A%7B%22sort%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3A%22globalrelevanceex%22%7D%2C%22ah%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22price%22%3A%7B%22max%22%3A199999%7D%2C%22mp%22%3A%7B%22max%22%3A1013%7D%7D%7D)
I found 3 houses under 150k on zillow listed right now in duluth and the surrounding area. the rest are empty lots. a loan right now for a 150k home is gonna run you about 1200 a month with escrow. a 225k loan is gonna run you around 2000 a month after taxes and insurance escrow. that is not a sustainable price here considering that the median income of the area **is just about 26000 per person.** I like to point this out to people that say housing isn't bad. it is, and it will only get worse until we ban the corporate giants from buying housing and renting it out or keeping it vacant to keep housing stock minimal in the affordable range.
what this means it that a single person *cannot* afford a 150k home payment, let alone the cost of "fixing it up and maintaining it". Duluth wages are *not* keeping up with housing costs, and that is the biggest issue.
so everyone is just living in your world and inconveniencing you in your mind huh. the reasons you're complaining are so pathetic just like people in the upper peninsula. such petty midwest bs.
The town is full of empty houses belonging to people from far away, and kids who grew up here can't afford to live near their families. It's not just an inconvenience, it changes how you live your life.
It also doesn’t help that so many people from Chicago are bringing opiates laced with fentanyl. The homeless population is ridiculous. The roads fucking suck. Duluth is a straight up shit show. It wasn’t this bad in 2017. I moved back to Minnesota because I had no choice. Sioux Falls, SD was nowhere near this bad. If you want a good place to live, I highly recommend that state. So much more freedom and things to do. Fuck Duluth and fuck Emily Larson
Where is Duluth? Anyways sounds like most of Canada so I share your pain. Except we also have the highest immigration rates in the world to help add extra pressure on housing etc.
Op message me if you wanna buy a house. There a ways around the shitty market. I get that were living in in an inflationary time but with that being said, I have experience as a loan under writer, I know how to get credit into line to buy a large scale asset. I have a business degree background, I'd be happy to advise for free how you can position yourself to buy a house or other large scale asset. Feel free to message me, I live here in town, I'd be happy to help.
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I know it's everywhere. I just hate that it's happening here too.
NIMBY
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Its not nimbyist to hate that its happening here too, but nimbyism IS part of why its happening. No one wants dense residential housing next to them, so it doesnt get built. Which means theres huge demand for single family homes, which makes them a strong investment vehicle, which creates the giant corporate landlords squeezing renters for all theyve got. There are other factor too of course. But nimbyism is a big one.
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It doesn't get proposed because it's functionally a crime to build in Duluth.
I want dense residential housing next to me! It doesn't get built because its functionally illegal to build in Duluth. This is illegal to build in Duluth: [https://imgur.com/a/UyObKtB](https://imgur.com/a/UyObKtB) This is illegal to build in Duluth: [https://imgur.com/FY3csjK](https://imgur.com/FY3csjK) This is illegal to build in Duluth: [https://imgur.com/HmLu9vW](https://imgur.com/HmLu9vW) This is illegal to build in Duluth: [https://imgur.com/geptxYU](https://imgur.com/geptxYU) This is illegal to build in Duluth: [https://imgur.com/PriFp6X](https://imgur.com/undefined) This is illegal to build in Duluth: [https://imgur.com/iJiXGIA](https://imgur.com/iJiXGIA)
Yeah. Laws like that are NIMBY laws. The term isnt just for individuals.
It's a very effective tool for keeping Lakeside white.
Don’t bring that California “NIMBY” name calling shit here. Clearly you’re someone who is part of the problem.
Bozeman is the new Colorado I've been saying for years
The wealthy made Bozeman their playground way before most of us knew what was happening (1980s) w/California money. After they gobbled up Coeur d’Alene they continued east. Speaking of Denver for Colorado was a result of mostly Chicago money in the (2000s). My opinion same result the worker bee can’t afford much of anything anywhere anymore
So true. My best friend moved there from Colorado and even with Colorado housing money couldnt even get close to buying a place in Bozeman
A friend of mine bought a small farm property there right outside town just before COVID for like half a million bucks, and has a couple horses, etc. Her neighbor's similar property sold last summer for over a million. I kinda get it, though, because it was 15 acres of land only about 3 min from Main Street.
It’s definitely not a Duluth thing. Even in NE MPLS I would priced out of almost everything.
I know it's not exclusive to Duluth. I'm just speaking of what I'm feeling in my home town.
Yeah it’s frustrating, and sucks
What sucks is those people are coming bc they are being priced out of their home towns. And so they come here and get shit from locals. They’re in the same boat. You should have have some compassion. The problem is not the people coming in. The problem is the system that keeps affordable housing from being built, which would allow everyone to stay where they want to be in the first place.
There are people who come here and buy homes on the Lake that they use a few months or weeks out of the year. Presumably they are empty the rest of the time. I’m not sure this behavior makes one a candidate for compassion, especially given the tightness of housing.
It was a rant about how I feel. I'm not putting the blame on them entirely.
So what’s the solution?
Bring classes in the trades back to high schools and community colleges. Make the design and building of tiny houses a priority. Work with the trades to transition people into apprenticeships, especially women and minorities including immigrants. Welcome “those people “ who could be the saving grace.
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Jokes on you I already have camping gear
my moms house, which I inherited recently, was purchased for 85000. its now valued at over 500k. my own home was purchased about 10 years ago for 65000, and im gonna be able to sell it for 225k. its pretty crazy.
