Anonymous wrote:OP here and I can’t believe th lack of reading comprehension here. Nowhere did I say I want to saddle myself with a 1.7M house or even 1.3M. That’s exactly the point! I can’t do that and won’t do that, but I could have had that’s EXACT SAME HOUSE and all the advantages that come with it, had I bought it at 1.1-1.2 2-3 years ago. That is the point. The exact same thing is suddenly no longer accessible to people who have saved and denied themselves literally their entire adult life to get it, only to see it slip away forever.

OP, just wondering why you weren't able to buy back then? It sounds like this was a really important goal for you. What happened? Did you make offers but lost out to others? Were you waiting for a house in a particular neighborhood/school district and none came open?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:OP, I think some time away from this board might serve you well. This board can make people feel like failures if they can't afford a beautiful SFH in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. The truth is, most people can't. There are tons of people in a similar situation as you (including me) who are extremely frustrated right now by how dramatically housing prices have increased in the past few years as they were saving to buy for the first time or trade up. The only thing you can really do is figure out a path forward and try to stop thinking about what could have been. I am not that great at it myself, but I have reached a point of some peace with the situation and how to proceed moving forward. I can't say I don't think about what could have been, but I try not to obsess over it.

Thanks. I guess it’s hard because nearly everyone of my peers has what I always wanted and it’s constantly shoved in my and my kids’ faces and I feel like I have failed. I did fail.

Are you a real person? You failed because you don't own a $1.5M house in Bethesda? And how exactly is it shoved in your face? By the mere existence of your peers?

OP is a troll. The world she describes doesn’t exist. If OP were real she’d buy a house she can afford like every other homebuyer.

DP. I think everyone responding to OP like this a troll and a sociopath. So many posters on DCUM want houses of the same cost as what OP wants. They are desperate for them. They complain they are having a "freak out" over low inventory..OP is a person who saved for a long time for something she wants, and now can't have it. So many of us have been there. It's a horrible feeling. For us it was a house in a neighborhood where you could get a livable SFH for $500k in 2019. Same model house in worse condition worse lot, went for over $600k in 2021. We felt awful. We did end up compromising and getting a townhouse. We're very happy with our home now.

When close friends with more money had rough experiences 2022 to find their $900k and $2 million homes, did I say "stop complaining, you are so privileged, you can't possibly be real"? No, because I'm not a sociopath and am capable of empathy.

OP, just ignore these fools. They cannot possibly be real people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think some time away from this board might serve you well. This board can make people feel like failures if they can't afford a beautiful SFH in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. The truth is, most people can't. There are tons of people in a similar situation as you (including me) who are extremely frustrated right now by how dramatically housing prices have increased in the past few years as they were saving to buy for the first time or trade up. The only thing you can really do is figure out a path forward and try to stop thinking about what could have been. I am not that great at it myself, but I have reached a point of some peace with the situation and how to proceed moving forward. I can't say I don't think about what could have been, but I try not to obsess over it.

Thanks. I guess it’s hard because nearly everyone of my peers has what I always wanted and it’s constantly shoved in my and my kids’ faces and I feel like I have failed. I did fail.

Are you a real person? You failed because you don't own a $1.5M house in Bethesda? And how exactly is it shoved in your face? By the mere existence of your peers?

OP is a troll. The world she describes doesn’t exist. If OP were real she’d buy a house she can afford like every other homebuyer.

Anonymous wrote:February 2023 = peak of the market

It all gets better from here

huh?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think some time away from this board might serve you well. This board can make people feel like failures if they can't afford a beautiful SFH in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. The truth is, most people can't. There are tons of people in a similar situation as you (including me) who are extremely frustrated right now by how dramatically housing prices have increased in the past few years as they were saving to buy for the first time or trade up. The only thing you can really do is figure out a path forward and try to stop thinking about what could have been. I am not that great at it myself, but I have reached a point of some peace with the situation and how to proceed moving forward. I can't say I don't think about what could have been, but I try not to obsess over it.

Thanks. I guess it’s hard because nearly everyone of my peers has what I always wanted and it’s constantly shoved in my and my kids’ faces and I feel like I have failed. I did fail.

Are you a real person? You failed because you don't own a $1.5M house in Bethesda? And how exactly is it shoved in your face? By the mere existence of your peers?

