I've grown up in FFX county attended FCPS, went to NOVA and GMU and have worked in the metro area for the past 7 years. I left my parents after highschool and rented a room in oak knolls apartments (shittiest places in FFX) for $400 a month, left there and rented a room in burke at $500 a month, graduated and got an entry level job making 40k a year in 2k8. Since then my salary slowly raised each year until last year when I received another job and pay increase. at 65k I moved into circle towers with my wife who works part time and goes to school. I have recently negotiated another pay increase to 80k. Today I got my first paycheck at 80k...wtf it's not enough. With school, rent, insurance payments etc it baffles me how so many families can afford the 500k+ houses car notes, college that I see. What is the household income of these families?? Based on the job market i'll hit 6 figures in a year or two, and If im determined should be at 140ish in few years (cleared IT professional) my wife (finance major) may net around 70 after she's been in the job market..but is a household income of 210 even enough??? What kind of money are these people pulling in to have the mercedes SUV's 2 kids in college, the 4500sqft single family home plus the northern VA lifestyle??

You are a face in the crowd making 210K around here, and there are places you can't live on that, at least not in a single family house. If you stay in FFX, you need to live in places like Herndon, southern Reston, or south of 66. McLean, Falls Church, Great Falls - out of bounds unless you want to be house poor.

"What kind of money are these people pulling in to have the mercedes SUV's 2 kids in college, the 4500sqft single family home plus the northern VA lifestyle??"

500K plus if they can really afford it, and by that I mean they have a mortgage with a realistic shot of someday being paid off, no other revolving debt, and are actually saving for college and/or retirement. You can do the above on 300K (and I see it where I live), but it's all financed or the kiddies are on their own for college, and God help them if someone loses a job or gets sick.

most of these families bought their houses early before the market run up, and most families in this area are dual-income families.

500k..thats about what I figured. Fucking insanity, It's a love hate relationship with this area guess I'll have to pony up and play the game but it's funny that you need to be in the top 1.5% of household incomes around here to buy a house, send your rug rats to school and be comfortable

A couple of different situations

One they are living off wealth that was passed down in the family and probably used part of an inheritance to pay off a large portion of the house. Thus their mortgage payment is low or paid off. In some cases the house was passed down in the family.

They have paid off the house and are living off some crazy 50 year old retirement benefits from a union or military benefits.

They are "underwater\in debt" because they have spent every dime to try and keep up with the jones. They bet big on the housing flip market.

I'd say the top answer is the most usual, inheritance + have well paying jobs.

Talk to JBass. He is winning at life everyday and can tell you what makes him better and more successful than you. His word is gold.

Renting Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 500k..thats about what I figured. Fucking
> insanity, It's a love hate relationship with this
> area guess I'll have to pony up and play the game
> but it's funny that you need to be in the top 1.5%
> of household incomes around here to buy a house,
> send your rug rats to school and be comfortable


Quite honestly, I think there are a hell of a lot more people making 300K and drowning in debt than there are people making 500K and living with realistic amounts of debt. (And I'd count the student loan debt you burden your children with as wealth transfer from them to you, since you elected not to save for their education).

OhSnapz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A couple of different situations
>
> One they are living off wealth that was passed
> down in the family and probably used part of an
> inheritance to pay off a large portion of the
> house. Thus their mortgage payment is low or paid
> off. In some cases the house was passed down in
> the family.
>

Median inheritance amount for a baby boomer right now is $67K per person. That ain't gonna go very far paying off a 1.5M house. I'm sure some percentage fits into what you say above, but I think it's a very small percentage.

Also don't think that Mercedes and huge houses are an indicator of someone's wealth. I know just from some of my friends I have an order of magnitude higher net worth than them even though they drive much nicer cars and live in bigger houses. It is likely BECAUSE they drive much nicer cars and live in bigger houses. Many of them actually have negative net worth counting all housing and car loans and live larger, that is why bailouts for borrowers don't sit well with me but that is another thread.

It is also a huge financial relief (I'm guessing) for those families who decided early on that student loans were going to finance their kids' college educations. I wasn't saddled with crushing student loan debt upon graduation holding back my life financially for a decade and don't want my kids having that either. But that may be different for other parents who had student loans but successful professional careers to pay them down and expect the same of their kids.

I'm not saying one or the other are right or wrong, I'm just saying that's probably half a house in today's market in lieu of paying for two kids to go to a state school with room, board, supplies, etc.

But I have asked myself those same questions... inheritance probably played a role in many of those stories.

$300K family income to be comfortable in FFX county. my personal opinion.

It is possible to live on far less than the OP mentioned. Selling a house in Falls Church,2006 before the market crash helped generate $ for an older "425K SFH" in Fairfax. No 'old money or trust fund here'. Good hard work good credit scores will "get you what you want to have" -in most cases. There are plenty of SFH's still under $450K on the market. Duel income sure helps (..you, but not me). However, As a single parent (ES age kid), it is still a "paychk to paychk" struggle at times, like most peeps..... But I still manage to fund a 401K and shop at Wegmans. 8 yo Vehicle, BS degree also paid off 10 years ago.. yadda yadda......It is possible. You describe a 200K income!. please get creative, fix one up yourself and do your own lawn maint. You can do it. I only wish I was making that kinda cash.

Start by cutting up your credit cards, Mrs. Meats and I live in a single family home in Springfield and we earn about $160,000 combined, it can be done.

justsayin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Also don't think that Mercedes and huge houses are
> an indicator of someone's wealth.

They are only an indicator of a willingness to spend. Where that money comes from - savings, current income, or debt - is another story. You never really know unless you can see all the details. I have neighbors that live in the same community, live in a similar house, drive nice cars - and went bankrupt last year.

justsayin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> But I have asked myself those same questions...
> inheritance probably played a role in many of
> those stories.


I haven't seen inheritance playing a big role - but you do see a lot of families who probably make $100-$200k who have paid off most of their mortgages. Remember that the big build out in FFX happened in the 70s'-90's, so a lot of people have been in the market a long time.

Some Voodoo math...

if you assume future house price inflation is around the cost of living, if start on the ladder at 25 and hope to have paid off the equivalent of a $900 family home at 55, you need to be paying down about $30k per year + interest over that period (not sure what that works out at by say $45k).

If you assume 1/3 of pre-tax income on a home, you would need a family income of say 100 at 30, 200 at 45, 150 at 55. That's probably a bit of an under-estimate, but given that many people don't expect to complete their mortgage until 60...

