This is amusing. (More Seattle fuckery)

"NKato" (NKato)
06/13/2018 at 15:09 • Filed to: Two piles of bullshit

A low income housing study says the average Washington renter needs to earn $27/hr to have a 2- bedroom apartment in this state. Without sacrificing anything else, like health care.

The fun part is that this was reported on by a news outlet linked to Sinclair, a media company who’s been sucking Trump’s dingler since the campaign.

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If you ask me, both liberals and conservatives have the real solution but refuse to act on them. Same bullshit, different piles.

DISCUSSION (60)

For Sweden > NKato
06/13/2018 at 15:18

Hot take: What if people built more housing?

NKato > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 15:20

That’s one of the solutions I’m talking about, but zoning laws - both state and county - are making it prohibitively expensive. Property taxes don’t help either.

someassemblyrequired > NKato
06/13/2018 at 15:21

Apartments are a bit misleading too - a 4BR single family home is often cheaper to rent than a 2br apartment on the eastside.

Nevertheless the Seattle RE scene is a $!#@show. I’m glad we’re out of the crazy for a few years (not that DC is much more sane, but it’s a relative thing).

benjrblant > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 15:23

Let’s fill Nebraska with houses.

For Sweden > NKato
06/13/2018 at 15:24

Kinja'd!!!

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 15:26

Pure crazy talk

NKato > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 15:26

These kinds of morons refuse to absorb a property value hit, for the greater good. Ironically, they’re paying ever-rising property taxes as a result.

For Sweden > benjrblant
06/13/2018 at 15:28

Is Nebraska a hot bed for reactionary NIMBYism?

atfsgeoff > NKato
06/13/2018 at 15:30

The local municipalities won’t hear any talk of reduced property values due to decreased tax revenue.

You want to live in a city? You gotta deal with high property taxes to pay for the infrastructure and services.

benjrblant > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 15:31

No idea. But it’s big and not that densely populated

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 15:38

And the new housing going up they charge a shit ton of money for

bwp240 > atfsgeoff
06/13/2018 at 15:38

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Kinja'd!!!

Ash78, voting early and often > NKato
06/13/2018 at 15:40

This really bugs me as the US is becoming more decentralized and companies less focused on dense urban areas. This should naturally correct itself over time as long as people are willing to relocate.

I got a job with a West Coast company a couple years ago and they asked me to move to their eastern HQ. I dragged my feet and they said “How about telecommuting? Almost half our team does that.”

Done deal, so I’m still near family and in a place where you can own a home a raise a family on one income. People’s definitions of “quality of life” may differ a bit, but I’m happy with that. And so is my employer, who pays zero overhead for me (internet or utilities, office space, property tax).

lone_liberal > NKato
06/13/2018 at 15:53

Reports like this really need to be broken out by county or district because of the vast difference between Pugetopolis and the rest of Washington.

For Sweden > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/13/2018 at 15:59

Then all the rich people move to new housing, leaving the vacated older housing available.

fintail > NKato
06/13/2018 at 16:01

Nobody wants to risk property value gains they did nothing to earn, but now entitle them to strut around like the second coming of Warren Buffett (just observe any Seattle area lucky generation member).

Also a funny story about saving for a down payment:

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/bad-news-for-singles-zillow-says-it-will-take-you-17-years-to-save-for-down-payment/697201336

And this doesn’t figure that many Seattle area prices have tripled in 17 years.

Sinclair is both awful and offal.

NKato > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 16:01

And the Old housing ends up bought by speculators.

fintail > NKato
06/13/2018 at 16:06

And then they moan and groan about the taxes. People who bought houses for 80K that are now worth 1.5MM need to zip it before they get on really thin ice.

Property tax rates here aren’t that bad, I’ve seen it worse in Texas or the deep and dirty south, neither of which are as nice to live IMO.

NKato > fintail
06/13/2018 at 16:08

Mhm. I read Komo for my “conservative perspective” news, CNN for my liberal news, and Reuters for much more objective international news.

You know there’s a problem with the country when even the news outlets have an ideological bent.

Chariotoflove > NKato
06/13/2018 at 16:11

Honestly, everything I read here about the PNW just reinforces my determination to never live there.

