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4/1/09

Burbs: Ex's and Beyond...



Exurbanites are probably in the worst situation going forward.
Though they are probably well heeled, they most likely have a fairly high mortgage,
Are by definition commuters to a large town or small city,
Have little in the way of options should their personal economy go south,
Have little or no interest in the agricultural potential of their property,
And if it is possible, have even less in the way of local connections than do suburbanites.

As opposed to suburbs, the exurbs are pretty well a white elephant in a major or permanent downturn. There has been way to much money invested in home/pool/garage/luxury to ever be viable in anything less than a great growing economy.

Which isn't to say they would have no value whatsoever, just not the kind originally intended.

Those are all pretty subjective views but are the impression I get from reading stuff here and there about those newly relocated past the outermost ring of suburbia and my simply looking around my own neighborhood.
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But there is another type of "urbanite", it's the ones raised in the country or small town who has become more or less dependent on a city income, city consumption habits and probably debt levels, but continues to relate to the attitudes, associations and community from which they came and still reside.

He could be farming 1,000 acres of rented land or living on his grandparents farm and just putzing around or in a little house just off the square. But he or he and she both currently drive 20/30/40 mile one way to a job in town.

They probably spend most of their money shopping in town but maybe they they also spend a little at what is left of the local businesses. They may go to the same church as their parents, their kids probably go to the same school they did and that's where they go watch the game on Friday night.


I'll call these the transurbanites. I'm truly not sure but they may be an important part of the future of my grandkids farm.

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