Your take on what our (society) future looks like...

[LuckyDuck]

I'm feeling a bit pessimistic on the topic myself-

Reason being that housing is abjectly unaffordable for most of the new house purchasing market.

Costs continue to rise yet wages remain stagnant. I can't help but think we're reaching a point where we're approaching "a moment". I've shared it here before but I finally purchased my 1st house (at a later age than I'd care to admit) last year and it took me an substantially above average income & freakish commitment to living in the slums in order to save a down payment to get to this point.

While I'm grateful for my humble house- I can't help but feel this necessity is beyond unrealistic/unsustainable. I keep thinking something has to "give" eventually but it doesn't. I have season tickets to Hershey Park and have noticed the folks cleaning up trash are easily 70+ years old... That gives me pause. Perhaps they squandered away every dollar they earned but conversely perhaps they just got priced out of life and quite literally have to pick up trash in their 70/80's just to eat that night.

Certainly a complicated problem but... I'd argue that it's also a very real societal problem too. Present company excluded- but I often see folks that are already home owners take the stance that the others just "need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps" so they can be like them & live their best life. But... It doesn't seem to work that way does it? At least not today.

-LD

 

[Maser]

I feel like success stories nowadays are less about hard work and perseverance and more about just being the right person at the right time.

 

[LuckyDuck]

I feel like success stories nowadays are less about hard work and perseverance and more about just being the right person at the right time.

Agree.

 

[Defiantly_Not_Bender]

It looks like hell Rabbi Smuley.

Dildo man.

 

[LuckyDuck]

It looks like hell Rabbi Smuley.

Dildo man.

I find your enthusiasm to crap over whatever thread I start to be beyond troublesome.

 

[Edsel]

I only have an intuitive understanding of how the nuts and bolts of all this works, and lack the higher - level math for a more comprehensive understanding.

But I marvel at how we managed to prop ourselves up on various fragile, precarious support mechanisms and continued to live large whilst having nothing to back it up with.

As they say, we’re probably about to experience first - hand how the house of cards comes crashing down.

 

[Edsel]

…I often see folks that are already home owners take the stance that the others just "need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps" so they can be like them & live their best life.

It’s easy to speak like that when one has had the luck of a good job, savings, investments, or whatnot.

It is easy to say…

Improvise, adapt, and overcome
Suck it uo, buttercup
Just tighten your belt
Get a job like everybody else
Stop whining

…when one is blessed with good fortune.

Many find it too difficult to relate with or even try to understand the idea that all this fortune can be easily taken away in an instant, through various circumstances.

 

[Edsel]

It’s just a crappy Reddit snippet, but the reality’s very, very real.

Many “neighborhoods” are now owned by corporations.

Recently joined a friend helping his grandchildren looking at houses. This pretty - looking, two - story 3,000 + 3,000 sq. ft. unit made of cheap prefab with nary a single brick in it cost close to half a million AND had a monthly homeowner’s fee of $800. That last amount is like rent for some!

I can imagine how staying in Ma’s basement till the very last moment seems like a sane choice.

 

[Camelfilter]

It’s just a crappy Reddit snippet, but the reality’s very, very real.

Many “neighborhoods” are now owned by corporations.

Recently joined a friend helping his grandchildren looking at houses. This pretty - looking, two - story 3,000 + 3,000 sq. ft. unit made of cheap prefab with nary a single brick in it cost close to half a million AND had a monthly homeowner’s fee of $800. That last amount is like rent for some!

I can imagine how staying in Ma’s basement till the very last moment seems like a sane choice.

Why are they looking at houses that are for folks who are all set (mid & up career wise, kids out of the home & college covered etc etc).

They *should* be looking at whatever starter homes are around, 1,000 sq ft & no garage. Car port if lucky.

 

[sloporsche]

I have a few life time friends [i am 72] that i look at and say to myself what was their plan for retirement . We worked very hard and made good money but many of them just blew through the money chasing skirts ,drinks and lines of dope and now they live SS check to check . I came from a broken home and did not like being poor so i learned to save and invest but mostly not waste money . I am at my status I guess because of luck/chance/good decisions [ in any order] and yes i did pull myself up with my work boot straps along with good wives [3rd] .

 

[Skunk]

I have a few life time friends [i am 72] that i look at and say to myself what was their plan for retirement . We worked very hard and made good money but many of them just blew through the money chasing skirts ,drinks and lines of dope and now they live SS check to check . I came from a broken home and did not like being poor so i learned to save and invest but mostly not waste money . I am at my status I guess because of luck/chance/good decisions [ in any order] and yes i did pull myself up with my work boot straps along with good wives [3rd] .

