s/o How old are you? What kind of house do you live in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Live in NWDC - near Foxhall Road. Bought 5 bedroom, older, classic [1920s], home for $1.35 mil, about 5 years ago, in mid-30s. I truly love our house, its our 2nd and I am happy to live here forever. We sold 1st house in DC for more than twice what we paid for it in 1999. Hate to say this, I really do, but there are tons of families around us who live in 2 to 4 million $ homes and are in their lates 20s and early 30s. Many have some sort of inheritance or family money, others have high-paying jobs as lawyers/lobbists/CEOs/money managers, some have both. Its depressing if you compared yourself and your "things" to others. Don't start down that road - no good will come of it.

Foxhall, Berkley, Wesley Heights, and Kent are WASP inheritance central. Most of them don't work or bounce around from job to job. The wives drive Mercedes station wagons and hang out at the Spring Valley Starbucks or Red Door and gossip about each other. Glad we moved out of DC to a less pretentious neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

This list scares me a lot. So many people in this thread and the other one are talking about family money and big law being the only way they can afford these big houses close in. I guess if DH and I with no family money and middle of the road salaries ever want to buy we are destined for a mcmansion in Ashburn. D:

[Anonymous]

33/35

Purchased our first TH pre bubble when we were 23/25, rented it and then got another SFH pre bubble in far burbs. Made a fortune after selling both and taking the capital gains exception. Have a SFH in burbs and a vacation house all thanks to that first home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Live in NWDC - near Foxhall Road. Bought 5 bedroom, older, classic [1920s], home for $1.35 mil, about 5 years ago, in mid-30s. I truly love our house, its our 2nd and I am happy to live here forever. We sold 1st house in DC for more than twice what we paid for it in 1999. Hate to say this, I really do, but there are tons of families around us who live in 2 to 4 million $ homes and are in their lates 20s and early 30s. Many have some sort of inheritance or family money, others have high-paying jobs as lawyers/lobbists/CEOs/money managers, some have both. Its depressing if you compared yourself and your "things" to others. Don't start down that road - no good will come of it.

Foxhall, Berkley, Wesley Heights, and Kent are WASP inheritance central. Most of them don't work or bounce around from job to job. The wives drive Mercedes station wagons and hang out at the Spring Valley Starbucks or Red Door and gossip about each other. Glad we moved out of DC to a less pretentious neighborhood.

That is totally not true, PP. Sure, there are always some trust fund babies like this, and I could name at least 5 off the top of my head, but hardly "most" and certainly not in these neighborhoods of NWDC where *what you do* and *where you went to school* and *how many degrees you have* really matters. I mean this seriously as I am writing it but, it is totally making me laugh and roll my eyes because its just soooooo DC.

[Anonymous]

Both 33. Live in a 4 bedroom 3.5 bath SFH in upper NW. No family money. Both lawyers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Live in NWDC - near Foxhall Road. Bought 5 bedroom, older, classic [1920s], home for $1.35 mil, about 5 years ago, in mid-30s. I truly love our house, its our 2nd and I am happy to live here forever. We sold 1st house in DC for more than twice what we paid for it in 1999. Hate to say this, I really do, but there are tons of families around us who live in 2 to 4 million $ homes and are in their lates 20s and early 30s. Many have some sort of inheritance or family money, others have high-paying jobs as lawyers/lobbists/CEOs/money managers, some have both. Its depressing if you compared yourself and your "things" to others. Don't start down that road - no good will come of it.

Foxhall, Berkley, Wesley Heights, and Kent are WASP inheritance central. Most of them don't work or bounce around from job to job. The wives drive Mercedes station wagons and hang out at the Spring Valley Starbucks or Red Door and gossip about each other. Glad we moved out of DC to a less pretentious neighborhood.

That is totally not true, PP. Sure, there are always some trust fund babies like this, and I could name at least 5 off the top of my head, but hardly "most" and certainly not in these neighborhoods of NWDC where *what you do* and *where you went to school* and *how many degrees you have* really matters. I mean this seriously as I am writing it but, it is totally making me laugh and roll my eyes because its just soooooo DC.

Most of them did go to top tier schools. That's the life of a legacy. Best example, See:George W Bush. But while there are a lot of big law partners there are a lot of people that live off the 1099s based on grandads hard work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This list scares me a lot. So many people in this thread and the other one are talking about family money and big law being the only way they can afford these big houses close in. I guess if DH and I with no family money and middle of the road salaries ever want to buy we are destined for a mcmansion in Ashburn. D:

The McMansions in Ashburn, Brambleton and South Riding give me hives. We just bought a 40-year old SFH for @450K in Fairfax. The neighborhood has mature trees, nice middle class families and good schools.

I will never be able to hang with the people who can actually afford a house in the $1M+ range. Different universe than I live in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Live in NWDC - near Foxhall Road. Bought 5 bedroom, older, classic [1920s], home for $1.35 mil, about 5 years ago, in mid-30s. I truly love our house, its our 2nd and I am happy to live here forever. We sold 1st house in DC for more than twice what we paid for it in 1999. Hate to say this, I really do, but there are tons of families around us who live in 2 to 4 million $ homes and are in their lates 20s and early 30s. Many have some sort of inheritance or family money, others have high-paying jobs as lawyers/lobbists/CEOs/money managers, some have both. Its depressing if you compared yourself and your "things" to others. Don't start down that road - no good will come of it.