My guess is that a typical professional family around here probably ends with a profile around that

The suprising killer is the cost of buying and selling here

if you assume
6% of a 240k condo = 14k
6% of a 300k townhouse = 18k
6% of a 600k house = 36k
6% of a 900k house = 54k

you'll end up spending 122k on realtor fees = 13% of the real value of your home has gone to realtors alone

don't get me started on the cost of college...

I own a house that was purchased at 250k now worth 500k. I am able to afford it on less than 100k a year. You just need to adjust you spending habits.

ROCKO MEATS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Start by cutting up your credit cards, Mrs. Meats
> and I live in a single family home in Springfield
> and we earn about $160,000 combined, it can be
> done.


no need to cut up credit cards (especially if they're free and you get 1-2% back)

BUT PAY THEM OFF EVERY MONTH

credit cards are only for those who can afford to clear them

(whether they're good for the economy is a different quesion!)

First; because you rent you probably don't have any tax deducations and you are probably paying more in taxes than many others. First, get out of the apartment and buy something. Second, you are three years out of college and your wife is a student who works part time; therefore you have the added cost of school and the loss of income from your wife working part time. Be patient; three years out of school alot of people are living in group homes. Third, you are looking at luxury cars and single family homes; again you are only three years our to school. You should consider yourself lucky you are not in a group home driving an unreliable car.

My wife and I live in a nice single family home built in 2005 with combined income of about $200K but we build up a lot of equity in our town homes before we sold those and bought our current house. During that time we put a lot of money into our 401K plans to reduce our taxes and we saved as much as we could (skip the NOVA lifestyle you reference), we drove old cars and took our lunch to work.

I believe you are being impatient in your expectations of luxury cars, single family homes, NOVA lifestyle for being three years out of school with a student wife you works part-time.

If ou need say $150k to survive in FFCNTY--how then do we have 1 in 4 families reporting that they are eligible for free and reduced meals in our schools?

1 in 4 on FRM.

The FRM cutoff for a family of 4 is about $47k.

Something doesn't add up.

Well apparently at the rate you are moving you'll be making a million dollars in about 5 years...SOOOOO JUST GOO DEEP INTO DEBT NOW!!!! You'll be able to pay it off with your amazing income potential!

Buy dont Rent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> First; because you rent you probably don't have
> any tax deducations and you are probably paying
> more in taxes than many others. First, get out of
> the apartment and buy something.

You should buy a home because you want to want to live there for the foreseeable future and need a roof over your head. Buying for the supposed tax benefits and/or the possible future increase in value is a fools errand. It is the standard line of real estate agents to make renters into buyers and existing homeowners into trade-ups. It's the big lie. Buy because you like it, can afford, and don't plan on moving anytime soon. Otherwise, renting is just fine.

makes you wonder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If ou need say $150k to survive in FFCNTY--how
> then do we have 1 in 4 families reporting that
> they are eligible for free and reduced meals in
> our schools?
>
> 1 in 4 on FRM.
>
> The FRM cutoff for a family of 4 is about $47k.
>
> Something doesn't add up.

That's not a surprise. In this area, there are lots of well paying jobs and lots of poorly paying jobs - but less real sustainable middle

does anyone have a graph of the income distribution in FFX?

i make 45k a year, have a nice apt, older corvette and 2 motorcycles, 80k in 401, and around 15k in the bank. i don't have a chance in hell buying a home in this area. You seem to have a good dual income, but the home prices in this area are out of reach for many. I know people who are so house poor, but they thought it would get better with time.
they had to sell when the other person got cut from work. Most people live paycheck to paycheck and use the credit card to but food.

eesh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Talk to JBass. He is winning at life everyday and
> can tell you what makes him better and more
> successful than you. His word is gold.


Drive, Determination and Nepotism

I make 176K plus per year, own my house and car, one credit card (amex), single. I have no problem in FFXC.

­



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2015 03:10PM by chuckhoffmann.

ROCKO MEATS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Start by cutting up your credit cards, Mrs. Meats
> and I live in a single family home in Springfield
> and we earn about $160,000 combined, it can be
> done.

Agree with the above. My income is about the same, own a 2900 sf single family home with a conventional mortgage and live comfortably. Not driving luxury cars, but what we have is not too old, dependable, good for long trips and paid for. I think making $120-150K provides for a good living here. Median income, median house cost, don't go crazy on cars or revolving credit cards.

To the OP. Cleared IT Professional, sounds good.....but like some one else stated at your rate you should be a millionaire in a few years. But don't in a minute that can come all undone. So be careful.

I suggest stop taking your old lady out to expensive ass dinners, stop buying the expensive chronic, stop trying to be what you are not, and most importantly, stop whining. Be happy that you are doing what you can now, and better yourself. I know many people who make a hell of lot less than you and are just happy and can afford to live in this "F#$ing county".

Oh and I drive nice ass cars....its call being responsible. I do not believe in credit cards, and owing chumps money. and I live within my means.....and eat freaking awesomely! So perhaps, instead of trying to be cool and spending money in Clarendon...you wise. Where did you get your degree at? Because you obviously didn't learn shit.....now go fix my motherboard and stfu!

Now go paint your face and listen to the great milenko!

You can live extremely comfortably in FFX on $420k, dual income. Huge house, benzes and eatting out every meal. We never worried about money. Latest everything and still saved $80k a year plus 401k. So $360k if your house is half paid off.

Based
> on the job market i'll hit 6 figures in a year or
> two, and If im determined should be at 140ish in
> few years (cleared IT professional)

Just out of curiosity what sort of IT work are you in? Development, virtualiztion, servers, etc?

The clearance definitely helps but after today's report we see that they are not rare http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/how-many-security-clearances-has-the-government-issued-nearly-enough-for-everyone-in-the-washington-area/2011/09/20/gIQAMW3OiK_blog.html

jih Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You can live extremely comfortably in FFX on
> $420k, dual income. Huge house, benzes and
> eatting out every meal. We never worried about
> money. Latest everything and still saved $80k a
> year plus 401k. So $360k if your house is half
> paid off.

Kids? Saving for college?

Its important to note that their are different types of government clearances issued by varying organizations that are of varying value. High level defense clearance being the most i.e TS/SCI with lifestyle poly, I work in security/virtualization systems security engineer is the title the government cooked up. With professional certifications and 4 year degree it has been unreasonably easy to negotiate 10 to 15k salary jumps per position. I'll be the first to admit I'm grossly overpaid with taxpayer dollars to do what I do. I have way to much time to post on FFUG as testament. However, if my skillset is in line with a position and the market is paying 90k for mid level and 120 - 140 for senior then of course I'm going to take it. It's the fact that such a seeming high salary doesn't go as far as you'd think it would when you get that first paycheck minus taxes and deductions that grates me. By no means can I complain about my standard of living. Like i said, to live the way I want to live I'll have to find a way to generate between 300 - 500k since my parents were dirt poor and I won't be getting any inheritances

My wife and I make 90k total, own a condo and our cars. Life is good. Its not how much you make, it's how you save it.