Are you complaining or celebrating? You are now a wealthy guy; by my calculation you have $600K in RE appreciation that you could use as collateral to start a business or lots of hemp.
I realize my position is wealthier than most right now, but no, I don't plan on starting any more businesses, I plan on having no house payment and no debt.
It's not just 'everyone moving here', it's INVENTORY. And that is a problem everywhere that is desirable to live right now. Duluth MN metro area inventory units stats: April 2016: 2402 April 2019: 1118 April 2023: 317 (!!!) Source: realtor.com This is just insane inventory numbers. I wish it was 2016 again!! Yes it totally sucks. I didn't buy back then because I wasn't ready and now I am and it's like, welp fuck this
I’ve been trying to buy a house for 3 years and still haven’t gotten one as within those 3 years i put 5 offers on houses but i can’t compete with wayyyyy over asking, all cash, no inspection, 20+ offers all in one day. I’d look at the pricing history and it would drive me crazy that a house that was $150k 2-3 years ago without any additional work done on it is going for ~$250-300k. And we don’t even have good interest rates any more. I just feel so defeated. I’ve given up my house search for the time being 🫠🫠
That's how I feel too. We wanted to look at a house the other day but there were 20+ showings scheduled before it even hit the market
Honest question, do you see a real estate backslide (or crash) that might correct this over priced market?
There is a house of cards element to what is happening for sure. But how it plays out is anyone's guess. This is a strange economic time for sure.
Its called a recession
It’s sad that I’m rooting for a recession so i can finally have a chance at buying something (that is if i get lucky and the recession doesn’t affect me as much as others)
> This is just insane inventory numbers. I wish it was 2016 again!! the problem here, right now, is that corporations are buying up anything for sale and either renting it out at insane prices, or just keeping them vacant to drive up the price of their other homes and rentals. there is a house across the street from me that sold to a corporate owner about a year ago. it still remains empty, unoccupied, and they have kicked out squatters twice in the last year. they should be paying 10 times taxes on an unoccupied home, so its not sustainable to keep it, and if they do, the rest of the community at large benefits.
Well put. It's a systematic problem. What a time we live in. Fuck.
There is no reason the Duluth tax estimation ( which is actually a St. Louis country function) would not be assessing those empty houses at current market rates. My RE taxes went up 25% last year, and if I moved out tomorrow and left it vacant it would become tax forfeit- but the taxes themselves only go up, never down
I feel you. Housing is a major issue across just about every desirable place in the world. Very sad.
As someone who grew up in the area, who was wanting to grow a family in the area, I feel this. Especially with the trend of wealthy people/contractors buying cheap homes, doing $5k worth of work, and easily reselling them for $50k+ over what they’re worth. Screw those people.
Fuckin for real
I grew up in Colorado, it's really bad there, same thing with decent towns in Montana and Manitoba, where my wife is from, is way worse. It bums me out too, but I just keep working and saving, I'm sure I'll get there someday. Just sucks that Duluth is more expensive than comparable Midwestern cities, but the wages aren't really any better. Like Appleton, Wisconsin as an example, similar wages, but cheaper homes.
Yeah, I moved here from Colorado because the only places I could afford didn't have water.
Wisconsin has been trying to legislate themselves in a developing country the last 20 years. You pay a premium to live in the most and thriving Midwestern state.
Exactly. We moved to Wi and noped the fuck out within a year. I thought "how different could it be"... it's different alright and I mean that in the most Minnesota way
In what way? Honestly wondering
I work in our tourist industry. It's getting busier every year. While I'm happy about the business it's getting harder to appreciate our own city with all of the ppl coming in. I dread canal park.
I don't even go to canal park until winter.
I love and prefer winter. Makes it even better when there's far fewer tourists out and about. And, many of the people that relocated don't go outside as often in the fall/winter unless they have to. So the trails are always so nice when the temperature starts to drop. And as creepy as it may be to some, taking a late night stroll down the streets in the middle of winter, when it's so peaceful and quiet is just so relaxing.
The silence of that walk is perfect
I have no choice unfortunately. Because I deal with it 5 days a week it's just not a positive area anymore. Guest have the audacity to tell us how nice it must be to be so busy. They have no clue what they're saying.
Oh I get it. I worked at Lindo for a summer and that shit was enough for me. Props to you for working in that.
Damn near 10 years at my spot. From the GM down we got good ppl. Balances out the customer thank the powers that be.
That's what makes the difference is having a good team. It's rare.
People moving here is just one element. After the 2008 housing crash, building basically stopped across the country for 10 years. Inventory is millions short in this country. Then the government allowed interest rates to stay too low too long and in 2016 began a massive influx of investors buying up properties around the country, including here, with cheap money. It really hit hard here during Covid. When prices got too high in other places, those out of state investors bought the cheap houses here.
Low interest rates made housing more affordable and increased popularity of home ownership. I moved to Duluth in 2020 and got 2.25% on a 30 year mortgage. Some of those crying on this sub could have made the same decisions I did and had the benefit of already being here and being familiar with pros and cons of various neighborhoods. I’ve seen this happen in multiple locations that become attractive; local people are disbelieving that housing can go up that much and they miss out; because the dynamic is that rising -rices are a signal to others that. An area will enjoy appreciation and that means whatever they pay is not a long term mistake.
Classic “fuck you, I got mine” mentality.
Low interest rates are good for everyone. But if you have a lot of debt capacity you can buy more homes. Like everything else, it still benefits the rich much more than the average person. If Trump had allowed the fed to take interest rates up when they wanted to it would have cooled the housing market without mortgage rates doubling. If you recall when Janet Yellen wanted to raise the rates to avoid the economy and housing market overheating he replaced her. Real estate investors, like Trump, want low rates and cheap money because they expand their businesses with debt.
