What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about money? nostr:note16lntx56c9q2l2s6xtzr7vepxke7477pc0etv5whvqld29hxwsx0qva3ycg
Discussion
Travel AF. I'd so eat every delicious thing in every prefecture of Japan.
After that I guess I'd use my money to try to solve something like affordable housing.
U?
Where would you like to go besides Japan?
I would love to see the whole world. I have the goal of visiting every exchange student my family has hosted in their home countries by 2032. I do like having a home base though. Even if it’s a sailboat and I’m circumnavigating the globe. Wouldn’t mind having a little beach cottage, and owning a bookstore/cafe “Biblioholic’s Bite” within walking distance. My dog would love to be a shop dog. She’d be less stoked to live aboard a sailboat.
South Korea, and I think I'd probably list my itinerary based on how different the destination country to USA. At a glance Asian countries feel the most different overall. Also as someone who moved to another country I can say most touristic timelines are very limited to actually properly experience a country. You can't say you've experienced a country w/o having experienced how day to day life works for a citizen, not a tourist, which's quite different. Like being familiarized w/ all of their grocery stores for example, IMO, the kind of things that take time to internalize the country.
I was so jealous of a family that was posted to South Korea when I was a kid. I so wanted to go. I like slow travel as well. Not typically a fan of touristy areas.
Which regional YouTubers do you follow if any? For Japan I follow Abroad in Japan, for Korea, mostly Cari Cakes.
https://nostr.build/av/a072b226df22aa2a1c812f0ffa6c584449426e7b40444e2f32bbe1a709298a9a.mp4
Not currently following any regional YouTube accounts.
I’ve seen some affordable housing solutions that just really muck things up. I have lots of thoughts on the topic. If I start it might be an hour+ diatribe. But if someone really wanted to put their money where their mouth is they would have to be an innovative developer and increase supply in markets where there is an affordability crisis.
Oh I'm definitely not talking about kind of solutions like cramming people into shipping container houses that're very inefficient to convert. Just good old multi story apartments that're not being built partly because of the single family housing zones and etc. Definitely a lengthily topic. I know examples of much much poorer countries doing it, having abundant housing development, so I know it's quite within reach of USA to do it as well w/ policy changes.
You’re right policy changes are needed.
I’m a fan of mixed use neighborhoods, use conversion of existing buildings and building infill instead of cities consistently expanding outwards. I also think economically diverse neighborhoods benefit society as a whole. There are cities that have accomplished this better than others.
I cringe at bulldozed acres and planned communities with look alike houses and nary a mature tree in sight. It is possible to build communities without clear cutting and using the same 2-3 house plans.
I think there is an affordability crisis because the banks have promoted to base concepts. One, housing is an investment in personal wealth, and two, that increase in personal wealth is proportional to the market value of your property. The 30 year mortgage is the worst thing thing that ever happened to personal wealth, and housing can be an investment practically only if the investment is a second property where the first is owned entirely. The market value of your primary residence is of little consequence because that value cannot be practically realized. You need a place to live, and few people go from a mansion to a shack to capitalize on the sale/purchase difference.
The 30 year mortgage makes sense in a specific practical use case. You buy a starter home, then use the equity from that property to transition to a larger family home, once empty nesters you transition back to a smaller home and use the equity you built over the years to help fund your retirement or have a home you own in it’s entirety. This assumes that you had a fixed rate mortgage and property values continued to rise over the years.
Pushing one size fits all financial advice is problematic. As is assuming that everyone wants the same life.
It would be nice if it had worked that way. Realistically the the plentiful large amounts of money created a market for overpriced housing, each level buying to the extent their credit and circumstance would allow. This made all of the housing unaffordable for wage earners who don’t want to opt for a mortgage and unreasonable for everyone else, unless you are a fool betting on perpetual growth, and even if that growth continues, what is it fueled by? The evidence for my case is the increasing number of lower middle class people living as tenants, and working class joining the ranks of people raising families in automobiles or tents. I don’t blame the stupid people, I blame the banks for unscrupulous lending practices. The 30 year mortgage is necessary unfortunately, but that necessity doesn’t make it a good idea. Eventually the housing market will price enough people out, making them homeless and they will forcibly take properties over. It’s already happening in poorer metropolitan areas like Detroit.
The problem of housing costs outpacing wage growth is a real concern.
