I never considered myself part of any 'generation'.
I just tried/try as hard as I could/can to save, get ahead, provide for my family, etc.
But it's really about timing.
When houses were cheap, I didn't have the money to buy one, so I had to wait.  Then they got expensive.  
But what can you do?
I was hoping for 4 more years of Trump so we could have a good economy, but that didn't happen.
I'll cut back as much as possible and save as much as I can until this storm blows over.

6 months ago I refinanced at 2.5%. Is it my fault Gen Z was to stupid to buy a house then?  You could buy a 4 bed/3.5 bath manufactured house in Pensacola that was made to FL hurricane code, for $190,000 at that same time.  That house was nicer than the stick-built house I grew up in.  90 degree corners, flat floors, central AC/heat, nice appliances, etc.

Gen Z is between 9 and 24 right now. Depending on who’s numbers you follow.


So you expect someone a year or two out of college.  At most, a few years out of high school, in todays world, to have a 20k+ down payment, with a job to support a payment on a 200k house.


Okay.

Also 190k is about half of the average home sale price in the US currently. So you’re cherry picking data.

I blame the “Greatest Generation”. They failed to stop communism in the US while it was taking root. Turns out Hitler was less of a threat to the world than Stalin.

In my family, my great grandparents were born in the late 1890s -1910. They were all farmers with a huge German work ethic. My grandparents were all from the depression years. One farmed for a while but needed extra income and started a cabinet shop. Grandpa worked in the cabinet shop until he was 85. He also had over a hundred bee hives and a 15-acre orchard for extra income. One of his kids joined the Navy and later founded his own computer software company for the oil companies. My dad worked in cabinetry while a gunsmith, then as a locksmith and machinist. He later became a partner in a Sporting goods store. At about the same time, he opened a tool & die shop. He ran the machine shop until he retired at the age of 85. My brother took over the shop until he retired 2 years ago.

The other grandparent left the WV farm to find work to feed his family in the rubber plants in Akron during the depression. That is when Akron earned the moniker "Capitol of WV." He eventually became a plant mgr. he still maintained a small farm on the side. He retired at 70 and sold the farm a couple of years later. His kids all found jobs in the Army. later, one became a professional drunk and bum. One worked at a local factory and had an appliance repair business on the side. one became an entrepreneur and the other son a missionary to Brazil.

I was the oldest of the boomers. On my 13th birthday Dad said, "Happy Birthday!" and I began working in the machine shop. That was a family tradition. Dad kept all my money and when 7 years I later went to college it was all paid for in cash. After ten years I quit, worked for over a year in a mental hospital while in grad studies. The next year I was commissioned in the AF. Later worked in Edu. and sales, retired, and run a ranch with my oldest son. My Gen X sons followed in the family followed also followed the family tradition. They began working in the machine shop at 13 as well. Both serve/served in the Army. We are training his kids to run the ranch when we are gone.

I somehow think that won't happen as the ranch has doubled in value by our hard work. Every dime we make gets put back into the ranch. When Biden took office they began talking about "Voluntary" Ag land redistribution for minorities. ROFL "Involuntary" is on the menu guys. Go screw that. We joined the military, used our benefits, and worked our asses off for nearly a lifetime to earn our land. You too can do the same, you lazy entitlement-sucking beggars. If you think you are entitled, you are already programmed for failure.

My siblings followed suit in the shop. Now one is an automotive engineer, one a software developer, and one stayed in the machine shop and eventually ran it. Not one of their 11 Gen X or Y children has grown up working. It really shows even though some of them are really nice kids. Three of the liberal kids are the most vicious, self-absorbed brats I have ever known. They are just clueless about how things work at any level or line of endeavor, yet they believe they are gifted and should run the world. If you try to explain anything, their eyes roll back and their brains melt. Yes, they blame everyone for not having it handed to them. They also hate the military, police, and anyone who has been successful. "How dare they oppress us. Grrr."

All I can conclude is the 2d Law of Thermodynamics is real.

Yes and no.

Preface: GenX here.

Boomers had a bunch of positive aspects to their lives and growing up, but it wasn't quite the same either.

Costs of cars were lower, but 50,000 miles was the end of life or at least "high mileage". Much less in the way of safety and doo-dads as well.

