Transportation Costs Hurt Housing Affordability

Huntington Metro
Huntington Metro
A new study contends that only 39 percent of U.S. communities are affordable for typical households when the cost of transportation is included in the calculation of housing costs. The Center for Neighborhood Technology analyzed the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, which examined 161,000 neighborhoods housing 80 percent of the U.S. population, and concluded that for most families, transportation is the second-largest household expense. It is also a fairly unmanageable one, the study concluded, because it is difficult for families to estimate the full cost of a location before they move there. Gas prices and employment demands aren’t very predictable for many. Factors that can help people control transportation costs include walkable neighborhood streets, access to public transit, and nearby retail. Source: Center for Neighborhood Technology (03/23/2010)

Will Nesbitt

View posts by Will Nesbitt
Will is the principal broker of Nesbitt Realty and Condo Alexandria. He is licensed in anywhere in the Commonwealth of Virginia, but focuses on those communities found in and around Alexandria, Arlington, Mount Vernon and Springfield/Franconia. Will has been involved in real estate management, sales and investment for more than twenty years. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army. While in the army, he studied Russian at Monterey's Defense Language Institute. He is also a "veteran of the dotcom wars" and built most of the sites associated with NesbittRealty.com Will currently resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Old Town, overlooking New Alexandria. He is a former president of the Mount Vernon Youth Athletic Association and founded the Alexandria Fun with Friends Group. Will is the author of BattlestorM, a tabletop fantasy game, which was published by Ral Partha Publishing in the late '90's, and Arthur's Realm, a boardgame available at the Gamecrafter.