Detroit had a lot of flight from the city into the suburbs. Issues with the automobile industry affecting the economic health of the city. Houses were abandoned because no buyers existed. Having people return, fix up houses and do urban infill is beneficial for the city. Detroit is a perfect example of the dangers of being a one industry economy. Poor policy choices bringing a city to the utter brink. San Francisco should take note of what not to do.
Interesting perspective. I’m not talking about having people return and fix up houses. I’m talking about people returning and squatting in houses they cannot afford to rent or buy. You honestly think that issues with automobile industrials caused the housing collapse? GM received government cheese to right their boat, have you checked Ford stock lately? Corporations and their profit margins along with cheap global labor are to blame. AI and automated manufacturing are going to make this measurably worse. What is the answer? UBI? Depopulation? We can’t all be royalty, princess. I can’t help but see your opinions as a rendition of “if the peasants can’t afford bread, let them eat cake. “
Far from a princess. I was speaking specifically about the situation in Detroit, the causes of which go back to the 1960’s. The housing crisis did have an effect on Detroit. From my understanding it was more like a layer of snow on a snowball that had been rolling downhill for quite some time.
Lol. Just a good natured jab. I’m concerned that there are lots of snowballs all starting to roll downhill. Great analogy. I travel extensively in the US and I see the socioeconomic ladder eroding from the bottom up. I know there are few easy answers if any at all, but every conversation is a little piece of the big picture. I appreciate our dialogue.
I too see a lot of snowballs rolling downhill and have for some time.
I’m willing to go into more detail on contributing factors in Detroit if you’d like. I don’t feel like taking the time to go down that rabbit hole if you’re not interested.
I am interested. I think the mode of failure can always be discerned with in depth analysis. Let’s take a trip down the Detroit rabbit hole. 🐇
I was writing a very long post. Went to double check a fact and fell down a rabbit hole of conflicting facts and timelines that need reconciling to have a chance of coming up with a cohesive timeline. Ah history.
I will quickly say everyone can agree that the exodus of the white middle class from Detroit to the suburbs in the 1960’s that was hastened even more by the 1967 riots was the inflection point of Detroit’s downward spiral. But trying to unravel where the snowball started keeps leading me further back in time.
My power has gone out due to bad storms. So this will have to wait until I don’t need to conserve power on my devices.
I think the practical necessity of the 30 year mortgage is exactly that: pushing one size fits all financial instruments. Everyone needs housing.
I hit that marker a decade ago, moved to the Caribbean and nearly ended up dead via suicide because of deep clinical depression. My answer? Move back to the US and go back to work! I’ll likely never retire. If you have a project you’re passionate about and need help let me know. I’m always looking for meaningful pursuits.
People don’t realize how important a pursuit and purpose is for one’s psyche. So many also use the structure of work to build a routine for themselves and structure their social interactions. I’m currently just focused on recovering from surgery and physical therapy. Getting back to being a fully functional or at least mostly functional human again. All my other goals and ambitions are simmering on the back burner for now.
So true. I hope you make a full recovery, it’s always sobering to have a health related setback. For me, it always leads to re-evaluation of how I’m spending my time.
I found the tornado coming straight for me earlier this year to cause much more sobering reflection. I’m not feeling particularly chill at this moment to be in another storm with the power off again.
I’ve never been through a tornado. I hope you have a storm shelter?
No. Best option is a bathroom under the stairs. We’re fine on my end of the street. The other end is a disaster zone. I’ve been around tornados. This is the first one that ever got close to my house.
Pretty scary. Forces of nature, floods, volcanos, hurricanes, tornados. Terrifying. I hope it works out for you and you stay safe.
Looks like it’s just a regular thunderstorm tonight. The tornado was back on March 31st and it uprooted a lot of our utility poles and infrastructure in the neighborhood. So I think the power just went out a little easier because of that.
I’m curious about your experience of moving to the Caribbean, depression, moving back to the states to work. Does your current work give you purpose?
Sure. I’m a blue collar guy, bought into Bitcoin early and overnight I had no debt and became a multi-millionaire. The dream had always been to retire from work so we suddenly had the means and moved to a tropical paradise. I thought it would be ok, even enjoyable but having no purpose was difficult for me. Alcohol was cheap and it’s my preferred medication so why not? My wife saved my life, got us out of there and I realized that being adrift at sea in a boat with no bearing is not fulfilling. Returning to the US I used financial leverage to work in an industry I prefer and have the privilege of crafting my pursuits. It’s interesting, I think I’d really enjoy assisting people with challenging situations, but finding those people who are genuinely trying to help themselves, and who will continue to elevate their lives on opportunity are difficult to find.
