Of course you kept hte caveat of MOST in there, but the average Single Family house in Loudoun county Virginia is $530K+. That is a distant subburb of DC and the Dulles Tech corridor. Sure, I could find a house for $300K if I wanted to, but my neighbors would have cars up on blocks in their front yards while cramming 10+ people per house. $300K would get you three TINY bedrooms with 2 tiny bathrooms(two people couldn't turn around in the same bathroom together without hitting each other), and you'd have to park on the street. Last time I checked, the avarge salary in Loudoun county was NOT $250K. Heck, not even close to $150K.
Also, good luck finding an apartment for under $1500 a month, that's even on the intersection of Crack Blvd and Heroin Way. Not easy to save a ton of coin, especially for a young family. But I guess in your mind, no one should have kids until they are at least 35 YO.
Please, stop this nonsense. I lived in the most expensive housing market in the country at the Time... Silicon Valley in 2000! Even in that insanely overpriced market I found properties in nice neighborhoods at well under median price, they needed work, but the amount they needed was nowhere near the equity stake! I am so sick of you don't understand what its like... I do, I've been there! I've seen it!... ain't nothing in DC area that didn't exist in Silicon Valley in 2000. Studio APARTMENTS were 2000 a pop there!
You always have the option to MOVE if you think housing is too expensive where you live! No one forces you to live ANYWHERE... you choose to live in an overpriced market, you are the one making that decision. MOVE! This is america... find a job in a market where reality still exists.
You aren't a flipping victim... just unwilling to do what it takes.
thank you for introducing reality into this thread.
If you look for reasons to fail, you'll find them. Think about it.