2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon priced from $62,990

Nice. Too bad I don't have a spare $66K laying around anywhere. Hey, maybe I can find a Caddy dealer who'll trade even for my Mercury. Hmm, probably not.

 

lunacy wagon? My Fairmont wagon has more cargo space. Why would I want a rolling livingroom with fake wood trim? That's a wealthy family's live-in cook's grocery getter, not a wagon. $66K US is about $71K Canuck bucks, plus taxes, plus delivery, plus AC tarrifs. I could buy 2 homes up here for that and all the work that comes with them, and get rent income. That puppy is a sink hole. IMHO.:banghead3:

 

2 houses for $71K, man do I live in the wrong part of the country.
The wife and I are having trouble finding a small bungalow with some decent garage space for less than $350K here in Ontario.

 

Are you sitting down? I bought this house on a rent-to-own contract and paid for it in 10 months, back in 1999! $14,000. 2 storey, 3 bedrooms, full basement, took the gas out and went to electric (cheapest on the continent) and my January/February bills will come in with all lights, hot water and heat, at under $125 in each month. My july bill was $19.

You can still buy an old fixer-upper for about $20K, but a decent fixer-upper is around $30 to $50K, average 40 year old bungalow is about $140,000. But they pay $1,800 per year in Prop taxes. I pay $250.

I can hear you shouting, the wife gasping, and a few Holy Sh!ts! :banghead3:

My latest tax appraisal was at $50K, and two of my neigbours sold theirs for $140,000 and $130,000.

 

Definitely nothing wrong with your hearing.

We bought this 900sqft 2 storey in '98 for $149K. It's got a finished basement, a 20x20 workshop out in the yard and a garage large enough to put my Parisienne in as long as I don't plan on opening the car door once I park. Similar houses on our street are now selling for $200K-$250K. This is what's referred to as a "starter neighbourhood". We're looking at something in the 1300sqft range, hopefully with a 2-3 car garage or a little chunk of property where I can start a wagon collection and $300K won't get us squat.

 

My sister purchased what apparently was the cheapest house in town a year ago. It was a 600sqft bungalow with no basement or attic and it ran them $160K.

We're still an hours drive away from Toronto where my house would sell in the $300-$400K range.

 

My house is about 700 sq ft per floor. When the basement is done, it will have my woodwork shop and the media room (home theatre and sound system. The first and second floors are living space. Huge 15' X 20' kitchen, and 6' X 8' pantry. 3 piece bathroom, TV room/parlour. Upstairs we'll use one bedroom for paperwork and home biz, and the other for hobbies (music and art lessons for my wife. When guests come, we hide all of that in built in drawers in the knee walls. She's got a BIG family, and we can park a few more in the media room. The shop has its own dust extractor.

The property is small 35' X 75'. Can't legally build a garage... (keyword legally) The city doesn't have enough inspectors.

In 2004, there were 2 Saskatchewan towns that were being abandoned and put up for sale. One for... wait for it... $300 bucks. $1 for each citizen that left. The whole town, buildings and road (only one). The other went for $5,000! It had 4 roads and a firestation. There's still some bargains around. The City sells homes and properties that were vacated or siezed for taxes - around $10 K.

 

Ha, Ha, you're killing me!!

It would be kinda cool to own a small town/firestation.

...on the other hand, how far do you have to drive in the winter before the tires warm up enough to get rid of the flat spot on the bottom?

 

Think of your resume! Mayor, Sherrif, Dog Catcher, Parks and Recreation exec. Man! You could run for PM! All for $300!

It was a cow town, when BSE hit, and it just folded up.

Tire compounds are different for us in this cold. More rubber content, than recycled compound. They level out after about 100 feet of rolling, if that.

 

I found a contractors site some time ago (2 years?) that allowed you to punch in what you wanted in the house or just a total number to build one on your lot with all services in place. Materials were 25% of the house cost on a house for about $130,000. There's no logic to house prices anymore. By the time you pay for it, you're either dead or retired.

This isn't it, but it sure is handy:
http://www.construction-cost.com/

 

We are worlds apart on this one, Normy. I would kill to have one of those cadwags. That 556HP/LS and a 6 speed is suhWEET!

 

I'd want a debt-free lifestyle (big bags of big bucks and no debts) before I'd put more than $10K in any car, Mike. Even if I won one in a lottery. The warranty and maintenance costs are way up there. Now, building my own car, on my terms, that's a different game, but still, I wouldn't go over $20K in restoration/build costs.

They have to drive the same roads that I do, at the same speeds. Cost per mile? I win!

Where I go nuts though is woodworking machinery and exotic woods. I love quality furniture and building it. Like a real woody wagon.

 

Yeah....different strokes. There was a time I could have walked in and bought one of those cadwags and not missed the money. If that were still true....I would do it in a New York nano second!

 

I love my luxury too, just not in vehicles.