I live in a Philadelphia suburb (in one of the state’s top school districts) and just bought a modest two-bedroom house for $142K. While this represents almost six years of my current income as a school bus driver, I used to make $150K a year as a software developer so the house would have cost me less than one year’s salary. As it is, I was able to buy it outright from my savings. TBF the house is 80+ years old and was in need of some repairs, and the average house price in this district is over $500K, and Philly is not Toronto or Los Angeles - but the house-buying situation is not completely hopeless everywhere as long as you’re not expecting to live in a brand-new mcmansion.
Comment on Anon lives with their parents
bier@feddit.nl 1 month ago
Where do you live to be able to buy a house in cash after 3 years of working? Where I live the average appartment is about 400K euros and the average house is closer to 500K euros.
Maybe you can find something for 250K if you really buy something small that needs lots of work. But you still need over 80K a year excluding taxes, probably closer to 120K before taxes.
ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 1 month ago
peteypete420@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
142 k for a house in a philly suburb? How recently may I ask?
ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Just last summer.
peteypete420@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
A house not a condo? Was it a major fixer upper? Do you have a inside track with a realtor or someone?
Cause bucks and Mont Co aren’t the best district, but a good one and their prices are 2 to 3 times higher right now. According to a quick and lazy web search the Radnor district is the best in the philly area. Me and the SO have NOT been watching homes in that area, but I know Radnor is a nice area and can’t imagine the housing being a 3rd of the price as bucks/mont Co.
I am taking care not call you a liar, but that price seems very unusual (too low) for any area I can think you are talking about.
absentbird@lemm.ee 1 month ago
What made you switch from software development to transportation?
ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I got laid off from my job with a big silicon valley company and was just too sick of the whole industry to even try getting another coding job. I randomly bought a used school bus to convert into a motor home, and when I got to the point where I needed to get another job to avoid paying $1000 a month for shitty health insurance, it turned out owning and driving a school bus made me eminently qualified to be a school bus driver. I really love doing it - it of course doesn’t pay what programming pays, but I get the middle of my days off to go on long bike rides, and little kids aren’t that awful to be around.
Kit@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
In the US I’ve never spent more than a year’s salary on a home. Certain areas of the country are far more affordable than others.
casual_turtle_stew_enjoyer@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
I interpret this as you either make less than $60k and live in an absolute shit hole or you make more than $120k and have no right to speak about affordable areas of the country.
Kit@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
$60k will get you a liveable house in certain parts of the country. Even in walkable, friendly, safe towns. The problem is that they’re not near jobs that pay more than $8/hr. I was lucky to get a fully remote job before Covid and bought a tiny 800 sqft cottage for a year’s salary. I just checked and see that homes of that size are still just as cheap in that town.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Oh it’s a shithole. Southeast Ohio has houses so cheap you wouldn’t believe it. But you have to live in southeast Ohio.
You could actually probably get a compound going there…
rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 1 month ago
His country flag is right there. He is porch of geese.
Passerby6497@lemmy.world 1 month ago
/c/boneappletea
DaBabyAteMaDingo@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Why did you get so many downvotes lol
JackFrostNCola@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Probably because boneappletea is meant to be unintended phrases not word play