Not sure if it's been explicitly spelled out for the OP, but renting will not build you equity. (Yes, I realize that you shouldn't buy for the tax break, but, like I said, renting will not build equity.)

So, here's how I did it (from someone who grew up here, graduated from both FCPS and Mason and never really left the county). After we got married, my wife and I:

Bought a TH near Dunn Loring as our first home (after renting for two years post-wedding) for $160k.

Sold the TH five years later (making $63k profit) and moved to single family home in Centreville.

Sold SFH four years later (making a $275k profit) right at the peak of the bubble and moved to our current home (4300 sq. ft. home near Fair Lakes).

So, in just about nine years, in addition to our incomes, we earned almost $340k in real estate profits.

My annual income is $150k (my wife no longer works).

Sure, you can say we got lucky in that we didn't have to come up with a 20% down payment at the time for our first purchase (IIRC it was 5%), were in the market at the right time when we sold the second, etc., but had we been renting during those entire nine years, we'd have made...zippy.

Get out of the rental market and buy your starter home. It needn't be fancy because it for sure won't be the home you retire in. You may need to alter your lifestyle while you save up, but so what: The reward is well worth it down the road.

some guy() Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Sold SFH four years later (making a $275k profit)
> right at the peak of the bubble and moved to our
> current home (4300 sq. ft. home near Fair Lakes).
>

According to Zillow, you're down about 150K on that purchase since the peak. SO you've lost close to half of your 'profit'.

Flipping houses every few years is a way to make real estate agents rich, not you, no matter what the market. Hope you like your house - you won't be flipping it after 4-5 years like the others. Your story only works in the very weird world that was the late 90's through 2007 in the real estate. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone now.

Like what everyone else alluded to... save now, enjoy later.

Renting Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its important to note that their are different
> types of government clearances issued by varying
> organizations that are of varying value. High
> level defense clearance being the most i.e TS/SCI
> with lifestyle poly, I work in
> security/virtualization systems security engineer
> is the title the government cooked up. With
> professional certifications and 4 year degree it
> has been unreasonably easy to negotiate 10 to 15k
> salary jumps per position. I'll be the first to
> admit I'm grossly overpaid with taxpayer dollars
> to do what I do. I have way to much time to post
> on FFUG as testament. However, if my skillset is
> in line with a position and the market is paying
> 90k for mid level and 120 - 140 for senior then
> of course I'm going to take it. It's the fact
> that such a seeming high salary doesn't go as far
> as you'd think it would when you get that first
> paycheck minus taxes and deductions that grates
> me. By no means can I complain about my standard
> of living. Like i said, to live the way I want to
> live I'll have to find a way to generate between
> 300 - 500k since my parents were dirt poor and I
> won't be getting any inheritances


Still whining like an IT bitch. First off you are a contractor, and secondly you are the type of person that security officers should be looking for (to revoke clearance). You will probably sell or trade off secret information to support your lavish lifestyle. As you feel an entitlement for your parents losses. You are trying to live beyond your means. I hope you are posting to this Web site from your work station. LoL.

owning Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> According to Zillow, you're down about 150K on
> that purchase since the peak. SO you've lost
> close to half of your 'profit'.
>
> Flipping houses every few years is a way to make
> real estate agents rich, not you, no matter what
> the market. Hope you like your house - you won't
> be flipping it after 4-5 years like the others.
> Your story only works in the very weird world that
> was the late 90's through 2007 in the real estate.
> I wouldn't recommend it to anyone now.

Yes, the real estate market was crazy, which is why I couched my response as "we were lucky," etc. Will it return? Who knows.

Just curious, but what'd you use to get your estimate from Zillow (as I never gave out my address)? (Or did you just enter Centreville as the area? If you did, there's a world of difference between houses in Fair Crest and Country Club Estates or Manor or whatever it's called.)

As an FYI - we bought our current house without agents on either side, saving us about $50k on the sales price. (Actually, had we bought it on the open market, it probably would've cost $100k more than we paid due to competitive bids with escalation prices, so let's split the difference and say we saved $75k by going w/o agents.) We're currently in the process of refinancing and the appraisal was $20k lower than what we paid. With the market as bad as it's been for the past five years, I can handle that.

Finally, we didn't plan on being out of our previous home so soon; it was supposed to be our "20 year house." The only reason why we moved was the neighborhood: the location wasn't as convenient as we first thought when we bought it. We're completely happy where we are now and don't plan on moving anytime in the next 15-20 years.

some guy() Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> owning Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > According to Zillow, you're down about 150K on
> > that purchase since the peak. SO you've lost
> > close to half of your 'profit'.
> >
> > Flipping houses every few years is a way to
> make
> > real estate agents rich, not you, no matter
> what
> > the market. Hope you like your house - you
> won't
> > be flipping it after 4-5 years like the others.
>
> > Your story only works in the very weird world
> that
> > was the late 90's through 2007 in the real
> estate.
> > I wouldn't recommend it to anyone now.
>
> Yes, the real estate market was crazy, which is
> why I couched my response as "we were lucky," etc.
> Will it return? Who knows.
>
> Just curious, but what'd you use to get your
> estimate from Zillow (as I never gave out my
> address)? (Or did you just enter Centreville as
> the area? If you did, there's a world of
> difference between houses in Fair Crest and
> Country Club Estates or Manor or whatever it's
> called.)
>
> As an FYI - we bought our current house without
> agents on either side, saving us about $50k on the
> sales price. (Actually, had we bought it on the
> open market, it probably would've cost $100k more
> than we paid due to competitive bids with
> escalation prices, so let's split the difference
> and say we saved $75k by going w/o agents.) We're
> currently in the process of refinancing and the
> appraisal was $20k lower than what we paid. With
> the market as bad as it's been for the past five
> years, I can handle that.
>
> Finally, we didn't plan on being out of our
> previous home so soon; it was supposed to be our
> "20 year house." The only reason why we moved was
> the neighborhood: the location wasn't as
> convenient as we first thought when we bought it.
> We're completely happy where we are now and don't
> plan on moving anytime in the next 15-20 years.

Do you have a mistress?