Finances were great, but you couldn't just jump on your phone and invest.

Travel required work. Air travel was for the rich.

Communication was via writing mainly.

Computers were non-existent.

Medical care topped out at antibiotics.

Living indexes were MUCH lower. Smaller home, single car, 1 TV, 5 channels, etc.

So it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.

I've been in teh building business since the 80's.  Customers don't want basic useable stuff.  They want fancy.  I can build a good basic 3 bedroom ranch on a small lot and it will sit there.  Same size house on the same size lot but add the bling and it will sell.  Look at the stupid building shows on TV.  Everyone pushes the upgrades as the norm.  All that costs $$.  

BTW...the youngest boomer is now 58.  Well over the average first time home buyer.  Lots of younger folks think they need the fancy stuff.....same as the old folks.

Average age first time home buyer is 33 not 47

Stick to building trades.  You clearly don’t understand what average means.

What the hell are you talking about????   Talk about delusional

LOL....

But yeah, you are right.
I am curious if you will catch hell for daring to speak out against the "Greatest generation"

LMAO! Most people in their late twenties and even thirties couldn't handle your old job.

On God we bussin.

Duck duck go sent me here

https://homeandmoney.com/blog/average-age-of-first-time-home-buyers/


Which cites market watch. Which says 47.

Looks like that blog totally misinterpreted a different article from Marketwatch, here back from 2019.

Marketwatch: "The median age of U.S. home buyers is now 47, according to the data compiled by Deutsche Bank "

That blog site turned that into "The average age of first-time home buyers has reached age 47"

Young millennial here, got the hot wife, 6 figure income and a great home I own. I have the self awareness to realize that most of my generation being unable to attain what their parents have might be terminal for this country.

Ok boomer

Hint.   Boomers have lived longer

We also worked longer. I have worked since i was 12.   Not counting working on the farm.

Funny watching the younger generations whimper and whine.  Todays generations work less, bitch and whine more, and think they are entitled to a free ride (including college debt forgiveness). ( I paid off my student loans)

#Whimps

The caption might well read, "Where is your generation's wall?" WWI, WWII, Korean War memorials. The Vietnam memorial was largely Boomers. The Gulf War memorials were Boomer and Gen X memorials. Freedom isn't free so will there be a Gen Y or Z memorial and for what?

Not arguing the merits of any war but each generation seems to make a contribution to watering the tree of Liberty. So is Gen Z going to put up a memorial in Portland? Not a good idea.

The cry babies in this thread could fill Lake Mead with their tears.

Life's a bitch and then you die.  Doesn't matter when you were born.

Student loans should be forgiven by confiscating the endowments of universities that take government money.

I'm a millennial.  Started working at 14.

You seem too bitter to discuss this lol

Voting for Democrats to always tax and steal your wages and wreck the economy has consequences. Gen Z has no chance in hell of any future unless they get their head out of their ass and roll back "woke" and liberal government everywhere. They are quite literally planning to feed them bugs FFS. Wise Up

Someone has to invent and make the machines. Someone has to grow the food, catch the fish, cut the trees, build the buildings and put the gang bangers out cold.There will be new jobs to replace the old ones. That is the history of mankind. You can get off your ass or get run over while whining. Your choice.

What makes you think any generation was all Liberal or all Conservative?

I'm a boomer. Started mowing lawns when I was 11. First real job was in a machine shop at 13. Been working ever since. 71 and still going. You want my job you'll have to earn it. I don't give jobs to anyone.

lol, not everyone got to work for their family oil company, some of us had to become millionaires on our own.

What the fuck does that have to do with anything?


You printed, 80% of all dollars, ever made, while you were in power.


In 246 years. You printed 80% of all US currency, in give or take the last 25.

If you’re not staggered by that figure, you’re hopeless.

Great. I freely admit I’m an exception to the rule.

This allows me to look at it from an outsiders perspective. Because it doesn’t affect me. I don’t have a horse in this race. To quote some “I got mine.”

But I’m trying to sound an alarm / give advice / etc. take it or leave it.


As of right now, the direction we are going as a country,  we’re fucked. I’ll plan on leaving when it gets too bad. The generation in charge is letting people commit child abuse.

