🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <p6bj3v88oujtjijcaqonpi283qg2v0963s@4ax.com>, Scott in Aztlan 
wrote in part:
>
>You missed the point entirely. A house is an INVESTMENT - it will
>APPRECIATE in value. In areas like Irvine, it willappreciate at 20% or
>more per year.
<SNIP>
>Bottom line: buy the house first, *then* buy the nice car. Doing the
>reverse is just effing stupid.

  Real estate will not spend decades on end giving double-digit annual 
rate of return.  The stock market will do a little better, although bonds 
and certificates of deposit probably wpn't.  If you don't need a lot of 
space, rent an apartment.  If you need more space or have some need to be 
free of landlords, then buy a house - a house will be more economical than 
a 3-bedroom apartment unless you can't keep up a house.
  As for the car - get a cheap car such as an early 90's Olds Cutlass 
Ciera or Delta 88 or similar Buick and put your savings (vs. a more 
expensive car) into a total stock market index mutual fund such as 
Vanguard "Index Total".  An early-mid 90's Olds Delta 88 LSS is a car that
few should be ashamed to drive and which costs CHEAP!  If I had to pay for 
a house in Silicon Valley, I would buy no more expensive a car!  Even bike 
2 hours each way in 40 degree rain before going into debt for a Mercedes!

 - Don Klipstein (don@misty.com)