Silicon Valley's Van-Dwellers

[Independent voter]

People are living in RVs parked on city streets because rents and home prices have risen so high.

Mountain View, California, is home to Google and Silicon Valley's tech boom. Rents and home prices have soared, and hundreds of people have been forced to live in recreational vehicles parked on the city's streets. This week on Decrypted, we explore how the rising cost of living is fueling tension between homeowners and vehicle residents, resulting in a parking ban on RVs.



https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...s-van-dwellers

(podcast)

Rent can be as high as $3k a month for a one bedroom apartment. Normal working people can't afford housing.

Locals fight with people parking "recreational vehicles" next to their property. People live in these RVs, sometimes they do rude things, playing music too loud, lounging on people's lawns.

If you could make 3 times your salary, would you live in an RV in Silicon Valley?

[Unholyground]

Rent can be as high as $3k a month for a one bedroom apartment. Normal working people can't afford housing.

Locals fight with people parking "recreational vehicles" next to their property. People live in these RVs, sometimes they do rude things, playing music too loud, lounging on people's lawns.

If you could make 3 times your salary, would you live in an RV in Silicon Valley?

No, since I have been a homeowner for almost 10 years and I am 33, my house is bigger than any of their RV's and the cost of living here is low along with the population.

[ghotihook]

And this is why I refuse to live on either coast. Midwest is for me. My friend lives in San Francisco and was telling me about the great deal where she found a 1 bedroom apt for ONLY $2300/mo. My 15yr mortgage is $1275/mo for 2500sq feet.

[crusadernero]

And this is why I refuse to live on either coast. Midwest is for me. My friend lives in San Francisco and was telling me about the great deal where she found a 1 bedroom apt for ONLY $2300/mo. My 15yr mortgage is $1275/mo for 2500sq feet.

2300 A MONTH? wow thats insane!

[ghotihook]

2300 A MONTH? wow thats insane!

Yea...she is planning to move across the bay to Oakland for a much cheaper $1600/mo apt. I still think that's ridiculous.

Other kind of related story. My brother just moved into a 4200 sq foot house on a lake close to downtown Minneapolis and his rent is just over 3000/mo. It just puts things into perspective.

[smityx]

As long as they park it down by the river it's cool

[StayTuned]

Make 100k plus per year after taxes as a junior trash developer.
Complain that your rent is high.

Pick either but not both.
I would never live there, even if I made three times my current salary. What's the point of it anyway? Its just money....

[Cracked]

Make 100k plus per year after taxes as a junior trash developer.
Complain that your rent is high.

Pick either but not both.
I would never live there, even if I made three times my current salary. What's the point of it anyway? Its just money....

The developers are just fine, this is more about the support staff such as security, etc. The problem is really in the city's inability to allow housing to be built. There are good documentaries on this on youtube.

[vindicatorx]

We needed this topic again? https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...t%3B%26quot%3B

[Captain N]

Home prices in California are insane. I have a 2700 Sq. Ft. home on the North Side of Chicago that $3000/month is my mortgage.

[smityx]

The developers are just fine, this is more about the support staff such as security, etc. The problem is really in the city's inability to allow housing to be built. There are good documentaries on this on youtube.

I mean like who would want those people like to like move in my neighborhood and like lower my property value. It's like when I have to like fight against them like setting up wind turbines off shore near my like summer home back east. It like destroys my view. /s

[StayTuned]

Home prices in California are insane. I have a 2700 Sq. Ft. home on the North Side of Chicago that $3000/month is my mortgage.

What are these prices in America dear lord.
A friend of mine bought 2 houses next to each other with around 2000m2 of land. Mortgage is 750€. I know Essen in Germany might not be the same as Chicago but seriously with costs of such a magnitude, do your lowest blue collar workers get paid 6 figures or what?

I doubt MMO champ is full of rich people either.

[Enthusiastic Steward]

We needed this topic again? https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...t%3B%26quot%3B

Complaining about Bay Area housing prices is a required weekly topic.

do your lowest blue collar workers get paid 6 figures or what?

Bus drivers in San Francisco make over $80k, (otherwise there would be no bus drivers) so basically yeah.

[Captain N]

What are these prices in America dear lord.
A friend of mine bought 2 houses next to each other with around 2000m2 of land. Mortgage is 750€. I know Essen in Germany might not be the same as Chicago but seriously with costs of such a magnitude, do your lowest blue collar workers get paid 6 figures or what?

I doubt MMO champ is full of rich people either.

It's worse than you can imagine. The only reason my house is that low is because I bought it as a foreclosure before the Cubs organization decided to overhaul Wrigley Field. It shot the prices of the houses up almost double over the last few years.

Metropolitan areas in the states are incredibly expensive to live, especially areas where everything is within walking distance or public transportation is easily available.

[Ealyssa]

Complaining about Bay Area housing prices is a required weekly topic.

Just like tiping in america.

Do you tip ?

[Enthusiastic Steward]

Just like tiping in america.

Do you tip ?

I do tip, but in my previous life before my current career I worked in the service industry, so they have my sympathies. I mean I don't blindly tip if food or service is lacking, but for good/great service I tend to be more generous than average.

[Daedius]

If they can't afford it, move... These people are too stubborn to commute that little bit more - they just want all the conveniences of being close to everything.

[Enthusiastic Steward]

If they can't afford it, move... These people are too stubborn to commute that little bit more - they just want all the conveniences of being close to everything.

What do you imagine the 'little bit more' entails in this commute? When I lived there I had co-workers who commuted into the Bay Area from Sacramento, that's 2 hours one way in moderate traffic. Not everyone has 4 hours a day (if not more, traffic is rarely 'moderate') they can dedicate to commuting.

[ghotihook]

What are these prices in America dear lord.
A friend of mine bought 2 houses next to each other with around 2000m2 of land. Mortgage is 750€. I know Essen in Germany might not be the same as Chicago but seriously with costs of such a magnitude, do your lowest blue collar workers get paid 6 figures or what?

I doubt MMO champ is full of rich people either.

Many large cities are like that. But the suburbs (depending on the suburb) of cities like Chicago can be massively cheaper.

I live about 40 mins outside my major city and my house, 2500sq ft (232sq M) was $166K USD (147K Euro) to purchase. My 15 year mortgage is about $1275/mo (1125 Euro). It's current value is around $220K USD (194K Euro).

[StayTuned]

It's worse than you can imagine. The only reason my house is that low is because I bought it as a foreclosure before the Cubs organization decided to overhaul Wrigley Field. It shot the prices of the houses up almost double over the last few years.

Metropolitan areas in the states are incredibly expensive to live, especially areas where everything is within walking distance or public transportation is easily available.

But where is that money coming from? When I check your prices of FMG, I don't see much of a difference to Germany. Cars are even cheaper, let alone gas. That is almost for free when you compare it to German prices.

Yet for whatever reason you're all insanely well paid and your costs of living are fking huge.

Was this the same prior to 2008?