Investment and Financial Discussion

[Prabhas]

That is exactly what I was driving the point to with the highlighted text in my previous post. With 5 years experience every one should directly qualify for Eb2.
What is the point in having an Eb3 lane where people use up the spots. Why even need a separate application?

A combined list of 80080 for both EB2 and 3, or if we want to include Eb1 also a combined availability of 120120.

Anyways as you mentioned, this is my closing argument on this specific topic.

Ace, I love reading your posts..Sportsfan was one old-timer who had a similar enthusiasm as you, with posts crisp and sometimes debatable. I truly miss his posts these days...So to lighten up everyone and move forward with our predictions...Here is an interesting experience with my own immigration situation.. I applied for F1 visa back in 2001 and you know the turmoil this country went through back then and in the scheme of things my visa got rejected 6 times. I didnt look further as my goal was to graduate from an international college, so moved to UK completed my MS, got a job with an Indian company. Worked with them for 3yrs who moved me back to India. One of my friend who took a loan from me, applied for my H1-B instead of paying back. His lucky hand helped me get a H1-B petition in 2006 quota and this time I got my Visa approved as well.. .Friends back home nicnamed me the Mohammed Ghajini for this feat...:))

Now when I was working for this global Indian in the UK and in India...I had a very good friend who worked with me on the same projects. I was the lead and was supposed to carry the team to Argentina but my H1-B approval made shifts in my life after...I moved to the USA, landed on a good contract in 2007 and never looked backed...In the mist of things my labor went into hold in 2008 and then markets crashed and ended up reapplying for labor again in July-2010 EB2. I very well knew that immigration is a mess (given my experience in UK) and always wanted to get in the line asap. Time was not on my side... Fast Forward...I was still living my happy lifestyle hoping for my GC in 4-5yrs as per the timelines back then... Meanwhile in the year 2012 I got a phone call from an unknown number and it was my old friend from my old company who said he came to US some six months ago.. I was happy for him and started reminiscing our good old times and our topic went to GC. I excitingly said this whole process is a mess and that he should get in the line immediately...With a relaxing tone he replied back and said I got my GC month ago in EB1C category... LOLLL

This could have have very well been me. He walked the same walk as me, worked in the UK, India, Argentina which makes it a solid case for EB1C and all you need is a sponsor to make it to the end... He is a citizen now...while I am still waiting with 'Mera Number Kab Aayega board hanging on me'. Such is destiny... We squabble, wobble, try to do the things the right way, switch from one lane to another (legally) all in hopes to get out of this mess...for a better tomorrow..

Would love see your predictions and wish you all the very best!! Happy Greening....

V

[android09]

Ace, I love reading your posts..Sportsfan was one old-timer who had a similar enthusiasm as you, with posts crisp and sometimes debatable. I truly miss his posts these days...So to lighten up everyone and move forward with our predictions...Here is an interesting experience with my own immigration situation.. I applied for F1 visa back in 2001 and you know the turmoil this country went through back then and in the scheme of things my visa got rejected 6 times. I didnt look further as my goal was to graduate from an international college, so moved to UK completed my MS, got a job with an Indian company. Worked with them for 3yrs who moved me back to India. One of my friend who took a loan from me, applied for my H1-B instead of paying back. His lucky hand helped me get a H1-B petition in 2006 quota and this time I got my Visa approved as well.. .Friends back home nicnamed me the Mohammed Ghajini for this feat...:))

Now when I was working for this global Indian in the UK and in India...I had a very good friend who worked with me on the same projects. I was the lead and was supposed to carry the team to Argentina but my H1-B approval made shifts in my life after...I moved to the USA, landed on a good contract in 2007 and never looked backed...In the mist of things my labor went into hold in 2008 and then markets crashed and ended up reapplying for labor again in July-2010 EB2. I very well knew that immigration is a mess (given my experience in UK) and always wanted to get in the line asap. Time was not on my side... Fast Forward...I was still living my happy lifestyle hoping for my GC in 4-5yrs as per the timelines back then... Meanwhile in the year 2012 I got a phone call from an unknown number and it was my old friend from my old company who said he came to US some six months ago.. I was happy for him and started reminiscing our good old times and our topic went to GC. I excitingly said this whole process is a mess and that he should get in the line immediately...With a relaxing tone he replied back and said I got my GC month ago in EB1C category... LOLLL

This could have have very well been me. He walked the same walk as me, worked in the UK, India, Argentina which makes it a solid case for EB1C and all you need is a sponsor to make it to the end... He is a citizen now...while I am still waiting with 'Mera Number Kab Aayega board hanging on me'. Such is destiny... We squabble, wobble, try to do the things the right way, switch from one lane to another (legally) all in hopes to get out of this mess...for a better tomorrow..

Would love see your predictions and wish you all the very best!! Happy Greening....

V

The one thing I'd like to tell people is to never equate success with a green card or immigration process. Yeah, sure someone may have gotten a green card before us and we've been here for much longer and paid much more in taxes but we've also imbibed more of this land and our experiences shape our viewpoints and vantage much, much more. I for one, have taken every opportunity that has come my way, earned & sought every opportunities and made my way through 2 Masters programs and 1 top notch Business Program here in the US, switched multiple jobs and have done my PERM 3 times already. I see friends who came 3 years ago and get an EB1C but tell me they have no where to go but stay in the companies that got them the EB1C. They also stick to the same kind of people who are in their boat. That may be specific to them and not a true rationalization of the EB1C crowd in general but that's been my experience. If they got the green card ahead of me, good for them. Best wishes. No complaints at all.

