Disgusted/Deflated. We make combines $350 & can't afford jack

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. We want half acre. We are on postage stamp now and hate it. We want newer build so we don't have to replace appliances, roof, windows, electric.

And for those accusing troll. We want to spend max $720. For our salary, etc. it is upsetting we can't get what we want.

OP, we make $350k a year. My neighborhood in Lorton is half acre lots, but the houses are all built in the 60s. A complete gut job just sold for $700. What you want does not exist in 2022.

Hence the point of the OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. We want half acre. We are on postage stamp now and hate it. We want newer build so we don't have to replace appliances, roof, windows, electric.

And for those accusing troll. We want to spend max $720. For our salary, etc. it is upsetting we can't get what we want.

This has nothing to do with your salary. You want a $720k house on a half acre close to DC? That doesn't exist.

All the emphasis on your salary is strange. Just say what your budget is. Your salary is irrelevant because what you are willing to spend is much less than you can afford (or what a normal family with that HHI could afford). That's fine and it's your prerogative, but your salary will not get you a nice home if you aren't actually willing to spend the money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. We want half acre. We are on postage stamp now and hate it. We want newer build so we don't have to replace appliances, roof, windows, electric.

And for those accusing troll. We want to spend max $720. For our salary, etc. it is upsetting we can't get what we want.

This has nothing to do with your salary. You want a $720k house on a half acre close to DC? That doesn't exist.

All the emphasis on your salary is strange. Just say what your budget is. Your salary is irrelevant because what you are willing to spend is much less than you can afford (or what a normal family with that HHI could afford). That's fine and it's your prerogative, but your salary will not get you a nice home if you aren't actually willing to spend the money.

Thank you. Well said PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand. I come from NY area and make a good salary, nothing fancy, 500K a year which is solidly middle class where I’m from. We were able to afford a SFH, 2,800 square feet, within 30 min driving commute of Park and 46th. This is what most people really should be able to have just like before. But here in DC having a real hard time finding something like this. It’s really screwed up when you think just 30 years ago something like this could be had on teacher salary like 40k a year but now unaffordable even for my family. It’s just unacceptable.

In 1990, a teacher making $40,000 a year was not buying a house you describe in a close-in safe neighborhood with good schools. You people have invented an imaginary past that never existed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. We want half acre. We are on postage stamp now and hate it. We want newer build so we don't have to replace appliances, roof, windows, electric.

And for those accusing troll. We want to spend max $720. For our salary, etc. it is upsetting we can't get what we want.

We spent $400K for a great house on a nice lot in PG. Our neighborhood is amazing with block parties and a great elementary school in walking distance. We go to community events at our library (in walking distance) and we go out to eat with neighbors at one of our awesome restaurants, also in walking distance. We thought we would stay here just through elementary school, but we like it so much we are in for the long haul. Look outside the areas you are considering.

In every one of the innumerable threads on this topic, someone suggests PG County as an affordable, convenient option. No one has yet to explain why that doesn’t “count” other than they are snobs about what neighborhood they want to live in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand. I come from NY area and make a good salary, nothing fancy, 500K a year which is solidly middle class where I’m from. We were able to afford a SFH, 2,800 square feet, within 30 min driving commute of Park and 46th. This is what most people really should be able to have just like before. But here in DC having a real hard time finding something like this. It’s really screwed up when you think just 30 years ago something like this could be had on teacher salary like 40k a year but now unaffordable even for my family. It’s just unacceptable.

In 1990, a teacher making $40,000 a year was not buying a house you describe in a close-in safe neighborhood with good schools. You people have invented an imaginary past that never existed.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. We want half acre. We are on postage stamp now and hate it. We want newer build so we don't have to replace appliances, roof, windows, electric.

And for those accusing troll. We want to spend max $720. For our salary, etc. it is upsetting we can't get what we want.

We spent $400K for a great house on a nice lot in PG. Our neighborhood is amazing with block parties and a great elementary school in walking distance. We go to community events at our library (in walking distance) and we go out to eat with neighbors at one of our awesome restaurants, also in walking distance. We thought we would stay here just through elementary school, but we like it so much we are in for the long haul. Look outside the areas you are considering.

In every one of the innumerable threads on this topic, someone suggests PG County as an affordable, convenient option. No one has yet to explain why that doesn’t “count” other than they are snobs about what neighborhood they want to live in.

it doesn't count because the schools are not well rated, you'd need to pay for private which isn't the middle class lifestyle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. We want half acre. We are on postage stamp now and hate it. We want newer build so we don't have to replace appliances, roof, windows, electric.

