Would you rather live in a mansion in Houston or a three bedroom apartment in Manhattan?

[Libertas Vel Mors]

Manhattan but only for location -- I'd take the mansion if it was closer to downtown. Spring is really far out.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Obvious answer is obvious

[GeneralMacArthur]

Is this what people mean when they say we have a housing crisis?

[Virginiá]

What would I do with three bedrooms? I only need one, maybe two for a guest room tops.

You wouldn't want an office (or spare room for other things you might have use for?). I think 3 rooms is ideal. One bedroom, one for office/hobby stuff/etc, one guest room. Granted, I do a lot of computer work, but I hate the idea of having my desk/etc in my bedroom, or out in the living room.

[quesaisje]

Both of them are money pits.

Neither of them are my kind of money pit. I don't do the Sun Belt unless I'm within sight of the ocean, and while I like the city, New York wears me out quickly.

Here's what I'll do instead: Buy something like this place in a small city with strong pre-war bones, and use the leftover cash to bulldoze the pool and restore as much as the original landscaping as possible.

[politicallefty]

It's a really nice apartment, but I do have to say the kitchen feels claustrophobic.

[satsuma]

Apartment. I don't see the need for the space of a mansion. Hell, three bedrooms even might be pushing it.

My realtor encouraged me to go for 3 bedrooms because 2 is a rather small niche in a family-oriented area, though the house I got in Texas is even smaller than that NYC apartment.

That Houston house is one of the weirdest I've ever seen. 

Good point. The location isn't great. Way far out in the suburbs, and at the entrance to a McMansion subdivision. There's no lawn because the whole lot is built up!

The real expensive mansions are mostly in or near River Oaks. To benefit from a mansion anyway, I think you ought to be more of a party thrower, or at least someone who tends to have several other people in their house most of the time.

[Mr. Ukucasha]

OP, how exactly does this hypothetical work? Do we just get the property and enough income to maintain living expenses if necessary for free? In that case, even though I would much rather live in Manhattan than Houston, I might be inclined to opt for the Houston mansion because it seems like such an insanely good investment. Despite the fact that it isn't in Houston, but rather an inner suburb about 30 minutes from downtown, under $1M is still a ridiculously low price for an 8,500 square foot house. In contrast, just under $1M seems like a reasonable price for a 1,700 square foot apartment in the heart of Manhattan, and I would probably be unable to sell it for more than that. I might opt for the Houston mansion in hopes of selling it for at least $1.5M, if not $2M-$3M or more. $1M for such a house would be unfathomably cheap even in rural Kansas, let alone a major city like Houston.

[Continential]

OP, how exactly does this hypothetical work? Do we just get the property and enough income to maintain living expenses if necessary for free?

Your job/hypothetical job would would give you a salary which could allow you to afford this house.

Both of them are money pits.

Neither of them are my kind of money pit. I don't do the Sun Belt unless I'm within sight of the ocean, and while I like the city, New York wears me out quickly.

Here's what I'll do instead: Buy something like this place in a small city with strong pre-war bones, and use the leftover cash to bulldoze the pool and restore as much as the original landscaping as possible.

Yeah I agree with you and I wouldn't want to live in the Sun Belt, and I like older houses more than newer houses; my ideal house under a million would be a house like this or this.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Is this what people mean when they say we have a housing crisis?

generalmacarther don't be out of touch challenge [impossible]

[Aurelius2]

OP, how exactly does this hypothetical work? Do we just get the property and enough income to maintain living expenses if necessary for free?

Your job/hypothetical job would would give you a salary which could allow you to afford this house.

Both of them are money pits.

Neither of them are my kind of money pit. I don't do the Sun Belt unless I'm within sight of the ocean, and while I like the city, New York wears me out quickly.

Here's what I'll do instead: Buy something like this place in a small city with strong pre-war bones, and use the leftover cash to bulldoze the pool and restore as much as the original landscaping as possible.

Yeah I agree with you and I wouldn't want to live in the Sun Belt, and I like older houses more than newer houses; my ideal house under a million would be a house like this or this.

That second one is pretty cool. Makes me think of the Victorians up in Eureka, California. Shame they're in such a dreary, miserable place.

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

The NYC apartment is pretty close to my dream home. Modern, good location, in a city, near public transit, pretty spacious, etc