I’ve officially given up on the American dream.

Hi, I’m Morgan!

One of my biggest dreams was to give my puppy-son, Dandelion, the backyard he deserves.

A woman with long curly hair and sunglasses poses on rocky terrain by a serene river with a fluffy brown dog. Greenery surrounds the river in the background

Sadly, I’ve given up on that dream at 30 years old.

Here’s why:

Since the early days of the pandemic, housing prices have absolutely skyrocketed.

By and large, the middle class has been shut out of the real estate market.

A house with a front yard is shown in two identical images. Text reads: "same house, just costs $1,033 more per month now."

But according to a recentRedfinpress release, the median house price is now $416,623.

That means a 20% downpayment comes out to $252,367!

Excluding taxes, fees, and insurance, we’re already at a monthly payment of $6,838.

A two-story suburban house with a tile roof, two garage doors, and an arched window above the entryway. Trees and shrubs surround the property

But in 2019, the average OC price was$735,500.

Home prices increased $526,333 in just five years!

There’s no hope at all for the middle class.

A man covering his face with his hands stands outside a house with a "For Sale" sign on it

People usually have the same response to aspiring first-time homebuyers in California: just move!

And that’s exactly what I did.

In 2022, my boyfriend, Dandelion, and I moved to Austin, where housing is more affordable.

Man with a hat and woman with arm tattoos and a necklace kayaking in Austin with modern buildings in the background

Turns out, I’m a big baby and miss my family way more than expected.

I grew up in OC went to school, worked, and paid taxes there.

Why don’t I get a shot at the American dream the way previous generations of OC residents did?

Graph comparing total costs of buying vs. renting over 30 years with input details for location, home price, down payment, mortgage interest rate, loan term, and monthly rent

But if I could do all that, I could probably afford a house, LOL.

So again, where does that leave the middle class?

For the most part, people who secured houses pre-COVID scored the lottery.

An older woman wearing glasses is looking at a document while sitting at a table with a laptop and flower vase. She appears focused on her work

But for the rest of us?

I’m not sure what the answer is.

A dog stands in a field filled with wildflowers, looking at the camera with its tongue out. Trees are visible in the background