The next place to cash out of

Kari and I are engaged, and we're moving to Charlottesville, and on last Saturday we went down to look at some places. We were unsuccessful. I'm going back Wednesday, and have a few promising leads.

When I was in college and grad school, the most I paid for any place I rented was $400 a month. The place costed 800 for two bedrooms. With 400 I had my own room, my own bathroom, a huge living room, decent sized kitchen, and patio area, and washer/dryer.

Almost exactly four years after I leave, I am struggling to find a decent place for Kari and for the year (before we buy a house) for less than about $550 per person per month. That's about a $150 increase in four years, or 38%. I have no problems actually believing that that kind of spike has occured, and I'll tell you why:

http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2006/05/04/COVERjumpshark.aspx

The popularity bug has struck again. Read the article, and if you're a UVa alum, you'll probably agree with it. See, on our walk through the downtown mall on Saturday, I saw wall to wall yuppy. Sure, most of the stuff had sort of an ex-hippie/eclectic feel to it, but what I saw through most of it was that sort of notion of "affordable" luxury to it that has definitely infected America (w/ Starbucks as a head offender). It seems to me that that fad has definitely prevailed in Charlottesville, and that the mob mentality of creeping in on something good and sucking it dry will eventually strike.

I am NOT part of that mob. I was in Cville for 6 years for legitimate purposes, and would have stayed if economics had permitted it (i.e the recession had not happened). I realize over all that property values and gas prices have risen around the country and that has fueled the yuppy attitude. Rising property values are a part of life around America lately. But Cville prices have rocketed much faster than the national average.

All signs lead to: If you reallllly want to find the next place that is awesome, relaxed, in the middle of nature, has some jobs, and is cheap enough to live at, go to Asheville. Problem for me is, I had a hard enough time convincing Kari that we could exist and thrive in Charlottesville, and Asheville would be an impossible sell. Maybe I'll be there in ten years. They have a Wild Wings and a Mellow Mushroom. That's about all I could ask ;-)

-K