conversation: User (jimbo223356767): "If I'm never planning on getting married and having 2 incomes, will I ever be able to afford a house? In my area a halfway decent house costs 550-600k, townhouses are like 500ish and condos are ~300k but I don't really want to invest in a townhouse, and definitely not a condo. Seems like I would have to make in the high 100k range just to afford a starter home that has a yard. People in my field and location don't make high 100's unless they're really senior and/or high performing (I'm an engineer). \n\nIs it simply impossible as a single person to compete against all the dual income married couples in the housing market unless you're making mega bucks?"
  Self: "&gt;Is it simply impossible as a single person to compete against all the dual income married couples in the housing market unless you're making mega bucks?\n\nOr moving to an area where the amount of income you can earn is closer to the average.\n\nSounds like you are trying to live in the bay area as a low level engineer.  This is possible, but certainly not "buying a house" kinda living unless you have equity in a company that goes public or otherwise increase your income significantly.  Or want a 3 hour commute."
  somaandfeelies (somaandfeelies): "Starter homes in the Bay Area are generally going to be more in the realm of low 7 digits. In SF a 2 br 2 ba home with a yard could definitely cost 2 million without being extravagant. "
  ObiWanJakobe (ObiWanJakobe): "I don’t get why people live in such expensive areas, I live in a beautiful part of the city and 1500 square foot homes with a basement are getting sold at 80k"
  r2d2go (r2d2go): "Because a lot of the time they're offered a doubled salary"
  ObiWanJakobe (ObiWanJakobe): "I can make sense of that but if most of that double salary is going towards rent and food you can actually have a better lifestyle making less."
  OfficialHermanCain (OfficialHermanCain): "True, but think about what spending 5-10 years at a mint Bay Area company does for your career and savings. Same reason people in finance or other industries move to SF, NYC, LA, etc."
  ObiWanJakobe (ObiWanJakobe): "I’m not saying it’s a bad idea it’s just I’d rather not work my ass off for less, imagine what networking and meeting a lot of people just in one medium size city can due for your career. You’re just missing my point that it doesn’t make sense to me why people want to have lifelong careers there. I mean the op is looking to stay there long term I assume if he’s talking about if he will ever be able to buy a home there."
  OfficialHermanCain (OfficialHermanCain): "&gt; imagine what networking and meeting a lot of people just in one medium size city can due for your career.\n\nLess than it would in the Bay Area?\n\nI mean, also, statistically you also live where the jobs are and where the market is hot. If you want to work at high-end tech companies, you will have ten time to hundreds of times more opportunities in the Bay. "
  