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Feeling poor and miserable

May 27th, 2008 at 09:33 am

This weekend it was bad:

We went out for brunch and after, since the weather was so wonderful, went for a walk around Brooklyn Heights. It was lovely - the light wind, the smell of trees and plants. We were walking on tree-lined blocks with old brownstones and I was thinking that trees and birds are such a luxury. It is amazing to have a flat in a quiet area and see trees out of your window. So I looked again in the windows of real estate agencies, and lovely (yet not large) 1-2 bedroom co-ops or condos in the area are in the 1.3 million range. Looking at the listings one gets the impression that if all you can afford is 500K or less you are "bottom of the barrel" and should not even be looking at real estate. It is so frustrating.

My dream of 700-800sf apartment with trees outside, permission to have a washer, a kitchen that would fit a 40" table, and not more than 1 hour commute is out of reach. Not to mention a place with some charm/character...

I was in Ikea yesterday, looking at some furniture and room setups. And I saw things like walk-in closet, double sinks, room for shower AND a bathtub... it would be absolute luxury to have space for that. Most of the furniture I would consider would not even fit in my apartment. Not to mention things that I can't consider - such as kitchen islands... I cannot get any of this because it all hinges one one premium and super-expensive item - SPACE. at $1,000 or more per square foot it is not the cost of the furniture thats the issue.

We make relatively good money, but whenever I think about these things I feel so poor. During this walk all I could think of were people who lived in these condos, and how I have little chance of ever being one of them. It made me miserable. I have to work on myself, it is just hard sometimes...

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

7 Responses to “Feeling poor and miserable”

  1. nance Says:
    May 27th, 2008 at 09:45 am

    That is why some people leave the city and move to more affordable areas of the country.

  2. Nika Says:
    May 27th, 2008 at 10:01 am

    Nance, yet too many people do not, or there would not be this issue.

    Unfortunately I would not be able to find a similar job with similar benefits anywhere but NYC or DC. Yes, it is a choice - it is just not a good choice - between a career, good job with good benefits and decent living conditions.

  3. managinglife Says:
    May 27th, 2008 at 10:40 am

    Take heart and some patience. You will find a home in your area soon. I truly believe if you have patience the right home of your dreams with the right location and price will be available to you. You don't have to leave NYC to find the right home.

  4. koppur Says:
    May 27th, 2008 at 11:25 am

    I totally understand how you feel. I dream of the day I can paint my walls whatver color I want and redo my bathroom so my knees don't hit the sink when I pee. We live in Boston, so we have the same expensive housing market as NYC and DC. I'm 30, and I just started a House Fund to eventually have a down payment on a house. Total in it now: $25 But having at least started on made me feel like I wasn't stuck anymore. Maybe it could help you feel the same way.

  5. aevans1206 Says:
    May 27th, 2008 at 04:58 pm

    I'm with you on the high living expense area. It frustrates me to no end! Yet, we're just taking it one day at a time and are paying off debt. We will eventually be able to save diligently and afford something wonderful some day.

  6. reflectionite Says:
    May 27th, 2008 at 08:52 pm

    ten years ago my dad moved from melbourne city to a country town. they bought a gorgeous little two bedroom house with a big back yard and a double garage and a cellar. back then the house cost around $87 000, and they had it valued a little while ago at $400 000. the prices of houses and apartments now, in melbourne city, are similar or more than what you are looking at in your area (one million plus). the price my dad has to pay for his family's peace and quiet and house affordability is a four hours a day on the train, five days a week.

  7. baselle Says:
    May 27th, 2008 at 09:28 pm

    second what managinglife said. Seattle isn't as bad as California and the East Coast, but its plenty frustrating seeing crap that should be 50K priced at 500K. I have a down payment, but I'm patient. It is going down a tiny bit, but I figure that I'll need to wait at least until 2010 or 2011. Lurk around thehousingbubbleblog - it usually has a NYC/East Coast thread.

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