Sign of the times

Tall, leafy trees line my neighborhood streets where new two-story townhouses have popped up amid older one-story homes and my reasonably priced apartment complex. I enjoy the blend of older couples, young families, and single folks from all corners of the world that live in the area. It’s a diverse, friendly location that I take pleasure in calling home.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I learned the price of one of the cookie-cutter townhouses going up for sale a block away: $915,000. You have got to be kidding me. These homes were marketed for “affordable single-family living” when they first started selling the models – how on earth does the average single-family afford such a small space for that outrageous price?

I had stopped in to explore the open house with a friend while walking to a nearby coffee shop. We did the full tour of the 1,500 square foot home. There is no backyard, just the garage and the only selling point (for me) was the large kitchen. It’s a three-bedroom home and the two smaller rooms, on display as children’s rooms, were barely large enough for a toddler to play in. There was little storage space and the only bit of green grass was a patch in the front “yard” by the main entrance – not enough to bother purchasing a lawn mower which must be why someone is hired to cut ALL the lawns.

There is one thing I suddenly realized after leaving the open house: I’ve never seen or heard children playing in front or around any of these homes. There are kids at my apartment complex and kids that I’ve said hello to while jogging in the neighborhood, but never at these homes. Perhaps those who buy the new townhouses understand shortly thereafter that there is no money left for kids.... which would explain why the "affordable single-family living" signs disappeared.