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Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by dominotw on Monday March 08, 2021 @09:34AM (#26386164)
> We have lots of things to worry about -- inflation isn't one of them.

I really hate this comment. I am worried about not being able to ever being afford a house for my family. Avg income in my neighborhood is ~49k but a 2 bed condo here are selling for 450K and getting outbid by 75k over the asking price. Its insane.

Maybe you already own a house and are happy that prices are up. But its really weird to tell other ppl what they should be worried about.

Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by throwawaygh on Monday March 08, 2021 @10:39AM (#26386838)
> Avg income in my neighborhood is ~49k but a 2 bed condo here are selling for 450K and getting outbid by 75k over the asking price. Its insane.

Sure, and your point about housing prices mattering is a good one (see my other comment on this story). But, this describes maybe a few dozen housing markets. Probably only a couple dozen if you cut out resort/ski towns. It's a regional problem, not systemic problem with the national economy.

Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by jbay808 on Monday March 08, 2021 @11:09AM (#26387230)
> But, this describes maybe a few dozen housing markets. Probably only a couple dozen if you cut out resort/ski towns. It's a regional problem

It, uh, describes all of Canada actually.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-economy-housing-an...

Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by throwawaygh on Tuesday March 09, 2021 @12:23AM (#26395688)
That's totally fair; sorry for assuming the thread was US-centric.
Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by freyir on Wednesday March 10, 2021 @02:18AM (#26408718)
It also describes the most populous US state. The median housing price is now over $700k in California, while the median household income is around $80k.
Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by throwawaygh on Monday March 15, 2021 @01:15PM (#26468683)
California is an outlier. Even within California, the $700K number is caused by a few outlier markets.
Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by freyir on Friday March 26, 2021 @08:13PM (#26598521)
$700k is the median. The average is even higher, and especially so in “outlier markets” (where outlier here means the cities and surrounding suburbs where most people live).

Also, more Americans live in California than any other state. So if it’s an outlier, it’s an especially impactful one.

Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by dominotw on Monday March 08, 2021 @10:49AM (#26386947)
> But, this describes maybe a few dozen housing markets.

Its a national problem

https://www.redfin.com/us-housing-market

'few dozen' is what like 3 dozens? Assuming its a problem only in 36 markets. Wouldn't that be a 'national problem' ? 36 markets should covers a majority of population in the country.

Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by throwawaygh on Monday March 08, 2021 @10:55AM (#26387015)
Because relatively few regional housing markets have non-luxury 2 bed condos going for $525,000 (75K over 450K, per your original post).

E.g., in the Midwest you'd have to be in a nice part of Chicago or choosing the most expensive city neighborhood of a mid-sized city to find a meaningful number of $525K 2 bed condos. And even then, spending that much on a condo is 100% an unnecessary luxury. 10 minutes in any direction prices will crater, and by the time you get to the suburbs starter homes are from the $200s and $525K is a mansion. For the entirety of the midwest and most parts of the south.

Even on the coasts $525K for a 2 bed condo is a Big City thing. E.g., $500-$700K is the going rate for 2 bed condos in most of Boston, but drive an hour away from Boston in any direction? Not so much. Hell, even Wakefield has a 2 bed condo below $300K and that's only a 25 minute drive. And that's one of the more expensive housing markets in the US.

Living 20 minutes from major city centers via public transit has become a luxury, sure. But it's just not accurate to say that $525K for a 2 bed condo is "normal" in the US. It's not. It's quite specific to a very high CoL markets.

Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by dominotw on Monday March 08, 2021 @10:58AM (#26387051)
Ah yea i see what you mean. that might be an exception to suburbs of altanta. It was just an example of insanity of housing market in USA. I was not implying that the going price of condo.
Re:Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes by ok_coo on Monday March 08, 2021 @01:33PM (#26389586)
Our old apartment in Chicago, which was in a nice neighborhood had its rent prices drop by at least $500/month. It might be more now.

When I look at real estate in general in Chicago, it's been dropping a little, not a ton, but it's not like how other are describing the huge increase in housing costs in other parts of the country.

It seems like there are big regional differences going on with housing costs in the US. Supply/demand and policy I'm guessing are making the difference.