Successful AA Women in the ATL (Atlanta, Buckhead: fit in, sales, real estate)

[stl2ga]

What are some of the most common careers for rich AA women in the ATL who live in $300K houses?

Heres my issue. I already have money and am looking to get into an honest profession before I relocate to GA. I decided to pursue a Nursing career because it yields around 60K yr. Although is that good enough? I mean when you meet rich women in GA do they ever say "Oh I'm a registered nurse" that sounds weird even to me. I really want my career to fit in with my lifestyle.

[Merin]

I am confused because living in a 300k house does not mean you are rich, at least here in Atlanta it doesnt. Also are you looking to get into a job that's going to impress people?? You do know that nurses are in high demand because they burn out ALOT. I have plenty of wealthy friends here, I honestly don't ask their professions. Finally, you looking to get into an "honest profession" makes me scratch my head.

[Mishap]

Originally Posted by Merin

I am confused because living in a 300k house does not mean you are rich, at least here in Atlanta it doesnt. Also are you looking to get into a job that's going to impress people?? You do know that nurses are in high demand because they burn out ALOT. I have plenty of wealthy friends here, I honestly don't ask their professions. Finally, you looking to get into an "honest profession" makes me scratch my head.

It really depends...300k home for a 25yr old = pretty successful. 300k home for a 45 yr old = largely middle class. Also 300k may not be rich but it should mean moderately above the median household income of 51k. Since mortgage affordability is generally 3X income (at least it should be as a rough guideline)...these women you're talking about should be making close to 100k. For a middle career person that's not too difficult but a bit harder to accomplish for someone in their 20's (without having massive student loan debt to overcome).

Alternately...it's keeping up w/ the Joneses w/ untenable Option ARM mortgages or in the worst case mortgage fraud. A $270k(after dropping 30k down) mortgage costs about $1,400-$1,600 a month roughly. That's about 1 paycheck for a person making 60k leaving 1 more paycheck to cover car, eating, property taxes, utilities, and insurance. That doesn't leave much for saving or even leisure. A few nights out w/ some friends a month and they're pretty broke.

[Merin]

We had a 300k home before we were 30, we are not even close to being rich.

[straighttalker75]

Wow.... 300k home is "rich" now? LOL... I guess I have been filthy rich for years. Please!

So, why are you moving here, exactly? What do you mean "good enough"? Good enough for what?

You seem like exactly the naive newcomer buying into certain myths, and then actually arriving here to utter disappointment and shock that it's not quite... what you thought it was.

[atlantagreg30127]

I consider someone successful if they don't have a prison record or DUI convictions, and don't work at Wal-mart. But then living in the far burbs, maybe my standards have dropped. LOL

[mmenomen]

This is an unusual question in my opinion, but I will add my two cents. You sound like you are very young or you live in an area where housing is extremely cheap and home value of 300K is considered a mansion of a house, not sure.

As already noted, living in a 300K house does not make one or a family "rich" in metro Atlanta. I know plenty of AA women who make very good money working for the federal government at different agencies. I also know other AA who do well working in IT. I wouldn't call them "rich," but making 60-100K is pretty solid salary to me.

[StPaulEastSider]

Okay, let me get this straight.

So you already have money... how's that? Nevermind, I guess that's not any of our business. The point is, you already have money.

The implication is, you really do not need to work.



However you got your money, it's apparently enough for you to self-identify as as "rich", and to also buy yourself a 300k house of your own.

Nevermind the fact the MEDIAN home or condo price in the 30305 - buckhead - zipcode is $646,692. And that's the median price... I'm pretty sure not even 1/2 of Buckhead Residents would self-identify as "rich". In the Sherwood Forest neighborhood the average listing price of a home is currently $1,325,000.00 - that's getting closer to "rich" for most people. I guess it all depends upon your definiton of rich.

But you don't want people to think you didn't come about your wealth, and your home, dishonestly.

So you decided to get training in a career which "looks the part" of a rich woman who came about her money honestly.

So you decided to get yourself a nursing degree... but then you realized nurses only get paid something around 60k a year.

So now you are wondering if a nurses' salary is a good enough "profession" for you to pull off the feat of "looking as if" you came about your money honestly.

++++++

Listen, just get an insurance license or a real estate license and say you are in sales. The income levels of sales people earning straight commissions varies so drastically, no one will be able to guess how much of an annual salary you earn.

Not only that, but you will be an independent contractor, which means you set your own schedule. You won't have to punch a time clock, or work holidays.

To look the part for real, you must get a blackberry and have it surgically implanted to the side of your head. That's it!

Hey, you already HAVE money. You have enough money to believe you are already rich. Why go to the bother of actually working? Especially a job where someone's life may hang in the balance?



+++++

A word of caution, wealth can quickly slip through your fingers if you are not careful. I know someone who sold his business for over $2 million dollars in 1989, perhaps he wasn't "rich", but he was certainly "comfortable"... within 5 years he had lost all his money to various investments, spending, women, booze and whatnot - I suppose he also spoiled his daughter when she was in her late teens and early twenties by buying her a modest car, paying for her to take a couple nice vacations, he was always generous and never hesitated to "spread the wealth" . Well, today this guy lives in government-subsidized senior housing and his only income is his monthly social security check. How do you know so much about this guy's "business", you may ask? I'm actually not talking about some guy I just happen to know... I'm talking about my Dad.

I also worked as a personal injury paralegal for years, and I saw numerous clients come into a nice sum or money and blow through it in an unbelievable amount of time....

I'm just sayin' - be careful with your money.

[Mishap]

Originally Posted by Merin

We had a 300k home before we were 30, we are not even close to being rich.

If you're dual income, it's definitely not hard given you have additional safety net of a second job. An individual generally has to make close to 100k or have very large savings to actually buy a 300k home or they're seriously stretched thin which may be why you're not close to being rich. As a couple...you can likely go w/ a somewhat smaller safety net of cash on hand but if you're single and making 50k, buying a 300k home is not recommended.

[Merin]

My statement to the OP was regarding the correlation between living in a 300k house and being rich.
In regards posts about income, I am aware of what its like living in a household making 100k a year and a household making about twice that amount. With a mortgage payment on a house around 300k, and no other outstanding debts, no stretched thin but not rich by any means.