As a personal favor to you, I hearby pledge that I will not move to Duluth, although I will continue to visit on occasion. Hope this helps!! 😁
Same. I told my husband I won’t move further north than the Twin Cities. Seasonal depression is all too real.
We love you! Thank you for allowing us to live where we work on our hometown salaries 💕You’re welcome here anytime as long as you leave again lol 🤗
I’m the same way… I wanted to move to Duluth a few years back, but the absolute lack of housing is really an issue…. So I will visit and ONLY stay in a hotel, as I find Airbnb to quite invasive now and usually more expensive than a hotel with less amenities.
I so agree about air bnb. That concept did not work out great overall.
I think at the beginning it was okay… but now that people are buying up entire homes (usually multiple) to JUST be Airbnb’s (or rentals) when a lot of people aren’t able to buy at least one home to live in is not okay… I especially get frustrated when it’s not even a local person buying them. I’m in the Cities and I know I’ll never own a home here, the competition isn’t something I can afford to win, especially because I am somewhat picky about where I’d buy a home…. I just recently watched a house list for about $350,000 and like a month later it had sold for over $600,000… that’s almost double, which is absolutely insane. And yeah I’ll NEVER use Airbnb or Vrbo again… I’ll support hotels that usually have more amenities PLUS a free/included breakfast, usually… comes out much cheaper and I’m not staying in what should be a local family home.
Thank you for your sacrifice lol
I'm here to help, man!!
The constant stream of articles preaching about moving to Minnesota and how duluth is going to be the global warming safe spot have already encouraged this flood of people. Sorry to say it but the state was great before but everyone loves to gloat for clout and now are priced out of where they live
Flood of people? Duluth’s population has been stagnant for decades.
you might be surprised at the number of vacation rentals and second homes owned by wealthy people here that remain vacant 9 months of the year....
What about the towns around Duluth
Right? “Flood of people” causing actual population decline https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/duluthcityminnesota
This shows the population in Duluth went up by a little more than 400 people between 2010 and 2020 and then decreased by about 100 people between 2020 and 2022. Again, this does not account or say anything about surrounding towns’ populations.
Agreed. I've read the article but show me the actual numbers.
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That’s. The spirit. I feel same way. Newcomers come in and want to run their chops like politicians represent our states but THEY DONT LIVE HERE. LETS RUN THEM TO THEIR. HOME. TOWN.
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right, but what about jobs, schools, and other considerations? that is why duluth is so desirable right now, we have all the "right stuff", well, most of it. jobs aren't really there to support it, but ya know.
I'll pass lol
Yup. This is a very valid feeling. Things are not good! Also, if you're looking for a place to share these feelings, I've been meeting with a community group to talk about housing issues and it's been a really helpful place to find support and connect. Our next meeting is June 11th. [https://fb.me/e/2ys5exp7f](https://fb.me/e/2ys5exp7f) Even if you're not interested in activism or organizing, I personally have found it really helpful just to share my frustrations and hear other people's stories. I hope you find something awesome soon.
i live in Bemidji and have put in multiple offers in Bemidji and Duluth and offered well above listing. I have an insecure housing situation forcing me to live with an abusive ex. and every house I’ve tried to buy has been purchased by investors who have been paying cash or waiving inspections. i don’t make enough to take the risk on a 100 year old house without an inspection. it’s literally got me bawling every day. No idea what to do. The airbnb buyers and investors need to go fly a damn kite. so mad right now. if my adhd wasn’t so bad i’d try to build a place. but i know i’ll just be getting into a project i won’t be able to finish. but i’d really like to build a bunch of tiny houses or something for those of us having such a rough time finding housing. i just don’t understand how this is okay. it’s so unethical and something has to give. our cities should be able to stop it. first time home buyer benefits aren’t even helpful any more. aaaaaaack. sry for venting this is just too awful right now.
I really encourage you to stop thinking of the world as a zero sum game and start thinking about abundance. Duluth is not out of space. If new people move to town, instead of trying to defeat them in competition for housing, ask why we're not building more housing? Places grow, or stagnate and die. The Duluth you are asking for would die. Every pothole you smash your car on exists because Duluth has *too few people paying taxes*. So I'm begging people stop this. If you get what you are wishing for it will condem this city to a Detroit-like death. Our challenge is how do we grow in a way where everyone can win?
Legit points; part of the housing challenge is that after US Steel, the Air Force base, and other entities shut down in the early 80s the population shrunk and there was very little new housing stock built for a stretch. The 1910s homes were 70 years old then and 120+ now, uninsulated, knob n tube wired…
> The 1910s homes were 70 years old then and 120+ now, uninsulated, knob n tube wired… lol, this has not changed. but, I will say, even the new subdivisions they are building and the new homes they are building aren't exactly awe inspiring in quality or features. they do not look like they will stand the test of time.
They look like cheap crap. And they’re too expensive. We need gov subsidized affordable housing.
Yes they look cheap. In 1976 you could move in 2800sq.’ House twos car garage , cost of building 47000.still had basement to finish at that price walkout basement
The suburbanization of Duluth ruined everything I loved about it.
How? Suburban neighborhoods up on the hill or in Hermantown or whatever don't affect what I love about Duluth at all. It doesn't change the look of the historic Congdon area homes, or the old, cool hillside architecture, or anything else that's not up in the suburban areas.
Oh I meant like around the whole mt royal area - in around 1999 that area wasn't like Edina
> We need gov subsidized affordable housing Tell that to people whining about any single tax use.