Do you ever get tempted to spit game and holla at one of the young sexy NVCC or George Mason coeds?

some guy() Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not sure if it's been explicitly spelled out for
> the OP, but renting will not build you equity.
> (Yes, I realize that you shouldn't buy for the tax
> break, but, like I said, renting will not build
> equity.)
>

While true, there are some more factors here to consider (full disclosure: I bought a house 15 months ago).

What is the price you were planning to pay to rent?
What is your breakout of PITI + HOA if you buy?

For example, let's say your PITI is $2200 (so you probably got your house around 400 if you put a decent down payment) - $400 Principal, $1200 interest, $500 tax, $100 insurance; plus another $100 HOA.

Now consider all the other miscellaneous homeowner expenses that you would not have if you rented: pest control, major item replacements, etc. - at least another $100 a month.

Now obviously that Principal / Interest ratio is not static and changes as you own your home longer, but starting out, your non-principal monthly expenses caused by home-ownership are about $2k in my example.

Is your rent over $2K ??

Yeah the $400 P is going into equity/'savings', but all that other stuff needs to come under the potential rental amount - so you can see how renting may seem more attractive unless you get a fairly inexpensive house (I'm talking 300K or less - which won't get you much around here at all!) or you actually hold your house for 15+ years (almost not very common!). You can bank on appreciation, but be aware you have to make enough to pay off your realtor fees upon selling (and that this is not 2005!).




So like someone else said above - buy because you like the house/area and want some stability/freedom (and not living in an apartment complex), not because it's an awesome money-making scheme.

some guy() Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> As an FYI - we bought our current house without
> agents on either side, saving us about $50k on the
> sales price. (Actually, had we bought it on the
> open market, it probably would've cost $100k more
> than we paid due to competitive bids with
> escalation prices, so let's split the differe


Ahhh... realtors, the biggest destroyers of family equity

Most people will end up spending >$120k on unnecessary realtor fees over their home owning careers. Enough to put a child through college.

Renting Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its important to note that their are different
> types of government clearances issued by varying
> organizations that are of varying value. High
> level defense clearance being the most i.e TS/SCI
> with lifestyle poly, I work in
> security/virtualization systems security engineer
> is the title the government cooked up. With
> professional certifications and 4 year degree it
> has been unreasonably easy to negotiate 10 to 15k
> salary jumps per position. I'll be the first to
> admit I'm grossly overpaid with taxpayer dollars
> to do what I do. I have way to much time to post
> on FFUG as testament. However, if my skillset is
> in line with a position and the market is paying
> 90k for mid level and 120 - 140 for senior then
> of course I'm going to take it. It's the fact
> that such a seeming high salary doesn't go as far
> as you'd think it would when you get that first
> paycheck minus taxes and deductions that grates
> me.

Ok yes you can get to 140, you can actually go higher if you can get your VCDX certification. There are not a lot of those out there. In terms of security the CISSP has almost become a "who cares" cert at this point because everyone has one due to DoD 8570. I got my CISSP in 2007 just for that reason but I see a lot of security types that only know theory and have no clue how to do anything hands on...don't become that guy.

Have you thought about looking out in Loudoun. I'm in Ashburn and bought a nice townhouse for 330k. You can find good deals and the metro is coming out this way in a few years.

I dont know what people are talking about saying you need 300k+ to live comfortably around here.

I make just under 150k, live in a 3200 sqft house in Springfield and own four cars. I also pay for one of my childs instate college rates.

Currently our house is worth around 750 or so, but we bought it for 450.

I'm living fine...

Him Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I dont know what people are talking about saying
> you need 300k+ to live comfortably around here.
>

I think these numbers are high also. A young couple should have no problem living on a combined income of $80-90k a year. I have 19 years at my job, my wife 17 years, and we make a combined income of about $147k. One child, single family home.

tgbwc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Him Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I dont know what people are talking about
> saying
> > you need 300k+ to live comfortably around here.
> >
>
> I think these numbers are high also. A young
> couple should have no problem living on a combined
> income of $80-90k a year. I have 19 years at my
> job, my wife 17 years, and we make a combined
> income of about $147k. One child, single family
> home.

Any interesting mistress stories you want to share with us?

Mistress Craver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Any interesting mistress stories you want to share
> with us?

Nope. Not even close. That's definitely not in the budget!

The epitome of yuppie.... 210k household income, living paycheck to paycheck, and still figures out how to complain.


Get real.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2011 07:26PM by Swami Says.

Do you need a foreign car?
Do you need a Flat screen in every room?
Do you need to eat out every night?
Do you need a 3600SF home?
Do you need 3 vacations a yr?

If you answered yes to any of those questions then no, 140 is not enough.
Some very sound advice in this thread. Count your change, save it. pay off your credit card every month. Save some more. You can make it.

What kinda work do you guys do to haul in 150K per year? How long have you been doing that kinda work? Are you guys doctors? Lawyers?

gee 150k seems a bit steep.

tgbwc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mistress Craver Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Any interesting mistress stories you want to
> share
> > with us?
>
> Nope. Not even close. That's definitely not in the
> budget!

One can always dream right?

One can always fantasize about what the young attractive females working over at Tysons Corner Mall would do for a Best Buy or Apple gift card right?

I'll keep it short and to the point

First income with a college degree around here you start at 50k can make 100k by thirty pretty easily. After that lots of people get stuck in the 120s or so and then just move with inflation. its pretty much a crap shoot of leaving middle management and making serious money 200k and up. There are people that do it and then there are the doctors, lawyers, MBAs etc as well.

With both people working most white collar professionals are right around 250k.

With housing general rule of thumb is you can triple income so with that income people can afford 750k single family home.

But like other posters have said just because you can doesn't mean you should

And for people worried about normal folks looking at that pie chart. Across the United States home ownership is less than 50%. Using that as a metric it fits in well with the graph. There really aren't that many single family homes in fairfax. You make 125k jointly you can generally afford a normal townhouse up to 375k. Anything under 125k and you should be renting just like roughly 50% of people in Fairfax do.

So bottom line it works out fine. Are prices and housing higher in Fairfax yes but wages are higher as well.

Renting Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Based
> on the job market i'll hit 6 figures in a year or
> two, and If im determined should be at 140ish in
> few years (cleared IT professional) my wife
> (finance major) may net around 70 after she's been
> in the job market..but is a household income of
> 210 even enough??? What kind of money are these
> people pulling in to have the mercedes SUV's 2
> kids in college, the 4500sqft single family home
> plus the northern VA lifestyle??

