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> almost everyone mentioned owns their own home. Ages range from low 60's to early 40's You don't think these two facts are related? What about 20-something t

> almost everyone mentioned owns their own home. Ages range from low 60's to early 40's You don't think these two facts are related? What about 20-something tradesmen? Will they ever be able to afford their own home?

subsubzero 6y ago
All I know is all the people mentioned do not live lavishly, they do not go on expensive vacations, they do not drive Tesla/BMW/Mercedes, eat out constantly, or dress expensively. So having another spouse working and being in the trades I think its very doable as long as you pick your house/condo in the right place, ie. Hayward/east bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, Daly City/South San Francisco. Also saving up for a downpayment for a few years is needed.
throwaway0a5e 6y ago
>You don't think these two facts are related? What about 20-something tradesmen? The 20-something tradesmen have mostly not settled down that much yet just like the 20-something software engineers so they live in apartments wherever. The biggest difference now compared to the 90s is that the blue collar people have been pushed 20-40min farther out of the major cities. Homer Simpson probably commuted 30min. Now the white collar engineer commutes 30min and the electrician commutes 30min farther because that's where the suburb he can afford is. The white collar engineer lives in what used to be the blue collar suburb. Also in my anecdotal experience it seems like stay at home mothers haven't totally gone away with either group but they've become rarer in the white collar group than the blue collar group. Everyone blue collar I know bought their first house at 30+/- a few. The people that bought sooner were the people who prioritized it because they were popping out a lot of kids or were beginning to build their own business and needed space. If anything it seems like the blue collar crowd buys a little before the white collar crowd simply because they're more open to living farther out in order to make things affordable. >Will they ever be able to afford their own home? Yes. It just won't be in the same suburb as the people on HN.

subsubzero 6y ago

All I know is all the people mentioned do not live lavishly, they do not go on expensive vacations, they do not drive Tesla/BMW/Mercedes, eat out constantly, or dress expensively. So having another spouse working and being in the trades I think its very doable as long as you pick your house/condo in the right place, ie. Hayward/east bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, Daly City/South San Francisco. Also saving up for a downpayment for a few years is needed.

throwaway0a5e 6y ago

>You don't think these two facts are related? What about 20-something tradesmen? The 20-something tradesmen have mostly not settled down that much yet just like the 20-something software engineers so they live in apartments wherever. The biggest difference now compared to the 90s is that the blue collar people have been pushed 20-40min farther out of the major cities. Homer Simpson probably commuted 30min. Now the white collar engineer commutes 30min and the electrician commutes 30min farther because that's where the suburb he can afford is. The white collar engineer lives in what used to be the blue collar suburb. Also in my anecdotal experience it seems like stay at home mothers haven't totally gone away with either group but they've become rarer in the white collar group than the blue collar group. Everyone blue collar I know bought their first house at 30+/- a few. The people that bought sooner were the people who prioritized it because they were popping out a lot of kids or were beginning to build their own business and needed space. If anything it seems like the blue collar crowd buys a little before the white collar crowd simply because they're more open to living farther out in order to make things affordable. >Will they ever be able to afford their own home? Yes. It just won't be in the same suburb as the people on HN.