So, you’re saying your status wasn’t an accident. Imagine that….

 

[Mike Casselton]

Why are they looking at houses that are for folks who are all set (mid & up career wise, kids out of the home & college covered etc etc).

They *should* be looking at whatever starter homes are around, 1,000 sq ft & no garage. Car port if lucky.

^^^^^^^
This right here times ten gazillion.
Kids think they should get a $150k per year job right out of college. They want their BMW/Mercedes and a 3500sf, 4BR, 3 car Garage with a pool as their first home. They want to be able to work from home, take 5 vacations per year and eat out 5 nights a week.

The worst of the lot complain about not having any money, yet they have $15k in shitty tats on their bodies.

EARN YOUR SHIT. Lower your standards like your parents and grandparents did.

 

[TheBigCountry]

So you’re basically now trying to steal another persons thread so you can have all the attention on yourself yet again ?

Should have stuck to your dildos and other sex toys there Ducky. Let’s get our buddy for his take @Defiantly_Not_Bender

 

[Edsel]

Why are they looking at houses that are for folks who are all set (mid & up career wise, kids out of the home & college covered etc etc).

They *should* be looking at whatever starter homes are around, 1,000 sq ft & no garage. Car port if lucky.

Entirely within their means, I suppose you could say they’re all set up.

They’re moving out of their smaller home into a bigger one,

I suppose I should have phrased it differently and made it clearer that that post was only slightly related to the earlier posts, and in the context of cookie - cutter, corporation - built homes that keep leeching you through homeowner’s fees for your duration of ownership. Unlike days of old wherein purchases were a single transaction, you still keep paying the corporation miscellaneous fees for the rest of your ownership.

 

[ironpony52]

I'm feeling a bit pessimistic on the topic myself-

Reason being that housing is abjectly unaffordable for most of the new house purchasing market.

Costs continue to rise yet wages remain stagnant. I can't help but think we're reaching a point where we're approaching "a moment". I've shared it here before but I finally purchased my 1st house (at a later age than I'd care to admit) last year and it took me an substantially above average income & freakish commitment to living in the slums in order to save a down payment to get to this point.

While I'm grateful for my humble house- I can't help but feel this necessity is beyond unrealistic/unsustainable. I keep thinking something has to "give" eventually but it doesn't. I have season tickets to Hershey Park and have noticed the folks cleaning up trash are easily 70+ years old... That gives me pause. Perhaps they squandered away every dollar they earned but conversely perhaps they just got priced out of life and quite literally have to pick up trash in their 70/80's just to eat that night.

Certainly a complicated problem but... I'd argue that it's also a very real societal problem too. Present company excluded- but I often see folks that are already home owners take the stance that the others just "need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps" so they can be like them & live their best life. But... It doesn't seem to work that way does it? At least not today.

-LD

Not sure how relative it actually is but I bought my first house on Long Island in 1980 50k 4 bedroom 2 bath 1/4 acre corner lot. I was 20 making $9 HR. IIRC I put 9k down parents gave me 4K and financed 40 ish. My priority in life at that time was to buy a home based on how I was raised, not tweet, FB, Youtube etc. My goal along with most of my friends was to move out of the parents home, buy your own home and be independent.
Three of the five guys that hung out together did this. The two that waited paid double about a year later.
I also drove a $1000 dollar car, did not eat out ever, never did growing up either, Mom cooked everyday.

 

[Ric O'shay]

Nah Duck.....Lots of 20's and 30's kids and couples are buying homes. It is all a cycle and local. Many young couples have two decent incomes and as usual lenders wanna lend.
When the rates drop next year after the current Fed. Chair gets unemployed things are going to go wide open. Sales and Refi's

 

[sloporsche]

Not sure how relative it actually is but I bought my first house on Long Island in 1980 50k 4 bedroom 2 bath 1/4 acre corner lot. I was 20 making $9 HR. IIRC I put 9k down parents gave me 4K and financed 40 ish. My priority in life at that time was to buy a home based on how I was raised, not tweet, FB, Youtube etc. My goal along with most of my friends was to move out of the parents home, buy your own home and be independent.
Three of the five guys that hung out together did this. The two that waited paid double about a year later.
I also drove a $1000 dollar car, did not eat out ever, never did growing up either, Mom cooked everyday.

yep. our first was 10k semi in trenton nj and needed a lot of work, 119.00 mortgage payment but we slowly made it a home . paid it off early now in our 2 year old house ,new car [and new wife lol] all paid for in florida ....is this a great fuckin country or what

 

[tightInThePants]

So, you’re saying your status wasn’t an accident. Imagine that….