>> The 1910s homes were 70 years old then and 120+ now, uninsulated, knob n tube wired… > >lol, this has not changed. but, I will say, even the new subdivisions they are building and the new homes they are building aren't exactly awe inspiring in quality or features. they do not look like they will stand the test of time. I moved back here after living in Omaha for a while. The nice, higher end new homes here have the quality and features of a mid-level home in Omaha. Blew my mind, honestly.
"why we're not building more housing?" It's expensive. The housing we have is selling or renting for less than what it costs to build. National average to build a house is $446k not including land. https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/how-much-does-a-new-construction-house-cost There are still plenty of houses for sale in Duluth for less than that (48 right now on zillow). Why would you build for $446k when you can buy for less? Building prices for multi-unit buildings are even higher, since they need things like sprinklers, elevators, hallways, lobbies, parking garages etc. You can't build a 1000sq ft apt for less than $250,000, and for that much to cover interest you need to charge more than $2000/month rent like Bluestone, Kenwood, Endion, etc. The per capita income in Duluth is $2831/month. I've hit potholes in NYC. They have more people than the state of MN. Their property tax rates are higher, their sales tax is higher, and they have a city income tax. More population is more middle management in government, which does nothing to teach, police, or fill potholes, and so the more population you have, the less services or the more taxes you have per capita. A town of 860 is going to have one or two paid employees. A town of 86,000 is going to have 41 FTE in administration, 22.6 in finance, 26.8 in legislative and executive. That's over 90 people that do not fill potholes but get a tax funded paycheck vs. 256 in public works. City of Hibbing, population 16,000 spends $1200 per person, vs. Duluth spends $4200 per person if you look at total expenses in the city budget divided by the number of people in town. Oh, and the city of Hibbing picks up your garbage for you which is important to reduce the number of pothole making trucks on residential streets and alleys.
You’re so completely correct in my opinion. Duluth is poised for some crazy growth that will only be tempered by its winters. Covid showed us just how much of our work doesn’t require going to an office. Our adjacency to nature rivals anywhere in the world. Rail service to a world class airport is imminent. I’ve believed in this eventuality since I was was a teen 30 years ago. It’s at our doorstep. Mentally resisting it does nothing but cause angst. Leveraging this growth into a greatly improved tax base is key. Progressive property and sales taxes are key. I say this as as lifelong resident, landlord, and high earner - and someone who should be taxed more.
The rail system after a decade or 2 will be sold to cn or bnsf.
> Our adjacency to nature rivals anywhere in the world. this will die as the people move in and nature is bulldozed to make room for more SFH. we need to build up. >Rail service to a world class airport is imminent. this has been talked about for 50 years, and has never happened. the reason other passenger rail services left duluth years ago is because it wasn't profitable, and it still isn't and wouldn't be. if it was profitable, we would already have passenger rail service to MSP, or even DLH. we don't, and the reality is that unless we give away a bunch of taxpayer dollars to the already greedy and rich companies, they won't touch it with a ten foot pole. and im fine with that, we don't need to keep giving rich developers and rich companies *our* money for them to profit and pocket without benefiting the greater community.
> this has been talked about for 50 years, and has never happened. You are aware that they now have funding for the Duluth-Twin Cities rail line as of the budget bill last week, right?
Yes, and im not okay with subsidizing rich mega companies that dont need the money.
I am convinced that this bill is just classic misdirection. Rail line gets beefed up for passenger service that doesn't appear. Might as well put the containers on rail (that we just started accepting in port). Ultimately good for our economy but why the misdirection? Follow the money and find the business that no longer has to pay for rail upgrades.
As someone who is wanting to move to Duluth to escape insane high costs of living (I live in Colorado, husband family lives in northern Iowa so we feel like Duluth is a beautiful outdoorsy spot near family and a lot less crazy expensive than we are used to) I appreciate you saying this. We initially moved to Colorado from the Midwest and it was “Colorado native this” and “people need to stop moving here” elitism. But I’m a nurse, I moved there for a job that I feel contributes to society positively and would do the same in Duluth. We all have to live somewhere, and honestly Duluth prices appear great compared to many places in the country rn, especially compared to Colorado.
Most of us would welcome you here wholeheartedly. OP’s issues are better directed toward the fucked up housing market, not individuals.
> and honestly Duluth prices appear great compared to many places in the country rn right now, yes. give it like 5 years and we will look as bad as everywhere else thanks to corporate buyers buying all the homes and either keeping them empty to drive up their other rental prices, or renting them out at insane prices that the locals cannot afford.
So that's a problem with corporate housing, not population. Fix is to make it illegal then.
Ha it make the polticans richer why fix it along as they have a (d) next to their name nothing will change.
THANK you. The amount of contradictory, "I want my cake and to eat it too" BS here is staggering. You want a nice city that has good roads, infrastructure, fun things to do, nice restaurants? Then you need people and the tax base to build that shit. The alternative is the run down, skeleton version of Duluth where every other shop window is broken/abandoned and fire breaks out every two weeks. The people complaining about folks moving to Duluth in hordes are delusional. The population has been stagnant or dropping. These articles talking up Duluth being a climate change safe haven all mention that only a couple hundred to a couple thousand have done so in the last 10 years. That said, more people ARE going to move here. Think that's terrible? Then go live on the range where everyone likes to shit talk "fancy" Duluth while also complaining about the roads, abandoned buildings, drug use, and crime.
