. It became clear that eliminating the car (and renting when I needed to take a very long trip outside of the city) would allow me to spend another 200K on the house. This put me into a nice three bedroom house on Capital Hill within a few hundred yards of the capital building and easy walking distance to my office, shopping and all but a few of the places where I would work. And I was ready to give this up because I thought I needed a car.
Its the same here. Our town is one of the most expensive in Canada. We couldn't afford our home today, but we built and paid for it as we built, which was just between the years when housing was relatively stable and then, prices just surged, so...no mortgage. We were dead lucky.
My best friends daughter, a psychiatric nurse and her hubby both hold well paying jobs. Daughter wanted a super grand house and now, they both have to drive 45 to get to work. I asked before if the kids had considered the cost of gas, ($1.49 per litre) plus the cost of blowing through 2 vehicles rather more quickly then they would in town. ( the loss of a car plus a loan for new one compared to a net gain of 10 to 12% in real estate) Mom said she didn't know, but she'd bring it up. Apparently daughter's biggest complaint is the time she spends driving and the fact that no one wants to drive out there.
But I don't think cars will go away. They'll just become battery operated. There likely will be less because fewer people can afford them. I think battery operated buses should be brought in, and free. The reduction of road maintance, the improvement to the atmosphere, the reduction of accidents etc. would justify it and probably pay for it.
Pants of Dog
You are to be congradulated!
“There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true" - Winston Churchill