Scraping by on six figures? Tech workers feel poor in Silicon Valley's wealth bubble

[hrugner]

This article seems like rabble rousing, trying to agitate people against silicon valley by abusing the unfamiliarity with silicon valley's housing prices and instability of the largely contract based engineering work.

[Bryntrollian]

Damn if he were here he could be paying a mortgage on a 5 bedroom for 1/3 of that

[Kellhound]

Why anyone would want to live in the Bay Area is beyond me. It has few (if any) redeeming qualities.

[Rasulis]

This article seems like rabble rousing, trying to agitate people against silicon valley by abusing the unfamiliarity with silicon valley's housing prices and instability of the largely contract based engineering work.

There was definitely some exaggeration in the article. A single guy making 700k should be able to easily qualify for a 2% down 3 million loan. Even in SF proper and San Jose you could easily find nice properties within that price range. If I was in his position, I would buy a rundown properties in Pacific Height which still could be obtained for under 1 million, and renovate it to my taste.

[Enthusiastic Steward]

Why anyone would want to live in the Bay Area is beyond me. It has few (if any) redeeming qualities.

The food is fantastic.

.....

Yup, that's about it.

[Rasulis]

Why anyone would want to live in the Bay Area is beyond me. It has few (if any) redeeming qualities.

Depends on the neighborhood. There are places in the Bay Area I would kill for. My sister's place in Pacific Height is one of such. Then there is the Strawberry Canyon neighborhood in Berkeley.

[Kellhound]

The food is fantastic.

.....

Yup, that's about it.

Its ok, but no better than any place else.

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Depends on the neighborhood. There are places in the Bay Area I would kill for. My sister's place in Pacific Height is one of such. Then there is the Strawberry Canyon neighborhood in Berkeley.

I have found no place there worth living in`there, all things considered.

[Theodarzna]

Why anyone would want to live in the Bay Area is beyond me. It has few (if any) redeeming qualities.

The weather and some pretty good jobs are the main reason. Granted anywhere on the coast gives you the weather, but the coast in general is very expensive. California inland is actually miserable when it comes to weather, particularly the blistering summers.

[Spectral]

Seems like an expensive hobby.

Well sure, but someone's gotta make sure university endowments don't fall under 10 figures

[Torrasque]

That is actually why I live in the area that I do instead of living in the highest density of techies. By restricting my income by nearly half of it's potential by not living in those areas, I can easily live comfortable in a significantly lower zone of cost-of-living making it so that I have much disposable income that isn't wasted on a much higher cost-of-living area.

[Enthusiastic Steward]

Its ok, but no better than any place else.

Well, its the one thing I miss, although my comparison is skewed. Its more the variety for me, moving from the Bay back to the Midwest. I live in one of the furthest out suburbs of the Twin Cities, and the restaurants by us are pretty good to excellent but by and large the same type of fare, and any non 'traditional American' food is veeerrryyyy hit or miss with what's close by. If we want really good say Thai food, its a 40 min drive at least, and a bit more of an ordeal now with two small children. This is compared to being spoiled in the Bay with really good food of any type you can think of all within 10 minutes driving.

The weather

I missed my seasons when I lived out there.

[Kellhound]

The weather and some pretty good jobs are the main reason. Granted anywhere on the coast gives you the weather, but the coast in general is very expensive. California inland is actually miserable when it comes to weather, particularly the blistering summers.

The weather there is nothing special.

[cubby]

The impact crater of Silicon Valley casts fallout everywhere. In general California rents are outrageous. With the bay area pox basically radiating out, especially to areas within decreasing levels of reasonable commuter distance. So Sacramento gets hit because its reasonable to commute or telecommute ect. Then everywhere up and down the 99 gets hit. Heck even the little towns out in the Sierra Nevada mountains have increasingly high rents as people are pushed further and further by the insane rent costs for anything from that Santa Rosa/Sevastopol area all the way down to Santa Cruz/Monterrey Bay ect. And that is just NorCal. SoCal has the Demonbeast of LA and also a blisteringly shit climate if you live inland and thus have both rising rent costs but also the higher electric and utility costs to keep your place livable.

Wow - I didn't realize it had already crested out to areas like Sacramento - that is beyond ridiculous for any kind of reasonable commute. I wonder if there is a bubble coming or if SF Bay Area is the new NYC.

[Rasulis]

The weather there is nothing special.

As opposed to what? Blazing hot Texas' summers? Hot and humid Florida?

[cubby]

Perhaps his wife should get a job?

That would increase their expenses dramatically - as they would now have to find childcare for their two youngest. In the Bay Area that can run easily $3k/mo/child ($72k/yr post-tax income). Unrealistic unless she is also in a position to bring in six figures.

[Z-Man]

Why anyone would want to live in the Bay Area is beyond me. It has few (if any) redeeming qualities.

$160K starting salaries.

[Enthusiastic Steward]

As opposed to what? Blazing hot Texas' summers? Hot and humid Florida?

Well if those are your only two other options out of the entire nation then sure, yeah, its nice.

[Rasulis]

That would increase their expenses dramatically - as they would now have to find childcare for their two youngest. In the Bay Area that can run easily $3k/mo/child ($72k/yr post-tax income). Unrealistic unless she is also in a position to bring in six figures.

That’s what grandparents are for. When my sister gave birth to his first child, her mother-in-law moved in to take care of the boy. It was the first male child of a male child of the family, and for a Vietnamese family that was pretty special. Finally somebody to carry the family name.

Joking.

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Well if those are your only two other options out of the entire nation then sure, yeah, its nice.

I am always open to suggestion. We have to retire sometimes.

[Elba]

I make a bit over 40k a year and live like a king. With 160k I could live like a god.

How entitled can you be?

[Kellhound]

As opposed to what? Blazing hot Texas' summers? Hot and humid Florida?

Most anywhere in the West.