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Highway Robbery


Dottleshead

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But, just as a sort of comparison, budget tools say 30% is probably the max you would want to pay for housing.  So, that means your household income should be $180k.  VERY DOABLE in San Francisco.  Likewise, where housing would be high - like many major cities - it will also likely be an outsized percentage of one's income.  Likely zero car cost - or one car per family.  Also, goods - TVs, clothes, mattresses, new car or bike, whatever - are all bought at almost the identical price as Mobile Alabama, so, as a percentage of income, it is way less.

IOW, if you want to live in San Fran, get a job with a San Fran salary.  It royally sucks to be poor anywhere in the US, but to be middle-class, you have to assume that folks can and will afford life there.  Or trade a commute for lower costs. Or trade a lower salary for a cheaper city. Or a host of other options.

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7 hours ago, Dottles said:

Enjoy your living expenses in the City while you rent.  @Dirtyhip and hubby were smart to leave.  Check out the bottom for the monthly payment.

https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/slideshow/2-bedroom-with-air-conditioning-Guess-the-rent-209215.php

Sometimes, I wonder... "What if?"

He was set to make a lot of money, if we had stayed.  His boss promised some big dollars if we stayed. 

Our road here has been rocky with jobs and job losses.  Income has been lower for sure.  One thing I know, we would have a paid off house in the Bay Area if we had stayed.  That little house is like 1.6 mil right now. 

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Apartments are expensive in my area.  It costs about $450/month plus utilities for my house in a nice neighborhood and $700/month to rent an efficiency apartment in a not-so-good neighborhood 1/2 mile from my house.  The luxury apartment State Farm's paying for while my house is being rebuilt normally costs $1900 month unfurnished plus gas and electric and phone/Internet/cable TV.

Some have asked me if I'm going to move back into my house when it's rebuilt or if I'm going to stay in my luxury apartment.

I tell them the apartment, which I'm very happy to stay in and delay my house's rebuild as long as State Farm is happy to pay $1900/month rent and furnishing it, costs three times the maintenance and utilities cost of my 30'x30' mini-Cape Cod house. In the long rum, the extras of having a private house and yard and the extra vacations, etc. I could afford not spent on renting is much more to my liking.

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