Monumental effort to tear down blight would improve neighborhoods and Detroit's image

[rex]

$12.00 x 40 hours =$480, after taxes $380.00-$400.00. $400 x 52 weeks in a year. $20800. You can purchase a decent house in Detroit for what $35,000. 15 years mortgage, what your payment nothing. 4 weeks in a month. $1600 gr0ss-mortage, house ins, and taxes[[$500/month)=$1100. Cable, phone, heat, electricity, water. $400=$700. Groceries $100/week=$400.00 You have $300 left over

Enough to get by from month to month but a new roof costs 10K or thereabouts. New windows i have no idea. Several thousand to paint the exterior, Several thousand more to paint the interior. There are all types of home repairs and upkeep expenses.
Just this year i replaced my roof, ceiling was leaking into the kitchen sink. Now i have to repair plaster up there. Plumbing issues that included water leaking into the basement after a shower & 2 leaky sinks. Furnace didn't start in November, Washing machine broke. I spent 13K on maintenance. By the aforementioned $300/month surplus thats 3.5 or so years of saving every extra penny. Plus transportation wasn't included in the above. Between gas, insurance, payments, repairs and whatever else it would cost me 4K a year to drive on the cheap.

[DetroitPlanner]

Enough to get by from month to month but a new roof costs 10K or thereabouts. New windows i have no idea. Several thousand to paint the exterior, Several thousand more to paint the interior. There are all types of home repairs and upkeep expenses.
Just this year i replaced my roof, ceiling was leaking into the kitchen sink. Now i have to repair plaster up there. Plumbing issues that included water leaking into the basement after a shower & 2 leaky sinks. Furnace didn't start in November, Washing machine broke. I spent 13K on maintenance. By the aforementioned $300/month surplus thats 3.5 or so years of saving every extra penny. Plus transportation wasn't included in the above. Between gas, insurance, payments, repairs and whatever else it would cost me 4K a year to drive on the cheap.

Regardless of maintenance costs the housing is affordable. An affordable house will cost about $3-4k for a new roof [[tear-off). $10k is closer to a McMansion sized home.

[JohnnyFreddy]

Regardless of maintenance costs the housing is affordable. An affordable house will cost about $3-4k for a new roof [[tear-off). $10k is closer to a McMansion sized home.

Oh REALLY???? What dimension do you live in? I just spent $18,000 on my re-roof....take away the 'extras' and I'd still spend $15,000. You people really need to tack on a few dollars here and there making your financial assumptions, especially in buying a house in Detroit. There are ALWAYS extra costs involved. Unless you plan on doing most of the work yourself....$12.00hr. is not going to be nearly enough to sustain your household/mortgage in Detroit. Life isn't as cut and dry as you're making it to be. "You lazy types just need to work harder, and be more like HIM or HIM over there..." It's jut NOT THAT SIMPLE. AND......$12.00 an hour??? Hell, they don't even want people to make $10.00hr. minimum wage.... where's this $12.00hr. coming from? Get real why don't 'ya.

[NickCharles]

Oh REALLY???? What dimension do you live in? I just spent $18,000 on my re-roof....take away the 'extras' and I'd still spend $15,000.

Geez, man, I agree that $3-4K is an unreasonably low estimate, but if you spent $18K [[or even $15K,) I have to wonder if solar panels or platinum were involved.
Unless you live in an enormous house and are just too humble to admit so.

[maverick1]

Enough to get by from month to month but a new roof costs 10K or thereabouts. New windows i have no idea. Several thousand to paint the exterior, Several thousand more to paint the interior. There are all types of home repairs and upkeep expenses.
Just this year i replaced my roof, ceiling was leaking into the kitchen sink. Now i have to repair plaster up there. Plumbing issues that included water leaking into the basement after a shower & 2 leaky sinks. Furnace didn't start in November, Washing machine broke. I spent 13K on maintenance. By the aforementioned $300/month surplus thats 3.5 or so years of saving every extra penny. Plus transportation wasn't included in the above. Between gas, insurance, payments, repairs and whatever else it would cost me 4K a year to drive on the cheap.

I agree. And what if they have children? It's easy to say it can be done when you don't have to do it.