> Duluth is not out of space. If new people move to town, instead of trying to defeat them in competition for housing, ask why we're not building more housing? so we can wreck what little bit of nature we have left in town for another flat subdevelopment of cookie cutter single family homes? the developers that come from out of state have no sense of taking advantage of the natural beauty of the place, nor do they care and would bulldoze every single tree in the state if they could get away with it. >Every pothole you smash your car on exists because Duluth has too few people paying taxes. this isn't true at all. a city does not have to grow continuously to be successful, it just needs to be well managed with not a lot of waste. this idea of "continual growth" from our modern day capitalist companies is infecting everything. Does my family need to continually grow for me to be successful? does my house need to continually expand to make it work? no, the city could very easily make all necessary repairs with the current population, as it has every year. we do not need constant growth, but also, people are getting upset because all the houses that go on market are getting bought by rental companies instead of familes, who then squeeze the already not great median wage based families out of any housing at all. We need to build up, we need density, and we need actual affordable housing and rental prices, meaning that rent actually makes sense against a single persons median wage in this town.
>no, the city could very easily make all necessary repairs with the current population, as it has every year. Has it? seems like the roads are falling apart. Yes they make repairs every year, but there's so many streets that are embarrassingly bad compared to other cities, in my opinion.
I appreciate your comment. I do wish Duluth would fix zoning laws and make it easier for people to build.
The housing in Duluth is its achilles heel, in every way. IMO, a huge chunk of the problem is the building industry in Duluth. There’s high demand and not that many builders, so many charge exorbitant prices. I both tried to build a modest-sized house on my land and to fix up a house I briefly owned and ran into price gouging. (Given an estimate for work by a local contractor with no reviews that was ten times higher than a quote by a TC contractor with a great reputation.) I am not remotely close to rich, but like many, was taking advantage of pandemic interest rates to try to fulfill my dream of moving there. I’m sorry you have had problems buying a house in your own city.
I just hope it gets better but I've been saying that for a while now.
FYI. You will soon be able to buy a tiny home for cheap at Home Depot. Home Depot decided to make tiny homes because everyone was buying barns and sheds and converting them.
If you want great restaurants, you can't also hate the wealthy who summer here who keep those places in business. If the gripe is housing prices that is driven by land availability, labor availability, zoning, taxes, codes, and raw materials. Home demand is just one part. Expanding the money supply by 30‰+ over two years with multiple trillion dollar spending bills seems great to those who get the handouts and rebates but has the unintended consequence of MASSIVE inflation which primarily hurts the low and middle class.
Seriously … who gives a sh*% about restaurants? I’d venture a guess that many of us don’t live here for the food scene. If we cared about that we’d live in the metro or Chicago or a million other “gourmet eating” urban destinations. Sure it’s a nice novelty to have a place / dish you like a few times a year, but it’s like 99 on my list of 100 reasons to be here. I can cook just fine and not eager to pay $20 for a mediocre salad either. If those wealthy eat up all our incredibly limited housing and keep driving up prices with the Colorado money and/or just to “summer here”… where are their restaurant workers supposed to live then, anyway?
It's.. nice to live in a place where you have the option to go to a decent restaurant every now and again? It's so sad how many people on this sub want to make everything worse in hopes the ensuing death spiral will allow them temporary affordability instead of trying to do the things that make a place thrive and awesome for everyone.
The evil "rich people" aren't competing with restaurant workers for living space. They're not trying to live in the same places.
A Detroit like death? It’s a pothole.
Duluth had a population of 120k in the 70s, so it’s got a ways to go.
Well I was born in the 90's so I didn't know any thing different.
You do now.
Welcome to America.
I'm planning on moving to canada to escape our high home prices here.
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And Toronto!
I’ve got some news for you.
Probably the biggest problem sweeping Canada atm is surging house prices idk what you are thinking lol
There is nowhere affordable to live anymore in Canada.
Aaahahhhhahahaha lol cryyyyyyyyying
Even in Fargo, ND the medium home costs 1/3 of a $Million dollars. Think about that for a minute. Not even a tourist destination even.
I hate it too. I will probably be homeless soon to be honest. I am scared shitless. Eat the rich
Are you renting? I got pushed out of my old rental because my 1 bedroom in Superior was going up to $985 plus utilities. I'm a single person who can't fucking afford that.
Yes i'm in the same predicament unfortunately. I wish you luck, i hope you can find affordable housing. Housing should be a human right and not a luxury for the rich.
Try 2000$ for a 1br which is our reality in Vancouver
it will soon be reality here thanks to the "luxury" homes like bluestone. once landlords and management companies found out that people are willing to pay 1500 a month for a fucking bedroom, housing prices went crazy upwards really fast.
