[staplers]

I find myself waiting and hoping for a complete and utter financial crash just for the opportunity to be able to afford a home. My income is several times above the poverty line.

It makes me feel sad and guilty but that is the reality. Inflation is real when you look for it.

[RestlessMind]

Then you better buy a home sooner. Because as soon as there is a financial crash, central banks are going to flood the economy with new money to prop up stocks/bonds/homes prices. The template was originally tried after 2008 crash (ZIRP, multiple QEs etc) all over the world and is put to test again during the COVID shutdowns. Since the sky didn't fall the first time and not falling the second time, that is going to be a go-to tool for policymakers.

[staplers]

So you believe that hyperinflation is coming?

[RestlessMind]

In things which are supply constrained? Yes. Think bay area houses or gold or bitcoin.

In things where supply is near-infinite? No. Think digital entertainment, cheap calories or cheap clothes.

[nine_k]

You mean, current real estate prices in places like SV is not a hyperinflation yet?

[mrep]

Have you considered looking for a job outside of the west coast because inflation adjusted price per square foot hasn't actually changed for a lot of the US [0]. It's mainly just the west coast where home prices have ballooned (in the US at least).

[0]: 0]: https://www.supermoney.com/inflation-adjusted-home-prices/

[natch]

Looking for just one job is not enough. To feel secure leaving silicon valley, you need a wide choice of jobs and employers in the area where you go to, in case the first job doesn’t last. From here every other place looks to have more limited options.

[LargeWu]

Well, it's clearly a tradeoff. By staying in the Valley, you are prioritizing having options at many startups at the expense of home ownership.

I live in Minneapolis. Not as wide ranging options here, but many of them are at fortune 500 companies (relatively stable), and homes are affordable. I'm sure you can find examples in many other similar cities.

The Valley may have the most opportunities of anywhere, but to say that there's just no work anywhere else is a bit ridiculous.

[mrep]

The bay area might have the most programmers, but there are still tons of programmer jobs outside of it. 80% of programmers don't live in california [0]. Almost every fortune 500 company has some software developers so there are jobs in every decent size metropolitan area. A lot of the big companies also have satellite offices you can work at. I just moved from Seattle to Chicago and it only cost me 4% of my salary and I've already had 5 recruiters ping me on linkedin since I moved here a few weeks ago.

[0]: https://dqydj.com/number-of-developers-in-america-and-per-st...

[staplers]

That article doesn't account for lot size, which generally provides more value. It can be argued that a house surrounded on 3 sides by other houses with no outside area is less valuable.

[bluGill]

It can be argued, but it isn't correct. I know of houses where the next house in any direction is several miles. They sell for cheap after being on the market for a long time.

People do like space, but the like cities as well. Suburbs are an attempt to compromise.

[mjevans]

I suspect others are seeking the same type of freedom that I am, or maybe it's direct inverse.

I want freedom from the impact of other people; no more noise through the walls, smoke in the halls, or the unwanted scents from cleaning and cooking when the windows are opened for ventilation. Even renting a house I can't escape this and now there isn't one 'grounds-keeping day', it's every freaking weekend day that someone near me decides to mow their lawn.

Conversely people might like living far apart so they've got the freedom to make a mess, do things an HoA would hate (I argue HoA's exist due to lack of proper, and local, laws and enforcement). For that matter, HoAs are also something that others force as an anti-freedom.

I think what I would really like is a bunker, someplace with nice thick insulation and isolation and very good air filters. However I'd still like to be able to easily visit stores for food, so probably some kind of suburban bunker.

[ido]

It sounds like what you'd like is living in a small town or village in the German speaking countries.

Keep in mind they may find something you do to complain about!

[staplers]

You didn't provide evidence. Larger lot size absolutely does provide more value.

[cure]

> It's mainly just the west coast where home prices have ballooned (in the US at least).

And the Northeast, which is apparently more expensive per sq foot than the West, according to your source.

[derg]

Yes, this is true. I guess I wasn't very careful with my wording as I was talking in the classical sense of "there's too much money now so your dollar is now worth 20 cents across the board" inflation and not necessarily failed political policy, which housing is absolutely apart of.