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You bought your first house at the absolute bottom of the real estate market following a global crash, sold it at a profit, and bought another house during what

You bought your first house at the absolute bottom of the real estate market following a global crash, sold it at a profit, and bought another house during what continues to be a rapidly appreciating market. Would a 24 year old today in the same financial position you were in at 24 be able to afford that same first house? You applying this personal anecdote as some kind of geometric proof that living outside a major city is a pathway to simple financial independence is to me a bold-print example of how the very same people who had to fight their way up the ladder of success will promptly become oblivious to the fact that the rungs are becoming further and further apart every year, advising those behind them that "climbing it isn't that difficult, just try as hard as I did."

CountDrewku 5y ago
No I bought a house in a low col area and worked. I have many more "anecdotes" from almost everyone I grew up with living in similar circumstances if you'd like to hear them. Pretty amazing that you somehow left out the fact that the while the market was low the job market was also bad and made it pretty difficult to pay off student loans. Somehow that doesn't factor in to your assessment though. >Would a 24 year old today in the same financial position you were in at 24 be able to afford that same first house? Yes and my brother just did that. Not bad for a musician that makes money of doing lessons and weekend gigs. According to you though I guess he should be wallowing helplessly in a gutter hoping someone else will come by and pull him out? I grew up in a midwestern farmhouse with no central AC or heat. We had one bathroom the size of a closet for 5 people. Sorry but I kinda don't care about you whining you can't make it due to some external force always making you a victim. I'm not sure what is with people like you but you always seem pissed off when you hear people are able to be self-sustaining. Must be an exhausting to live in constant victim-hood. What do you want? Someone else to pay for all of your stuff? Why should the rest of the country have to do that for you?
- mustacheemperor 5y ago
  Okay, after reading that reply I will respectfully bow out after this reply, rather than try to force a rational conversation into an emotionally driven one. For your information I do work very hard and afford a comfortable life, but feel great empathy for the people for whom working hard is not enough to achieve basic comforts. I did not grow up in as challenging an environment so maybe I am overinclined to that empathy, because I feel lucky my own pathway up the ladder was aided by privileges others are not afforded. But that is not relevant to the original point, it is just the reply I feel obliged to make in response to your attack on my character. I didn't say I want anything for myself in my original reply. Broadly, I want equal opportunity for all. It was harder to get a job to repay loans in 2009 than today, but in the last 12 years college tuitions have continued to balloon while college graduate earning power continues to drop relative to the size of loans. I do not particularly understand or appreciate your decision to season your explanation with personal attacks but that certainly accomplished nothing as far as educating me (or anyone else) about your perspective. HackerNews can be a great place to learn from a diverse set of opinions. Nobody has the opportunity to see those opinions if they are getting downvoted to grey for bad community conduct. If you are new to this community, you may find you are more successful at communicating your perspectives if you do so respectfully.

CountDrewku 5y ago

No I bought a house in a low col area and worked. I have many more "anecdotes" from almost everyone I grew up with living in similar circumstances if you'd like to hear them. Pretty amazing that you somehow left out the fact that the while the market was low the job market was also bad and made it pretty difficult to pay off student loans. Somehow that doesn't factor in to your assessment though. >Would a 24 year old today in the same financial position you were in at 24 be able to afford that same first house? Yes and my brother just did that. Not bad for a musician that makes money of doing lessons and weekend gigs. According to you though I guess he should be wallowing helplessly in a gutter hoping someone else will come by and pull him out? I grew up in a midwestern farmhouse with no central AC or heat. We had one bathroom the size of a closet for 5 people. Sorry but I kinda don't care about you whining you can't make it due to some external force always making you a victim. I'm not sure what is with people like you but you always seem pissed off when you hear people are able to be self-sustaining. Must be an exhausting to live in constant victim-hood. What do you want? Someone else to pay for all of your stuff? Why should the rest of the country have to do that for you?

mustacheemperor 5y ago
Okay, after reading that reply I will respectfully bow out after this reply, rather than try to force a rational conversation into an emotionally driven one. For your information I do work very hard and afford a comfortable life, but feel great empathy for the people for whom working hard is not enough to achieve basic comforts. I did not grow up in as challenging an environment so maybe I am overinclined to that empathy, because I feel lucky my own pathway up the ladder was aided by privileges others are not afforded. But that is not relevant to the original point, it is just the reply I feel obliged to make in response to your attack on my character. I didn't say I want anything for myself in my original reply. Broadly, I want equal opportunity for all. It was harder to get a job to repay loans in 2009 than today, but in the last 12 years college tuitions have continued to balloon while college graduate earning power continues to drop relative to the size of loans. I do not particularly understand or appreciate your decision to season your explanation with personal attacks but that certainly accomplished nothing as far as educating me (or anyone else) about your perspective. HackerNews can be a great place to learn from a diverse set of opinions. Nobody has the opportunity to see those opinions if they are getting downvoted to grey for bad community conduct. If you are new to this community, you may find you are more successful at communicating your perspectives if you do so respectfully.