It sort of is though and I think a bunch of us that have made the "right" choices don't really realize it. You know how the Government and society in general tells everyone to constantly consume, because we're a consumption driven economy? So... if everyone did what we did and saved a bunch, what exactly would our economy look like? I seriously doubt it looks anything like it does today. Uh, hello...

How are the earning reports looking if we're all saving our pennies and not buying stupid bullshit? Are they beating expectations?

 

[Skunk]

It sort of is though and I think a bunch of us that have made the "right" choices don't really realize it. You know how the Government and society in general tells everyone to constantly consume, because we're a consumption driven economy? So... if everyone did what we did and saved a bunch, what exactly would our economy look like? I seriously doubt it looks anything like it does today. Uh, hello...

How are the earning reports looking if we're all saving our pennies and not buying stupid bullshit? Are they beating expectations?

Maybe being a non-conformist is accidental for some. For others it isn’t.

It’s nice to imagine how the world would look filled with fiscally conservative and financially responsible folks.

Earnings reports mean shit.

 

[sloporsche]

Maybe being a non-conformist is accidental for some. For others it isn’t.

It’s nice to imagine how the world would look filled with fiscally conservative and financially responsible folks.

Earnings reports mean shit.

i made a few dollars from unconservative and un-responsible folks lol

 

[tightInThePants]

Maybe being a non-conformist is accidental for some. For others it isn’t.

It’s nice to imagine how the world would look filled with fiscally conservative and financially responsible folks.

Earnings reports mean shit.

They certainly don't mean as much as they used to as we move further and further into clown world where valuations are on their face laughable and the CEO will tell you the stock is way overvalued. Should work out well with the decreasing population as older folks move to sell assets. Prices will stay propped up.

 

[Defiantly_Not_Bender]

It’s just a crappy Reddit snippet, but the reality’s very, very real.

Many “neighborhoods” are now owned by corporations.

Recently joined a friend helping his grandchildren looking at houses. This pretty - looking, two - story 3,000 + 3,000 sq. ft. unit made of cheap prefab with nary a single brick in it cost close to half a million AND had a monthly homeowner’s fee of $800. That last amount is like rent for some!

I can imagine how staying in Ma’s basement till the very last moment seems like a sane choice.

The whole “mom’s basement” insult is proof of the propaganda boomers have lapped up like dogs.

Until after WWII it was normal for multi generational families to grow up together on the farm or estate. It’s how actual wealth was created. Bankers pushed for larger tax base and money growth so they could live like the leaches they are. They more than tripled the debt load because of the tradition of large families back then.

Generational living will be the only way out of this cycle. I hope you greedy boomers enjoy the rest home they put you all in.

 

[Edsel]

The whole “mom’s basement” insult is proof of the propaganda boomers have lapped up like dogs.

You’re right, there’s nothing wrong with that.

It’s largely American culture, “to be out of the house by 18.”

Asian and Latin American cultures do not have similar impositions on children.

 

[sloporsche]

The whole “mom’s basement” insult is proof of the propaganda boomers have lapped up like dogs.

Until after WWII it was normal for multi generational families to grow up together on the farm or estate. It’s how actual wealth was created. Bankers pushed for larger tax base and money growth so they could live like the leaches they are. They more than tripled the debt load because of the tradition of large families back then.

Generational living will be the only way out of this cycle. I hope you greedy boomers enjoy the rest home they put you all in.

Well us greedy boomers will be able to afford the better rest homes

 

[NoDopes]

Unaffordability includes recent insurance company profits.
My home ins was $1500/yr about 8 yrs ago.
Now, it's $8K/yr and they claim my home, appraised by the county at $750, would cost $1.2M to rebuild? Driving up premiums and deductables to insane levels. They said rebuilding is way more expensive and may include disposals for total loss.
AI says climate change is driving losses from storms way up and insurance Co need to recoup losses. Again, calling BS.

 

[hankpac]

It’s easy to speak like that when one has had the luck of a good job, savings, investments, or whatnot.

It is easy to say…

Improvise, adapt, and overcome
Suck it uo, buttercup
Just tighten your belt
Get a job like everybody else
Stop whining

…when one is blessed with good fortune.

Many find it too difficult to relate with or even try to understand the idea that all this fortune can be easily taken away in an instant, through various circumstances.

