The Evolution of Developer Salaries: Looking Back 20 Years
Question: Should I be struggling to afford a 1000 sq ft house and maintain it? I want to get a bigger house but it feels like I’m getting priced out of the market right now. Fortunately I already have this small home which I used a loan from my retirement to put the 5% down payment on, paid off the loan and refinanced a couple of times, so I’m not struggling to pay for that, but it’s nowhere near big enough for my partner and I to both work remotely. It’s not in a super trendy area or new, actually near a bunch of seedy motels and pawn shops. I’m taking off work and crawling under my house to fix the furnace so I don’t blow through my savings. I don’t go out to eat often or much more than the occasional fast food or take extravagant vacations, usually just road trips to visit family or national parks. I have spent some money on replacing appliances and remodeling, but nowhere near a down payment on another house. I only bought this place because I was living in someone’s attic and it was getting old. I’ve been dev for 8 years, have always gotten stellar performance reviews, manage people, and get bonuses. Just feels off to me. Everyone else I know doing well has some kind of side hustle like managing properties. I myself was freelancing the past year in my free time trying to make some extra cash. True I’m doing better than many people and I am saving for my retirement, but it seems like a dev salary in this day and age should at least buy you a decent house. Everyone I know got a down payment from their parents. Is this normal? Where’s the money at?