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Just because some configuration of variables could hypothetically come together in the right order over some long-enough period of perfect stability if me and m

Just because some configuration of variables could hypothetically come together in the right order over some long-enough period of perfect stability if me and my partner relentlessly pursued just that specific goal, which I don't have, for years, doesn't make it a sensible idea to do so, and I didn't say it was hopeless; just kind of a worthless and unlikely pursuit. However, I definitely should have been more narrow with my specification of West Coast. I like where I currently live, and have no plans to move, and have no plans to work myself into the dust in arbitrary jobs to afford a type of house that I don't want, somewhere I don't care to live, possibly dependant on a car I also don't want. If someone gave me the house you describe, I'd rent out the whole thing and continue renting where I am. Ideally I'd shoot for a 1 or 2 bedroom condo in a more central area, but the math does not work out in a way that makes any sense to me, in part for the other reasons I cited in the original comment. It's pretty common for people to come out of the woodwork when affordability or job concerns are raised to just imagine a series of variables whereby if you just keep dividing the space, adding jobs, and moving further out, there's no problem, because theoretically you can still pay for something regardless of how much or how far or how many other people you share it with. I'd rather disagree with the premise, and spend my time and energy elsewhere instead of on some mcmansion in Langley for an amount of money it shouldn't be worth. It's also rude to denigrate people who clean Airbnbs for $45/hr (which isn't enough) as if it's not a skill and anyone can just switch to it. It is a skill, and I don't have that skill, or the equipment, or any of the other stuff someone would require to get operating as a business which they'd need to be. Likewise tradespeople, which software developers clearly are in some ways. The facts are that the Canadian software development market is terrible, job volatility is higher than it's been in quite a while, and housing of all kinds is higher than it's ever been all over the country. Those are not promising conditions for prosperity.

applied_heat 3y ago
I didn’t mean to denigrate cleaners, I have friends who clean air bnbs and they are charging more than $45/hr, I just saw that advertised. Anybody can pick up $50 worth of cleaning products and start scrubbing without any special education or training so we might disagree on how much skill is required, but my Airbnb cleaning friends definitely have motivation, and a positive attitude and outlook on life despite the challenges they face in other areas. Either you rent for your whole life or you buy something and have to compromise on some of the variables. I see lots of people working hard, mostly in jobs they don’t love, and making those compromises and choosing to buy somewhere. > despite literally not having a job, any prospects, or the possibility of owning a home at any point in my life, even as a software developer I hope things turn around for you! I meant to point out that home ownership is possible, but it sounds like you have already evaluated the variables and if you are set on only living in some specific area then home ownership might not be possible in that location without a couple of well above average incomes.
- brailsafe 3y ago
  I do think the mission of buying a house in an arbitrary place is kind of a misguided gen-x goal unless you have a legitimate space constraint like kids, already have a car as key component of your life, or have no established community. My point was that it's not worth relentlessly pursuing home ownership in some place just because it seems like inherently sensible goal. To acquire a house I'd need an improbable set of other variables to align, or relentlessly pursue it at all costs, and it's just so expensive for such a marginal and specious gain, that I don't think I'll concern myself with not having, whereas a few years ago it was merely a choice to keep renting and the delta between the two ongoing expenses wasn't like 3x.

applied_heat 3y ago

I didn’t mean to denigrate cleaners, I have friends who clean air bnbs and they are charging more than $45/hr, I just saw that advertised. Anybody can pick up $50 worth of cleaning products and start scrubbing without any special education or training so we might disagree on how much skill is required, but my Airbnb cleaning friends definitely have motivation, and a positive attitude and outlook on life despite the challenges they face in other areas. Either you rent for your whole life or you buy something and have to compromise on some of the variables. I see lots of people working hard, mostly in jobs they don’t love, and making those compromises and choosing to buy somewhere. > despite literally not having a job, any prospects, or the possibility of owning a home at any point in my life, even as a software developer I hope things turn around for you! I meant to point out that home ownership is possible, but it sounds like you have already evaluated the variables and if you are set on only living in some specific area then home ownership might not be possible in that location without a couple of well above average incomes.

brailsafe 3y ago
I do think the mission of buying a house in an arbitrary place is kind of a misguided gen-x goal unless you have a legitimate space constraint like kids, already have a car as key component of your life, or have no established community. My point was that it's not worth relentlessly pursuing home ownership in some place just because it seems like inherently sensible goal. To acquire a house I'd need an improbable set of other variables to align, or relentlessly pursue it at all costs, and it's just so expensive for such a marginal and specious gain, that I don't think I'll concern myself with not having, whereas a few years ago it was merely a choice to keep renting and the delta between the two ongoing expenses wasn't like 3x.