I’m in a good situation. Not a single thing in my life is as a result of “luck” or “good fortune.” I was jumping out of airplanes at 17, after an early graduation, and used my GI Bill to get educated.
I busted my ass, I planned and laid out a course with a destination in mind (honest work, doing good and an early retirement, comfortable easy living). I hunt when I want, live where I want go to or have whatever I want. Nice home, good woman, plenty of ducats and lots of hedge between me and the frightful world. Not a single thing was luck. Most men who are men are able to achieve that. Race, position in life at the start, education, physical handicaps, none of that really gets in the way when one is determined and thoughtful. Those are excuses.

 

[oneshot86]

I find your enthusiasm to crap over whatever thread I start to be beyond troublesome.

Stop it Nancy

 

[TheBigCountry]

I find your enthusiasm to crap over whatever thread I start to be beyond troublesome.

And?

 

[GreenGO Juan]

It doesn't seem to work that way does it? At least not today.

-LD

It still works.

 

[waveslayer]

I am, by no means, rich, but I worked for everything I have. Bought a house at the right time, it's up about a million from when I bought it. Kids now said don't want to work, I can't tell you how much I hate some of my younger employees. I love when they tell me they do real-estate and socially media on the side... yet they are working for me making 20 bucks an hour...
@LuckyDuck you can blame politicians! Here in CA making fast food workers starting wages at $20 an hour. Great so I get to spend 35% more for line staff. Then those same idiots who vote for these idiots democrats wonder why their rent keeps going up! Ha ha I had one ask for a 6 dollar an hour wage increase, thats 10K plus more a year and yet she had the most OT and DT in my dietary department.
I work in Healthcare so you suckered keep paying your Medicare, and dont wonder why Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing costs so much. You allowed your loser kids and grandkids to be li real idiots, its now costing you!

 

[doubloon]

Costs continue to rise yet wages remain stagnant

It's a bullshit topic built on bullshit generalized feels not data ... a victim magnet thread for bitching and moaning.

"stagnant"

https://www.epi.org/nominal-wage-tracker/

Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private

Graph and download economic data for Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private (CES0500000003) from Mar 2006 to Jul 2025 about earnings, average, hours, establishment survey, wages, private, employment, and USA.

fred.stlouisfed.org

 

[sloporsche]

I’m in a good situation. Not a single thing in my life is as a result of “luck” or “good fortune.” I was jumping out of airplanes at 17, after an early graduation, and used my GI Bill to get educated.
I busted my ass, I planned and laid out a course with a destination in mind (honest work, doing good and an early retirement, comfortable easy living). I hunt when I want, live where I want go to or have whatever I want. Nice home, good woman, plenty of ducats and lots of hedge between me and the frightful world. Not a single thing was luck. Most men who are men are able to achieve that. Race, position in life at the start, education, physical handicaps, none of that really gets in the way when one is determined and thoughtful. Those are excuses.

There are many things in the path of life that could have derailed your fortune that you have no control over the luck /chance.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Entirely within their means, I suppose you could say they’re all set up.

They’re moving out of their smaller home into a bigger one,

I suppose I should have phrased it differently and made it clearer that that post was only slightly related to the earlier posts, and in the context of cookie - cutter, corporation - built homes that keep leeching you through homeowner’s fees for your duration of ownership. Unlike days of old wherein purchases were a single transaction, you still keep paying the corporation miscellaneous fees for the rest of your ownership.

Sounds like a case where someone didn't read the fine print.

Or any of it...

 

[Defiantly_Not_Bender]

Well us greedy boomers will be able to afford the better rest homes

Good.

 

[Defiantly_Not_Bender]

Unaffordability includes recent insurance company profits.
My home ins was $1500/yr about 8 yrs ago.
Now, it's $8K/yr and they claim my home, appraised by the county at $750, would cost $1.2M to rebuild? Driving up premiums and deductables to insane levels. They said rebuilding is way more expensive and may include disposals for total loss.
AI says climate change is driving losses from storms way up and insurance Co need to recoup losses. Again, calling BS.

All of it is a lie.

Everything.

It’s $2k a month for a three bedroom apartment here in Wyoming.

I am building a new house on some acreage for my children. It will be generational. It is the only way.

 

[TSULLI]

With the advances in AI and every single other aspect of society spiraling down the toilet, I expect Skynet to hurry its digital ass up and destroy us sooner rather than later...

 

[widefat77]

I wish I were informed enough to study every possible path of divergence - technical, fiscal, societal, health, genetic, etc - but things have become so complex it is impossible. I honestly wouldn't know where to begin. Possibly tech and AI?
The AI singularity? Food insecurity from overpopulation? Aquafer collapse? BioTech Integration? War? Fauci?

At this point I just try to help my kids/grandkids make the best decisions under whatever circumstances exist.