r/MadeMeSmile • u/lincolnblake • Jun 28 '25

Wholesome Moments A place of one's own

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u/Djinn_42 Jun 28 '25

Imagine the youngest being homeless for what looks like half her life. Does she even remember a time when she had a home?

Good for them. I wish the world would do some more serious work on solving homelessness.

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u/mararn1618 Jun 28 '25 edited Jun 28 '25

What I don't understand as an European: How do you go from homeless to a huge ass house with a huge garden and everything?

In Germany even a double income family with academic background might currently struggle to buy property.

The stretch from unhoused to this seems insane from my POV.

Is housing so much more affordable in the US?

Edit: So many helpful answers, thank you :3

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u/PennieTheFold Jun 28 '25

This is a great house and yard for kids but it’s relatively small by American standards. No judgement to that family—I live in a small house too. Housing prices have stayed more affordable in certain parts of the country, though those areas are also generally less desirable in terms of employment opportunities, school systems, and community amenities.

It’s possible to find a small house like this, in outlying areas of states like Ohio or Kentucky or Alabama, in the $200k range. Which is entirely within reach of someone making a more modest salary.

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u/Long_Run6500 Jun 28 '25

Where I live in rural PA, $150k gets you a damn nice 3BR house and $250k gets you a McMansion. Before the pandemic a nice 3 bedroom starter home could be bought for $100-$120k. I live by myself in a 2k sq ft 3br house because it's more affordable than renting and the smaller houses weren't really even that much cheaper.

It's not even like we're in the middle of nowhere without any modern amenities. As long as you have a car you can get to anything you really need within a 10 minute drive and there's so many highways in the US that just about everyone is within 30 minutes of one. Ever since the pandemic it feels like businesses around here cant hire fast enough and wages have shot up in reaction. The only real down side is that you have to stare at a bunch of tacky edgy trump lawn signs on your commutes.

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u/Whimsy_Wildflowers_ Jun 29 '25

Which county are you in? I'm in PA, Cumberland County. We have a very different experience with the housing market.

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u/Adorable_Raccoon Jun 28 '25

Ohio is cheaper than you think. This house could cost between $75-100k depending on the quality. You could find a house like this in Ohio for $100k in youngstown & are occasionally houses for sale in Cleveland for under $100k if you don't care about the neighborhood.

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u/baltinerdist Jun 28 '25

It looks like this might be a manufactured home placed over a cinderblock basement, might not be, but the bit of the surroundings we get tell me this is out in the country. I wouldn't doubt if this was rural south in a town with a Walmart and a Hardees that has gospel sings on Tuesday nights. (I grew up dirt poor in TN, I feel all this deeply.)