I'd highly doubt that you'll be making $140K in IT in a few years - even with the clearance. At the Defense Department starts to make cuts, consultants will be cut back in a big way. Currently, 10% for each of the next 3 years is being planned as far as the cuts go.

I've lived in this area a long time. I used equity to put a great down payment on a SFH in a gated community. 4,000 SF and the mortgage takes less than 25% of our monthly gross, which turns out at $120K a year. We survive. Have reliable (not super luxury) vehicles and a fully furnished house.

Also, I forgot to mention that we have a funded 529 plan for when our child goes to college.

Yeah Right Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Also, I forgot to mention that we have a funded
> 529 plan for when our child goes to college.

Do you have any mistresses?

Mistress Craver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yeah Right Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Also, I forgot to mention that we have a funded
> > 529 plan for when our child goes to college.
>
> Do you have any mistresses?


No, I don't have any mistresses. No need to.

Yeah Right Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mistress Craver Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Yeah Right Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Also, I forgot to mention that we have a
> funded
> > > 529 plan for when our child goes to college.
> >
> > Do you have any mistresses?
>
>
> No, I don't have any mistresses. No need to.

Are you gay???

anyone who make $250 a year and is boasting this on ffug is a fuck knuckle.

I think what The Real Deal said on salary is fairly accurate. And I'll add that jumping from 40/50 to 80/100 is a lot easier than jumping from 80/100 to 125/150 and much above that is somewhat rare. If you look at the GS scale, a GS 15 makes between 123-155; SES's make a little more than that...But I think that's a reasonable DC area salary guide for a typical seasoned, mid-career person in this area. As someone else mentioned, cuts are coming, so I think people should think twice about jumping jobs...If you have a good boss, are at a solid company and have a proven track record, I'd suggest riding out the next few years where you are, rather than being the new guy with the fat wallet when axes are flying.

the real deal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'll keep it short and to the point
>
> First income with a college degree around here you
> start at 50k can make 100k by thirty pretty
> easily. After that lots of people get stuck in
> the 120s or so and then just move with inflation.
> its pretty much a crap shoot of leaving middle
> management and making serious money 200k and up.
> There are people that do it and then there are the
> doctors, lawyers, MBAs etc as well.
>
> With both people working most white collar
> professionals are right around 250k.
>
> With housing general rule of thumb is you can
> triple income so with that income people can
> afford 750k single family home.
>
> But like other posters have said just because you
> can doesn't mean you should
>
> And for people worried about normal folks looking
> at that pie chart. Across the United States home
> ownership is less than 50%. Using that as a
> metric it fits in well with the graph. There
> really aren't that many single family homes in
> fairfax. You make 125k jointly you can generally
> afford a normal townhouse up to 375k. Anything
> under 125k and you should be renting just like
> roughly 50% of people in Fairfax do.
>
> So bottom line it works out fine. Are prices and
> housing higher in Fairfax yes but wages are higher
> as well.

A teacher will start a $44k and can make in the $50k's by the time she is thirty. Yeah, yeah, I know,that's too much in the eyes of many people on this board. I just want the OP, who is wondering if $210k combined for a couple is "enough to make it", to think about that when comparing.

On October 31, 2004, the Minnesota Timberwolves offered Sprewell a 3-year, $21 million contract extension, substantially less than what his then-current contract paid him. Claiming to feel insulted by the offer, he publicly expressed outrage, declaring, "I have a family to feed ... If Glen Taylor wants to see my family fed, he better cough up some money. Otherwise, you're going to see these kids in one of those Sally Struthers commercials soon."

sumguy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I own a house that was purchased at 250k now worth
> 500k. I am able to afford it on less than 100k a
> year. You just need to adjust you spending habits.


50k a year in centreville. doing just fine.
Drop the cable and other bullshit.
Get out of the rat race, man.

Renting Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...is a household income of 210 even enough???

W/o kids - probably. But once you get kids - forget it. Daycare alone will be like second mortgage (or rent - and you'll have to rent much bigger place than 1BDR or whatever you rent now). You'll get a bit of relief when they start going to schools, but then other expenses will kick in ... so it's a never ending race.

Of course you don't have to have ride a new Benz every 2-3 years and be happy with a 10 y.o. Honda, but then what's the point of making $$? In any case, your biggest impression will be that your paycheck is not big enough, and you'll also notice that somehow you now have to pay more in taxes, fees, contributions, etc. - things you were exempt and/or never paid attention before. And you'll probably change your opinion about free lunches, affordable living and miriad of other things your $$ now will be providing to other "less fortunate'.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/2011 07:30AM by Price.

Teachers know what they are up against going in

Most teachers end up marrying at some point and then generally end up quitting when the kids come. Regardless based on what their spouse brings in people can live more comfortably.

I know a couple single teachers in their 30s and they still live like recent college grads housemates crap car etc. Nothing wrong with that.

The starting salary of teachers is fine. Its the lack of promotion opportunities that keeps the salaries too low longer term. There aren't that many professions where you do the same thing on day one that you do when you have 30+ years in. Its similar to white collar folks who hit middle management and salaries stagnate because their job descriptions stops changing.

Yahweh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sumguy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I own a house that was purchased at 250k now
> worth
> > 500k. I am able to afford it on less than 100k
> a
> > year. You just need to adjust you spending
> habits.
>
>
> 50k a year in centreville. doing just fine.
> Drop the cable and other bullshit.
> Get out of the rat race, man.


LOL, no shit. It's funny that the OP aspires to the "northern VA lifestyle" along with all of its bullshit trappings.

You have no business living in Fairfax County if your job doesn't atleast gross 100K annually. Honestly, if you make anything less than that, leave... You'll enjoy a much better quality of life and not have unsustainable monthly nuts to crack. I will say however, unless you own your own business I'd be pretty skittish about these everyday $150K+ jobs around here. I do believe the gravy train of everyone 5 years out of school making over $100k is coming to an end. Employers like myself are finding it pretty easy to kick gray beards to the curb in turn for youthful folk with large college debt willing to do the same job for a third of the salary.

My wife and I just hired a new nanny. First in a while. Last time we searched (about 5 yrs ago), you were lucky to find one that was legal and you thought you could trust with your kids. And they all wanted to be paid at least 50 hours a week.

Now, we had a line a recent college grads, all well qualified, still living with their folks, happy to get 25-30 hours a week. The job market is killer right now, especially for new college grads. Unless you are highly technical, you are competing with everyone that graduated in the last 5 years. I think a lot of new grads are just hanging out, taking what they can get in part time work that has nothing to do with their degree, and waiting for the job market to improve.