[AceMan]

Ace, I love reading your posts..Sportsfan was one old-timer who had a similar enthusiasm as you, with posts crisp and sometimes debatable. I truly miss his posts these days...So to lighten up everyone and move forward with our predictions...Here is an interesting experience with my own immigration situation.. I applied for F1 visa back in 2001 and you know the turmoil this country went through back then and in the scheme of things my visa got rejected 6 times. I didnt look further as my goal was to graduate from an international college, so moved to UK completed my MS, got a job with an Indian company. Worked with them for 3yrs who moved me back to India. One of my friend who took a loan from me, applied for my H1-B instead of paying back. His lucky hand helped me get a H1-B petition in 2006 quota and this time I got my Visa approved as well.. .Friends back home nicnamed me the Mohammed Ghajini for this feat...:))

Now when I was working for this global Indian in the UK and in India...I had a very good friend who worked with me on the same projects. I was the lead and was supposed to carry the team to Argentina but my H1-B approval made shifts in my life after...I moved to the USA, landed on a good contract in 2007 and never looked backed...In the mist of things my labor went into hold in 2008 and then markets crashed and ended up reapplying for labor again in July-2010 EB2. I very well knew that immigration is a mess (given my experience in UK) and always wanted to get in the line asap. Time was not on my side... Fast Forward...I was still living my happy lifestyle hoping for my GC in 4-5yrs as per the timelines back then... Meanwhile in the year 2012 I got a phone call from an unknown number and it was my old friend from my old company who said he came to US some six months ago.. I was happy for him and started reminiscing our good old times and our topic went to GC. I excitingly said this whole process is a mess and that he should get in the line immediately...With a relaxing tone he replied back and said I got my GC month ago in EB1C category... LOLLL

This could have have very well been me. He walked the same walk as me, worked in the UK, India, Argentina which makes it a solid case for EB1C and all you need is a sponsor to make it to the end... He is a citizen now...while I am still waiting with 'Mera Number Kab Aayega board hanging on me'. Such is destiny... We squabble, wobble, try to do the things the right way, switch from one lane to another (legally) all in hopes to get out of this mess...for a better tomorrow..

Would love see your predictions and wish you all the very best!! Happy Greening....

V

I never got the logic of why people are upset at EB1C getting their GC quicker. In fact the time lines taken for EB1 should be the timelines we should have for EB2 and Eb3. I don't want another person after me to wait for 10 years. Having said that, I can safely say that waiting for my GC made me determined to focus on the work front much more than a person who had a GC (safe net).

I was coming from the generation where people were buying multiple flats in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kerala etc.. if they are from south. While many others invested in Pune and Mumbai, some in Ahmedabad and Gurugaoh. What I am saying is IT boom in India resulted in the massive upliftment in real estate from 2000's. So the focus of 2000's IT generation was safety first because they were paid way higher than other industries, then aggression. Most of us are the used Toyota/Honda crowd, apply for GC in the final 2 years kind of crowd, if no GC we will go back to a comfortable IT job mostly in the companies which is currently being condescended as WITCH's. At the same time from 2003 through to 2007 end America was flying, jobs all around, money was flying around. With 2008 recession, the narration started to change and with all kinds of regulations the risk taking appetite was being stifled. Lot of people in H1/L1 lost jobs and they did not have a problem moving back because they had invested in their flats/lands and were sure of consistent revenue. How when they reached India, they missed the fact now the economy spread has reached more people and across the industry a house help servicing 5 or 6 houses a day can make a similar amount of money the IT professional was making. That means the expense in general in India also went up high.

Mera number kab ayega is basically a new mandatory wait of a year or 2 now as most of us have already played a decade long test match. I also have to add the last 14 years of living and working in US has been the most wonderful time in my life so far. For the first 8 years in my life in US till 2015 end, I had been just slogging with no major contacts, but wicket still intact. I barely scraped to pay 5% for a 2 bed condo in early 2015. In 2017 I could upgrade to a townhome putting down 20% as by that time I started getting good wages and my spouse got a settled job. The upward trajectory continued and I bought a single family home in 2019 and I was able to retain both the previous dwellings. The ability to right off lot of expenses on both rental units ensured that I was paying lesser taxes than I was paying for in 2015.

And due to the pandemic induced buying spree, my tenant in the townhome bought my unit as is with no inspection requested (closed last week) at a price 50% more than I bought in 2017, but fair for him considering the comparable sales. What I am trying to present is all these things happened because I had a consistent stable job and my H1 status was not an hindrance. So coming back to my rants for the last few days, I wanted to invest the money into another investor unit, my wife said no investment without a GC. Her argument was both the previous places were our homes and place we lived. She was not happy that the townhouse was sold. I was uncomfortable to say no to the tenant offering market price. I just told this because at a certain stages of life the concerns of not having a GC gets side lined and new arguments take the spot.

I can live and thrive on a GC argument, but what will we argue about when we really get a GC :)

[qesehmk]

I never got the logic of why people are upset at EB1C getting their GC quicker. In fact the time lines taken for EB1 should be the timelines we should have for EB2 and Eb3. I don't want another person after me to wait for 10 years. Having said that, I can safely say that waiting for my GC made me determined to focus on the work front much more than a person who had a GC (safe net).

I was coming from the generation where people were buying multiple flats in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kerala etc.. if they are from south. While many others invested in Pune and Mumbai, some in Ahmedabad and Gurugaoh. What I am saying is IT boom in India resulted in the massive upliftment in real estate from 2000's. So the focus of 2000's IT generation was safety first because they were paid way higher than other industries, then aggression. Most of us are the used Toyota/Honda crowd, apply for GC in the final 2 years kind of crowd, if no GC we will go back to a comfortable IT job mostly in the companies which is currently being condescended as WITCH's. At the same time from 2003 through to 2007 end America was flying, jobs all around, money was flying around. With 2008 recession, the narration started to change and with all kinds of regulations the risk taking appetite was being stifled. Lot of people in H1/L1 lost jobs and they did not have a problem moving back because they had invested in their flats/lands and were sure of consistent revenue. How when they reached India, they missed the fact now the economy spread has reached more people and across the industry a house help servicing 5 or 6 houses a day can make a similar amount of money the IT professional was making. That means the expense in general in India also went up high.

