Cost of Living on the Coasts

[Vonz90]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... eling-poor

I do not make as much as some of the people in this article (although in the ballpark for some of them) - but I also have 4 acres and a 3k ft^2 house 20 minutes from work, a stay at home wife and a kid in private school all without breaking the bank.

Of course I am just some stupid local in the Midwest. Not like those smart engineers on the coasts.

Meh - I cannot understand why anyone would put up with that crap.

[TheArmsman]

I just got done reading that article before i came over here to the board to see what is going on.

Man, that is a skewed economy there.

[Darrell]

That's insane. That's also one big reason why the left coast plutocrats are so hot for illegal immigration and H1Bs, namely, cheap labor.

[Jericho941]

If you make $13k per month and you spend $3k on an apartment, where is the rest of it going?



The short version seems to be "At my age I'm too important to commute, I'm entitled to cheap housing, and I'm better than those whiny Millennials."

[Frankingun]

I fear the upcoming tech crash will be worse than the one from 2001-2002.

One of those guys is paying the same per month for a fucking bunkbed as my mortgage, insurance and taxes.

[Jered]

I fear the upcoming tech crash will be worse than the one from 2001-2002.

One of those guys is paying the same per month for a fucking bunkbed as my mortgage, insurance and taxes.

$2000 a month is both of my house payments and my car payment.

That includes mortgage, insurance, and taxes on both houses.

Both of my houses are also in screwy, inflated markets, too.

[Kommander]

Something that the article did no mention is that the California's tax base is now almost entirely in Hollywood and these tech giants up north. The middle class has been leaving in droves, and has been replaced by immigrants, legal or otherwise, who end up being paid much less. Eventually the tech bubble will burst and the entire state government will go bankrupt.

[Weetabix]

I don't understand it. I voted for every tax and bond so I'd have a nice town to live in, and now I can't afford to live here.

One job, 4 kids, doing fine in the midwest. I like it here.

[blackeagle603]

Much of the California housing cost issue is the natural (unintended) consequences of zoning, fees and restricting building. Ensures low supply and high prices.

My two older kids married last year and did real well to find 800 sqft 1 Bdrm apts in nice part of old La Mesa village for 1050-1100/month. The two couples live one above the other (Fred/Ethel, Ricky/Lucy?) It's a competitive event getting into that little 6-unit complex. Below market rate, above market sq footage, conditions and location. Ergo, low turnover, line forms fast. Son got in/jumped to head of line when the VN era Marine vet owner figured out the son was a jarhead. Then my daughter got head of line for the next unit that came open since the owner likes my son.

Feeling pretty good about my $1769/mo PITI mortgage when I look around at local rents. Friend coming out from St Louis to interview for a 2-3 year construction super job down in Little Italy -- cheapest house rental he can locate thus far in Lemon Grove (working class/lower middle class) is $2400/month.

[HTRN]

That's insane. That's also one big reason why the left coast plutocrats are so hot for illegal immigration and H1Bs, namely, cheap labor.

A similar situation was going on with the oil fields up in Canada, with McDonald's workers making north of 20 bucks an hour, because you needed that much, as rent was something like 2 grand for a plywood shack.

If you make $13k per month and you spend $3k on an apartment, where is the rest of it going?

Taxes, 401k, car payment off the top of my head. The taxes alone probably acct for half tha 13k. Add another grand for for the car and insurance, and suddenly you're living on 1500 a month.