"You have no business living in Fairfax County if your job doesn't atleast gross 100K annually."


I don't know but think once the budget cuts (10%/yr) start hitting our area, property values will fall and the recession will finally hit here.
Many people who make 100K don't deserve that salary - there is nothing that these people do that cannot be done by more recent grads for 20K less.

I have seen many 'seasoned' 119K+ employees replaced with 70K grads from good colleges who do better work. Sure there are mistakes, but nothing that cannot be corrected in a week. Much less than paying 119K+.

Around here 100k / person is the new 48K a year, the minimum to survive. Also ignore all the people who made money off their homes before 2005, thats an anomoly, nothing pisses me off more than making twice as much as the person living in the same home accross the street but they got lucky buying early, fuck u.

The arrogance and ignorance displayed by public officials and real estate folks is laughable.

Wait till we shrink government. Guess what that means? Yep-layoffs.

Dean Tistadt who heads FCPS facilities dept makes $220k. Give me a break. Really? He is more valuable then the governor or a US Senator.

Govt employees are WAY overpaid given how incompetent most of them are.

Real estate is going to get real cheap here very soon.

FUCK_U_WELFARE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Around here 100k / person is the new 48K a year,
> the minimum to survive. Also ignore all the people
> who made money off their homes before 2005, thats
> an anomoly, nothing pisses me off more than making
> twice as much as the person living in the same
> home accross the street but they got lucky buying
> early, fuck u.


You mean the concept of "buying low" and your own lack of common sense exhibited by buying at the height of the market pisses you off?

If you can't make it off of 210k a year...you're a fuc*ing idiot!

You mean County employees? I can assure you the Federal payscale, even at the SES level, is not that much.



-------------------------------------------------------
> The arrogance and ignorance displayed by public
> officials and real estate folks is laughable.
>
> Wait till we shrink government. Guess what that
> means? Yep-layoffs.
>
> Dean Tistadt who heads FCPS facilities dept makes
> $220k. Give me a break. Really? He is more
> valuable then the governor or a US Senator.
>
> Govt employees are WAY overpaid given how
> incompetent most of them are.
>
> Real estate is going to get real cheap here very
> soon.

owning Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My wife and I just hired a new nanny. First in a
> while. Last time we searched (about 5 yrs ago),
> you were lucky to find one that was legal and you
> thought you could trust with your kids. And they
> all wanted to be paid at least 50 hours a week.
>
> Now, we had a line a recent college grads, all
> well qualified, still living with their folks,
> happy to get 25-30 hours a week. The job market
> is killer right now, especially for new college
> grads. Unless you are highly technical, you are
> competing with everyone that graduated in the last
> 5 years. I think a lot of new grads are just
> hanging out, taking what they can get in part time
> work that has nothing to do with their degree, and
> waiting for the job market to improve.



Did you hire a nanny that looks like this?

What do you mean "ignore all the people who made money off their homes before 2005, thats an anomoly"? That's NOT an anomoly - that used to be the norm. And why are you mad at people who had no input to your decision to buy at the peak of the market? The handwriting was on the wall - you gambled and lost.

There is still money to be made in real estate, if you buy at the right price in the right location, and you hold on. It might not be your dream home, and it might even mean (God forbid) doing without the stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and luxurious master suite that all buyers expect now - at least for a while. Even your property - on which you are probably currently upside down - will appreciate if you hang onto it long enough.

Also, 100K per person is NOT the minimum needed to "survive" here. Like the OP, you sound like a spoiled, whiny brat who thinks he's "entitled" to live beyond his means. Grow up and take responsibility for your own decisions.

Fuck all the money talk!

Post up pics of hot babysitters, nannys and au pairs!

I married an au pair. Told my friends "Hey, yeah, I'm doing the babysitter but she's not *my* babysitter!"

And she's hotter than either of those pics above...

I sent her to grad school and now *she's* making over 100K!

Anyone who makes 250k and has problems is a fuck knuckle.

Who's Your Daddy? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I married an au pair. Told my friends "Hey, yeah,
> I'm doing the babysitter but she's not *my*
> babysitter!"
>
> And she's hotter than either of those pics
> above...
>
> I sent her to grad school and now *she's* making
> over 100K!

You are not supposed to marry them you idiot. You are only supposed to bang them. Thats it.
Wam. Bam.

Next.

Ya dig?

the real deal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Teachers know what they are up against going in
>
> Most teachers end up marrying at some point and
> then generally end up quitting when the kids
> come. Regardless based on what their spouse
> brings in people can live more comfortably.
>
> I know a couple single teachers in their 30s and
> they still live like recent college grads
> housemates crap car etc. Nothing wrong with
> that.
>
> The starting salary of teachers is fine. Its the
> lack of promotion opportunities that keeps the
> salaries too low longer term. There aren't that
> many professions where you do the same thing on
> day one that you do when you have 30+ years in.
> Its similar to white collar folks who hit middle
> management and salaries stagnate because their job
> descriptions stops changing.

I am a teacher. I agree we know what the salary will be going in. I have said this before: I have never complained about my salary. I don't want this thread to turn into another thread about that. I think the point the earlier post was trying to make is that you don't need to make $100k to live in Fairfax County, $80k, or even $55k. "$100k to survive"? "If you make less than $100k you need to just leave"? I have been with FCPS for 19 years and make just about $75k. Combined we gross about $147k and we do ok. No complaints from me. This board really contradicts itself though. Here we have a whole thread with outrageous numbers on what it takes to "make it" in FFX County,yet another will be full of complaints regarding salaries in FCPS.

tgbwc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> the real deal Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Teachers know what they are up against going in
> >
> > Most teachers end up marrying at some point and
> > then generally end up quitting when the kids
> > come. Regardless based on what their spouse
> > brings in people can live more comfortably.
> >
> > I know a couple single teachers in their 30s
> and
> > they still live like recent college grads
> > housemates crap car etc. Nothing wrong with
> > that.
> >
> > The starting salary of teachers is fine. Its
> the
> > lack of promotion opportunities that keeps the
> > salaries too low longer term. There aren't
> that
> > many professions where you do the same thing on
> > day one that you do when you have 30+ years in.
>
> > Its similar to white collar folks who hit
> middle
> > management and salaries stagnate because their
> job
> > descriptions stops changing.
>
> I am a teacher. I agree we know what the salary
> will be going in. I have said this before: I have
> never complained about my salary. I don't want
> this thread to turn into another thread about
> that. I think the point the earlier post was
> trying to make is that you don't need to make
> $100k to live in Fairfax County, $80k, or even
> $55k. "$100k to survive"? "If you make less than
> $100k you need to just leave"? I have been with
> FCPS for 19 years and make just about $75k.
> Combined we gross about $147k and we do ok. No
> complaints from me. This board really contradicts
> itself though. Here we have a whole thread with
> outrageous numbers on what it takes to "make it"
> in FFX County,yet another will be full of
> complaints regarding salaries in FCPS.