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think some time away from this board might serve you well. This board can make people feel like failures if they can't afford a beautiful SFH in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. The truth is, most people can't. There are tons of people in a similar situation as you (including me) who are extremely frustrated right now by how dramatically housing prices have increased in the past few years as they were saving to buy for the first time or trade up. The only thing you can really do is figure out a path forward and try to stop thinking about what could have been. I am not that great at it myself, but I have reached a point of some peace with the situation and how to proceed moving forward. I can't say I don't think about what could have been, but I try not to obsess over it.

Thanks. I guess it’s hard because nearly everyone of my peers has what I always wanted and it’s constantly shoved in my and my kids’ faces and I feel like I have failed. I did fail.

OP, I think some time away from this board might serve you well. This board can make people feel like failures if they can't afford a beautiful SFH in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. The truth is, most people can't. There are tons of people in a similar situation as you (including me) who are extremely frustrated right now by how dramatically housing prices have increased in the past few years as they were saving to buy for the first time or trade up. The only thing you can really do is figure out a path forward and try to stop thinking about what could have been. I am not that great at it myself, but I have reached a point of some peace with the situation and how to proceed moving forward. I can't say I don't think about what could have been, but I try not to obsess over it.

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I can’t believe th lack of reading comprehension here. Nowhere did I say I want to saddle myself with a 1.7M house or even 1.3M. That’s exactly the point! I can’t do that and won’t do that, but I could have had that’s EXACT SAME HOUSE and all the advantages that come with it, had I bought it at 1.1-1.2 2-3 years ago. That is the point. The exact same thing is suddenly no longer accessible to people who have saved and denied themselves literally their entire adult life to get it, only to see it slip away forever.

OP - what is your current budget and where are you looking? Maybe we can help you!

OP here and I can’t believe th lack of reading comprehension here. Nowhere did I say I want to saddle myself with a 1.7M house or even 1.3M. That’s exactly the point! I can’t do that and won’t do that, but I could have had that’s EXACT SAME HOUSE and all the advantages that come with it, had I bought it at 1.1-1.2 2-3 years ago. That is the point. The exact same thing is suddenly no longer accessible to people who have saved and denied themselves literally their entire adult life to get it, only to see it slip away forever.

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Anonymous wrote:Was so close to buying in 2020 and 2021 and now those properties I could afford at 1.2 and 3% are at 1.7 and 6.8% and I am locked out of the UMC for the rest of my life. No equity here.

Why does a single woman need at $1.2 houses let alone a $1.7M house.

Why not?

I’m 10 years older than OP. I am married but might as well be single. My husband retired too early and I pay all the bills. I have two kids in college so have to keep working. Only difference (and a big one) is we bought 20 years ago in an UMC neighborhood because I saw this coming. Paid 780K for our house and now worth 2.2 - 2.5m. I want to downsize because the cost of living is high in our area and upkeep of house is expensive. OP, I’m sorry you didn’t buy two years ago but I would not buy a 1.2m or 1.7m house as a single woman with kids at 50. Why do you want that house debt? Buy what you can afford and be happy.

This is a good point, OP. You are 50, kids probably off to college soon, why do you want to saddle yourself with a big $1.7 house anyway? Save that money for retirement or a retirement home somewhere cheaper.

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Anonymous wrote:So much of this thread reeks of UMC people who could "only" afford $700k in 2020, were locked out of the White schools - oops, sorry I meant W schools - and are insecure and lashing out at someone who has a little more money than they do.

I don’t really even know what this comment is trying to say or who it’s directed to.

But that is one of the points being made - OP is complaining to people who have far less than she does, saying a $1 million house is not good enough, which is what is rubbing folks the wrong way, especially if they live in a $700k house and are doing just fine.

It’s just over the top dramatic to whine that those people all live in hovels she would never deign to buy, therefore she is destined to be middle class forever (boo hoo).

What is over the top dramatic is to claim OP ever said anyone is living '"in hovels".

Well clearly they aren’t good enough for her, however she wants to describe them.

Why don't you live in a $300k home? Clearly by living in something more expensive you are implicitly calling all cheaper homes "hovels"

DP here. I do live in a $300k home (bought in 2020, so you KNOW it's crappy!), can I say I think OP should settle?

Are you taking the fact that she wants a $1.7 million home as an indictment of your home?