Leaving?
To where?

Anywhere that sounds good at that time.

What's your line in the sand for " when it gets too bad"?

I’ll know it when I see it. But having one political party going after leaders and supporters of another political party openly, is getting pretty close to that.

Deregulation started under Clinton.

Cool. Zoomers will have lots of rant stories to bore the shit outa' their grandkids someday.  Grandkids will just say "OK zoomer".

I'll leave it, a spoiled brat that was handed a silver platter has nothing to offer me.

Cool.

I’m one of about ~1000 STLE-CLS.

I’m an expert in my field.

I still farm.


Yet I’m a spoiled brat.

You’re right, I could of sat on my hands done nothing, life would be fine.  Instead, I know a lot about trucking, construction, let alone being an SME about lubrication.  I heavily study the global energy industry and oil commodities.

Sorry you don’t see the severity of the issue. But calling me a brat is your own projection.

The link I posted has several sources that say 32/33 for first time homebuyers and 47 for all home buyers.  National Association of Realtors, Deutsche bank, a Texas realtor group  etc.  

IIRC, you're in the trucking business?  A family firm?  How much have trucks changed?  I bet they cost a lot more due to govt. regs and consumer desire.  Housing is the same.  

The country is screwed but the cake was baked long ago.  

You were given such a special gift with your situation and you're smart/hardworking.

You'd just leave when it gets bad?

How is that different from shitting on the boomers who did nothing?

You could use your influence to help change our country more than the average Joe. We have a pretty badass little spot here in the states, it's worth fighting for.

Swing and a miss!

That is a great idea!  Probably a wrong one but I would love to see it happen....the tears would be awesome.

I do use my influence as much as possible. I’ve never gone into the details of what *I* personally do.  Or what we as a family do.  As that’s our own private thing.  There is a lot of charities in our localized area that couldn’t run, without us. We do alot that doesn’t get publicity.

The fact is, it got to this point before millennials could really vote - let alone Gen z.   And now it’s reaching terminal velocity’s. And honestly, I think it will be gone before we even realize it.

That’s my fear. It is potentially, already too far gone to even try to fight to fix it.  That’s why I said “I’ll know it when I see it.”  What happens in the coming months till the next administration is going to be very yelling if there is even an ability to “fight” for what’s left.

The Dems and woke agenda can win 100% of the races all across the country, beat the shit out of us, but by God there will be those going all John Paul Jones. They will only win temporarily.

I agree with you about where we are and we are going and mostly how we got there.  However Millenials of voting age vote at a pathetically low rate.  Want change?  Vote.  However we both know that we only get to vote for people the party selects so we are screwed anyway.

Baby Boomers ran this country into the ground and continue to do so.  They are still clinging to power with their liver spotted hands.

Generation X needs your help Millennials and Generation Z.  We need your help to out the Boomers from power. Only together can we end this Boomer nightmare.  The Boomers control everything and they are destroying everything for their own short sighted ends.  If we don't send them all packing to the retirement homes soon there will be nothing left but ash for us.  

9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, uncontrolled immigration, trade with China, and on and on all can be squarely laid at the feet of the Boomers.  Since Clinton we've been stuck with Boomers in charge, enough is enough.  The Greatest Generation could say they beat Fascism and brought down Communism.  What have the Boomers done? What is the legacy of the Boomers other than social, economic, moral, and religious decay?  

The Greatest Generation called the Baby Boomers "The Me Generation", because they knew they were selfish and we've seen that demonstrated clearly with their greedy short sighted behavior the last 30 years!  Enough is enough, time for new leadership.  Support DeSantis, it's time for Gen X to start to dig us out of the hole that the Boomers have put us in.

The "left" has always had a scapegoat.

Marx blamed the Capitalists

Russian commies blamed the Kulaks and the Bourgeoise.

The Nazis blamed the Jews.

Various other commies have blamed the Intelligentsia.  

Most of those people wound up dead or in camps.  

Boomers are the current scapegoats.  

Our problem started when people figured out that voting for Santa Claus would get them "free" stuff.  

Apprenticeship at 18 out of high school, making $100k before OT at 22, buy home at 24