And that’s if I could even tolerate the weather, which I couldn’t.

For Sweden > NKato
06/13/2018 at 16:17

Who will presumably lease them out to people who need housing.

The horror

fintail > NKato
06/13/2018 at 16:18

There’s definitely no such thing as non-partisan mass market news anymore. Corporations are people too.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 16:19

But they still charge the same amount for the old housing because people keep moving to the area.

NKato > Chariotoflove
06/13/2018 at 16:20

A lot of people loved Seattle as tourists in the 00's. They moved here. You can guess the rest.

I’m looking at options to get out of the area, but I’d have to line up a local job first. Right now, my priority is working for a few years at my current employer, get level 2 machinist certificates, and save up money while hoping the housing market implodes spectacularly.

For Sweden > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/13/2018 at 16:21

Then they build even more housing!

For Sweden > lone_liberal
06/13/2018 at 16:25

You mean between Washington and Spokanechewan?

Chariotoflove > NKato
06/13/2018 at 16:26

Stick to the plan.

I get SADD. I had a hard time with Michigan Springs and Falls. The PNW would have me absolutely suicidal in a year.

NKato > Chariotoflove
06/13/2018 at 16:27

I know. Thing is, I need to beef up my resume and work experience before I consider leaving the area.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > fintail
06/13/2018 at 16:28

If the rate of increase remains the same, it would be impossible to save enough for a down payment and they wouldn’t be able to handle payments on the mortgage.

Insanity.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/13/2018 at 16:32

Seriously. For it to be profitable to build with current standards, the cost of land that can be developed, etc, they basically don’t make a profit worth the effort unless it’s a McMansion or “luxury”. They also cram them in tighter on ever smaller lots.

Chariotoflove > NKato
06/13/2018 at 16:32

I hope you’re able to get there in a reasonable time. Good luck.

NKato > Chariotoflove
06/13/2018 at 16:36

I’m renting an apartment with a friend. I’ll manage. $600 a month isn’t bad.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 16:39

Except they don’t, they just replace the old house in the desirable area with a new house. I know plenty of luckyboomers that have recently taken out construction loans against the value of their land to knock down their existing 70s-80s home in a desirable location and build a custom home (some with with more land have subdivided and built homes on the land for their children). My in-laws did it, my wife’s aunt & uncle are about to, a 50-something guy at work is about to, another couple I know just started the process...

For Sweden > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
06/13/2018 at 16:41

So the total housing inventory is going up?

Good!

Spaceball-Two > NKato
06/13/2018 at 16:42

Remember when KOMO used be reputable? I bet Dan Lewis does.

Sadly enough I’m not helping the situation. I fund construction and renovation projects for a living. Turning old 100k split levels into 600k cash cows. I understand the ramifications but on the flip side I gotta pay my mortgage and put food on the table.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 16:45

It’s not going up, it’s remaining stationary and they’re building houses that we cannot afford unless we have luckyboomer parents with similar quality houses that we can sell when they die to other children of luckyboomer parents that died.

If you didn’t inherit all of it (single child), you probably will never be able to afford to have housing that isn’t rented for every dime they can squeeze from you.

We’re basically transitioning into modern micro-feudalism.

For Sweden > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
06/13/2018 at 16:47

If the housing inventory is not rising, you are infected with NIMBYs

Chariotoflove > NKato
06/13/2018 at 16:48

Depending on the apartment, that is indeed not bad.

Mid Engine > lone_liberal
06/13/2018 at 16:49

Pugetopolis pays for the rest of the state

fintail > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
06/13/2018 at 16:50

That’s the best insult to injury in terms of “saving”, prices rise faster than the normal person’s ability to save.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 16:50

We’re also infected with hot money that buys all the housing because it’s a ‘safe’ place to stash it. So many vacant homes littering the area. Oh, and zoning that has remained the same since it was possible to buy close-in suburban housing easily on a single low income.

Also, the US is increasing in population, in spite of our sub-replacement birth rates, due to immigration.

DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever > NKato
06/13/2018 at 16:53

When I was getting ready to get out of the military, I looked into staying in the area. When I saw how expensive housing was, I understood why some married soldiers chose to live near Olympia and put up with waking up at 3:30 AM to get to JBLM by 6.

NKato > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
06/13/2018 at 16:54

Right? Much respect to those military families.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > fintail
06/13/2018 at 16:56

My wife and I got burned by this as well. We set a goal and attained it, between the money we came in with and carefully saving for our first year of marriage. By the time we were ready, housing prices had gone up so much that our target house budget wouldn’t buy much of anything. If we had no intention of having children, we could have afforded a 1/1 condo for just the two of us at that point.

We’ve also “joked” (dead serious) that we’re now priced out of our own neighborhood. Prices have risen 10-15% in the last 8 months.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Chariotoflove
06/13/2018 at 17:30

My family moved to Seattle when i was 11 and my sister was 14. She couldn’t handle the weather and moved out of state at like 17. Its definitely not for everyone, particularly those with SADD.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > NKato
06/13/2018 at 17:32

Flipping burgers is for teenagers and kids home from college, OK?!

OK...how about corporate staff and staff accountants? Do they deserve to afford to be able to live? NO! Those jobs are for middle schoolers on a potty break (or outsourcing, obviously).

Also, bring back the jerbs!

Chariotoflove > feather-throttle-not-hair
06/13/2018 at 17:33

Plus, as a person who has no free hand to hold an umbrella and move at the same time, rain is a problem for me.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Chariotoflove
06/13/2018 at 17:56

Weirdly, we don’t really use umbrellas here since its mostly just a light mist that hangs out without really falling to the ground, so you should be okay if you ever come for a visit!

lone_liberal > Mid Engine
06/13/2018 at 17:57

Very true, that doesn’t mean what holds true for them holds true for the rest of us.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > For Sweden
06/13/2018 at 18:01

Yay for urban sprawl and three hour commutes each way!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
06/13/2018 at 18:02

Exactly. And if they just keep building further out from downtown then we have ridiculously long commutes and eventually turn into the east coast. No thanks.

Chariotoflove > feather-throttle-not-hair
06/13/2018 at 18:09

So you guys are okay with just being soggy all the time?

feather-throttle-not-hair > Chariotoflove
06/13/2018 at 18:14

lol basically yeah. That’s why all of our music is all sad sounding. Its because our feet are wet and its uncomfortable.

Chariotoflove > feather-throttle-not-hair
06/13/2018 at 18:20

Oh, okay! Yeah, booking my ticket for a visit real soon.

Really though, I’ve been to Seattle a couple of times for meetings. I know it doesn’t rain all the time, and the scenery is really beautiful. It is, however, too dreary for me.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Chariotoflove
06/13/2018 at 18:23

Yeah, the winter especially is pretty awful, honestly I think its the short days more than the weather that probably gets people. When its dark when you leave for work and its dark when you get home from work, that can do bad things to your brain.

Just...try to come by in the summer if you ever get sent here again!

Chariotoflove > feather-throttle-not-hair
06/13/2018 at 18:26

Will do.

RangerSmith > NKato
06/13/2018 at 21:14

Move to the Tri Cities. Long summers, lots of golf and boating, low crime. 3 hours from Seattle means you can still be near family/friends but don’t have to put up with the mess in King County.

fintail > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
06/13/2018 at 21:29

I think that’s the case for many people here, and some will be “house rich, cash poor” (and unwilling or unable to take their equity and run).

I can’t imagine how or why someone without kids would want to buy south of Everett or from around Kent north at all - just too expensive without various forms of aid.

RangerSmith > Mid Engine
06/13/2018 at 21:30

Much of it yes. But you’re forgetting that its not 1950 anymore.

Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, store a lot of data along the Columbia River where hydroelectric power is cheap. Add to the fact that Hanford brings billions in federal money. And the local AG community is one of the highest producing in the world(again, Columbia River).

Mid Engine > RangerSmith
06/14/2018 at 12:54

Much of that is in Oregon, although there is WA participation. Point is King/Snohomish/Pierce pay the bills for the state, our property tax and sales tax shoulder the burden disproportionately. Thanks Olympia