Could Rising Gas Prices Kill the Suburbs?

"Scott en Aztlán" > wrote in message
...
>
http://realestate.msn.com/buying/Art...ntid=742526&GT
1=8479
>
> Could rising gas prices kill the suburbs?
>
> When a high-cost commute reaches the point of no-return, home buyers
> will start finding houses closer to work. In fact, some already are.
> By Marilyn Lewis
>
A 10-minute commute, the national average, already shows that people live
CLOSE to work. Newspaper stories lie to us because the reporters play on
fear to sell newspapers.

On Wed, 16 Aug 2006 10:41:14 GMT, "George Conklin"
> wrote:

>
>"Scott en Aztlán" > wrote in message
.. .
>>
>http://realestate.msn.com/buying/Art...ntid=742526&GT
>1=8479
>>
>> Could rising gas prices kill the suburbs?
>>
>> When a high-cost commute reaches the point of no-return, home buyers
>> will start finding houses closer to work. In fact, some already are.
>> By Marilyn Lewis
>>
> A 10-minute commute, the national average, already shows that people live
>CLOSE to work. Newspaper stories lie to us because the reporters play on
>fear to sell newspapers.
>
George, you have quoted a 21 minute figure in the past. Where do you
get 10? What was the methodology to determine this figure?

"Clark F Morris" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 16 Aug 2006 10:41:14 GMT, "George Conklin"
> > wrote:
>
> >
> >"Scott en Aztlán" > wrote in message
> .. .
> >>
>
>http://realestate.msn.com/buying/Art...entid=742526&G
T
> >1=8479
> >>
> >> Could rising gas prices kill the suburbs?
> >>
> >> When a high-cost commute reaches the point of no-return, home buyers
> >> will start finding houses closer to work. In fact, some already are.
> >> By Marilyn Lewis
> >>
> > A 10-minute commute, the national average, already shows that people
live
> >CLOSE to work. Newspaper stories lie to us because the reporters play on
> >fear to sell newspapers.
> >
> George, you have quoted a 21 minute figure in the past. Where do you
> get 10? What was the methodology to determine this figure?

Sorry...it is 10 MILES which takes 21 minutes. The Amos Hawley rule of a
1-hour commute being acceptable is really obsolete.

"George Conklin" > wrote in message
k.net...
> Sorry...it is 10 MILES which takes 21 minutes. The Amos Hawley rule of a
> 1-hour commute being acceptable is really obsolete.

This is still too far to travel, as I can see it. Gas prices are only
going up, up, up. 5 miles sounds better- it's about the distance you could
easily travel by a scooter, bicycle, or even walking.

Of course, in some areas commuting 5 miles or so will take you about 21
minutes, between traffic and the stops.

In article >,
Magnulus > wrote:
>
>"George Conklin" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>> Sorry...it is 10 MILES which takes 21 minutes. The Amos Hawley rule of a
>> 1-hour commute being acceptable is really obsolete.
>
> This is still too far to travel, as I can see it. Gas prices are only
>going up, up, up.

20 miles a day at say 20mpg (which is what my Subaru gets; my Miata
does better)... about a whole $3.50 a day for gas for the commute.

BTW, oil prices are going down at the moment, as are gas prices.
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

"Magnulus" > wrote in message
news
>
> "George Conklin" > wrote in message
> k.net...
> > Sorry...it is 10 MILES which takes 21 minutes. The Amos Hawley rule of
a
> > 1-hour commute being acceptable is really obsolete.
>
> This is still too far to travel, as I can see it.

10 miles too far? We don't need mill towns again. And will both husand
and wife have jobs that close together? I doubt it. So even if 1 lives
that close, the other will not. They cannot even get Wal-Mart so supply
some health insurance, not including a house above the store for all the
workers. Imagine having to live in a Wal-Mart supplied house above the
store. Is that your idea of heaven?

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"George Conklin" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
> "Magnulus" > wrote in message
> news
> >
> > "George Conklin" > wrote in message
> > k.net...
> > > Sorry...it is 10 MILES which takes 21 minutes. The Amos Hawley rule
of
> a
> > > 1-hour commute being acceptable is really obsolete.
> >
> > This is still too far to travel, as I can see it.
>
> 10 miles too far? We don't need mill towns again. And will both
husand
> and wife have jobs that close together? I doubt it.

I work within 5 miles of where my wife works. Not an uncommon scenario here.

"Matthew Russotto" > wrote in message
t...
> 20 miles a day at say 20mpg (which is what my Subaru gets; my Miata
> does better)... about a whole $3.50 a day for gas for the commute.
>

But it adds up. Don't forget all the other hidden costs of car ownership.
The 3.50 a day is just the straw that breaks the camels back. Remember,
alot of folks are already living on the edge. 3.50 will buy you lunch, a
pack of cigarettes, etc. It definitely cuts into the budget.

> BTW, oil prices are going down at the moment, as are gas prices.

So what- a temporary circumstance and not a trend. Gas and oil will
continue to go upward at a slow, steady pace with occasional spikes. People
who think it is going down below 3 dollars a gallon are deluded. They
aren't finding any more new oil, and the oil fields that exist as known are
all on a decline.

And there will be no immediate alternatives. Alcohol based fuels are at
least 10 years away from practicality, and hydrogen is more a pipedream than
reality. The only technology that really makes sense is electric, but it
has its own downsides and a poor image.

"Magnulus" > wrote in message
news
>
> "George Conklin" > wrote in message
> k.net...

> This is still too far to travel, as I can see it. Gas prices are only
> going up, up, up. 5 miles sounds better- it's about the distance you
> could easily travel by a scooter, bicycle, or even walking.

Census says the average commute distance is 12.1 mile for cars and 12.6
miles for transit. Not much difference.

"Matthew Russotto" > wrote in message
t...
> BTW, oil prices are going down at the moment, as are gas prices.

Yes, the stock market people are saying the oil bubble is probably bursting.
I may transfer the money I have in an energy related mutual fund to
something else because oil price drops are causing a lot of drops in the
related stock prices.

BTW, for people that are not in the stock market, most of the analyst are no
better and are often worse than amateurs at predicting market movements.
Its all a gamble.