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

[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.

You are completely out of your mind if you think 500k is middle class anywhere on this planet.

Seriously. Delusional.

[Anonymous]

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

Yuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here OP. $775k in eastern Loudoun on .57 acres with decent schools. Not newer but not in bad shape.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/20194-Broad-Run-Dr-Sterling-VA-20165/12391366_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

NP. “Not in bad shape”? It’s beautiful! Wish I could afford it.

[Anonymous]

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.

I don’t get what the confusion is here. You can absolutely get what you are looking for- I don’t know why you aren’t clearly stating WHERE you are looking. Have you seen the traffic in the area? There are millions like you that want a bigger lot, newer house and life in Poolsville, Olney, Ashburn, Annandale and so on so they can have it. Fort Washington? I don’t know. Just move further out!!! What’s the big deal!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What size house do you need?

Yeah, OP can afford 'jack' in the snack size, it's just that OP wants supersized Jack in and expensive zip code.

[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.

I don’t get what the confusion is here. You can absolutely get what you are looking for- I don’t know why you aren’t clearly stating WHERE you are looking. Have you seen the traffic in the area? There are millions like you that want a bigger lot, newer house and life in Poolsville, Olney, Ashburn, Annandale and so on so they can have it. Fort Washington? I don’t know. Just move further out!!! What’s the big deal!!!

Gas prices are a big deal. If OP moves into a McMansion in Ashburn the gasoline will eat up the mortgage payment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Yuck.

{holding nose} Gross

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have 1/2 acre in McLean.

Salary was about 400k and bought in 2019.

House brand new. Not far from DC border off 123.

It will cost a bit more now, but can be done..

OK, what is your Mortgage, including taxes?

[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?

Not a good time to buy right now unless you're desperate. I would wait it out until when the prices go down a bit or stay stagnant. The majority of areas are overvalued right now and with the interest rate hikes, it's not a good idea.

[Anonymous]

There are occasional half acre lots in the Vienna/Oakton area, but you won't find it for 750 unless there's no house on the lot.

[Anonymous]

OP sounds like my good friend who is house hunting now. They are first time buyers, HHI of over 300k, no idea how much they have saved but they are mid-30s professionals so I would have to assume a decent chunk of change at this point.

She complains constantly about how much everything costs and will often say "you guys are SO LUCKY you bought when you did." Though she will also say they won't buy a condo when we live in a condo. She also tells me we are lucky that we don't "need" a bigger home because we only have one kid and they have two. Cool, cool, I guess my secondary infertility was a blessing. She has no idea.

I think a lot of first time home buyers don't understand that it's always a compromise. I don't know but I bet even really rich people compromise when they buy homes most of the time because you can't control what inventory is available. I think the only way to not have to compromise is if what you want is well below your budget, because then you can come in hard with your offer and probably afford to change anything you need. But first time buyers are rarely in that situation.

It's so common for buyers to feel like everything they want is juuuuuuust out of reach. But if people feel this way whether their budget is 500k or a million or 1.3m, then maybe it's mostly in your head. It's a big purchase, you are stressed about it, you channel that stress into feeling like if you just had a little more money, you could have what you wanted. You need to get used the idea that home buying doesn't work that way, figure out what your priorities are (keeping mortgage low, square footage, location, how updated it is) and then make some hard choices based on those priorities. It's what everyone else does. This is why people rarely buy their "dream house" first time out. You get the dream house once you've actually lived in a home you own for a bit and know how to dream a dream that is possible.

[Anonymous]

Plus buy the time you get your dream home how long will you keep it.

I bought mine at 55. How long do I need a five bedroom, 4.5 bath house on a 1/2 an acre?

My wife thinks depends where kids settle? Right now just me and wife and youngest kid in house.

In retrospect I should have kept my starter home

[Anonymous]

Gas driving from far out is an issue but those far out houses are usually very large. So heating costs also are an issue. And newer places usually have HOA fees.

By comparison my 2011 car has 32,000 miles. I drive all the time. But I don’t drive to work.

My friend in Ashburn was driving 20,000 miles a year!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Yuck.

Let's hope you never have a transgender kid!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We refuse to be house poor. We want to keep monthly payment affordable. With property taxes, increased interest rates, upkeep, it is just a lot of $$. And we don't want to sink $$ into a home to lose it if there is an adjustment in the market.

"We refuse to be house poor, and we refuse to look elsewhere than NW DC, Bethesda and Chevy Chase! Waaah!"

Stomps foot and storms off to soothe feelings with yet another highly caloric Bubble Tea, because OP is trying to lose weight with liquid diet.

I hate DCUM for real

Shrug. Truth hurts.

OP here. I NEVER said NW, or CC, Potomac, Great Falls. We want a particular public school, decent house with space between neighbors. Could be anywhere in the DMV, as we both teleworking.

It's funny how ppl draw their own conclusions about data that was never discussed.