I said I think OP should settle. For what she can afford.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much of this thread reeks of UMC people who could "only" afford $700k in 2020, were locked out of the White schools - oops, sorry I meant W schools - and are insecure and lashing out at someone who has a little more money than they do.

I don’t really even know what this comment is trying to say or who it’s directed to.

But that is one of the points being made - OP is complaining to people who have far less than she does, saying a $1 million house is not good enough, which is what is rubbing folks the wrong way, especially if they live in a $700k house and are doing just fine.

It’s just over the top dramatic to whine that those people all live in hovels she would never deign to buy, therefore she is destined to be middle class forever (boo hoo).

What is over the top dramatic is to claim OP ever said anyone is living '"in hovels".

Well clearly they aren’t good enough for her, however she wants to describe them.

Why don't you live in a $300k home? Clearly by living in something more expensive you are implicitly calling all cheaper homes "hovels"

How do you know I don’t live in a $300k home??

Because if you did, you wouldn't be asking me how I know you don't.

I live in a home that is cheap, small, and would definitely be scoffed at by OP. So it’s a bit rich to hear the whining about a million dollar house. But whatever, I have a little house and I’m satisfied with it. Learning to be happy with what you have is one of life’s greatest gifts you can give yourself, OP.

So what is it PP? $700K?

Btw there is something bizarre about how you all are characterizing OP's posts when, AFAIK, she hasn't scoffed at anything. She's said what she wants and is disappointed she can't have it. If someone trained to be a lawyer and then could only get a paralegal job and was disappointed by that, would you also say they are "scoffing" at paralegals?

Yes, lots of people taking this personally. I’m afraid they would tell the lawyer (especially if she’s a woman) to “just be grateful she has a job, she’s so entitled for wanting more.”

You're right. A much more productive response would have been,

"OP, I'm sorry. That must be tough. I really feel for you that you you could have bought a $1.2m house recently, but didn't, and now the price of that house has gone up. And interest rates have risen, too! They're no longer at historic lows. I bet you can only afford a $1m house these days. That's really, really hard. Are your kids handling it ok? And you? Family therapy might be a good idea to get you all through this difficult time. Also, have you considered a GoFundMe page? I bet a lot of people would want to help you and your family get that $1.7m house you believe you deserve. It's horrific that your kids would have to endure living in a $1m property. Thoughts and prayers, OP."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was so close to buying in 2020 and 2021 and now those properties I could afford at 1.2 and 3% are at 1.7 and 6.8% and I am locked out of the UMC for the rest of my life. No equity here.

Why does a single woman need at $1.2 houses let alone a $1.7M house.

Why not?

I’m 10 years older than OP. I am married but might as well be single. My husband retired too early and I pay all the bills. I have two kids in college so have to keep working. Only difference (and a big one) is we bought 20 years ago in an UMC neighborhood because I saw this coming. Paid 780K for our house and now worth 2.2 - 2.5m. I want to downsize because the cost of living is high in our area and upkeep of house is expensive. OP, I’m sorry you didn’t buy two years ago but I would not buy a 1.2m or 1.7m house as a single woman with kids at 50. Why do you want that house debt? Buy what you can afford and be happy.

February 2023 = peak of the market

It all gets better from here

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much of this thread reeks of UMC people who could "only" afford $700k in 2020, were locked out of the White schools - oops, sorry I meant W schools - and are insecure and lashing out at someone who has a little more money than they do.

I don’t really even know what this comment is trying to say or who it’s directed to.

But that is one of the points being made - OP is complaining to people who have far less than she does, saying a $1 million house is not good enough, which is what is rubbing folks the wrong way, especially if they live in a $700k house and are doing just fine.

It’s just over the top dramatic to whine that those people all live in hovels she would never deign to buy, therefore she is destined to be middle class forever (boo hoo).

What is over the top dramatic is to claim OP ever said anyone is living '"in hovels".

Well clearly they aren’t good enough for her, however she wants to describe them.

Why don't you live in a $300k home? Clearly by living in something more expensive you are implicitly calling all cheaper homes "hovels"

DP here. I do live in a $300k home (bought in 2020, so you KNOW it's crappy!), can I say I think OP should settle?

Are you taking the fact that she wants a $1.7 million home as an indictment of your home?