Of course, silly trivialities like energy costs never inhibit people from moving further out of the dark, evil cities (and never will, right?).
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'F')uel costs take toll on outer-tier suburbs
Not everyone agrees, however. Some officials blame the soft housing market, but Realtors' groups insist that is not a factor.
By PAUL LEVY, Star Tribune December 15, 2007 - 12:26 AM
East Bethel's population has grown more than 20 percent since 2000, but that spurt apparently has run out of gas. And that's fuel for thought for those paying attention to the pumps, East Bethel's finance director says.
It's the price of fuel and commuting, and not just the housing market, that's choking the Twin Cities' outer-tier suburbs, East Bethel finance director Bob Sundberg said recently. Unpredictable gas prices and unforgiving stop-and-go roadways have kept potential commuters from moving farther away from Minneapolis and St. Paul, he said.
Officials from other suburbs blame the housing market, and representatives from Realtors associations throughout the metro area say they have not heard of gas prices hurting the housing market. ...
"In bedroom communities like ours, where there are few places to work, people commute to Minneapolis or St. Paul and are paying more than $6 a day for gas for their commute -- and some are paying a lot more," Sundberg said.
"We're geared up for fast growth, but right now we have empty lots instead of new homes, and the price of gas has a lot to do with it." ...
Neither does Ron Covert, CEO of the Southern Twin Cities Association of Realtors. Nor does Patrick Ruble, a official with the St. Paul Area Association of Realtors. "For everyone, gas prices and transportation are issues," Ruble said. "But I have not heard one Realtor tell me they were having problems selling houses because of gas prices." ...
Star-Tribune