And for those accusing troll. We want to spend max $720. For our salary, etc. it is upsetting we can't get what we want.

OP, we make $350k a year. My neighborhood in Lorton is half acre lots, but the houses are all built in the 60s. A complete gut job just sold for $700. What you want does not exist in 2022.

Hence the point of the OP.

The point is that what OP wants has never existed. I know one person who had a house on a half acre in DC in the late 80’s, and it was a multimillion dollar house then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why must it be a half acre? Why would you even expect this in/around a city? Do you really like to mow the lawn?

I mean this isn't a half acre, but the yard is fine...

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/3124-Shadeland-Dr-22044/home/9565192

Or here, again, yard is fine. Do you need backyard chickens or something?
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Fairfax/4436-Naoma-Ct-22030/home/9614797

You definitely don’t need a half acre for chickens.

In Fairfax you need 2 acres for any kind of livestock including chickens, unless you get a costly permit.

A half acre is kind of a random requirement, IMO, and an unusual size for a lot. I live on a little over a quarter acre and my neighbors have a third acre. It's a lot of upkeep. I'd only move if it was to upgrade to 2 acres AND I had money for gardening help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. We want half acre. We are on postage stamp now and hate it. We want newer build so we don't have to replace appliances, roof, windows, electric.

And for those accusing troll. We want to spend max $720. For our salary, etc. it is upsetting we can't get what we want.

We spent $400K for a great house on a nice lot in PG. Our neighborhood is amazing with block parties and a great elementary school in walking distance. We go to community events at our library (in walking distance) and we go out to eat with neighbors at one of our awesome restaurants, also in walking distance. We thought we would stay here just through elementary school, but we like it so much we are in for the long haul. Look outside the areas you are considering.

In every one of the innumerable threads on this topic, someone suggests PG County as an affordable, convenient option. No one has yet to explain why that doesn’t “count” other than they are snobs about what neighborhood they want to live in.

it doesn't count because the schools are not well rated, you'd need to pay for private which isn't the middle class lifestyle

You can say they same thing about DC schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. We want half acre. We are on postage stamp now and hate it. We want newer build so we don't have to replace appliances, roof, windows, electric.

And for those accusing troll. We want to spend max $720. For our salary, etc. it is upsetting we can't get what we want.

We spent $400K for a great house on a nice lot in PG. Our neighborhood is amazing with block parties and a great elementary school in walking distance. We go to community events at our library (in walking distance) and we go out to eat with neighbors at one of our awesome restaurants, also in walking distance. We thought we would stay here just through elementary school, but we like it so much we are in for the long haul. Look outside the areas you are considering.

In every one of the innumerable threads on this topic, someone suggests PG County as an affordable, convenient option. No one has yet to explain why that doesn’t “count” other than they are snobs about what neighborhood they want to live in.

it doesn't count because the schools are not well rated, you'd need to pay for private which isn't the middle class lifestyle

You can say they same thing about DC schools.

Wrong! Thousands of DCUM types send their kids to DC public and charter schools.

[Anonymous]

This has to be the same OP who complained they can’t ever take a vacation or fix up their because they have put all their money in savings and retirement and refuse to spend it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has to be the same OP who complained they can’t ever take a vacation or fix up their because they have put all their money in savings and retirement and refuse to spend it.

OMG I remember that one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has to be the same OP who complained they can’t ever take a vacation or fix up their because they have put all their money in savings and retirement and refuse to spend it.

OP here. Not us, but it sounds like us. Cheap/thrifty. Can't spend $$ unless we truly need to.

and by the way - I never said DC proper. Or any specific place. Where we are looking is around Centreville/Chantilly. that is where the parochial schools are where we are sending our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ok, well I want gas to cost $1.34 a gallon and an ice cream cone should be 99 cents. But the market doesn't owe you--or me--anything. You are not entitled to the house of your dreams at whatever price you want it to be.

You are still in a better position than 99+% of people in the world. You can choose to be happy about that (and maybe even help others who are less fortunate than you) or you can choose to be bitter. It seems sad to spend your extremely lucky and comfortable life being disgusted and deflated, but that's a choice you can make.

OP here. You are absolutely right. We can choose to buy an expensive home, but we are choosing not to - because we want to be financially stable and be able to afford any house on one salary. we both grew up very poor and don't want our family to have to worry about where the next meal is coming from.