Can anyone explain the novelty of AC in Middle Class Homes Here?
K- this is a real question, not just a complaint... Honestly, I realize it's not this hot that often, and I absolutely love where I live... But!
Why in the world in an area with some of the highest real estate prices in the country, did so many of the houses I looked at above 700K last year not have freakin AC. Honestly, it's like 99 in San Rafael today and Hottt! The lamo excuses I heard from realitors about moderate temperatures, come on!
I know there are some cool microclimates, but that's not a satisfactory explaination for the areas I was house shopping in, with a higher median temperature. I've been here a couple years, and I'll tell you the climate warrants AC about 1/3rd of the summer.
People tell themselves the funniest stories... Here are the best theories I've been able to produce:
1) The only way people can justify the exhorbitant cost of real estate here is to hang on to the refrain about how wonderfull the climate is. Therefore; if they acknowledged it got hot enough to put AC in their houses, it would undermine the rational they hang on to, to explain the exhorbitant cost of real estate. Rather than dealing with question that inconsistancy illustrates, they hang on to the fuzzy logic of how wonderfull the climate is.
2) Or maybe the exhorbitant cost of real estate here has had similar impact on successive homeowners and resulted in people that have have all been so similarily mortgage poor, they couldn't afford AC!
I'm waiting for the AC Fairy, how many teeth do you think it would take? D.
I lived in the Bay Area 40 years, San Bruno, Lafayette, then Castro Valley. None of our homes ever had A/C. In Lafayette it got up to 105 every fall.
If you ever find a valid answer I'd like to hear it. Here we get only a month or 6 weeks over 80 yet I have A/C.
BTW, we had record heat here yesterday for the date - 75.
Mind you; I freakin love it here, and hope I live it out here. There's no place like SF! If however I were going to live anywhere else, it would be somewhere traveling up further into the Pacific NW! I've been executing a consulting contract on the Northern Olympic Penninsula, man that's suuumtin up there! Happy returns! D.
Sure, the climate is mild 9 months out of the year... We have a whole ritual that we go through every morning and evening to keep the temps in our house tolerable... I'd just love to set the thermo to 75 and let 'er rip.
Mind you; I freakin love it here, and hope I live it out here. There's no place like SF! If however I were going to live anywhere else, it would be somewhere traveling up further into the Pacific NW! I've been executing a consulting contract on the Northern Olympic Penninsula, man that's suuumtin up there! Happy returns! D.
My parents live in Port Angeles, part way up Blue Mountain, I go and stay overnight often. One of the driest areas in the state, they only get 9-10" of rain a year, while here we get 40, and just north and west of them 60"+.
All my homes in the east bay have had air in them. If you can afford to buy a house in the area and it didn't have air. You should be able to add air to the house.
Whatchu talkin bout bigness! I'm livin the american dream... In debt till I can't pay attention. If the the status quo resumes where they left off, I'll be in a box, down by the river!
I remember takin a ferry out of Port Angelos to Vancouver Island, I know jus where you're talkin bout bisjoe... Pretty up there! Now thats an example of microclimates!
Up until not too many years ago A/C was a major expense. The units were expensive to install and maintain and cost a fortune to run. Now, with modern systems they are small and efficient, homes are better insulated and the operating costs are way down. Pretty much the same for cars; it used to be an expensive option.
I doubt many homes buit in the last 10-15 years don't have air.
Thx Jbolty!That my friend is the most credible rational I've gotten yet. I bet you hit it pretty much right on...
Even though I was there, I forget how different things were in the 60's when my house was built. I think there were still only three television network stations VHF was a strange farse, Radio was king and FM was a revolution, people were filming home movies was 8mm on 2.5 minute rolls without sound, few families had more than one car, most families had an at home mother cause middle america could still count on a primary breadwinners sallary to raise a family... Dang that's future shock! wait a minute... I gotta Txt my therapist then tweet an affirmation confirming my youth and vigor before the heat runs me out of my house! Kiddding!
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