re: How will young people ever get ahead?

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and new vehicles easily averaging over $50,000,

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This just isn't anything that should affect you getting ahead. Even if thus is true, you don't have to buy the 50k vehicle. I'm nearing 40, have a household income in the 90+ percentile and have yet to buy a vehicle that expensive. And we don't drive beaters. Every person making 70k a year thinks that you need a Tahoe or an F150 loaded out with features. It's people's own stupidity that keeps them from getting ahead.

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Nobody is building starter homes anymore because land is too expensive.

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No. Desirable land is expensive.

There is still land. It just may not be in the area all of your friends are in.

Also, gentrification needs to happen more. There are tons of nice old houses but again no one wants to fix them up.

Here in Lake Charles, there are parts of an old neighborhood called Oak Park that have some huge nice older houses. If you get too far near 12th St in Oak Park it is ghetto but the parts by Prien Lake Rd are still OK crime-wise and has so many huge nice houses for great deals. Instead, the younger people are opting for new houses they can barely afford with small lots in Mroganfield or something.

Can't they just wave their little Harry Potter wands and say "expexcto plutonion" or whatever?

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A serious issue I see is that younger people buying houses is they all want a newer house right from the start. Not a lot of them are willing to buy a fixer-upper and put in some sweat equity

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The old classic $100K starter home doesn't really exist anymore. The only places homes like that still exist are in places where you have to dodge gunfire walking to the mailbox.

I've got 3 kids 20 - 26 and they are all homeowners, have $ in the bank, paid for vehicles and are doing much better than I was at that age.

They'll get ahead by not being pussies. I have 4 kids, plus a niece and nephew, all in their 30s and all getting ahead nicely.

Oh, and none of them are pussies.

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The same way everyone did…by working their way up. My first job out of college was $30k back in 1996. A kid bagging groceries at Publix makes $15/hr now. Do the math. Don’t buy a new car. Buy used and reliable. Rent and live with roommates. You don’t need a house starting out. The issue is kids think they should live and have what their parents do right out of the gate. It doesn’t work that way. I’m not saying it’s easy…but it’s never been easy.

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Okay Boomer

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There are tons of nice old houses but again no one wants to fix them up.

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I was in my mid 30s when we bought this house which was built in 1975. It had been partially updated by the previous owner so it wasn't a complete remodel.

We've just slowly done things that we wanted to it over 10 years. We'll probably sell it in a few and downsize once the kids are all gone.

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The same way everyone did…by working their way up.

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The price of goods, and most importantly the price of houses (#1 wealth builder then made America what it is) has never been worse in terms of relation to average income

So no, it’s not “like everyone else”. They are fricked far more than everyone else

Too many young people are concerned with keeping up with the joneses on social media. That’s going to be a massive downfall for most of them.

I see kids at work driving BMWs and paying 2 grand a month for rent in the warehouse district. These are kids who work in entry level positions making 50k a year.

There’s nothing wrong with that lifestyle, but if layoffs come around they’ll have no money saved and will never be able to buy a home.