It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Americans, US Survey Shows

Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by exmadscientist on Sunday November 13, 2022 @05:30AM (#33581760)

Have you tried to fix anything lately? Between ultrasonic welding, firmware, the disappearance of spare parts, and the who-needs-leisure-time-work-until-you-die mentality, and a general total complexity explosion, fixing stuff got hard. Hell, I have products in my house that I literally designed -- I'm on the patent, I have the full electronic and mechanical CAD, I have as much of the code as anyone, I have the bloody design documents, and I can't fix them because the moment I open one to get access to the goodies, it'll never go back together again. (That's just cost-engineering plus IP54 at work, nothing nefarious.)

So don't tell me I'm not handy enough. It's simply not 1952 anymore.

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by rightbyte on Sunday November 13, 2022 @06:09AM (#33581963)

I usually tries to fix stuff. Just this summer I fixed the timing relay on my coffee machine. But as you note many times you just have to give up or not even bother trying.

However houses are still pieces of wood nailed together. Maintenance of cars are still mainly mechanical parts you can replace yourself.

> who-needs-leisure-time-work-until-you-die mentality

Everyone I knew or know in the older generation that built their own homes took time off or quit to build for some months. Maybe that is harder today.

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by feet on Sunday November 13, 2022 @06:33AM (#33582091)

Houses are pieces of wood nailed together in such a way that they meet building code

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by rightbyte on Sunday November 13, 2022 @06:47AM (#33582170)

Ye you need to know what you are doing of course.

My point is that houses are not like electronics were ICs have become like unsolderable for DIY due too small size SMDs.

I could do what a carpenter does, if I just were competent. Which I am not.

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by seb1204 on Sunday November 13, 2022 @07:02AM (#33582280)

I feel the same. Yet I know a couple, music teacher and beauty therapist, who built 2 houses themselves.

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by feet on Sunday November 13, 2022 @12:25PM (#33585124)

How did they handle wiring and HVAC? The foundation and drain tile?

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by s1artibartfast on Sunday November 13, 2022 @01:47PM (#33586054)

All of that is pretty simple if you try. Especially the Wiring. You just need someone licensed to come hook up your breaker box.

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by rightbyte on Sunday November 13, 2022 @02:37PM (#33586535)

My understanding is that you can pull the wires your self but should not connect them without a pro for insurance reasons.

And the foundation you need excavators and trucks with filler material and maybe concrete so you need external help with that.

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by nxm on Sunday November 13, 2022 @06:11AM (#33581977)

Most household projects are not that complex, and can be YouTube’d for guidance. One can save lots of money renovating by him or herself.

It’s about choosing how you spend your time after work…Netflix vs. adding equity. Moreover, the physical nature of the work nicely offset the sedentary nature of working in tech.

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by jrumbut on Sunday November 13, 2022 @07:21AM (#33582395)

You're right, though as someone with basic hand tool skills but poor instincts it isn't always easy to tell which projects are that complex before I make a mess of it.

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by s1artibartfast on Sunday November 13, 2022 @01:59PM (#33586181)

Yeah, it would be interested to compare annual spend on professional services versus TV consumption. I think the average ammerican now spends more than 40 hours a week watching TV, and social media consumption is on top of that.

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by travisporter on Sunday November 13, 2022 @10:56AM (#33584170)

I suspect you’re lamenting appliance or electronic complexity versus building construction?

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Re:It's the Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation for Ame... by DaveExeter on Sunday November 13, 2022 @01:59PM (#33586182)

I had a LED light driver fail so I replaced the high-voltage capacitor and now it works fine.

Small victory.

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