Just like the post above. I love going around to look at model homes. Its just fun. Will I pay $800k for a home? Actually let me rephrase. Can I afford $800k on a new home? NOPE! and I make $155k a year and currently renting.

Not trying to rain on your parade, but… $155k isn't exactly what I would consider "f u" money these days.  Especially if you factor in taxes takes probably 30-40% if your on W-2s. Considering new tech grads are seeing $70-80k while when I started it was closer to $40k. Inflation plus high taxes on W-2's will kill you.  But even so, you should be able to afford "a place" (possibly not a $800k), depending on your age and savings/investment. I guess the reason thing is it comes down to choice.

I've been working for 11 years and as an old fart, I'm really not counting on my salary going up much further:.  I've moved in and out of management positions, and got back to the basics of what I enjoy doing which is just doing tech stuff… I'm netting about $120k base with a roughly 20% bonus each year, which probably is on the low side of things, but I've stopped arguing over 1-2% raise increases if it meant that I wouldn't have to kill myself working 60hrs. Fortunately, being and old fart with a wife that also work and both  conservative in our spending habits have helped tremendously.  I only wish I had not participated in the dot com bust stock market. That really set back my retirement by about 10 years. Oh well, you live and learn. Maybe I can ask Congress for a bailout. Oh wait, the real problem was that I was stupid for participating in a "irrational exuerbance". The good news is that I have Lifetime Captial Losses Carryover 🙂