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Originally Posted by GTOlover OP, Go into the Skilled Trades and that is where all the demand and money are and the Future lies for your Generation as the Baby Boomers Retire.
I was a sub-contractor in socal for 35 years, and the state of the trades is in the gutter here. The influx of illegal crews has decimated the trades here. You will also be dependent on booms, and subject to busts (feast or famine). Trade unions are the only way to get security in this state, and they are driving the state to bankruptcy.
But electricians are a licensed trade. How are illegals getting into that ?
Location: Just transplanted to FL from the N GA mountains
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivorytickler
That would be me. My first mortage was at 11.25%. I remember worrying about the rates going up again before the closing. It seemed like they would never stop. Now we're trying to refinance at less than 3%. I'd say that's an improvement.
That would be me too. First mortgage was 13.25% on a 3-year adjustable.... 20% Down. It took us years to save up that down payment. Every penny, nickle, dime and quarter we could scrape together in a big ole coffee cans... LOL.. For a 900 sq. ft. fixer-upper we lived in for 9 years...
When I was young I worked three jobs to support my family. I didn't like it, but I did it. Its just the way things are sometimes. Not everyone is going to have a silver spoon in their mouth and be given everything they want.
Let me guess, you walked uphill to school in the snow ten miles both ways too?
That would be me. My first mortage was at 11.25%. I remember worrying about the rates going up again before the closing. It seemed like they would never stop. Now we're trying to refinance at less than 3%. I'd say that's an improvement.
We had excellent credit (as best as you could get for young kids) but when we applied the mortgage interest would have been a little over 12% making buying a house unaffordable for us. We rented for years and years after that. I used to say I didn't buy into the white picket fence because I could not see paying all that money, kind of felt stuck but hey we did what we could afford. When we went to see about a mortgage another time they told us that we could borrow x amount but if we wanted a bigger house we could get a mortgage with paying no interest for the first 5 years. We walked... that was crazy!
After the housing crash we finally were able to buy with way over 20% down. Almost 2 years later we will be mortgage free in about 3 more months. We could pay it off right now and have an emergency fund, investing, 401K and the only reason I want to wait is to see how hard I am nailed with taxes. I did without (no biggie) and slammed that mortgage and will be mortgage free very soon.
Fiddlehead, you sound racist against what you call "angry white folks"
Well, being an angry aging white guy myself (although center left politically), I suppose you are right. I know of what I rant!
But seriously, the GOP politics lately seems to only appeal to aging white folks with a chip on their shoulder, an antitax fetish, and a hatred of change. That won't carry the day, and it shouldn't.
The younger generation is more diverse, more accepting of women and minorities, more interested in the environment, social justice, and in having a sensible fiscal policy, etc. All those are improvements, IMO.
But electricians are a licensed trade. How are illegals getting into that ?
You're kidding right?
I was fully licensed, yet I had to compete with shops that were hiring illegals. I was being paid the same as them, only I had a ton of overhead and that finally killed me. That's the cost of doing things legally. EXP: back in 78 when I started the labor per yard for soft coverings was $1.25. When I quit 35 years later it was $2.25, yet supplies, licenses, gas, and everything else had tripled. Illegal crews suppress wages, because they don't have to worry about those inconvenient contracting laws.
I know a crew of illegal electricians as a matter of fact.
I hope my engineering degree can buy me some success!
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STATEMENT. It provides a clear window into your thought process.
You expect your degree to "buy" you success in life. Wow.
That statement represents what's wrong with the GenY mindset very, very well. You don't want to earn your success, you want it handed to you. You want it to be bought and paid for, and served up on a silver platter.
I have a newsflash for you - a degree doesn't guarantee, or "buy," you a damn thing. All it does is present you with more options - and even that's not guaranteed. You have to SEE the opportunities around you, and you have to ACT on them, and even then, you can fail. There are no guarantees, and nobody's going to hand you a wonderful life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by belmont22
I should say that even back in 2005 things were different though - economy imploded in '07.
Actually, it was '08.
But so what? We started our business two months before the implosion. I scraped together less than $1,000 over several months to take care of business licenses, furniture, office supplies, etc, while also trying to make the rent, and we got off the ground in July. I even drove to a neighboring state to earn some of that money, because that's where the work was.
We started our business in July, and the economy blew up in September. Today, our business is doing great. It isn't because anyone handed it to us. It's because we had a clear vision of what we wanted to accomplish, and we took the steps required to make that vision a reality. It's not rocket science, but it does require a hell of a lot of work. I've sacrificed nearly five years of 12+ hour days, without a single workday off (and I'm usually working one day on the weekends), and I have absolutely no regrets.
There's no doubt whatsoever in my mind, based on your posts in this thread so far, that you don't have what it takes to accomplish what you want. Not right now. It's just not going to happen unless you change your outlook. Sorry, but that's the truth. If you get over this entitlement mentality and decide to simply get the job done, that can change. You're clearly not a stupid person, but you're not willing to put in the effort required to achieve your dream, either. You have to go get what you want out of life - nobody's going to gift it to you.
That would be me. My first mortage was at 11.25%. I remember worrying about the rates going up again before the closing. It seemed like they would never stop. Now we're trying to refinance at less than 3%. I'd say that's an improvement.
My first mortgage was 16.75%. I was happy to get it because it continued to go up - I think they got over 18% at one point.
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