Mera number kab ayega is basically a new mandatory wait of a year or 2 now as most of us have already played a decade long test match. I also have to add the last 14 years of living and working in US has been the most wonderful time in my life so far. For the first 8 years in my life in US till 2015 end, I had been just slogging with no major contacts, but wicket still intact. I barely scraped to pay 5% for a 2 bed condo in early 2015. In 2017 I could upgrade to a townhome putting down 20% as by that time I started getting good wages and my spouse got a settled job. The upward trajectory continued and I bought a single family home in 2019 and I was able to retain both the previous dwellings. The ability to right off lot of expenses on both rental units ensured that I was paying lesser taxes than I was paying for in 2015.

And due to the pandemic induced buying spree, my tenant in the townhome bought my unit as is with no inspection requested (closed last week) at a price 50% more than I bought in 2017, but fair for him considering the comparable sales. What I am trying to present is all these things happened because I had a consistent stable job and my H1 status was not an hindrance. So coming back to my rants for the last few days, I wanted to invest the money into another investor unit, my wife said no investment without a GC. Her argument was both the previous places were our homes and place we lived. She was not happy that the townhouse was sold. I was uncomfortable to say no to the tenant offering market price. I just told this because at a certain stages of life the concerns of not having a GC gets side lined and new arguments take the spot.

I can live and thrive on a GC argument, but what will we argue about when we really get a GC :)

What a fantastic lesson for all. I think what it says to me is when life gives lemons make lemonade!!

[sportsfan33]

@prabhas, I still hang around very much on the boards here :)

It is indeed fascinating to read the stories of people like you and @aceman. There is so much to learn and take motivation from!

As Kelly Clarkson sang - and is so apt to all of us - "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

I used to crib and complain a lot on the forum here. Then, back in 2014, I received my GC. I switched multiple jobs, and eventually landed into managerial/directorial roles. It looked like life was set.

But therein lies the rub.

I started missing the days when I was on the edge and was learning constantly. Just when I ascended to the positions I dreamt of all this time, I was trapped in the inevitable onslaught of complacency. This was never me - I never found real happiness from being in a leadership position at a large IT organization. At my core, I am a problem solver; that is the singular thing that makes me happy. Seeing all the smart people that I hired do all the work - that I didn't do - made me even more unhappy. Mind you - I am doing exactly what I should be doing fair and square at my role in my organization, but it didn't bring personal satisfaction.

I actually got two promotions. Golden handcuffs. Then, I was watching even more people who reported to me (and the people who reported to them) do all the stuff, and show it with a swagger to me. That used to be me!

Enough is enough man. It's time to go back to basics. So now, I have a goal for 2021 - go back to being a software developer (hopefully somewhere prestigious in the FAANG clique). I have two interviews lined up, and I am slogging - doing those problems on codeleet and trying to put together a portal all by my own is bringing the happiness back to my life. How I wish I was an H1B contractor and doing this for my bread and butter day in day out.

Oh BTW, my spouse - who also put the golden handcuffs around her hands - is ready to quit in 2021. We are so done! I told her the other day "we are not money making ATMs. We need to live our lives". At one point, I remember how upset I used to be that my wife couldn't work because I didn't have an EAD/GC. I can only look back at those memories now...so much water under the bridge. Now, I don't want her to work. Disclaimer: We took several financial decisions along the way to get to this position, so I am definitely not recommending it as a rule to everyone.

Here's what I think I am saying - your happiness and your feeling of accomplishment are the most important things you have for yourself. From my experience here with desi junta, I am sorry to say a lot of them live empty lives. I won't bore you with details; I guess you need to take my word for it. Please, please...do not tie your life around the GC and waste it away. I beg you! We are very fortunate to be living in the 21st century with the most enlightened society around us and a global economic engine that values your skills over a stupid piece of paper. Pursue your dreams. Find happiness in your accomplishments. GC will NOT bring you joy, and it certainly won't bring you salvation.

[19YRSNOGC]

@prabhas, I still hang around very much on the boards here :)

It is indeed fascinating to read the stories of people like you and @aceman. There is so much to learn and take motivation from!

As Kelly Clarkson sang - and is so apt to all of us - "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

I used to crib and complain a lot on the forum here. Then, back in 2014, I received my GC. I switched multiple jobs, and eventually landed into managerial/directorial roles. It looked like life was set.

But therein lies the rub.

I started missing the days when I was on the edge and was learning constantly. Just when I ascended to the positions I dreamt of all this time, I was trapped in the inevitable onslaught of complacency. This was never me - I never found real happiness from being in a leadership position at a large IT organization. At my core, I am a problem solver; that is the singular thing that makes me happy. Seeing all the smart people that I hired do all the work - that I didn't do - made me even more unhappy. Mind you - I am doing exactly what I should be doing fair and square at my role in my organization, but it didn't bring personal satisfaction.

I actually got two promotions. Golden handcuffs. Then, I was watching even more people who reported to me (and the people who reported to them) do all the stuff, and show it with a swagger to me. That used to be me!

Enough is enough man. It's time to go back to basics. So now, I have a goal for 2021 - go back to being a software developer (hopefully somewhere prestigious in the FAANG clique). I have two interviews lined up, and I am slogging - doing those problems on codeleet and trying to put together a portal all by my own is bringing the happiness back to my life. How I wish I was an H1B contractor and doing this for my bread and butter day in day out.

