[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by joshtpa

This whole thread is a joke. It started by basing attitudes based on what cars people drive, and now people are ASSUMING that the people driving them can't afford them. Maybe people are in better shape than you. I have both and can afford them. I don't know anyone that has traded in a Mercedes for a Kia.

That's great. However, I do. These are the folks that get their first "real" job out of grad school or public accounting. They instantly reward themselves. Within a year or so, they are shifting their priorities and considering settling down. This usually means co-habitating with that somebody special. Again, another change in priorities gets "them" looking for their first purchase. Advice from older siblings, co-workers, etc., gets them thinking of jumping right into a Colonial instead of working their way up.

Jump ahead a year or two and now baby #1 is coming. Guess what? Both have to continue to work and there's the new issue of daycare. The salaries haven't yet increased enough to cover this. Something has to give. Since it's not going to be the baby, it's some other luxury item.

The Kia that I mentioned could be the Kia Sedona minivan (base price $21,350) or Kia Sorrento SUV (base price $20,665). For some reason, you assumed it was the Kia Rio (base price $11,350).

I wouldn't be so quick to say that people are doing better than we think. On the contrary. Many of the interest-only mortgages and ARM's weren't on $200,000 properties. There are many people with interest-only mortgages who have found that they owe more much than their property is worth. These folks, too, are ditching the luxury car(s) for less pretentious transportation in an effort to correct the negative equity or to thwart off foreclosure - the first bit of advice given by a financial planner.

Over the last six months or so, Oprah has run her "Debt Diet" series. Featured were folks from all over the country. Many echoed what I stated above. To their neighbors, there was the façade. However, they confessed to Oprah that they were only a month or so away from losing it all.

[joshtpa]

Again, this WHOLE thread is making assumptions that people who have a luxury car have attitudes and many that drive them, cant afford them. Who cares. If you dont like seeing luxury cars, get a pickup and move to Georgia or somewhere in the South. A luxury car does not make anyone pretentious. Attitudes like yours make people pretentious.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Rich Lee

That's great. However, I do. These are the folks that get their first "real" job out of grad school or public accounting. They instantly reward themselves. Within a year or so, they are shifting their priorities and considering settling down. This usually means co-habitating with that somebody special. Again, another change in priorities gets "them" looking for their first purchase. Advice from older siblings, co-workers, etc., gets them thinking of jumping right into a Colonial instead of working their way up.

Jump ahead a year or two and now baby #1 is coming. Guess what? Both have to continue to work and there's the new issue of daycare. The salaries haven't yet increased enough to cover this. Something has to give. Since it's not going to be the baby, it's some other luxury item.

The Kia that I mentioned could be the Kia Sedona minivan (base price $21,350) or Kia Sorrento SUV (base price $20,665). For some reason, you assumed it was the Kia Rio (base price $11,350).

I wouldn't be so quick to say that people are doing better than we think. On the contrary. Many of the interest-only mortgages and ARM's weren't on $200,000 properties. There are many people with interest-only mortgages who have found that they owe more much than their property is worth. These folks, too, are ditching the luxury car(s) for less pretentious transportation in an effort to correct the negative equity or to thwart off foreclosure - the first bit of advice given by a financial planner.

Over the last six months or so, Oprah has run her "Debt Diet" series. Featured were folks from all over the country. Many echoed what I stated above. To their neighbors, there was the façade. However, they confessed to Oprah that they were only a month or so away from losing it all.