75K to teach a bunch of children of illegals? WOW. Thats pretty impressive.

Yes us in the private sector are sick of tax payer dollars going to union scum teachers who get paid by taxpayers forced to pay for public school. Also sick of reduced lunches, wic and bulova and her lizzy subsidized housing.

also, don't bs us with your meager salary, calculate out your free healthcare and pension, you are making over 150k a year.

Work in NOVA a few days a week, live down in Richmond. Rent is 250 / month. Doing fine.

Long time lurker...first time post...
I see a lot of incomes in my profession. I have seen people with 4 kids on one income making 65K/yr and they tithe before they make their own bills. I have seen people who make 600K and can't keep a dollar in their own savings account. It has nothing to do with income.
We make a lot of money here...let's be honest. We chose what's financially important to us, houses, cars, custom made shoelaces...there is nothing wrong with that...if you can afford it.
So, to the question from the OP...I guess it depends on your luxury items. Want to drive a Honda, or a BMW? Do you want a condo or a single family with "acreage"? Do you pay cash/debit or credit? Do you vacation in Ocean Shitty or Cayman? Do we really need these amenities? Maybe...it's up to you...

Oh yeah...
I can't think of a good reason to rent versus own...especially in this market...

I don't know that I would trust your logic since you don't even understand the taxation of an LLC....

counterfeitpenny Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh yeah...
> I can't think of a good reason to rent versus
> own...especially in this market...

Tyrone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't know that I would trust your logic since
> you don't even understand the taxation of an
> LLC....
>
> counterfeitpenny Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Oh yeah...
> > I can't think of a good reason to rent versus
> > own...especially in this market...


I think you may be a little slow...so I'll keep this simple...
"Say thank you Gilbert"

Johnny Depp is a douche.

counterfeitpenny Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tyrone Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I don't know that I would trust your logic
> since
> > you don't even understand the taxation of an
> > LLC....
> >
> > counterfeitpenny Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Oh yeah...
> > > I can't think of a good reason to rent versus
> > > own...especially in this market...
>
>
> I think you may be a little slow...so I'll keep
> this simple...
> "Say thank you Gilbert"

Tyrone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Johnny Depp is a douche.
>
> counterfeitpenny Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Tyrone Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I don't know that I would trust your logic
> > since
> > > you don't even understand the taxation of an
> > > LLC....
> > >
> > > counterfeitpenny Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > Oh yeah...
> > > > I can't think of a good reason to rent
> versus
> > > > own...especially in this market...
> >
> >
> > I think you may be a little slow...so I'll keep
> > this simple...
> > "Say thank you Gilbert"


And you my friend...are retarded...
By the way, that wasn't Johnny Depp...
I swear, people like you make my fucking dogs look intelligent...they can at least bark to piss outside...

counterfeitpenny Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tyrone Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Johnny Depp is a douche.
> >
> > counterfeitpenny Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Tyrone Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > I don't know that I would trust your logic
> > > since
> > > > you don't even understand the taxation of
> an
> > > > LLC....
> > > >
> > > > counterfeitpenny Wrote:
> > > >
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > >
> > > > -----
> > > > > Oh yeah...
> > > > > I can't think of a good reason to rent
> > versus
> > > > > own...especially in this market...
> > >
> > >
> > > I think you may be a little slow...so I'll
> keep
> > > this simple...
> > > "Say thank you Gilbert"
>
>
> And you my friend...are retarded...
> By the way, that wasn't Johnny Depp...
> I swear, people like you make my fucking dogs look
> intelligent...they can at least bark to piss
> outside...

LMFAO

This thread is pretty useless...it all depends on your spending habits to determine if you can survive in FFX County.

Fuck u teachers Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes us in the private sector are sick of tax payer
> dollars going to union scum teachers who get paid
> by taxpayers forced to pay for public school. Also
> sick of reduced lunches, wic and bulova and her
> lizzy subsidized housing.
>
> also, don't bs us with your meager salary,
> calculate out your free healthcare and pension,
> you are making over 150k a year.

Reduced lunches (less than 6% of the students in my building are on free/reduced lunch), wic and subsidized housing has nothing to do with what I posted.

Where do you get this "free healthcare and pension" crap? I knew this would happen. I said I was doing fine on my salary. No complaints. No "BS". I never said it was meager. You did.

"You mean the concept of "buying low" and your own lack of common sense exhibited by buying at the height of the market pisses you off?"

If it weren't for us yuppy late 20something couples making 200k a year you wouldn't have any gain in your shitty neighborhood. You should be fanning and feeding us grapes because WE are the reason you have your fake equity wealth. The formula should be if you are in yours 20s make 150-200k a year but dont have savings you should get a starter home in potomac, mclean etc.... and move up, you should be living with people of equal status and salary.

"No complaints. No "BS". I never said it was meager. You did."

You are bitching about how taxpayers complain about your salarys. Valid reasons why and your "fake" low salary saying you are "making it" is bullshit. You didnt count your ridiculous union benifits that taxpayers pay. fuck u

"outrageous numbers on what it takes to "make it"
> in FFX County,yet another will be full of
> complaints regarding salaries in FCPS."

My family of 5 makes it just fine with almost 2500 sq ft of quality living space, couple of big screen LED's, mediocre cars, a reasonable 401k, a couple of college funds, not forced to live way out in BFE etc and I'm the sole source of income @ less than $100k /yr. We eat decent, we have fun, our kids want for very little and we are comfortable.

Could it be better? Sure, but that's ALWAYS the case. Warren Buffet thinks "it could be better" every night.

It's just all about how/where you spend your money & how you view life.

Stop worrying about who makes what money, what kind of cars they are driving, where they live, what kind of house they have etc. Stop all that comparison BS and pay attention to your own finances and live accordingly because there's a good chance their financial situation is shit.

If you feel an urge to compare, think about how much of a sucker you have to be to buy a $60k Benz when the build quality is shit anymore & it's an asset that decreases in value a significant amount every year until you have to throw it away because it no longer works and you have to start all over again.

Stop being a sucker for consumerism, prioritize your spending on assets that increase in value vs decrease in value and you'll find it's a lot easier to live on a lot less.

Honestly, best post yet.

