3 ms·

If you are trying to buy a house now and either are getting outbid, or priced out, you unfortunately have a few realistic options, none of them ideal. 1) Wait

If you are trying to buy a house now and either are getting outbid, or priced out, you unfortunately have a few realistic options, none of them ideal. 1) Wait to see if the market crashes and hope your job is still intact, 2) Set your sites on a less desirable neighborhood with a bad school district. 3) Buy a small or major fixer upper in a good neighborhood, or 4) Move to a lower COL city. Each of these are a tough pill to swallow and will depend on each situation. Waiting for our leaders to fix our broken housing policy is not a realistic option. It could get worse. We chose option 4. It took some adjusting, but are used to it now. We would still be renting otherwise.

HDThoreaun 3y ago
> Waiting for our leaders to fix our broken housing policy is not a realistic option. California is at least trying to fix their broken housing policy. No clue if they'll succeed but I think it's realistically possible.
- francisofascii 3y ago
  True, they might fix it eventually. But how many years of your life are you going to wait?
RhysU 3y ago
Notice 2, 3, and 4 distribute conscientious talent across the country in a way that might well be net additive. For 2, the purchaser will likely improve the neighborhood and schools. For 3 they improve the housing stock. For 4 they bring desirable skills to employers who cannot otherwise afford to pay for such skills. Proverbially "Go west, young [person]!" and all that.
- onecommentman 3y ago
  There is also still the option of new build. It was common for popular magazines like Sunset and other regional magazines publishing in the 1930s and 1940s to include basic blueprints/layouts for houses you could build yourself or have built. Cottages by today’s US standards, but perfectly fine starter homes. You need buildable land but, say, rural US doesn’t have that as a problem. One of the material advantages of staying around your hometown if you were born in those areas is you find out about land opportunities from family and friends and get steered to the right builders or they help in your build-your-own. End up house-rich, not house-poor. If we still had a culture of formal coming-of-age rites, building your own small house on a little gifted land would be a good one.

HDThoreaun 3y ago

> Waiting for our leaders to fix our broken housing policy is not a realistic option. California is at least trying to fix their broken housing policy. No clue if they'll succeed but I think it's realistically possible.

francisofascii 3y ago
True, they might fix it eventually. But how many years of your life are you going to wait?

RhysU 3y ago

Notice 2, 3, and 4 distribute conscientious talent across the country in a way that might well be net additive. For 2, the purchaser will likely improve the neighborhood and schools. For 3 they improve the housing stock. For 4 they bring desirable skills to employers who cannot otherwise afford to pay for such skills. Proverbially "Go west, young [person]!" and all that.

onecommentman 3y ago
There is also still the option of new build. It was common for popular magazines like Sunset and other regional magazines publishing in the 1930s and 1940s to include basic blueprints/layouts for houses you could build yourself or have built. Cottages by today’s US standards, but perfectly fine starter homes. You need buildable land but, say, rural US doesn’t have that as a problem. One of the material advantages of staying around your hometown if you were born in those areas is you find out about land opportunities from family and friends and get steered to the right builders or they help in your build-your-own. End up house-rich, not house-poor. If we still had a culture of formal coming-of-age rites, building your own small house on a little gifted land would be a good one.