> It's honestly quite scary how I'm in the top 2% of income earners in my generation and yet I could barely afford to buy a small place in a semi-desirable area

> It's honestly quite scary how I'm in the top 2% of income earners in my generation and yet I could barely afford to buy a small place in a semi-desirable area. Top 5% puts you at over $300K/year. Top 2% is much higher. Even a top 5% person can easily afford a house in any semi-desirable city. LA, Bay Area are not semi-desirable. They are highly desirable.