Anonymous wrote:We have felt snobbery because we live in an apartment (purchased condo) WotP and not in a single family home. This is a choice we have made for lifestyle reasons, not for financial reasons. Still, the snobbery is there in our neighborhood....
At the same time, I have recently probably started to take part in the snobbery of rent vs. buy in our apartment building. This is not intentional snobbery as I have nothing against people who rent. But when my first child was born 7 years ago, we developed a great group of friends within our building that we really enjoyed. There were about 6-7 families that all spent time together and enjoyed one another and one another's kids.
Fast forward 5 years and all but one family left for the suburbs. I had failed to realize that they were all just renting units until they could move out and buy a single family home. It was so disappointing!
So, now, I honestly don't want to waste time on renters......too much energy to put in to neighborts relationships then to have them up and leave. I still try to be friendly to families who rent but don't invite them over etc.
You know that people who buy a condo might also move to the 'burbs, right? And that there are people, like me, who rent and have zero intention of moving to the burbs. You're missing out on potential friends.
But you seem to be like so many people--friendships are "investments," and they aren't "worth it" if the friends move to Arlington or whatever. Whereas I don't evaluate friendships based on ROI, but on whether I enjoy spending time with people. If they move away--well, I still enjoyed the time I spent with them.
Would the last seven years of your life have been better if you hadn't bothered making friends with your neighbors? Is your life better now that you don't make friends with families who rent in your building?