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Message
re: Today’s cost of living
Posted on 9/23/26 at 3:58 pm to AUVet21
Posted on 9/23/26 at 3:58 pm to AUVet21
Yesterday I read that there are 50 million people here on visas. That's 1 out of six of the entire population of this country are foreign born. And those are just the ones here on valid visas.
On top of that are people here illegally and those who have overstayed their visas. The "official" number of illegals is between 10 and 14 million, though I suspect that number is much higher.
Now imagine how housing would be impacted if we removed 70 million people from the market. We're already starting to see this in places like Austin.
Of course doing this would have a negative impact on other areas. But this problem is partially caused by importing millions upon millions of new consumers (many of whom - especially illegals - get favorable FHA backed loans as well as EBT and cash assistance while the average American is struggling. And the good news is your taxes pay for it all)
On top of that are people here illegally and those who have overstayed their visas. The "official" number of illegals is between 10 and 14 million, though I suspect that number is much higher.
Now imagine how housing would be impacted if we removed 70 million people from the market. We're already starting to see this in places like Austin.
Of course doing this would have a negative impact on other areas. But this problem is partially caused by importing millions upon millions of new consumers (many of whom - especially illegals - get favorable FHA backed loans as well as EBT and cash assistance while the average American is struggling. And the good news is your taxes pay for it all)
Posted on 9/23/26 at 4:00 pm to BabyTac
quote:No $4 gas or overpriced food?
People need to say no and stop buying shite
Posted on 9/23/26 at 4:02 pm to AUVet21
quote:
struggle to buy the exact same house we have right now
But it’s not the exact same house. Different location.
Location, Location, Location is the real estate mantra.
Hope you are investing heavily in the stock market.
You need to stop worrying about what other people are doing.
Posted on 9/23/26 at 4:04 pm to tigergirl10
There’s a young couple living two houses down from me bitching about this very thing. They Uber Eats or door dash literally every night. Zero sympathy.
Posted on 9/23/26 at 4:09 pm to AUVet21
Another issue that doesn't get mentioned enough with regards to young people is that most of them are trying to live alone. My generation all got married out of HS or college and had 2 incomes to help ease into adulthood. Many of the issues of today would have also been issues 40 years ago if we had all tried living our entire lives alone, as the current generation seems intent to do. Life's a lot harder when one person has to pay for everything on their own, no matter what year youre talking about.
Posted on 9/23/26 at 4:44 pm to Tigersforthee
To answer some of the questions posed: we aren’t trying to live in Hoover or mountain brook or vestavia hills. We are talking suburbs in shelby county that historically have been “affordable”. Pelham alabaster Helena Chelsea. Those 4 areas. And I’m not trying to move into a million dollar mansion either. Our current house was 360k when we bought it and we had to go over asking price to get it in the Covid craze because so many people were buying with cash. My mortgage when we moved in was 1600. My mortgage now with taxes going up is over 1800. If I bought the exact same house today my mortgage would be 2200 only because we have 100k in equity and savings to put towards it. If you take out the equity that we have it would be 2700. That’s my issue
Posted on 9/23/26 at 5:02 pm to dgnx6
quote:
How many of them are getting that foot in the door working a lower job instead of sitting at home? Why do we need immigrants if we have this generation of people without jobs?
Are you under the impression that everyone in that age range is unemployed? What a stupid fricking argument
Posted on 9/23/26 at 5:02 pm to AUVet21
I'm in the Birmingham suburbs like you are, and wonder every day how the average American, or even the average middle/upper middle class family, is doing it. We've been fortune from an income standpoint, lucked out with a house we bought in 2018 and refinanced to sub-3%, but it's still super tight.
Of course, I look around my zip code and everyone seems to be driving brand new vehicles, going on tons of vacations, constantly doing major renovations, etc. so maybe we're just doing it wrong.
Of course, I look around my zip code and everyone seems to be driving brand new vehicles, going on tons of vacations, constantly doing major renovations, etc. so maybe we're just doing it wrong.
Posted on 9/23/26 at 5:04 pm to LemmyLives
quote:
Our government spent $7 Trillion dollars last year. That might have something to do with it.
That has EVERYTHING to do with it. Until we stop being blindly loyal to public officials simply because of their political party, nothing will change.
Posted on 9/23/26 at 5:09 pm to TideCPA
My wife is wanting us to plan a trip to Disney next year for the kids before they get too old and while we can afford it because we have made good decisions it is incredibly expensive as most everyone knows. But yet I see multiple friends going that I know 100% make half of what we make and I truly don’t understand it. My wife and I got in an argument the other day about it because I pretty much told her that her friends are either making money illegally on the side of what they are doing for their career, their parents are paying for everything or they are going into massive debt to go. And she didn’t want to hear it but it’s the truth. There is no way someone on a blue collar salary nowadays can do that
Posted on 9/23/26 at 5:10 pm to AUVet21
I feel for young people just starting out in the working world.
Posted on 9/23/26 at 5:11 pm to BeerMoney
quote:
My teenagers friends have parents with regular jobs. Seems like most of them just don’t do the things that my wife and I include into the basics and they have a ton of debt. I don’t want to, but I promise you we could cut a ton out if we really had to if something changed in our income.
Pics?
Posted on 9/23/26 at 5:19 pm to AUVet21
quote:Yeah I see this every day and talk about it with folks at work. I think there is a huge chunk of upper middle class folks with kids who have substantial trust fund money. That's the only thing that makes sense.
My wife is wanting us to plan a trip to Disney next year for the kids before they get too old and while we can afford it because we have made good decisions it is incredibly expensive as most everyone knows. But yet I see multiple friends going that I know 100% make half of what we make and I truly don’t understand it. My wife and I got in an argument the other day about it because I pretty much told her that her friends are either making money illegally on the side of what they are doing for their career, their parents are paying for everything or they are going into massive debt to go. And she didn’t want to hear it but it’s the truth. There is no way someone on a blue collar salary nowadays can do that
Example: one of our neighbors, family of 5: husband is a project manager at a concrete company, wife doesn't work, 3 middle/high school kids. They're out of town probably 25% of the year on vacation (to nice places), all 3 kids in private school, brand new vehicles (including 2 driving-age kids), constant home renovations, bought at the upper end of the home price curve, etc.
Their folks are pretty well off from what I gather, so that has to be it. There's no debt route that would even allow for that.
Posted on 9/23/26 at 5:20 pm to AUVet21
Plenty of occupations shared by members of tOT are responsible for today’s cost of living that they complain about.
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