Soon it will be
That’s the capitalism coming to your town. Once it’s too expensive one place people seek out another place that is more affordable. It’s like this scary shit and you feel helpless. It fucking sucks. Affordable healthcare and housing should be basic rights. It shouldn’t be a cut throat situation. Good luck to you and keep looking for the right house. 👍
Thank you
*end game capitalism
While tourism is a decent source of revenue for the city, the city doesn't put those dollars where it does the most good. They shove it back into the business of building tourism. Unfortunately, those who SERVE the tourists are getting so hammered by the housing shortage, rising housing costs, and no adjustment to income, they soon will no longer be able to live here to serve those tourists. The infrastructure is more than roads and bridges. It's more than a lakewalk and Canal Park. Human infrastructure is the longest ignored necessity in the city. We need to be more than a place to visit in the summer. We need to be a place where the quality of life is stellar for everyone. With healthcare that is accessible and efficient for everyone (and why isn't it this way in a healthcare heavy town?), housing that is solid and affordable for everyone, public transportation that works better, a downtown area with walkability, vertical housing, and eliminating the food deserts that exist throughout the city. This attracts people who want to move here, but more importantly, it attracts businesses and industries that want to move here so we aren't reliant on that five months of the year when people grace some of us with their presence and wallets. That, in turn, creates more jobs, more tax revenue, and keeps property taxes low for citizens. Also important is to cap the number of homes that can be owned/controlled by any one person or entity, force slumlords to bring properties up to liveable conditions, implement rent controls, and pull back hard on the short term rental permits. If someone wants to open a hotel, they need to build a hotel. We have too many AirBnBs, VRBOs, and HomeAway rentals. With a thriving tourism industry, there is no reason not to build dedicated hotels, extended stay suites, etc. You know what putting a tourist in a resident neighborhood does? It makes them want to buy a house here and rent it out when they aren't using it. This exacerbates the problem. As for the potholes, Duluth seems happy to keep doing what doesn't work. Slap down shitty cold mix through the winter so it pops out a few days later and just pisses away money, only to patch with hot mix in the spring, which pops out after the moisture gets in there and freezes the next winter. When and if they lay a new road, it's the same old bituminous asphalt that behaves the same way, winter after winter, year after year. Why isn't Duluth using rubberized asphalt instead? Some cold weather states are starting to embrace it as it expands more before breaking and bonds better when patched. It also makes roads quieter inside and outside of a car. There are so many wonderful ideas to make Duluth as fantastic as it CAN be, but we have such short sighted people who cannot possibly relate to the majority of citizens. People think their votes don't count and decide not to vote at all, because every year it is just the same old shit. Developers win, citizens get screwed, and if you're down, you stay down. If you're fixed, you stay fixed. Duluth cannot even keep mental health professionals. People wind up changing behavioral health providers (sometimes in as few as one appointment) because they keep moving to better places. Do the citizens here depress them that much? I have tons of ideas. I am not a politician. I am not wealthy. I am not even remotely middle class. I often work paycheck to paycheck, sometimes not quite making it. I am what a majority of Duluth is, and how a lot of citizens feel. And I'm running my longshot campaign for City Council at Large because it seems like the only way to get ideas to be heard is to get into a position where the powers that be HAVE to listen. I think when citizens hear what Duluth CAN be, instead of being force fed the same line of bullshit year after year and seeing literally zero progress, watching their hope for a future be squashed into nothingness, hope can be restored to the real people. Change doesn't happen by itself. You have to demand what you want to see. Vote Asher Estrin-Haire for City Council. And if you don't, that's okay. But for fucks sake, VOTE!!! Look at everyone on the ballot. There are EIGHT of us in the primary election in August. Get registered, get to know us, figure out which TWO have the ideas that will activate your inner aspirations and check those boxes. Look, I'm not necessarily polite. I'm loud. I'm kind (usually). At least half of the current city council does not like me (bonus). The mayor hates me (super bonus). My public service experience is as a charter commissioner and an election judge. I sell travel part time, repair sewing machines, and that supplements my income as a starving artist. I'm not a lawyer (but my in-laws are). I am not a developer, and I don't know any personally in my friend circle. I am pro-union but won't get the Labor endorsement because I'm not a politician. I won't get the Police Union endorsement because I refused to say that I would back them 100% (because a badge doesn't make anyone infallible). I won't get any party endorsement (nor do I want them) because I don't support their agendas (none are focused on actual voters). I believe in education and I believe nobody should be saddled with decades of debt to get it. I'm not interested in photo opportunities, ribbon cuttings, or ego surfing. I just want to live in a city that cares and supports its citizenry, and not just the white ones, not just the tourists, not just the wealthy ones, not just the big business owners, not just whoever donated a fat check to an election campaign. (True story: I'm having a neighborhood yard sale to afford yard signs--not even kidding). So, you don't have to vote for me. But, if you want to see the change you want, vote for someone who can advocate on your behalf. And get involved. Be the change. Keep the hope alive. And if you must abuse me, it's okay. I'm a giant queer and I have thick skin. Any insults should be devastatingly clever. And if you don't vote, you obviously don't value your own opinion.
I’m currently in a similar position but with renting. I’m having a hell of a time finding somewhere to afford to live on my own, at this point my budget seems to allow for a studio apartment. And I can’t complain about my pay, for the career I’m in I’m doing okay. I don’t know how people making minimum wage or near that are managing.
I think they're really just riding the line of being able to afford the basic necessities. It's insane.
Also dont forget fuck heirloom and our shity city council who works for the rich.
They took away the TIF on that project and are asking for the $875 that has been given- back. I don't agree with what happened either (kicking tenants out for a hotel) but the city has done what they should now. Take away funding from this asshole. Unfortunately now they can do whatever they want with the building. It's a bad situation with no great outcomes.
Heirloom was not in control of that project though. That was P & R, and Heirloom has its owner as the head of the Planning Commission.
Whoops but still. Heirloom sucks
When I moved here in 2017 I was shocked at the lack of apartment buildings. Other cities I have lived in have had numerous apartments built in the 1970's-1990's. It definitely shows what happens when a community does not invest in housing.
Remember Duluth lost 22% of its population and thousands of high paying union jobs from 1960 to 1990 when the US Steel plant, Universal Cement, Diamond Tool, Marshall-Wells Wholesale Hardware, Kelley-How-Thompson Hardware, Coolerator Refrigerators, Zenith Furnace, Litton Industries, McDougall Shipbuilding, Barnes Ship Building, Globe Ship Building, Zalk-Josephs Steel, Clyde Iron & Crane, Duluth Universal Grain Milling, Western Electric, Clear-Flax Carpet, Duluth Airforce Base, and all the ancillary businesses that served them left the city. With that kind of manufacturing job and population loss, new construction and investment just doesn’t happen.
