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

[Anonymous]

If you make $350 and can't find a house in your price range, you aren't very intelligent.

[Anonymous]

We recently moved from DC to AL, and it's been amazing for our family. Just saying...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

If you know you can afford what you want and are choosing not to, why be "disgusted/deflated" about it? Either own your choice and find joy in the other ways you spend your money, or realize that your choice isn't working for you and choose to spend more money on housing (hint: there is a middle ground where you can afford a house that meets your criteria and not have legitimate worries about where your next meal is coming from). If you can't figure out a way to do this, it's not an economic problem, it's an emotional one. If you both grew up very poor you might have anxiety stemming from it that isn't fully rational and isn't serving you well. Therapy can be useful for overcoming that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you make $350 and can't find a house in your price range, you aren't very intelligent.

Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We recently moved from DC to AL, and it's been amazing for our family. Just saying...

Are you white?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We recently moved from DC to AL, and it's been amazing for our family. Just saying...

Is that you Forrest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, it’s fine to value savings over spending. But don’t complain about how you “can’t afford jack” because you CAN; you just don’t want to spend the money. Or that what you mean by “jack” is a newer house on a half-acre, which is unattainable for most of us. So there’s no point to your thread except trolling for attention. I knew when you said Alabama you were a troll, because I’ve lived in Alabama, and it is a complete shitshow in almost every respect.

have you been to Huntsville or Madison? serious question. that's where we are looking. yes, we can both work anywhere. the property taxes are very cheap, the schools are great and there are a lot of jobs

What kind of jobs? Retail? Fast food?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

We live in Herndon and there are houses available for $800,00 with yards, maybe not 1/2 an acre. There are properties available out this way that would suit your needs. You are being too picky.

The half acre is the issue, just did a redfin search for .5 acre and there's nothing, but switched filter to .25 acre and there's options. The yards still appear plenty large with the home not crowded in by a nearby neighbor. Not sure why the hangup with a half acre, perhaps check out some with a slightly smaller lot footprint?

One example:
https://www.redfin.com/VA/Centreville/15409-Martins-Hundred-Dr-20120/home/9571544

A half acre is spreading homes apart to a "rural" level; homes in suburbia are closer apart than this and generally have been unless you're going realllly far back. The house I grew up in in suburbia CT were closer to other homes than this in the 80s (but not in the 50s when my parents bought it before the area got built up). The house my DH grew up in in suburbia NJ was closer to other homes than this, but again, some of the neighbor homes weren't there back in the 60/70s's when his parents bought it and filled in over time.

With global warming that house will be underwater in the slightest storm. So your house will be wet and your kids will be uneducated in the poor schools. Madam that house is no bargain.

[Anonymous]

Is Centreville on a flood plain? What a weird thing to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, it’s fine to value savings over spending. But don’t complain about how you “can’t afford jack” because you CAN; you just don’t want to spend the money. Or that what you mean by “jack” is a newer house on a half-acre, which is unattainable for most of us. So there’s no point to your thread except trolling for attention. I knew when you said Alabama you were a troll, because I’ve lived in Alabama, and it is a complete shitshow in almost every respect.

have you been to Huntsville or Madison? serious question. that's where we are looking. yes, we can both work anywhere. the property taxes are very cheap, the schools are great and there are a lot of jobs

What kind of jobs? Retail? Fast food?

You’re showing your ignorance!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, it’s fine to value savings over spending. But don’t complain about how you “can’t afford jack” because you CAN; you just don’t want to spend the money. Or that what you mean by “jack” is a newer house on a half-acre, which is unattainable for most of us. So there’s no point to your thread except trolling for attention. I knew when you said Alabama you were a troll, because I’ve lived in Alabama, and it is a complete shitshow in almost every respect.

have you been to Huntsville or Madison? serious question. that's where we are looking. yes, we can both work anywhere. the property taxes are very cheap, the schools are great and there are a lot of jobs

We have family that moved to Madison and they hate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, it’s fine to value savings over spending. But don’t complain about how you “can’t afford jack” because you CAN; you just don’t want to spend the money. Or that what you mean by “jack” is a newer house on a half-acre, which is unattainable for most of us. So there’s no point to your thread except trolling for attention. I knew when you said Alabama you were a troll, because I’ve lived in Alabama, and it is a complete shitshow in almost every respect.

have you been to Huntsville or Madison? serious question. that's where we are looking. yes, we can both work anywhere. the property taxes are very cheap, the schools are great and there are a lot of jobs

What kind of jobs? Retail? Fast food?

The Army/Boeing/Nasa/every engineering company have huge presence in Huntsville.

[Anonymous]

OP you sound like a 5 year old whose mommy said no to ice cream for breakfast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have 300+ in equity and credit scores in 800+. Also make ~$350+ and we cannot afford anything in this area. It sucks. We feel we need to move to lower COL area to live comfortably.

Thinking about moving to Georgia or Alabama for affordability.

Any suggestions?

You need to prepare better for getting a mortgage. There are games that need to be played like moving debt away from your name temporarily. With a 350k income you should be able to afford one of those new builds in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, it’s fine to value savings over spending. But don’t complain about how you “can’t afford jack” because you CAN; you just don’t want to spend the money. Or that what you mean by “jack” is a newer house on a half-acre, which is unattainable for most of us. So there’s no point to your thread except trolling for attention. I knew when you said Alabama you were a troll, because I’ve lived in Alabama, and it is a complete shitshow in almost every respect.

have you been to Huntsville or Madison? serious question. that's where we are looking. yes, we can both work anywhere. the property taxes are very cheap, the schools are great and there are a lot of jobs

What kind of jobs? Retail? Fast food?

Wear a 'Bama shirt and see my uncle Jim Bob Harris at the Big Dixie Mall Lube & Tire, he will hire you as a trainee. $11.60 an hour to start, 50 cent pay increase every six months. After 2 years you are eligible for the health care plan and after 5 years the 401k, Uncle Jim matches 2%.