Oh BTW, my spouse - who also put the golden handcuffs around her hands - is ready to quit in 2021. We are so done! I told her the other day "we are not money making ATMs. We need to live our lives". At one point, I remember how upset I used to be that my wife couldn't work because I didn't have an EAD/GC. I can only look back at those memories now...so much water under the bridge. Now, I don't want her to work. Disclaimer: We took several financial decisions along the way to get to this position, so I am definitely not recommending it as a rule to everyone.

Here's what I think I am saying - your happiness and your feeling of accomplishment is the most important thing you have for yourself. From my experience here with desi junta, I am sorry to say a lot of them live empty lives. I won't bore you with details; I guess you need to take my word for it. Please, please...do not tie your life around the GC and waste it away. I beg you! We are very fortunate to be living in the 21st century with the most enlightened society around us and a global economic engine that values your skills over a stupid piece of paper. Pursue your dreams, find happiness in your accomplishments. GC will NOT bring you joy, and it certainly won't bring you salvation.
reminds me of this story
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/11/paying-off-your-mortgage-early-biggest-downside-says-self-made-millionaire.html

[sportsfan33]

Thanks for sharing that article @19YRSNOGC.

I don't remember when or where - at one point, I joked that the H1B status was a "superpower", and in an ironic and twisted way, being on the H1B was a real strength and hardly a weakness.

Maybe it's the subconscious bias at play, but I see the marketplace thriving with a strong H1B legion and the respect they get is just amazing. There is an implicit shield and an aura that surrounds an h1B junkie..."aha, H1B guy/gal, you must be smart by default :)". I kid you not.

Then, there is companionship! One of the worst things that happened to me as I became a leader was loneliness. This just transpired naturally - even though I am friendly and gel with everyone, it is silently understood I am responsible for the business, and if the push comes to shove, I must pull the trigger. I have hired far more than I fired...but I did fire. Two people. It goes with the territory. There could be no friendships anymore, and I couldn't be part of those cliques around the coffee table, where everyone would bitch and chuckle about their stupid boss. Now, I am that boss! :)

Just for the old time's sake, I watched Office Space the other day.

But the loss of motivation is real and it is even worse than all other problems combined. When it was no longer necessary for me to code, I lost it. I wasn't in shape anymore (I used to be a gym rat), my hobbies started to slip away (I was an avid sci/fi reader and also a budding writer), and little by little, saturated fat started seeping in. Do I seriously want to be a fat bald guy in a suit in my 50s? I thought long and hard about this.

Screw it all man. Screw the GC, screw the USC. It means nothing. The fire in the belly is what drives all of us. Harness it and you will do well.

P.S. I am already dreaming of finding H1B boys to match my daughters with when they get older.

[H1b2006]

There is not a single home in Austin where there are no multiple bids absolute madness. i was on a contract for a house in 2019 in Austin,coudnt take it forward due to my other personal project i did in that year in blockchain space. blockchain project went live but got zero traction from users. i also coudnt get a pie of hottest realestate market in US. missed out on both..bad luck

[H1b2006]

But after getting my GC, i want to do 2 jobs, 1 East coast job and 1 West coast job, earn 250k/yr and try 1 new personal project every year. 1 new idea every year and when iam at 50 i should feel i made good use of my time and tried all things i could. no regrets.

[Zenzone]

@prabhas, I still hang around very much on the boards here :)

It is indeed fascinating to read the stories of people like you and @aceman. There is so much to learn and take motivation from!

As Kelly Clarkson sang - and is so apt to all of us - "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

I used to crib and complain a lot on the forum here. Then, back in 2014, I received my GC. I switched multiple jobs, and eventually landed into managerial/directorial roles. It looked like life was set.

But therein lies the rub.

I started missing the days when I was on the edge and was learning constantly. Just when I ascended to the positions I dreamt of all this time, I was trapped in the inevitable onslaught of complacency. This was never me - I never found real happiness from being in a leadership position at a large IT organization. At my core, I am a problem solver; that is the singular thing that makes me happy. Seeing all the smart people that I hired do all the work - that I didn't do - made me even more unhappy. Mind you - I am doing exactly what I should be doing fair and square at my role in my organization, but it didn't bring personal satisfaction.

I actually got two promotions. Golden handcuffs. Then, I was watching even more people who reported to me (and the people who reported to them) do all the stuff, and show it with a swagger to me. That used to be me!

Enough is enough man. It's time to go back to basics. So now, I have a goal for 2021 - go back to being a software developer (hopefully somewhere prestigious in the FAANG clique). I have two interviews lined up, and I am slogging - doing those problems on codeleet and trying to put together a portal all by my own is bringing the happiness back to my life. How I wish I was an H1B contractor and doing this for my bread and butter day in day out.

Oh BTW, my spouse - who also put the golden handcuffs around her hands - is ready to quit in 2021. We are so done! I told her the other day "we are not money making ATMs. We need to live our lives". At one point, I remember how upset I used to be that my wife couldn't work because I didn't have an EAD/GC. I can only look back at those memories now...so much water under the bridge. Now, I don't want her to work. Disclaimer: We took several financial decisions along the way to get to this position, so I am definitely not recommending it as a rule to everyone.

Here's what I think I am saying - your happiness and your feeling of accomplishment are the most important things you have for yourself. From my experience here with desi junta, I am sorry to say a lot of them live empty lives. I won't bore you with details; I guess you need to take my word for it. Please, please...do not tie your life around the GC and waste it away. I beg you! We are very fortunate to be living in the 21st century with the most enlightened society around us and a global economic engine that values your skills over a stupid piece of paper. Pursue your dreams. Find happiness in your accomplishments. GC will NOT bring you joy, and it certainly won't bring you salvation.