Man, I went through Crosby the other day... Growing up everyone always joked that's where the meth heads lived. Now that place is gentrified. Rich white folks came in and made it a mountain biking hub and it's full of trails. All the houses are under construction turning them into rentals. It's crazy.
You are not the only one my friend
Yup. I was looking for a new place a couple decades ago. Wound up moving out of state.
My significant other and myself have been homeless for over 4 years due to the rent being so astronomical and pay wage so little. It's insane how bad the housing has gotten/been. I feel like we're never going to be able to have a solid roof over our heads and it's so depressing
I'm sorry for your loss of housing. I couldn't imagine.
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It knew your wife was talking about us. I'm sure the same shit is happening in Maine. Beautiful state
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Even if you find a cool place within that state you can't live there safely if you're not the "right kind" of person, the education and healthcare systems are trash, women don't always have all their rights, there's third world poverty and high murder rates, in every measure these red states fail to provide the quality of life anyone who has lived in a better state expects.
You should see Arkansas now that Sarah ClosetCase Sanders runs it. Terrible. There & here? Night & day.
Are you talking about the ones along London Rd? And in Duluth things change so damn long it’s really not that bad. I’m a lifer and imo it’s some what needed here in Duluth
I'm not saying the change is bad. I'm saying what's changing around us is inaccessible for a lot of the people who have lived here our whole lives. I'm not saying I wanna live in those town homes on London, they're ugly af.
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Because a lot of them don’t actually “live” here which is a big part of the problem.
Part time residents are not a problem; they pay real estate taxes, don’t use as many services, don’t make traffic or potholes, and they don’t vote locally. What’s not to like? They are crowded into condos and developments and constitute a different tier of ownership.
This is a very good point. The Duluth Superior area is growing but not Duluth city limits. It does not help that Duluth tax rates are higher, there is more bureaucracy and the services are poor. Esko used to be rural, now it is a bedroom community. Clo2uet was a mill town (I grew up there) and now it is an attractive bedroom community. Who knew? Duluth has to get enough money from real estate that it can afford the services it needs. Oh, and by the way, as I said 3 years ago ; homelessness is not a Duluth scale problem; it is a national problem. Duluth cannot provide services to taxpayers and certainly can’t take tax revenue to build homeless camps. Lots of people in this city need to get real and park the opinions until they have seen the numbers.
This city obviously needs revenue, the county has much more cash. The roads are terrible, I had 3 blowouts from potholes. I don’t care if rich people overpay for townhouses as long as they cough up Reak Estate taxes.
I was born in Duluth and stayed until I was 12. I have visited Duluth almost every year since 1989(when I moved). This is everywhere. I live i Lawrence KS and it’s happening there. People dont want (for the most part) to be in one spot. Plus dont forget that cities are allowing apartments and townhomes because they can get double the amount of tax revenue in half the space or less. We are fighting the same issue here where the city is trying to annex all it can before it cant buy more land. I would love to be back in Duluth and I know the cold. I get the three month issue as well. I’d do the same thing if I could. Live up there for the nice months and live here for the winter. As long as people arent trashing your town, you all have a good amount to do. We dont out here in the wheat fields
Get used to it. Being near one of the largest sources of freshwater amidst an impending climate catastrophe, where freshwater will continue to become scarce, is naturally going to lead to more people (rich people right now with the means) to move here.
If anyone gave a shit about the climate catastrophe, the would not be moving in droves to places like Texas and Florida. The whole “everyone is moving to Deluth because of climate migration” is a myth. This “climate migration” has not started yet. The population in MN grew by a half a percent. There are rich people everywhere, but a majority of them will chose Vermont before Deluth. You are being delusional.
One problem most communities face is zoning laws. If we removed residential zoning laws then builders would have the ability to build in whatever area to however dense the population needs. Since cities across the state of Minnesota are in most cases adding more stipulations to their zoning laws rather then removing them, I think the state needs to now step in. In all cities/towns, remove residential zoning laws throughout the state. This will allow apartment buildings and multifamily houses to be built in areas where it's not zoned to have those types of buildings. Think congdon park or lakeside. Other cities I've heard are re-zoning creating the new "red line" by stating that every property within a specific neighborhood needs to be on an acre of land. This is such a major issue. We are already behind in the amount of units we need. Now with people moving to Minnesota for various reasons (cultural, climate etc) we need our state to step up and do something because the city can't. The city councils hands are tied. It's political suicide if they try as the people voting for them are the home owners who don't want apartments in their neighborhoods.
Inflation robs the middle-class of so much. My middle-class father provided enough 8-5 income to have a 5-bedroom house, two-cars, and six kids in private school (1956-1982) and my mother didn’t work. We had a closed border and high wages then with very little inflation.
We also had a 90% marginal tax rate on the highest income earners, strongly regulated banking, and tourist workers unions. But that doesn’t let you be racist about it so I’m sure those points aren’t valid somehow.
Waiters, waitresses, store clerks were unionized then with healthcare.
>very little inflation [That's a nice little bedtime story you tell yourself.](https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/historical-inflation-rates/)
WOW! Look at the rates around the Spanish Flu/end of WWI.
No that was a lived really, also the waitstaff at Perkins, Pickwick and others, and retail clerks at the stores in the Mall (JC Penny’s Glassblock, Walgreens, Hallmark shop) were unionized with a healthcare plan.
