[Brian HCM#1]

And here I thought it was from all of the Karpiels and Hopes you were selling.

I just need to sell a few more, then I can coast

 

[kickstand]

Brian, are you still mad about the pumps not dispensing more than $75 of fuel at a time?

That drives me up a wall.....but just so you are aware it is the credit card companies that don't allow the pump to dispense more then $75, not the pumps

 

[stoney]

Come on Mark, you know how life is in the Bay Area. I made some investments back in the dot-com boom that paid off (before I was married), as well as cashing in big when we sold our last house in 2006. I live a modest lifestyle, don't drive new fancy cars. For a matter of fact, we're still driving the same 02 Denali & my 01 Silverado 4x4. I own my Tahoe place with my sister-in-law. It's a vacation-rental property that is always in the negative, we bought it when we had a next to nothing mortgage. Blah blah blah I can go on. Anyways, I was just commenting on how difficult it is to refi these days even with good established credit.

You are in the few though, which you have to admit (and it sounds like you do). I have 1-2 other friends in your age range that got lucky and walked away from the dotcom boom at the top with a few million in the bank who then bought houses in SF-area and sold in 2006/07. They are the VERY few, and all acknowledge that they are as lucky as can be. Very, very few can claim cashing out at the top, buying housing low cashing out at the top, and then selling high and buying low in 2007/2009.

I think the thing that bothers people is that you live the lifestyle on a seemingly impossible income. I was being sarcastic, but you do see my point, no?

Plus we've all discussed this before... This area is unbelieveably over priced. There is very little room for true middle class in the area, and even then middle class is in the $225-$400k range. Anywhere else in the country that is wealthy.

Hell, Wifey and I probably make equal to (or more than) you yet we cannot afford to buy a house within 35 miles of the city. We will have to leave the state before we can afford to buy a house (at max 2.5x total income) and not have to work 60+ hours/week and still be able to save 30% pre-tax income. Anywhere else in this country we can live off my (CoL adjusted) income, take max savings, AND buy a house while wifey works as a stay at home.

This area is stupid expensive I think what really gets under people's skin is that they know it and you live a really nice lifestyle. Then again, how many people know that you live in f*in Egypt? You are far enough out that the CoL for housing is probably 30-40% less (as % of income) than those close to the City. I could afford a house out in your hood, but I don't want to drive an hour to get to work, at 3am.

**edit: MMike - As for the Tahoe house, most people in the Bay Area who are regular skiiers have a timeshare for their Tahoe houses. The cost of room rental at any of the lodges is so expensive that if you go 10x/season, you can easily pay for a year on a house. I know of probably 10 houses that were split purchases between friends. In a lot of those, everyone's shares keep getting biggers as individuals get bought out to access needed the cash or moved away. I only know a few who own outright (mostly very high income - parents) and most of those were over time take-overs of share or total remodels after heavy winter damage.

 

[MMike]

WHITE PEOPLE PROBLEM WHITE PEOPLE PROBLEMS

I think the thing that bothers people is that you live the lifestyle on a seemingly impossible income.

I think it;s more that he's made some smart and/or lucky moves...which is great! More power to you an all that. Well done But don't freaking whine about how tight money is...or lament how you wish you could afford a third home.

Don't claim a "modest lifestyle"...regardless of how many ways you split up the second home AT TAHOE.....it;s still more that a lot of people. So to complain that things are tough all over when you are doing pretty damned ok by most people's standard....is just being a douche.

**edit: MMike - As for the Tahoe house, most people in the Bay Area who are regular skiiers have a timeshare for their Tahoe houses. The cost of room rental at any of the lodges is so expensive that if you go 10x/season, you can easily pay for a year on a house. I know of probably 10 houses that were split purchases between friends. In a lot of those, everyone's shares keep getting biggers as individuals get bought out to access needed the cash or moved away. I only know a few who own outright (mostly very high income - parents) and most of those were over time take-overs of share or total remodels after heavy winter damage.

I get that people who ski regularly like to have that convenience.....yeah.I'm sure they do. Who wouldn't? And that also implies a season's pass etc etc......skiing regularly isn't really "modest lifestyle" anymore either.....especially at Tahoe.

All that to say, when one has it good, they should have enough class to recognize it, and not complain about how much better they wish thing could be. Because as I said....that is the epitome of douchebaggery.

 

[stoney]

I think it;s more that he's made some smart and/or lucky moves...which is great! More power to you an all that. Well done But don't freaking whine about how tight money is...or lament how you wish you could afford a third home.

Don't claim a "modest lifestyle"...regardless of how many ways you split up the second home AT TAHOE.....it;s still more that a lot of people. So to complain that things are tough all over when you are doing pretty damned ok by most people's standard....is just being a douche.




I get that people who ski regularly like to have that convenience.....yeah.I'm sure they do. Who wouldn't? And that also implies a season's pass etc etc......skiing regularly isn't really "modest lifestyle" anymore either.....especially at Tahoe.

All that to say, when one has it good, they should have enough class to recognize it, and not complain about how much better they wish thing could be. Because as I said....that is the epitome of douchebaggery.

An off-season pass purchase for Squaw is $500 (no major wknd access). It goes down from that point at the other resorts. As for modest, it really depends on what is important to you. I know people who live what they feel is a very modest existence while participating in all of the activities they love, but have barely any savings. Inversely, I know people who are saving very large portions of their income and feel that they are still living lavishly because they have two cars and go out to dinner regularly.