Very well written mate. I can second you on these views from my own personal experiences too. To me growth has been going up the Maslow's pyramid of needs with the ultimate goal of self-actualization. While the definition of what self-actualization is can vary from person to person, some think this journey can't start until they have their immigration taken care of :)

[Zenzone]

reminds me of this story
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/11/paying-off-your-mortgage-early-biggest-downside-says-self-made-millionaire.html

I know this is not an investment forum but plethora of research evidence based on hard data suggests that majority of self-made millionaires have one thing in common - They paid off their primary mortgage very very quickly (less ~ 5 years or so) and are generally completely debt free. Being debt free allows them to have as much free cash flow on a monthly basis to cost average and invest persistently over long term. They are also able to get into high risk (and high reward) instruments easily because they don't have other binding obligations. This also allows them to ride multiple market cycles instead of just trying to time the market.

[qesehmk]

I know this is not an investment forum but plethora of research evidence based on hard data suggests that majority of self-made millionaires have one thing in common - They paid off their primary mortgage very very quickly (less ~ 5 years or so) and are generally completely debt free. Being debt free allows them to have as much free cash flow on a monthly basis to cost average and invest persistently over long term.
Agree. That's what smart people say.

However I have personally struggled because my MBA has screwed up my brain and things like opportunity cost of my money come into play and I wonder if can make more than 3.25% (cost of my mortgage) on my money + any tax implications? And I like to say "Yes" to that.

But in real world - most of us never actively invest and are able to get those returns. Even if so it becomes a hard to do thing to SAVE.

Thus practically having a low interest rate and then keep paying mortgage makes more sense because it keeps you conservative.

Lets say you have a rental. Would you pay it down? In my mind- absolutely NOT. Because if I have money - I would rather leverage it to buy two rentals rather than pay down one.

Just some ramblings Zen ... I am confused with my half ass MBA knowledge.

[vedu]

P.S. I am already dreaming of finding H1B boys to match my daughters with when they get older.

Lol...H1B boys are always in demand...the story of our times:)!

[qesehmk]

Thanks for sharing that article @19YRSNOGC.

I don't remember when or where - at one point, I joked that the H1B status was a "superpower", and in an ironic and twisted way, being on the H1B was a real strength and hardly a weakness.

Maybe it's the subconscious bias at play, but I see the marketplace thriving with a strong H1B legion and the respect they get is just amazing. There is an implicit shield and an aura that surrounds an h1B junkie..."aha, H1B guy/gal, you must be smart by default :)". I kid you not.

Then, there is companionship! One of the worst things that happened to me as I became a leader was loneliness. This just transpired naturally - even though I am friendly and gel with everyone, it is silently understood I am responsible for the business, and if the push comes to shove, I must pull the trigger. I have hired far more than I fired...but I did fire. Two people. It goes with the territory. There could be no friendships anymore, and I couldn't be part of those cliques around the coffee table, where everyone would bitch and chuckle about their stupid boss. Now, I am that boss! :)

Just for the old time's sake, I watched Office Space the other day.

But the loss of motivation is real and it is even worse than all other problems combined. When it was no longer necessary for me to code, I lost it. I wasn't in shape anymore (I used to be a gym rat), my hobbies started to slip away (I was an avid sci/fi reader and also a budding writer), and little by little, saturated fat started seeping in. Do I seriously want to be a fat bald guy in a suit in my 50s? I thought long and hard about this.

Screw it all man. Screw the GC, screw the USC. It means nothing. The fire in the belly is what drives all of us. Harness it and you will do well.

P.S. I am already dreaming of finding H1B boys to match my daughters with when they get older.

Sport - be careful. They say middle management is graveyard of careers. We can catch up someday. But meanwhile do take this to heart since looks like you are right there. Just my 2 cents.

[19YRSNOGC]

Agree. That's what smart people say.

However I have personally struggled because my MBA has screwed up my brain and things like opportunity cost of my money come into play and I wonder if can make more than 3.25% (cost of my mortgage) on my money + any tax implications? And I like to say "Yes" to that.

But in real world - most of us never actively invest and are able to get those returns. Even if so it becomes a hard to do thing to SAVE.

Thus practically having a low interest rate and then keep paying mortgage makes more sense because it keeps you conservative.

Lets say you have a rental. Would you pay it down? In my mind- absolutely NOT. Because if I have money - I would rather leverage it to buy two rentals rather than pay down one.

Just some ramblings Zen ... I am confused with my half ass MBA knowledge.
even i struggle with this decision ,since i started investing in dividend stocks, any money i find goes to stocks

[vedu]

Agree. That's what smart people say.

However I have personally struggled because my MBA has screwed up my brain and things like opportunity cost of my money come into play and I wonder if can make more than 3.25% (cost of my mortgage) on my money + any tax implications? And I like to say "Yes" to that.

But in real world - most of us never actively invest and are able to get those returns. Even if so it becomes a hard to do thing to SAVE.

Thus practically having a low interest rate and then keep paying mortgage makes more sense because it keeps you conservative.

Lets say you have a rental. Would you pay it down? In my mind- absolutely NOT. Because if I have money - I would rather leverage it to buy two rentals rather than pay down one.

Just some ramblings Zen ... I am confused with my half ass MBA knowledge.

Q,

I agree with your line of thinking on this. Leverage is a double-edge sword. If used wisely, it brings riches to you, but if used foolishly, it brings your downfall!

As such, every Tom, Dick and Harry is a millionaire these days. I wonder if there are any Deca-millionaires on this forum! I would love to hear their stories as well!

[AceMan]

Agree. That's what smart people say.

However I have personally struggled because my MBA has screwed up my brain and things like opportunity cost of my money come into play and I wonder if can make more than 3.25% (cost of my mortgage) on my money + any tax implications? And I like to say "Yes" to that.

But in real world - most of us never actively invest and are able to get those returns. Even if so it becomes a hard to do thing to SAVE.

