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Old 05-05-2011, 09:29 AM
 
Location: Texas
44,254 posts, read 64,351,440 times
Reputation: 73932

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Quote:
Originally Posted by supadad33 View Post
We definitely don't feel a need to "keep up" with the Joneses. We're more curious about what they're doing / have done to afford such expensive houses. Are they just being stupid with their money (taking on too much debt and getting in over their heads)? Do they make ridiculous salaries ($500k+)? More likely, however, it sounds like quite a few of them may have accumulated wealth via equity gains of some form or another. Thus, it is not the salary that matters but rather the savings/investments.

We too hate debt and have none.
There are a lot of people who make a lot of money. I used to wonder about the people in our neighborhood...how the heck everyone could afford these prices. I assumed people were just being dumb with their finances.

Then the info came out...the average household salary here is $360k...THAT is how they afford these homes and fancy cars, etc. They make a lot of money.

We afforded ours by saving a ton to put down (45%)...so now our monthly expenses are a manageable fraction of our income and we actually pay extra every month towards our mortgage.

 
Old 05-05-2011, 09:42 AM
 
Location: Austin
37 posts, read 223,984 times
Reputation: 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by stan4 View Post
Then the info came out...the average household salary here is $360k...THAT is how they afford these homes and fancy cars, etc. They make a lot of money.
That must be the average for a specific neighborhood. May I ask which one?
 
Old 05-05-2011, 09:44 AM
 
Location: Texas
44,254 posts, read 64,351,440 times
Reputation: 73932
Quote:
Originally Posted by supadad33 View Post
That must be the average for a specific neighborhood. May I ask which one?

Not in Austin. In the Dallas area. Yes. A specific neighborhood.

The other point another poster made is good, too...many people bought here when the houses were $400k or $500k 20 years ago...now they are much more expensive and these people are just finishing paying them off...so they have equity AND they will soon have no house payment...cha-ching!
 
Old 05-05-2011, 09:46 AM
 
Location: Austin
37 posts, read 223,984 times
Reputation: 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by stan4 View Post
Not in Austin. In the Dallas area. Yes. A specific neighborhood.

The other point another poster made is good, too...many people bought here when the houses were $400k or $500k 20 years ago...now they are much more expensive and these people are just finishing paying them off...so they have equity AND they will soon have no house payment...cha-ching!
Got it, thanks.

Speaking of cha-ching... what about property taxes on those home values that have doubled?
 
Old 05-05-2011, 09:54 AM
 
Location: 78747
3,202 posts, read 6,018,706 times
Reputation: 915
Quote:
Originally Posted by supadad33 View Post
Got it, thanks.

Speaking of cha-ching... what about property taxes on those home values that have doubled?
Speaking from the example I gave, the composite tax rate is 2.01678% for that specific neighborhood.

for a $1MM house, that's $21,678 tax bill.

Last edited by jobert; 05-05-2011 at 10:05 AM..
 
Old 05-05-2011, 10:03 AM
 
Location: Texas
44,254 posts, read 64,351,440 times
Reputation: 73932
Quote:
Originally Posted by jobert View Post
Speaking from the example I gave, the composite tax rate is 2.01678% for that specific neighborhood.

for a $1MM house, that's $21,678 tax bill.
The thing is that there can be a big difference between market value and appraised tax value...especially since you don't have to report what you bought the house for.

So a $750k house can be $10k in taxes.
 
Old 05-05-2011, 11:03 AM
 
1,157 posts, read 2,651,833 times
Reputation: 483
Another good question is-- where are those areas that will appreciate in coming years? It seems like all of the development near desirable areas has already happened. I buy houses to live in but do think about growth when I plan to stay for 20 years plus. Thoughts?
 
Old 05-05-2011, 11:10 AM
 
Location: Round Rock, Texas
13,448 posts, read 15,475,235 times
Reputation: 18992
Quote:
Originally Posted by kiacook View Post
Yes, you're the only good, non-materialistic person here.
I guess this post was directed at me? So to not care = being good and non-materialistic (or rather a dig of being holier than thou). I see. Ok, thx.
 
Old 05-05-2011, 11:16 AM
 
Location: Round Rock, Texas
13,448 posts, read 15,475,235 times
Reputation: 18992
Quote:
Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80 View Post
This forum attracts a wide cross-section of backgrounds and incomes. I am sure it is difficult for someone - perhaps someone who grew up in a home where college wasn't a "given" or whose parents worked blue collar jobs or service industry jobs- to imagine how so many people are out looking for a $1M+ home when they've always rented or lived in a $100k home. I think it's natural to wonder about what kind of jobs or financial/family situations allow for people to have so much money to spend on a home, especially if that person has never been exposed to the world of big law attorneys, corporate executives, entrepreneurs/small business owners, etc.
Yes, and I am your average middle income Jane who works at a large law firm. My husband is a middle classed Joe working in corporate America. We were raised in middle classed neighborhoods all of our lives. We purchased an average priced home - in the 200s. And no, neither of us really care about why there are so many people purchasing 1mm homes..nor are we curious. More power to them, they probably have the jobs to sustain the lifestyle. If they don't, then I'll see them on the foreclosure list as I deal with Substitute Trustee Sales all the time. We like what we have, just like the people who make more money.
 
Old 05-05-2011, 11:32 AM
 
13,194 posts, read 28,292,163 times
Reputation: 13142
Quote:
Originally Posted by riaelise View Post
Yes, and I am your average middle income Jane who works at a large law firm. My husband is a middle classed Joe working in corporate America. We were raised in middle classed neighborhoods all of our lives. We purchased an average priced home - in the 200s. And no, neither of us really care about why there are so many people purchasing 1mm homes..nor are we curious. More power to them, they probably have the jobs to sustain the lifestyle. If they don't, then I'll see them on the foreclosure list as I deal with Substitute Trustee Sales all the time. We like what we have, just like the people who make more money.
I just have to ask.....if you don't care, why in the world did you open this thread and post in it??
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