I was just discussing this topic today with my son, who’s 22. We were talking about mortgage brokers, and he said he know several people in that field in OC that have been hurting as of late. For about a five year period they were hot, making from 200K to 600K per year. Yes, per year. You know what they have to show for it today? Zip. Nada. I think a lot of people, not just ex mortgage people, typifiy the addage “the more you make, the more you spend”. Now, on the opposite end, take my daughter, 26, working as an accountant in Irvine, makes 55K per year, lives with her boyfriend who works at Cingular selling cellphones, making 80K. Combined, that’s 135K per year. Not bad for mid twenties. They rent, and listening to my advice, are saving a good chunk of their monthly for when the time is right to buy a house. So there are a few smart ones out there, but you have to dig deep.