Foxhall, Berkley, Wesley Heights, and Kent are WASP inheritance central. Most of them don't work or bounce around from job to job. The wives drive Mercedes station wagons and hang out at the Spring Valley Starbucks or Red Door and gossip about each other. Glad we moved out of DC to a less pretentious neighborhood.

That is totally not true, PP. Sure, there are always some trust fund babies like this, and I could name at least 5 off the top of my head, but hardly "most" and certainly not in these neighborhoods of NWDC where *what you do* and *where you went to school* and *how many degrees you have* really matters. I mean this seriously as I am writing it but, it is totally making me laugh and roll my eyes because its just soooooo DC.

it really depends what specific circles you are in. I can think of a half dozen families that live in Kent, Foxhall etc. who live almost entirely off family money. Or, far more frequently, the husband has a high paying job ($250-500K or whatever) but they afford the $3 million dollar house, etc. at age 32 because of the family money. The number of people who can earn the type of money to afford a $2-4 million dollar house in their 30's based on income ALONE is exceedingly rare. And yet there are hundreds of young couples in NW, Chevy Chase, etc who own these homes. Entire the family money.

And all of these people went to excellent schools (high school and college).

[Anonymous]

whoops-- previous poster here-
should have read, "Enter the family money."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Live in NWDC - near Foxhall Road. Bought 5 bedroom, older, classic [1920s], home for $1.35 mil, about 5 years ago, in mid-30s. I truly love our house, its our 2nd and I am happy to live here forever. We sold 1st house in DC for more than twice what we paid for it in 1999. Hate to say this, I really do, but there are tons of families around us who live in 2 to 4 million $ homes and are in their lates 20s and early 30s. Many have some sort of inheritance or family money, others have high-paying jobs as lawyers/lobbists/CEOs/money managers, some have both. Its depressing if you compared yourself and your "things" to others. Don't start down that road - no good will come of it.

Foxhall, Berkley, Wesley Heights, and Kent are WASP inheritance central. Most of them don't work or bounce around from job to job. The wives drive Mercedes station wagons and hang out at the Spring Valley Starbucks or Red Door and gossip about each other. Glad we moved out of DC to a less pretentious neighborhood.

That is totally not true, PP. Sure, there are always some trust fund babies like this, and I could name at least 5 off the top of my head, but hardly "most" and certainly not in these neighborhoods of NWDC where *what you do* and *where you went to school* and *how many degrees you have* really matters. I mean this seriously as I am writing it but, it is totally making me laugh and roll my eyes because its just soooooo DC.

it really depends what specific circles you are in. I can think of a half dozen families that live in Kent, Foxhall etc. who live almost entirely off family money. Or, far more frequently, the husband has a high paying job ($250-500K or whatever) but they afford the $3 million dollar house, etc. at age 32 because of the family money. The number of people who can earn the type of money to afford a $2-4 million dollar house in their 30's based on income ALONE is exceedingly rare. And yet there are hundreds of young couples in NW, Chevy Chase, etc who own these homes. Entire the family money.

And all of these people went to excellent schools (high school and college).

Now THIS is more accurate. Its very different then "bounce around different jobs." I'd be willing to bet we know each other.

[Anonymous]

I am 32 and live in a small townhouse in Arlington. No trust fund here

[Anonymous]

We are in our mid 30's with two school-aged children. We live in a 4 bdrm. colonial in Arlington. We are getting ready to do a pretty substantial addition.

Prior to that, DH bought a townhouse in Arlington at age 27 which we sold in 2005 (to have the money to buy our current house).

We are not lawyers and have never received any type of financial assistance (after graduating from undergrad) from our parents. So, you don't have to be "Biglaw" or have a trust fund to make it in this town. DH has a really good job, we send our children to a great public school, and we live within our means.

[Anonymous]

31 and 34. Just bought our first 3 br sfh in takoma park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in our mid 30's with two school-aged children. We live in a 4 bdrm. colonial in Arlington. We are getting ready to do a pretty substantial addition.

Prior to that, DH bought a townhouse in Arlington at age 27 which we sold in 2005 (to have the money to buy our current house).

We are not lawyers and have never received any type of financial assistance (after graduating from undergrad) from our parents. So, you don't have to be "Biglaw" or have a trust fund to make it in this town. DH has a really good job, we send our children to a great public school, and we live within our means.

While that is true, you aren't really "making" it. Your kids go to public and you live in Arlington. Just saying. So you should stop making subtle digs at "biglaw" and the income it provides.

[Anonymous]

Bought a 2 BR Capitol Hill rowhouse in 1998 when I was 32. Had $5k in help with the downpayment from my dad. Still living in it. At this point, another bedroom would be nice ... but my low mortgage is nicer.