i dont see how $90,000 is low income? There are some low income individuals struggling to to do way below $650 a month. They should of built those house for less money.

low income at $650.00 a month? The first poster is absolutely right. Another giant blunder by the city. First off, if I'm going to spend 90 grand on a home, it's not going to be in the 400 block of 17th Street....and before anyone bashes me, I wouldn't spend that on a home in my neighborhood either.

Who's idea was this?

i am soooo glad i wasn't the only one who saw this on tv and thought, how can a low income family afford a 90k house. i can see why there are no takers.

The payments are probably closer to $700 per month. This was a pretty big miss. Can prospective buyers make an offer?

This "lottery" is under-thought on so many levels, it isn't even funny! A family of four living on an annual salary of $41,750 cannot afford to make even a $650 monthly payment, especially in this economy. The article doesn't clarify if this is gross or net income. I understand that this is within HUD's debt-to-income guidelines, but has HUD adjusted this DTI ratio to reflect the current economy? I seriously doubt it. And let's just assume for a moment that this family of four has an extremely good credit history, who, in their right mind, would take on this kind of debt? We are a glutonnous soceity. People, ALL people need to be taught to live within their means, not above them. Maybe the brain trust behind this big idea should've walked a mile in the working man's shoes before venturing into this endeavor. I'm all for giving people a hand up, but there are lots of realistic elements to consider. Don't put people who are trying to make good lives for themselves in a situation that is doomed to fail them. Even the most frugal of people would struggle with this kind of payment in this economy where the cost of everything is on the rise. The powers that be should seriously consider restructuring this program to more feasible expections in the real world.

Are you kidding me? $90,000 for a house when your income is $30,000 to 42,000 dollars? Seriously, what are you people thinking? I make right in the middle of that have one kid in high school and one kid in college, my morgage payment is right around 540 a month without taxes and insurance and let me tell you it is a struggle with utilities, groceries and of course GAS plus everything my kids are involved in, camps, courses, ect. When you take into consideration, these people have to qualify for a loan, and most are not going to meet the credit guidlines. I'm sure the homes are very nice and energy efficient, however, look around the neighborhoods. Go 2 blocks in either direction and ask, would you pay $90,000 for a house in this area? You know what, can we just take a step back for a minute and use some common sense? Please.

I can say this much for the 20 or so people that at least inquired about the program...they obviously had enough common sense not to submit an application.

Also, maybe to the thinkers of this program, a house isn't an investment to them, but to most people, it is the most important purchase an individual will make. This neighborhood may be undesirable, I don't know. But from an investment standpoint, rush620 is right. Building a house in an area that is making strides to revitalize will only increase the property value of that and neighboring houses. Building a house simply because there was a cheap empty lot doesn't do anyone any good. Again, think people!

I don't know what world these people live in and came up with this idea. The money would have been better spent helping low income people make improvements to the homes they already have. you know, like a roof that doesn't leak, windows the wind doesn't blow through, air conditioning and a good furnace, especially for some of the elderly, that would keep them warm in the winter and cool in the summer. insulation, to keep energy costs down. do you know how many people, 230,000 dollars would have helped? the guidelines for those loans or grants if they are elderly or disabled are the same. no wonder this city is such a mess.

I make more than the guideline for 2 people yet I am single and couldn't afford rent of $650 if I wanted to own and drive a car, buy groceries, pay utilities, buy essential non grocery items such as toothepaste, etc. Whoever came up with this idea needs to live in low income shoes for 6 months or more. This wasn't even close to being thought out realistically.

Rush620 - go 2 blocks in either direction? Hell go next door!

This is not a neighborhood that is interested in revitalizing anytime soon. We saw the houses when they were being built and figured they had to be HUD houses that were going to be *given* away. You'd have to be absolutely insane to pay 90K for a house in that neighborhood, unless it came with a meth/crackhead deterrent system. And even then there *are* meth houses within blocks of that location. There are people wandering the streets all hours of the night; fighting, yelling, etc. This has to be one of the most economically depressed and drug infested areas of St. Joe (that isn't an apartment complex).

Anoneemus you just gave me my first belly laugh of the day. I must confess that I hadn't been in that area for over a year when I first posted but did dare to drive through it yesterday afternoon, in a convertible with the top down, and I was extremely uncomfortable. I could not imagine raising children or keeping an animal outside in that particular area. I agree with rxyrch, $230,000 would have gone a long way in fixing up existing homes with the amenities she mentioned.

I've got to do a drive by, this has got my interest.

If this proves to be a giant waste of taxpayers money, some heads need to roll.

What's it take to build a $60,000.00 home these days - if they buy 4 of those, small and meager as they may be, it would seem those would be gone in a heartbeat - or a duplex.....

Basic, no frills - A living room with attached kitchen, utility room, single bathroom and a couple large bedrooms.

I'll do my drive by then comment more........

Well, I did my drive by.

Those houses -

They looked nice, nothing wrong with them and the price seems fair.

I saw lots of improvements happening in that area.

Sure, there is more to be done, but you have to start somewhere.

Parking - I failed to notice if there was off street parking.

Helping a qualified person find the proper loan would go a long way towards closing on those houses.

Make sure whomever qualifies is not taken advantage of by the finance people.......

These are for low income people, there is no way a person who is considered low income could afford these houses. the city has stated that the payment would be $600 with taxes and insurance which is something they can't guarantee unless they are going to insure the house themselves. home insurance is now based on your credit score as well as how many claims you filed in the past and that will raise each year. the insurance companies believe that if you have less than a perfect credit score, you are more apt to file a claim. that is just about as ridiculous as building 90k homes for low income people.

A family of four with both parents working 40 hours weeks at jobs that pay $10.00 per hour would qualify as "low enough income" for these homes.

That's over $40,000 per year.

And hopefully they will be able to use the bus system to get to and from work.

And maybe have a live in baby-sitter -

Life is not easy, many of us had no idea how good we had it.....

Those days, I am afraid, are over for a while.

I'm surprised $40+K a year is considered "low income"...... Even for a family of four.

Driving through parts of St. Joe makes me realize how much poverty we have right here, more than many a larger town.....