Thus practically having a low interest rate and then keep paying mortgage makes more sense because it keeps you conservative.

Lets say you have a rental. Would you pay it down? In my mind- absolutely NOT. Because if I have money - I would rather leverage it to buy two rentals rather than pay down one.

Just some ramblings Zen ... I am confused with my half ass MBA knowledge.

Few very important financial advice I have held on from my seniors.


Never put on 529 unless and until you have too much money. This limits the ability of the kid to get any scholarship/grant the college might offer as this money is seen as the kids financial strength. A coworker of mine had his son study for Medicine from UPENN last decade. The fee for a year was around $ 58,000. This boy after the grants and incentives got the fees to about $ 23,000 yearly. They expect the boy to maintain the grades yearly to continue getting the discounted fee.

Maximize the amount you put for 401K to 19,500. Paying down more to the principle of the primary property. Try and put max on the IRA account. These are the stuffs we can do while on H1. Once we reach 50 years of age, we can add catch up amount as well.

Show that you are in debt with all your invest properties. All the investments are seen as asset when considering the parents finances during college admission.

[bluelabel]

Never put on 529 unless and until you have too much money.


If you live in state of Indiana, there's an incentive putting money into 529 plan. If you invest up to $5000 after tax money into 529 plan, you get 20% tax returns on this. i.e. up to $1000 state tax returns.

[sportsfan33]

Agree. That's what smart people say.

However I have personally struggled because my MBA has screwed up my brain and things like opportunity cost of my money come into play and I wonder if can make more than 3.25% (cost of my mortgage) on my money + any tax implications? And I like to say "Yes" to that.

But in real world - most of us never actively invest and are able to get those returns. Even if so it becomes a hard to do thing to SAVE.

Thus practically having a low interest rate and then keep paying mortgage makes more sense because it keeps you conservative.

Lets say you have a rental. Would you pay it down? In my mind- absolutely NOT. Because if I have money - I would rather leverage it to buy two rentals rather than pay down one.

Just some ramblings Zen ... I am confused with my half ass MBA knowledge.

Absolutely!

Don't want to turn this into a financial forum :) Having said it, paying down mortgage when you have a 2% interest rate is insane. I would argue that buying a house when interest rates are super low is also not a great idea, as you have limited ability to refinance it ever.

I have also tried rentals, and gotten rid of everything by 2019. The markets easily make more - even the stupid autopilot 401K funds are averaging 15-20% for five straight years. Brokerage accounts are off the charts. It took me some time to figure it out, but markets are where the money is made, and real estate is just a money pit.

Will this continue? I am not a financial expert so take it with a grain of salt. I believe a major restructuring is happening in real time, and it will continue to speed up in the coming decade. If you really think about it deeply, money == activity. Activity == computing. Collectively, we are computing more and more (don't ask me to what end...it's just a fact). A lot of things will take place. USPS won't exist in its current form in 2030. Virtual reality might be closer than ever (I was following up on Augmented Reality companies back in 2017). Our centuries-old mode of education might change fundamentally and technology may make the whole thing completely customized. Blockchain - just a buzzword till yesterday - may spin major private/public ledgers that help fight fake news and dissemination of it (just one application of it, people are talking of applying it in elections). Technology is now more pervasive and it is causing more computing to happen everywhere. This is increasing activity, and money supply will rise.

Conclusion? Invest, and invest more.

[Zenzone]

Agree. That's what smart people say.

However I have personally struggled because my MBA has screwed up my brain and things like opportunity cost of my money come into play and I wonder if can make more than 3.25% (cost of my mortgage) on my money + any tax implications? And I like to say "Yes" to that.

But in real world - most of us never actively invest and are able to get those returns. Even if so it becomes a hard to do thing to SAVE.

Thus practically having a low interest rate and then keep paying mortgage makes more sense because it keeps you conservative.

Lets say you have a rental. Would you pay it down? In my mind- absolutely NOT. Because if I have money - I would rather leverage it to buy two rentals rather than pay down one.

Just some ramblings Zen ... I am confused with my half ass MBA knowledge.

Q - Fair points. Mortgage is a tricky debt because of the amortization of the debt repayment. You pay almost all interest in the first few years of a typical mortgage for its entire term and that's where the devil is. Otherwise your theory about letting low cost debts that accrue payment based on a fixed interest and linear principle and interest amortization schedule are okay to keep because market will any day yield better for those $$. And that's your opportunity cost angle. Call me crazy I like to finance my rentals with 100% cash too (at least the initial properties). Leverage can kill when the tides go south and I don't want to bank on my market timing skills.

[Turbulent_Dragonfly]

Q,

I agree with your line of thinking on this. Leverage is a double-edge sword. If used wisely, it brings riches to you, but if used foolishly, it brings your downfall!

As such, every Tom, Dick and Harry is a millionaire these days. I wonder if there are any Deca-millionaires on this forum! I would love to hear their stories as well!

Since we are all anonymous here (hopefully), I can safely tell my story hopefully without sounding like an insufferable braggart! My wife who is also back from India but I met here, was adopted into an extremely prosperous family from her own original family who did not want another girl as they had two already. But due to different circumstances, she has lost both set of parents and left with literally uncountable fixed assets, mainly land. Neither she nor our children or our great grand children will need to work a single day to be honest. The few times that we have gone down as a family to visit that really famous richest temple in India down South :-) her influence without even having lived in India for more than two decades basically used to part the ocean of people there so that we can go in and out quickly. Sometimes I used to feel like Hugh Grant in Notting Hill walking around with her :-D.

