Hacker News Reader

Comment by anm89 | Hacker News Reader

I make an amount of money that I could not have ever imagined making growing up. Multiples of what I thought my best case would be. I save almost every penny of that that doesn't go into housing or food. Over 70% marginal savings after tax.

I'm still struggling to find a house in Washington that I like that I can afford. It's fine for me, I'll be able make it work after saving a bit but it definitely made me realize how screwed the average person is. It's an impossible task if you don't already have hundreds of thousands saved and well into a six figure salary.

View on HN

You've got to realize that the Puget Sound region is an absolute outlier in every way, the perfect storm of restrictive geography with a high concentration of very successful companies. The only options are:

-- Reach a point in your career where you have the money to play the game.

-- Move farther and farther out from Seattle, somehow finding a way to put up with the commute.

-- Go full on remote. There are puddle jumper flights to lots of small towns in eastern Washington. You could buy a place here for half (or less) the cost of Seattle, hop a plane when needed (shorter flight than your Puget Sound commute), and otherwise work remotely. Not an option for everyone, I know, but for some it could be a real win (It worked for me when I decided Seattle was too expensive 12 years ago)

Sort of, but I was living in Asheville NC before this. It was absolutely much less expensive but it was still becoming legitimately expensive. No shortage of 1 and 2 million dollar houses.

And that's Appalachia.

I had looked at a farmhouse for sale. Bought for $250k in 2019. Probably spent $200k on a rehab. Selling for 1.4 million.

So yeah, I do acknowledge that I'm choosing an expensive area but it doesn't feel like that's the core of the issue.

It’s been interesting from a middle-class seller’s side as well. Most people planning to sell in the Puget Sound area can only afford to downsize to a much, much smaller home after paying off their mortgage.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com