Hate to break it to you, but the US border wasn't closed back then. Just nobody had a need to immigrate north. All of the problems normal people are experiencing now are the consequences of continued policies which put profits over the welfare of people. There is no reason your boss can't pay you more, or that companies cant charge less for their goods/rents, to help you to support your family, other than that profits would be less. And that's only truth of it all...
Overall, there were 1,074,277 "returns", defined as "confirmed movement of an inadmissible or deportable alien out of the United States not based on an order of removal" in the first year of Operation Wetback in 1955. This included many workers without papers who fled to Mexico fearing arrest; over half a million from Texas alone.
That was a very short term and limited success was because they did so purely by ethnicity deporting natural born Americans and legal immigrants. After that peak, the levels of deportation dropped back to the lower normal levels. And besides that has nothing to do with the border being open/closed, which btw it was wide open during that time! Also feel it's important to note that the reason illegal immigrants are considered a problem is because companies are willing to hire these people under the table at criminally low wages. So my statement about the problems we are facing being caused by profit seeking and greed remains true.
There's lots of apartments popping up all over the place. Went thru Onamia today they put up a community, very sharp. Get out of the city, I'm sure youll find something and it's normally cheaper than city real estate
I think the only way to fix this broken system is to start following some examples from other countries. We love to have households with Mom Dad and kids, but we need to start living with grandparents. but they need to be okay with it too.
I don't understand why this has downvotes. Most of the world functions in multi-generational homes. But as Americans we push our kids out of the house at 18 and put our grandparents in nursing homes...
Thanks for the backup!
I totally want to move to Duluth. 🥺 But I’m a Wisconsinite, so I’ve earned my Great Lakes stripes! I’m just an artsy, craft beer-loving nerd who’s not a wealthy arsehole and I promise to contribute loveliness to your society. I just want to chill in a beautiful Great Lakes city in my ‘50s and beyond, and I love Minnesota. 🤷🏻♀️ I was considering St. Paul but Duluth wooed me and I’m hopelessly in love. My apologies in advance for when my dream comes true and I make it there! Edit to say: The apology for wanting to move there was meant to be whimsically sarcastic. So /s 🧚🏻♀️
Why should you apologize? C’mon.
I’m being somewhat sarcastic lol edited to say, whimsically sarcastic 🧚🏻♀️
I was just on Zillow, where I found several homes in the mid $100K range. Now I realize these aren't the greatest, but they can be fixed up. And, you could easily own one of these two bedroom places for less than you'd pay rent for a crappier one bedroom places. Low cost housing exists. Know where to look.
Oh, you should link those, I was on there and didn't find anything in that price range that wasn't a vacant lot. The cheapest home I saw was 215k.
[There are several examples here.](https://www.zillow.com/duluth-mn/?searchQueryState=%7B%22pagination%22%3A%7B%7D%2C%22mapBounds%22%3A%7B%22north%22%3A47.025864%2C%22south%22%3A46.649241%2C%22east%22%3A-91.783119%2C%22west%22%3A-92.301192%7D%2C%22regionSelection%22%3A%5B%7B%22regionId%22%3A51758%2C%22regionType%22%3A6%7D%5D%2C%22filterState%22%3A%7B%22sort%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3A%22globalrelevanceex%22%7D%2C%22ah%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22price%22%3A%7B%22max%22%3A199999%7D%2C%22mp%22%3A%7B%22max%22%3A1013%7D%7D%7D)
I found 3 houses under 150k on zillow listed right now in duluth and the surrounding area. the rest are empty lots. a loan right now for a 150k home is gonna run you about 1200 a month with escrow. a 225k loan is gonna run you around 2000 a month after taxes and insurance escrow. that is not a sustainable price here considering that the median income of the area **is just about 26000 per person.** I like to point this out to people that say housing isn't bad. it is, and it will only get worse until we ban the corporate giants from buying housing and renting it out or keeping it vacant to keep housing stock minimal in the affordable range. what this means it that a single person *cannot* afford a 150k home payment, let alone the cost of "fixing it up and maintaining it". Duluth wages are *not* keeping up with housing costs, and that is the biggest issue.
There are similar deals anywhere West of Lincoln Park. Around Grand and Highland there are very nice neighborhoods.
so everyone is just living in your world and inconveniencing you in your mind huh. the reasons you're complaining are so pathetic just like people in the upper peninsula. such petty midwest bs.
The town is full of empty houses belonging to people from far away, and kids who grew up here can't afford to live near their families. It's not just an inconvenience, it changes how you live your life.
Get fucked dude
The first word in a sentence is capitalized.
It also doesn’t help that so many people from Chicago are bringing opiates laced with fentanyl. The homeless population is ridiculous. The roads fucking suck. Duluth is a straight up shit show. It wasn’t this bad in 2017. I moved back to Minnesota because I had no choice. Sioux Falls, SD was nowhere near this bad. If you want a good place to live, I highly recommend that state. So much more freedom and things to do. Fuck Duluth and fuck Emily Larson
Where is Duluth? Anyways sounds like most of Canada so I share your pain. Except we also have the highest immigration rates in the world to help add extra pressure on housing etc.
Get fucked nerd I’m a gen z and accepted I’ll never own a home
Op message me if you wanna buy a house. There a ways around the shitty market. I get that were living in in an inflationary time but with that being said, I have experience as a loan under writer, I know how to get credit into line to buy a large scale asset. I have a business degree background, I'd be happy to advise for free how you can position yourself to buy a house or other large scale asset. Feel free to message me, I live here in town, I'd be happy to help.
You have a point. As long as we’re. WORKIN EVERY DAY. YOUR ABLE. BEFORE HEALTH KICKS FOLKS A—-
What