I do not know where you live but I know SE PA and SW Florida and the average home in just short of 300,000.

Col,

As to being the "idiot", I may not be the sharpest apple in the barrel, but I DO know the definition of the word "average". And I know that if the "average" home is just short of $300,000, I can probably get something cheaper, if I look hard enough.

My wife and I live on one income. And we raise five children on it, Col. So apparently, we are "idiots" because we're too stupid to know our wage isn't actually a LIVING wage and haven't dropped dead yet to comply!

I think we pay too much in taxes for what we are getting in return.

I think we pay too much in taxes for what we are getting in return.

I think we pay WAY too much in taxes, period. The reason for such a poor rate of return is that taxes are simply government led pyramid schemes. They have to pay people at various levels to distribute the money.

When I managed group homes for the developmentally disabled, I sat down one day and figured that, up to the county level, every person in the group home was at least partially responsible for the employment of 8-10 people. That's just plain NUTS!

I believe you must be talking building a house? Because otherwise there are so many variables. We have a 2,000 or so sq foot house with 11 acres and it's in the range of much more than $200,000.

At 11 acres you're paying for the house and the land.  Most houses are on a 100 x 100 lot. That's in feet.

Most houses are on a 100 x 100 lot.

Actually, that's a sizable lot, Brad. Most of the "regular" lots around here are 30x125.

Mine is a "whopping" two double lots, slightly larger than 100 x 100. But a lot of homes are built on MUCH smaller lots.

Col Gene:

The average house price in the US is not $300,000. That's crazy.  As others have linked to, there are sites that will tell you the average price.

Moreover, even a $260k mortage at 5.9% interest is a $1,500 payment:

http://client.aavirtualoffice.com/calculators/Mortage-Results.asp

Mortgage calculators are easy to find.  You will have a hard time making the case that the average American today isn't far better off than the average American in 1941. 

We don't NEED two peple to work.  We WANT to pepole to work so that we can afford all the goodies out there that weren't available in 1941 (DVD players, computers, fancy laundy machines, dishwashers, much larger houses, 2 cars, televisions, cable, Internet, etc. etc. etc.).   You also ignore the fact that many women simply want to work.  We live in an age where laundry and food preparation don't involve hours of work per day. There's a lot more time available and many women are choosing to go to the work place. I say good for them.

The reason for such a poor rate of return is that taxes are simply government led pyramid schemes. They have to pay people at various levels to distribute the money. - Gideon

I'm certain that is part of the problem but I really think the major issue is that our government spends our money on things average citizens don't see a return on.

Such as Military Spending. It's debated we are currently spending a little over 60% of our budget on military spending alone.

Keep in mind that this spending doesn't simply include the projected 20% shown in the latest 2007 budget for new spending. This includes past debt acquired from wars we're still paying for (thanks McNamara), the costs for veteran's benefits, and the interest added to our federal deficet by these costs.

Now, if I came to your house, and asked you to please give me things from your home you thought I needed in exchange for my one hundred dollars, I'd probably first receive some food, then maybe some medical supplies - like band-aids and antiseptic, clothing, maybe a radio, maybe tools for a job I could do or some books I could learn from.

Now when I go to 'Uncle Sam's' house, according to today's budget, I might get a small sampling of some of those things I received at your home, but the increments of all those items would be slashed by half and replaced by bullets, grenades, the people to use them, the cost of repairing those people, replacing those people, maintaining their equipment, research of new weapons, rebuilding other countries after destroying them, etc. etc. . Then I would be informed by Uncle Sam that I was suddenly so far in to debt because I took out an involuntary loan to pay for the military goods and services I don't think I really need that my children and their children would pay the interest on it for decades to come.

You see my point Gideon? I'm not seeing a fair return on my tax money that benefits me.

drmiler I do not know where you live but I know SE PA and SW Florida and the average home in just short of 300,000. In areas where the averages may be lower so are the wages. My point remains correct-- The cost of housing and cars has increased far more then the average wage and is the principal reason why it takes TWO WAGES to live. You are just about the biggest idiot I have ever come across!

Well lets start with I live in SW PA! I guess you didn't bother looking at the links I posted. They are "WELL ABOVE" average no matter where you live. And just for you and to further prove you wrong, below is a link for an average home in a "upscale" SW FLA area. As you can see it falls below your supposed 300K mark.

Link

BTW....I'm the idiot? I and others here have given you information that "DIRECTLY" refutes your points! Yet according to YOU, "I'm" the idiot.

Most houses are on a 100 x 100 lot

Most of the "regular" lots around here are 30x125.

wow. That's too close for me. Every place we've ever lived the land was measured by acres not feet and this is since I was a kid!! But then again, our biggest city is small in comparison to the rest of the country. That's how I like it.

I actually do all the bookkeeping for three RE (Century 21) Offices paying all their commissions. I rarely see homes over 300K . Most that I see fall under that with an occasional one over that price. I will talk to the owner of these companies and get his take. I also coach with another owner of a RE office (Remax) and he says anything over $300,000 is hard to sell. I think it's between $300-500K that's hard. Over and under those amounts are easier to sell at least around here.

Most of the "regular" lots around here are 30x125. wow. That's too close for me. Every place we've ever lived the land was measured by acres not feet and this is since I was a kid!! But then again, our biggest city is small in comparison to the rest of the country. That's how I like it. I actually do all the bookkeeping for three RE (Century 21) Offices paying all their commissions. I rarely see homes over 300K . Most that I see fall under that with an occasional one over that price. I will talk to the owner of these companies and get his take. I also coach with another owner of a RE office (Remax) and he says anything over $300,000 is hard to sell. I think it's between $300-500K that's hard. Over and under those amounts are easier to sell at least around here.

Now I "will" say this....in southern CA (San Diego), 300K is about the norm. But that is just CA.

I'm certain that is part of the problem but I really think the major issue is that our government spends our money on things average citizens don't see a return on. Such as Military Spending. It's debated we are currently spending a little over 60% of our budget on military spending alone.

What are you talking about? We spend about 15% of our budget on the military.  The most generous way to look at it is 30% of our budget if you remove social security spending (which I think should count as our budget).

The job of the FEDERAL government is spelled out in the constitution.  Defense is its primary purpose.

Social security, medicaid, medicare are things that are sheer re-distribution of wealth.

drmiler I do not know where you live but I know SE PA and SW Florida and the average home in just short of 300,000. In areas where the averages may be lower so are the wages. My point remains correct-- The cost of housing and cars has increased far more then the average wage and is the principal reason why it takes TWO WAGES to live. You are just about the biggest idiot I have ever come across! Well lets start with I live in SW PA! I guess you didn't bother looking at the links I posted. They are "WELL ABOVE" average no matter where you live. And just for you and to further prove you wrong, below is a link for an average home in a "upscale" SW FLA area. As you can see it falls below your supposed 300K mark. Link BTW....I'm the idiot? I and others here have given you information that "DIRECTLY" refutes your points! Yet according to YOU, "I'm" the idiot.

What's the matter Klink? Cat got your tounge? Or have you once again cut and run when it's shown that you are wrong?

Where your taxes go.

Hey Col, just some more info to prove you wrong! Average price in the US for homes runs between 225K to 245K...so chew on that for awhile!


Link

The pie chart below is the government view of the budget. This is a distortion of how our income tax dollars are spent because it includes Trust Funds (e.g., Social Security), and the expenses of past military spending are not distinguished from nonmilitary spending. For a more accurate representation of how your Federal income tax dollar is really spent, see the large chart (above).



That's what I'm talking about, Draginol.

FY 2007 Pie Charts provided by War Resistors League and New York Times Feb 7, 2005.