Where you do live and what is considered rich?

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jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
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#1
I live in Los Angeles, and housing is very expensive. I'm fortunate to own my home with a low mortgage and a good interest rate.
However, living costs are ever increasing a 2,500 square foot home in the SouthBay area of Los Angeles County is now $2 to $2.5 million dollars to give you an idea. Rental housing is even more crazy, like a 2 bedroom apartment rent might be $3,000.

how much money do you think you all think you need to retire these days?
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,137
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#2
I live in Los Angeles, and housing is very expensive. I'm fortunate to own my home with a low mortgage and a good interest rate.
However, living costs are ever increasing a 2,500 square foot home in the SouthBay area of Los Angeles County is now $2 to $2.5 million dollars to give you an idea. Rental housing is even more crazy, like a 2 bedroom apartment rent might be $3,000.

how much money do you think you all think you need to retire these days?
Shoot... To retire? To know that for certain, I would have to know how many years I have left. Also what inflation will do during those years. And what my health will do in those years.

The best any of us can do is try to save enough and hope it lasts as long as we do.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,137
9,234
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#3
I would recommend getting out of Los Angeles though. At least when you retire. Living there in your golden years is a very tarnished brass way to live.

Come over to Tennessee when you retire. We are friendly and the cost of living is dirt cheap. Well, relatively.
 
Jul 3, 2015
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#4
I live in Los Angeles, and housing is very expensive. I'm fortunate to own my home with a low mortgage and a good interest rate.
However, living costs are ever increasing a 2,500 square foot home in the SouthBay area of Los Angeles County is now $2 to $2.5 million dollars to give you an idea. Rental housing is even more crazy, like a 2 bedroom apartment rent might be $3,000.

how much money do you think you all think you need to retire these days?
It is much the same here, though the 2.3 million dollar house would be in a suburb.

Rentals are crazy expensive here also = one bedroom apartment, at least 2K a month.
 

jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
734
422
63
#5
I would recommend getting out of Los Angeles though. At least when you retire. Living there in your golden years is a very tarnished brass way to live.

Come over to Tennessee when you retire. We are friendly and the cost of living is dirt cheap. Well, relatively.
eventually I plan to move to South America with brother who lives in Columbia. But my parents live nearby and they are in their 80s and my kids are still young so maybe after they move out of the house and are in college. That's another 8 to 10 years and my wife should be retired as well.
 
Mar 31, 2023
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Cheyenne WY
christiancommunityforum.com
#6
However, living costs are ever increasing a 2,500 square foot home in the SouthBay area of Los Angeles County is now $2 to $2.5 million dollars to give you an idea. Rental housing is even more crazy, like a 2 bedroom apartment rent might be $3,000.
I'd say the 2-2.5 million for a small home is crazier than a 2 bedroom apartment renting for $3000. Just the interest on the home loan absent insurance and basis and upkeep is more than the apartment rental. I'd take the apartment.

When I was a kid if a person had a million bucks they were considered wealthy. I figure an equivalent figure today is 30 million. Anything less than that and you may be better off than most but you're not rich. If I had 30 million dollars I wouldn't live where a tiny house costs 2.5 million. I'd find a lower cost of living area and live large and comfortably.

To retire, a few million might be enough to get me through my remaining years. I don't need to be rich, just comfortable.
 
Mar 31, 2023
1,113
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Cheyenne WY
christiancommunityforum.com
#7
eventually I plan to move to South America with brother who lives in Columbia. But my parents live nearby and they are in their 80s and my kids are still young so maybe after they move out of the house and are in college. That's another 8 to 10 years and my wife should be retired as well.
I lived in Santander del Sur, Colombia, for a couple of years, not too far from the town of Barbosa which is on the Panamerican highway. The only problem with Colombia is the rule of law being absent... but then I guess that's been lost in the USA too. Maybe we'll see a little rule of law return to the USA beginning at the end of January next year.
 

seantspence

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2023
610
255
63
Long Beach, CA
#8
Long Beach, California but I grew up in Orange County and went to high school in Villa Park, California. When I graduated high school in 2006, Villa Park had the highest earners per household in the United State. When I was born I’d consider my family rich when my grandfather was alive. Our old house in Spyglass Hills, Corona Del Mar, Newport Beach, California is now worth around 16mil. We live a lot humbler life now in comparison.
 

seantspence

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2023
610
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63
Long Beach, CA
#10
I escaped from California in 2000 and never looked back. I had planned to retire here in Colorado, but unfortunately it's becoming more like California every year.
Every time I leave California to visit another state, it’s like the weight of the world falls off me and every time I take that plane ride back, the weight of the world come right back on me. I always wanted to leave but I think God has me here for a reason, to fight the good fight. I’m willing to suffer until death if it’s God’s will for me.
 