Duhhhhh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My family of 5 makes it just fine with almost 2500
> sq ft of quality living space, couple of big
> screen LED's, mediocre cars, a reasonable 401k, a
> couple of college funds, not forced to live way
> out in BFE etc and I'm the sole source of income @
> less than $100k /yr. We eat decent, we have fun,
> our kids want for very little and we are
> comfortable.
>
> Could it be better? Sure, but that's ALWAYS the
> case. Warren Buffet thinks "it could be better"
> every night.
>
> It's just all about how/where you spend your money
> & how you view life.
>
> Stop worrying about who makes what money, what
> kind of cars they are driving, where they live,
> what kind of house they have etc. Stop all that
> comparison BS and pay attention to your own
> finances and live accordingly because there's a
> good chance their financial situation is shit.
>
> If you feel an urge to compare, think about how
> much of a sucker you have to be to buy a $60k Benz
> when the build quality is shit anymore & it's an
> asset that decreases in value a significant amount
> every year until you have to throw it away because
> it no longer works and you have to start all over
> again.
>
> Stop being a sucker for consumerism, prioritize
> your spending on assets that increase in value vs
> decrease in value and you'll find it's a lot
> easier to live on a lot less.

Here is they key: Get a time machine and go back to 1995. Problem solved. Back then housing costs were somewhat commensurate to income. The go-go mortgage years screwed the whole market up.

If you are like me and were in junior high in 1995, you were fucked from the start. Unless you are just plain loaded, you can't afford much in desirable areas.

Notice all the people who talk about their 100k household income and single family house don't mention when they bought. I bet it wasnt anytime in the past decade. If they did, it was because they bought something else in the 90s and cashed out at the right time.

For younger folks, my experience has been that parents are playing a big role. I've seen parents buy homes in cash to then have their kids finance at a lower price or at a minimum pony up the 20% down which helps plenty.

One big tip if you do buy: ditch the real estate mafia. You don't need one. Listings are everywhere on the web. Pricing history is available to give you an idea of what the market is doing. Have an attorney handle your contracts (an agent isn't an expert in contract law...a lawyer is). You can negotiate on your own if you are an adult. Refuse to pay for the seller's agent. It shouldn't be your problem they want to get ripped off to the tune of 3% of the sale price, and make sure the seller agent doesn't pocket the "buyer agent" money. RE commission is ridiculous in this area. Want an agent? Offer someone a flat rate to consult. A grand for a month of house hunting is more than worth the service.

Free advice; Avoid listening to this guy.

Ps, I'm NOT an agent either.

Time Traveler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here is they key: Get a time machine and go back
> to 1995. Problem solved. Back then housing costs
> were somewhat commensurate to income. The go-go
> mortgage years screwed the whole market up.
>
> If you are like me and were in junior high in
> 1995, you were fucked from the start. Unless you
> are just plain loaded, you can't afford much in
> desirable areas.
>
> Notice all the people who talk about their 100k
> household income and single family house don't
> mention when they bought. I bet it wasnt anytime
> in the past decade. If they did, it was because
> they bought something else in the 90s and cashed
> out at the right time.
>
> For younger folks, my experience has been that
> parents are playing a big role. I've seen parents
> buy homes in cash to then have their kids finance
> at a lower price or at a minimum pony up the 20%
> down which helps plenty.
>
> One big tip if you do buy: ditch the real estate
> mafia. You don't need one. Listings are
> everywhere on the web. Pricing history is
> available to give you an idea of what the market
> is doing. Have an attorney handle your contracts
> (an agent isn't an expert in contract law...a
> lawyer is). You can negotiate on your own if you
> are an adult. Refuse to pay for the seller's
> agent. It shouldn't be your problem they want to
> get ripped off to the tune of 3% of the sale
> price, and make sure the seller agent doesn't
> pocket the "buyer agent" money. RE commission is
> ridiculous in this area. Want an agent? Offer
> someone a flat rate to consult. A grand for a
> month of house hunting is more than worth the
> service.

Time Traveler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> One big tip if you do buy: ditch the real estate
> mafia. You don't need one. Listings are
> everywhere on the web. Pricing history is
> available to give you an idea of what the market
> is doing. Have an attorney handle your contracts
> (an agent isn't an expert in contract law...a
> lawyer is). You can negotiate on your own if you
> are an adult. Refuse to pay for the seller's
> agent. It shouldn't be your problem they want to
> get ripped off to the tune of 3% of the sale
> price, and make sure the seller agent doesn't
> pocket the "buyer agent" money. RE commission is
> ridiculous in this area. Want an agent? Offer
> someone a flat rate to consult. A grand for a
> month of house hunting is more than worth the
> service.

This is like recommending someone defend their own home versus calling 911. Some are completely capable, others should just hide in the closet and call the pros. Yes, an adult should be able to do a real estate transaction with the help of a title lawyer. However, many are not capable of doing that and would be better off using an agent.

Is that worth 5-6% transaction costs? No way. It costs no more for an agent to sell a 500K home versus a $1M home. It should be a flat rate based on the transaction, not a percentage of the house price.

Yes you are an agent. Only an agent can defend paying someone $15k to look through MLS listings or take people through tours of a home.

I'd pay a couple grand to a marketer to sell my house. Throw another grand out there as a bounty for a buyer agent for bringing me the buyer. That is it. For everything else I hire real experts or do the simple research myself.

"If it weren't for us yuppy late 20something couples making 200k a year you wouldn't have any gain in your shitty neighborhood. You should be fanning and feeding us grapes because WE are the reason you have your fake equity wealth."

You, sir, are an ass. I would hate to be your neighbor.

"The formula should be if you are in yours 20s make 150-200k a year but dont have savings you should get a starter home in potomac, mclean etc.... and move up, you should be living with people of equal status and salary."

I don't even know what this means. I find it offensive that you are getting paid 200K/year and can't write an intelligible sentence.

For starters, how in God's name could you be making 200K/year and NOT have savings? And if you don't have savings, you're not buying a home. And if you're buying a "starter home" in Potomac or McLean, it's not a starter home.

You are correct, however, that you should be living with "people of equal status and salary", so you can all make each other miserable with your bitter, entitled mindset.

At some point in your life you are going to encounter one of life's many speed bumps, and you won't be able to handle it. Hopefully, you'll come out the other side having learned something. But somehow I doubt it.

I moved out of the county because I couldn't afford it anymore. Why would I want to live in Fairfax anyway? It's overrun with Koreans, Messicans, and snobby white people like the one that started this post. But I make sure to thank all you taxpayers for the fine road work!!!