But you know the downside? She literally cannot set foot in India because of all the death threats against her as a sole heir. Her original father was very high up in the state police and she has been able to survive just because of their protection during the two weeks she sometimes is forced to visit every few years for some formalities. When we had our wedding, there was a police cordon around and my friends and family were wondering wtf was going on as I have never told them the complete story and don't plan to. It's six years since my parents have seen their grandchildren in person because they are too old to travel and I no longer wished to put her life at risk traveling alone.

In any case, we live a very normal, happy and blissfully anonymous life here in a very medium sized home with no frills, growing our own vegetables and teaching our children the value of family and friends over anything else. Money ain't everything or the the only thing, but the only place where I am pragmatic is saying yes money, if you have it and properly manage does help. It takes out a lot of stress in everyday life but don't make it a pursuit. We both earn enough here to support ourselves, so we plan to anonymously write off my wife's holdings in India to various charities that we know are legit, especially those that look out for the welfare of destitute children.

Alright, that's about it, I will get back to predictions in my next post ;-)

[Zenzone]

Q - Fair points. Mortgage is a tricky debt because of the amortization of the debt repayment. You pay almost all interest in the first few years of a typical mortgage for its entire term and that's where the devil is. Otherwise your theory about letting low cost debts that accrue payment based on a fixed interest and linear principle and interest amortization schedule are okay to keep because market will any day yield better for those $$. And that's your opportunity cost angle. Call me crazy I like to finance my rentals with 100% cash too (at least the initial properties). Leverage can kill when the tides go south and I don't want to bank on my market timing skills.

Agreed generally. But covering your A$$ with a paid roof above your head can never hurt. To me that's also a diversification play to hedge against my otherwise stock market dependent portfolio notwithstanding the fact that its on a tear for the past decade and especially in recent years. Its always in the larger context what's your % allocation by asset class that matters more at the end of the day from my experience.

[Zenzone]

Since we are all anonymous here (hopefully), I can safely tell my story hopefully without sounding like an insufferable braggart! My wife who is also back from India but I met here, was adopted into an extremely prosperous family from her own original family who did not want another girl as they had two already. But due to different circumstances, she has lost both set of parents and left with literally uncountable fixed assets, mainly land. Neither she nor our children or our great grand children will need to work a single day to be honest. The few times that we have gone down as a family to visit that really famous richest temple in India down South :-) her influence without even having lived in India for more than two decades basically used to part the ocean of people there so that we can go in and out quickly. Sometimes I used to feel like Hugh Grant in Notting Hill walking around with her :-D.

But you know the downside? She literally cannot set foot in India because of all the death threats against her as a sole heir. Her original father was very high up in the state police and she has been able to survive just because of their protection during the two weeks she sometimes is forced to visit every few years for some formalities. When we had our wedding, there was a police cordon around and my friends and family were wondering wtf was going on as I have never told them the complete story and don't plan to. It's six years since my parents have seen their grandchildren in person because they are too old to travel and I no longer wished to put her life at risk traveling alone.

In any case, we live a very normal, happy and blissfully anonymous life here in a very medium sized home with no frills, growing our own vegetables and teaching our children the value of family and friends over anything else. Money ain't everything or the the only thing, but the only place where I am pragmatic is saying yes money, if you have it and properly manage does help. It takes out a lot of stress in everyday life but don't make it a pursuit. We both earn enough here to support ourselves, so we plan to anonymously write off my wife's holdings in India to various charities that we know are legit, especially those that look out for the welfare of destitute children.

Alright, that's about it, I will get back to predictions in my next post ;-)

Pretty thoughtful. Q - Is there a like functionality for posts in this forum, that would be a good one to add so that we can give a thumbs up when we like something ppl. write. Just another random thought!

[Zenzone]

Q,

I agree with your line of thinking on this. Leverage is a double-edge sword. If used wisely, it brings riches to you, but if used foolishly, it brings your downfall!

As such, every Tom, Dick and Harry is a millionaire these days. I wonder if there are any Deca-millionaires on this forum! I would love to hear their stories as well!

I don't think you should still downplay someone who made a self made first million either. Remember this country has only less than 5% overall who make to that definition and to get there as a first generation immigrant against all odds is not minor league. I remember when I reached that milestone sometime (several years) back. That's as far I'm comfortable disclosing to your question on deca millionaires ;)

[H1b2006]

Since we are all anonymous here (hopefully), I can safely tell my story hopefully without sounding like an insufferable braggart! My wife who is also back from India but I met here, was adopted into an extremely prosperous family from her own original family who did not want another girl as they had two already. But due to different circumstances, she has lost both set of parents and left with literally uncountable fixed assets, mainly land. Neither she nor our children or our great grand children will need to work a single day to be honest. The few times that we have gone down as a family to visit that really famous richest temple in India down South :-) her influence without even having lived in India for more than two decades basically used to part the ocean of people there so that we can go in and out quickly. Sometimes I used to feel like Hugh Grant in Notting Hill walking around with her :-D.

But you know the downside? She literally cannot set foot in India because of all the death threats against her as a sole heir. Her original father was very high up in the state police and she has been able to survive just because of their protection during the two weeks she sometimes is forced to visit every few years for some formalities. When we had our wedding, there was a police cordon around and my friends and family were wondering wtf was going on as I have never told them the complete story and don't plan to. It's six years since my parents have seen their grandchildren in person because they are too old to travel and I no longer wished to put her life at risk traveling alone.

In any case, we live a very normal, happy and blissfully anonymous life here in a very medium sized home with no frills, growing our own vegetables and teaching our children the value of family and friends over anything else. Money ain't everything or the the only thing, but the only place where I am pragmatic is saying yes money, if you have it and properly manage does help. It takes out a lot of stress in everyday life but don't make it a pursuit. We both earn enough here to support ourselves, so we plan to anonymously write off my wife's holdings in India to various charities that we know are legit, especially those that look out for the welfare of destitute children.