Karlon

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2023
2,490
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#11
we live in the saratoga n.y. area. in my opinion, rich is at least $3,000,000.00 (net). we are supporting 3 houses; the 1 we mostly live in, the vacation home on the lake & a 3rd home. taxes are quite in n.y.
 

jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
734
422
63
#12
we live in the saratoga n.y. area. in my opinion, rich is at least $3,000,000.00 (net). we are supporting 3 houses; the 1 we mostly live in, the vacation home on the lake & a 3rd home. taxes are quite in n.y.

Yeah, 3 million in NYC is a lot different than 3 million in Wyoming.
 

jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
734
422
63
#13
Long Beach, California but I grew up in Orange County and went to high school in Villa Park, California. When I graduated high school in 2006, Villa Park had the highest earners per household in the United State. When I was born I’d consider my family rich when my grandfather was alive. Our old house in Spyglass Hills, Corona Del Mar, Newport Beach, California is now worth around 16mil. We live a lot humbler life now in comparison.

Why did your parents move? Newport is pinnacle of So Cal.
 

jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
734
422
63
#14
I'd say the 2-2.5 million for a small home is crazier than a 2 bedroom apartment renting for $3000. Just the interest on the home loan absent insurance and basis and upkeep is more than the apartment rental. I'd take the apartment.

When I was a kid if a person had a million bucks they were considered wealthy. I figure an equivalent figure today is 30 million. Anything less than that and you may be better off than most but you're not rich. If I had 30 million dollars I wouldn't live where a tiny house costs 2.5 million. I'd find a lower cost of living area and live large and comfortably.

To retire, a few million might be enough to get me through my remaining years. I don't need to be rich, just comfortable.

Huge difference in the median vs average due to high net worth individuals.
 

Attachments

Aug 3, 2023
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Long Beach, CA
#15
Why did your parents move? Newport is pinnacle of So Cal.
My grandfather owned the house. As he got older, we moved to Laguna Niguel with him, then Irvine my parents divorced. My mom, sister and I moved to the city of Orange to an apartment and my grandpa, dad and his new wife moved to an apartment in Aliso Viejo. My dad still lives in Aliso Viejo in an apartment with his wife and now kids, and my mother, myself and my youngest half brother inherited my great grandmothers house in Long Beach, CA. So instead of climbing my way to the top like my grandfather did, i basically worked on a bunch of meaningless art projects and God chose me as a child of His. My dad believes aliens created everything and I don’t know what my mom believes anymore. She used to read the bible. My sister is a Christian and is married and has a baby. My youngest half brother just turned 17 and he does what a lot of kids do his age, which is stream live on twitch or YouTube. He doesn’t want me to talk to him about God or Jesus anymore. So I’m just letting him figure out his life. He use to be such a cute and happy kid only a few years ago it seemed. Not sure where things went wrong.
 

jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
734
422
63
#16
My grandfather owned the house. As he got older, we moved to Laguna Niguel with him, then Irvine my parents divorced. My mom, sister and I moved to the city of Orange to an apartment and my grandpa, dad and his new wife moved to an apartment in Aliso Viejo. My dad still lives in Aliso Viejo in an apartment with his wife and now kids, and my mother, myself and my youngest half brother inherited my great grandmothers house in Long Beach, CA. So instead of climbing my way to the top like my grandfather did, i basically worked on a bunch of meaningless art projects and God chose me as a child of His. My dad believes aliens created everything and I don’t know what my mom believes anymore. She used to read the bible. My sister is a Christian and is married and has a baby. My youngest half brother just turned 17 and he does what a lot of kids do his age, which is stream live on twitch or YouTube. He doesn’t want me to talk to him about God or Jesus anymore. So I’m just letting him figure out his life. He use to be such a cute and happy kid only a few years ago it seemed. Not sure where things went wrong.
Just keep praying for your family, that’s all you can do, but the most best thing you can do is to show them. You’re happy in Christ if that’s possible.
 
Aug 3, 2023
610
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Long Beach, CA
#17
Just keep praying for your family, that’s all you can do, but the most best thing you can do is to show them. You’re happy in Christ if that’s possible.
if you knew how I lived, you would consider me an infidel. I wake up, come on here. Usually I listen to pray.com, sometimes I’ll listen to the Bible. Listened from 1 Peter to revelation the other day. I’ll watch sermons throughout the week, including my churches sermon on Sunday’s. My whole life is just consuming Christian media. I lay in bed all day and do this every day. i thought maybe someone would reach out to me. i don’t mean to sound like a victim. I just never thought my life would be like this.

When I was younger, I imagined myself married at 30 with a house and kids. I know God Is in control and things change all the time but currently I’m in transition from weaning off anti psychotic medication and tonight the dose goes down by one third. Good news is I’m working with a Great nurse practitioner who is helping me with this transition to a medication with much lesser side effects. Was at 7mg a few weeks ago and tonight I’ll be on 2mg. Next wednesday, I’ll be on 1mg and so on and so forth. Just looking forward to getting on the newer medication so I can live life again.

I know God does things for our good. So I’m looking forward to life once this process is over with.

Thank you for praying.