I honestly think that this is really happening to a very minor percentage of people in general. To listen to Oprah (who by the way is one of the richest people in the world and hasn't had to worry about spending money for many many years), people should not buy anything on credit and should not buy a home at all if it isn't completely paid for in cash (okay I am exaggerating this point but this is just about what they are saying). Who doesn't have to stretch to buy their first home? Who doesn't have to stretch each months pay when first starting out? It is the American way to work hard to have a better life and if we didn't take a chance we wouldn't have anything. I know that was the case with me and my wife and almost all of my firends. We are all now doing very well (not rich, but doing well). JMHO Jay

[nowaytoknowyet]

Originally Posted by joshtpa

Again, this WHOLE thread is making assumptions that people who have a luxury car have attitudes and many that drive them, cant afford them. Who cares. If you dont like seeing luxury cars, get a pickup and move to Georgia or somewhere in the South. A luxury car does not make anyone pretentious. Attitudes like yours make people pretentious.

joshtpa - If you lived in the NYC market as I do you would probably be able to relate to why this thread was started.

I know that not everyone is affected with the attitude when having these cars. Again, you would have to live in most of NJ, NYC, Long Island, Westchester, and the NYC metro area in general to comprehend this. Materialism is alive and "well" here in these parts and it's like you have to belong to the club or else you don't fit in or they think that they are better than you.

I like luxury vehicles joshtpa - it's the undesirable attitude(s) that may come with the "package" and too many have that problem in my neck of the woods. I've been shunned so many times for not being in the same "materialism" or "social class" club.

In essence: It's the favorable social atmosphere that is sought by me that doesn't quite exist here as well as being able to live on not a huge salary (which is another "club or fit-in buster" aspect) which I stated and meant by in my first post.

[joshtpa]

I think your whole thread is lumping people together the same way people do with sexism, racism, or anything else. Sure that is an extreme, but it is true. Your comment about having to live the NYC metro area holds no truth whatsoever. That is just the area you are familiar with. There are pretentious people everywhere. There are also people that make people pretentious everywhere.

[nowaytoknowyet]

Originally Posted by joshtpa

I think your whole thread is lumping people together the same way people do with sexism, racism, or anything else. Sure that is an extreme, but it is true. Your comment about having to live the NYC metro area holds no truth whatsoever. That is just the area you are familiar with. There are pretentious people everywhere. There are also people that make people pretentious everywhere.

joshtpa - A kind response to your post:

How can my comment about having to live in the NYC metro area hold no truth when I'm already living here and have been the recipient of such shunning too many times?

Also I did say that not everyone that drives these vehicles are affected like that in so many words in my last post. So, I'm not grouping 100% of any type of person.

I'm VERY approachable and VERY friendly that I can strike a conversation with any random stranger - so that's not the problem. The problem lies in the attitudes of most people I've tried to befriend with that have these type of material possessions only to be shunned. For the people that I'm friends with don't have this type "wealth" for the exception of 2 people that are well-off and that took many years to get to that number.

You have the right to your opinions and take on things as I do to mine. No harm no foul

[joshtpa]

Your last comment is the equivalent as saying that because I have tried to approach quite a few minorities and did not like them, then it must be them. You say that the problem lies in the attitudes of most people that you have tried to befriend that have these type of material possesions. Maybe the problem is a difference in culture. You go on to admit that most of your friends do not have wealth except for 2 people. So maybe that it is you, and not these people. But to group people together because "you did not get a warm feeling" is absurd.

[nowaytoknowyet]

Originally Posted by joshtpa

Your last comment is the equivalent as saying that because I have tried to approach quite a few minorities and did not like them, then it must be them. You say that the problem lies in the attitudes of most people that you have tried to befriend that have these type of material possesions. Maybe the problem is a difference in culture. You go on to admit that most of your friends do not have wealth except for 2 people. So maybe that it is you, and not these people. But to group people together because "you did not get a warm feeling" is absurd.

Why are you mixing up the meaning of what I say?

I disagree with your last post - you are so mistaken about me.

I'll never get you to understand so respectfully I'll stop trying.

[joshtpa]

My last post is virtually a quote from you.

[nowaytoknowyet]

Originally Posted by joshtpa

My last post is virtually a quote from you.

You know what I meant - it's the half you added in that I disagreed with.

Those add-ins that you're interpreting what you think is what's not so.