Do you mind if I ask what industry you’re in now?
I think a charitable heart takes a bit of faith. Also what are your parameters for continues to elevate their lives on opportunity?
Construction, heavy equipment, and transportation. We’re in the process of pivoting to small scale farming and homesteading. It’s been an adventure, ultimately I’d like to have a line of value added products made largely from farm produced resources. Like anything else, it’s effortful working through regulatory briar patches while still staying true to the grass root ideals.
Regarding assisting people, what I look for are people at 100% effort who just can’t quite get on the sustainable side of the resource curve. Sometimes it’s a car that keeps breaking that they can’t afford to replace. It’s finding those few things that will allow them to move forward. It takes time, and a lot of knowledge about the circumstance and honesty. So many interactions between people these days are curated. It’s difficult to know real people well enough to really be helpful.
Coincidentally I just found out a friend is in escrow on her new goat farm. Same herd she’s just having to move to a different state for her husband’s job.
Finding people like that to help is difficult because they’re likely proud with an independent streak. I know I struggle to ask for help from my family and closest friends. Then apologize profusely while receiving help. Even though I know how wonderful it can feel to be helpful.
I agree with you, I’m fiercely independent myself. It’s a dance really. Often people are unable to identify the pivotal items in their own life, but trying to help without asking and having acceptance is in my experience often more harmful than helpful. I’m sure outsider perspective would make some priorities clear in my life, but close knit community is so difficult to build these days, and trustworthy people seem to be becoming more rare. I think scarcity is driving this.
Community building is definitely a learned skill. I feel like I’ve met too many people that think a community just magically springs up around you. Not realizing all relationships take an amount of work to thrive. It’s a bit like expecting a garden to thrive without doing any planting, weeding, or watering.
Ahh interesting!! “but trying to help without asking and having acceptance is in my experience often more harmful than helpful” Could u expand on this. I dont quite fully understand this. can u break it down for me and explain so i can have a better and deeper understanding. Thanks! 🤞🏻🙏🏻
The way I think about this is that the circumstances people are in usually stem from a legacy of decision making that has led them to their current conclusions. It’s nearly impossible to alter people’s decision making protocol in my experience. I could give an indigent person a million and within ten years most would be flat broke again. I’m looking for the person making solid decisions, but who has just either not gotten the momentum to beat the income to expense curve or had had an unfortunate event or two that are critical to their success. Second, sometimes a person I might see as living a suboptimal lifestyle is perfectly at home with the way they are living. I’m sure some billionaires would perceive my lifestyle as nothing but bad decisions and trash, and perhaps offer help, for my part I’d reject their criticism and their help. I’m happy with my path, and so are many people I may see as needing help so it’s always good to ask and get acceptance when you see an opportunity to help.
Love that!!!! Yeah ultimately everyone does have their own unique journey in this world and alot of times really successful people like George Holtz says “the best advice is to not take any” especially if its from people u DONT want to end up like. It is always good to hear all perspectives tho so you can learn and apply new aspects to your life. u seem like a interesting person nostr:npub14eng8plhflea40cu3lafnw6nwkxsp5te2v7hzy74lz6a9mjhpaks0wm4rw ! id love to chat more brother!
nostr:npub17x7htjej3hgcqwqj86u9yvpcunhw6nz4zclzph2zfnlwe4v0yp8qrxvgap U cool af too! 🖤🖤
nostr:npub1885tphy6fnjxwevlvx4lgkum0pusp4k5u5khthgq844fx8u6f4js3rx4nv you got this whole thread rolling in the first place. All the 💜💜💜
Yall are the best! Appreciate the insight! i just turned 24 and am doing the whole figuring out life thing so its very reassuring to head people with experience on Nostr talk about whats actually important in this reality. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🫡🫡🖤🖤
i think id just be making passion filmmaking projects and giving back to people who are less fortunate. Id also like to think id just smoke weed and climb trees all day xD
Any projects on your slate right now that you’re trying to get made?
nothing that im working on directly rn in terms of just fun passion projects :/ i kinda just been working and researching on projects and things thatll bring in the fiat xD #FiatFarming