<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt"><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">I have really appreciated the generally thoughtful tone of this discussion.<br><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif;">I just wanted to add my two cents to the notions of property values and overcrowded houses in our town. Just anecdotal evidence, but I volunteer and go to church in Langley Park with a community mostly comprised of recent immigrants. Many of them live in quite crowded shared apartments out of economic necessity. It seem like when folks have found a measure of financial success, the "move up" to Riverdale Park from Langley Park because
it is seen as a more desirable neighborhood. And they may take in other families to afford their mortgages. <br><br>The alternative to these multi-family arrangements is that many of these houses would end up in foreclosure, as several in my neighborhood have. From my perspective, this has a far more detrimental impact on our property values than multiple families living in one house. </span></font></font><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif;">(Not to even get started on the
crazy mortgages that were given on these houses in the height of the
real estate boom, but a very very modest house across the street from me
was sold and financed at $375K! Today it might sell for 200K or less.
Not surprisingly, it was in foreclosure a year ago) </span></font></font><br><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif;"><br>I think the original poster had a question along the lines of "what can be done to help?". I personally think the answer is jobs jobs jobs. The more people work, the more they can afford to have "a room of their own". Because I am certain these families would prefer their own space if it were financially feasible.<br>KG.<br></span></font></font></div></div>
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