Gaming across the US

[Wik]

Well, I live in the Pacific Northwest (only, you know, in a much more awesome country). There are a lot of plusses:

1) While it's rainy, it's warm. Until two weeks ago, there were girls in tank tops, mini-skirts, and sandals walking around. That's a good thing.
2) There are more hot girls per capita than anywhere else in North America, except for maybe Hawaii.
3) No Snow. I repeat: NO SNOW (except for right now, but it's been a freak weather sorta thing).
4) There's something neat about the West Coaster lifestyle. Can't quite explain it, but it's sort of creative and laidback, almost a bit "hippyesque", while still pretty cool.

As for Gaming - Victoria is a pretty small city, and I can instantly think of four gaming stores within a twenty minute's drive of where I'm at. And I'm sure there's more. I imagine Seattle/Portland would have even more.

 

[twofalls]

Portland Gaming Is Fabulous

I have lived here all my life, and I've been a gamer for going on 28 years. I have an amazing group of friends who are gamers, we game every other weekend, and they want me to run it more often (family, work, and study prevent that).

One of my gamers is from Wisconsin oddly enough, and vows he will never move back (his name is Scott, ring any bells kenobi65?).

 

[kenobi65]

One of my gamers is from Wisconsin oddly enough, and vows he will never move back (his name is Scott, ring any bells kenobi65?).

Nope...my old friend is Kurt. Small world, all the same...

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Good friend of mine, and a fellow RPGAer, moved to SLC for work 3 years ago. He hates it. There's very little in the way of a gaming culture there, and it's very hard to fit in, in general, if you aren't Mormon, with a big family.

Wow. Can't speak to the rest of this, but the 'very little in the way of a gaming culture' flies in the face of everything I've heard from (admittedly, just as antecdotal) descriptions of Salt Lake City. I was under the impression it was something of a gaming, and sci-fi/fantasy in general, hub.

 

[kenobi65]

Wow. Can't speak to the rest of this, but the 'very little in the way of a gaming culture' flies in the face of everything I've heard from (admittedly, just as antecdotal) descriptions of Salt Lake City. I was under the impression it was something of a gaming, and sci-fi/fantasy in general, hub.

Interesting. Might be that my friend hasn't found the right folks.

 

[Pbartender]

I know folks who have nice, good-sized houses, that they didn't pay a fortune for...but they live in Kane County (about 45 miles west of downtown) or Will County (about 50 miles southwest of downtown).

For the record, I've been living in Kane county for the last 8 years... We still rent, because we simply can't afford to buy a house, even out here.

An hundred year old two bedroom, one bathroom house, with a single car detached garage and an unfinished basement will cost you between $175-200,000 even way out in Kane County.

 

[kenobi65]

For the record, I've been living in Kane county for the last 8 years... We still rent, because we simply can't afford to buy a house, even out here.

An hundred year old two bedroom, one bathroom house, with a single car detached garage and an unfinished basement will cost you between $175-200,000 even way out in Kane County.

Dang...guess "not a fortune" is relative.

We bought in Brookfield (near west suburbs) almost 11 years ago. A smallish house (Chicago-style bungalow, finished 2nd floor, unfinished basement, not much land) was $150K then, and houses in the neighborhood typically go for about twice that now.

When I see these houses going for $400K - $600K or more around here, I wonder, "who the hell possibly makes enough to be able to afford that??"

 

[Davelozzi]

Well, I live in the Pacific Northwest (only, you know, in a much more awesome country).

Sorry, but if you live north of the border than wouldn't that put you in the Pacific Southwest?

Nice try though.

 

[Pbartender]

Dang...guess "not a fortune" is relative.

We bought in Brookfield (near west suburbs) almost 11 years ago. A smallish house (Chicago-style bungalow, finished 2nd floor, unfinished basement, not much land) was $150K then, and houses in the neighborhood typically go for about twice that now.

The far west suburbs are, in all honesty, not that much cheaper than the nearer suburbs. You have to go out past DeKalb now to find reasonably priced houses. Even townhouses in the Fox Valley are going for $200,000+.

When I see these houses going for $400K - $600K or more around here, I wonder, "who the hell possibly makes enough to be able to afford that??"

The answer is... Most can't. They take out interest only loans or balloon loans and stretch their budgets to the breaking point. They're banking on the fact that in three or four years, they can sell the house at a profit before the big balloon payment comes due... or refinance into a more traditional loan. With the recent housing slump, however, a lot of people who gambled on that bet have lost out and now have to forclose.

But that's a topic for anopther thread.

 

[grimwell]

before we get to that other thread.... part of it is that they bought their house at say $120K and sell it for $250 and then buy a home worth $300... their loan amount is only $50K. My brother in law finances homes in Southern California, and that's how he explained it to me. Once you are in and have a home, the rise in value does not necessarily mean your loan amount goes up. It's the people who are just starting out, or moving in from a lower home value area that are stuck with sticker shock.

...those are the people who didn't get balloon loans.