Alright, that's about it, I will get back to predictions in my next post ;-)

how many acres of land we are talking abt 1000 acres+ in india? can you spice it up the story

[bikenlalan]

Friends, I have been a long term follower of this forum. I bookmarked this thread for over 8 years now and followed pretty much every single post/discussion here. First of all, thank you everyone for the analysis, debate, advise, and motivational stories. You all have inspired me to stay focused and not to lose the confidence in GC process.
Like many of you, I came to this country 16 years ago and on GC path for over 13 years now. Finally, I have received that magic email from USCIS yesterday. Both me and my wife's 485 got approved.

Thank you everyone of you who made tremendous contribution to this community. I used to call this thread is "Bible of GC process". I stick to my words.

I am not going to miss you all as I will continue to read these messages. I am not good at analyzing GC process but I will try to contribute back to the community if I could or else I will learn something out of it.

Last but not least, I wish everyone all the luck and get greened sooner.

Here is the timeline:
EB2 I - PD 09/11/2009
Applied in 2012. Since then on EAD (No H1). We have decided to stay on EAD only and go back to India if rejected.
RFE in 2014 and 2016.
Current again in November 2020.
Congressional inquiry on 3rd week of November. Response received within a week - Waiting for an adjudicating officer.
RFE received on Jan 5th 2021 (Medicals, 485J, Geographical information)
Paper copy received on Jan 14th 2021. Medicals done next day.
Response for RFE sent back on 1/22/2021. USCIS received on 1/28/2021.
Received receipt number for 485J on 2/3/2021
Approval notice for both 485j and 485 (both me and my wife) on 2/11/2021.

Congratulations friend! Feels good that one more in the waits for long has finally crossed the line.

[vedu]

Since we are all anonymous here (hopefully), I can safely tell my story hopefully without sounding like an insufferable braggart! My wife who is also back from India but I met here, was adopted into an extremely prosperous family from her own original family who did not want another girl as they had two already. But due to different circumstances, she has lost both set of parents and left with literally uncountable fixed assets, mainly land. Neither she nor our children or our great grand children will need to work a single day to be honest. The few times that we have gone down as a family to visit that really famous richest temple in India down South :-) her influence without even having lived in India for more than two decades basically used to part the ocean of people there so that we can go in and out quickly. Sometimes I used to feel like Hugh Grant in Notting Hill walking around with her :-D.

But you know the downside? She literally cannot set foot in India because of all the death threats against her as a sole heir. Her original father was very high up in the state police and she has been able to survive just because of their protection during the two weeks she sometimes is forced to visit every few years for some formalities. When we had our wedding, there was a police cordon around and my friends and family were wondering wtf was going on as I have never told them the complete story and don't plan to. It's six years since my parents have seen their grandchildren in person because they are too old to travel and I no longer wished to put her life at risk traveling alone.

In any case, we live a very normal, happy and blissfully anonymous life here in a very medium sized home with no frills, growing our own vegetables and teaching our children the value of family and friends over anything else. Money ain't everything or the the only thing, but the only place where I am pragmatic is saying yes money, if you have it and properly manage does help. It takes out a lot of stress in everyday life but don't make it a pursuit. We both earn enough here to support ourselves, so we plan to anonymously write off my wife's holdings in India to various charities that we know are legit, especially those that look out for the welfare of destitute children.

Alright, that's about it, I will get back to predictions in my next post ;-)

That's a heck of a story dude! And I do agree with your thoughts. There is only so much money you need to live off of. After that it becomes a game!

[bikenlalan]

"I never got the logic of why people are upset at EB1C getting their GC quicker. In fact the time lines taken for EB1 should be the timelines we should have for EB2 and Eb3. I don't want another person after me to wait for 10 years. Having said that, I can safely say that waiting for my GC made me determined to focus on the work front much more than a person who had a GC (safe net)." - That has been the fundamental wisdom and mantra ..of this group..all along...Focus on your Career and personal life events more than this GC... And I am totally onboard with people getting GC in EB1 or whatever opportunities come their way to get GC faster...I sometimes feel sad that this whole process is pitting battles within us...

You made a pretty good buck out of the deal... Happy for you... I thought you applied for AOS with these recent date changes. No? If you are fresh looking out for new houses and if you have a chance...I would suggest an investment in Austin...Again this will become a distraction from our predictions ...perhaps a separate thread for investment opportunities/suggestions thread wouldnt be bad idea....

Happy Friday all!

V

Since you mention Austin, I had to comment about my experience during this wait for greencard.

Moved to US in 2008 as a student, and graduated during the financial crisis of 2010 and it was tough to get a job as no one was hiring back then. Finally landed a job after struggling for 3 months but did not feel this job was for me. I kept looking while taking up this job and within 2 months found the job at the company where I am still working at. I completed 10 years with the company yesterday. They filed for my H1 and PERM before I joined them and was able to get the Feb 2011 PD under EB-2. I felt lucky as I had not heard of a company filing for green card this quick. Fast forward a few years and moving to Austin but with the same company progressed as a Senior Consultant>Program Manager>Practice Manager and hoping to land into the Director role fairly soon.
In these years bought our primary residence in a good neighborhood in Austin, and after much hesitation with no GC in sight, took the risk and accumulated 4 investment properties over the years as we saw tech jobs moving here. They now turn out to be decent investments.
Wife lucked out with H4 EAD coming to life, landed a job as UI/UX Designer and has been happily working. She plans to stop working at 40 and focus on our now two toddlers and following her passion of teaching art. Greencard will come at its pace, every year we hoped it would be coming in 2-3 years and I am now 10 years and waiting and just recently filed 485. Now expecting to be greened by end of 2021 or 2022.
Do not let the green card get over your life, do as you feel is wise for you, you cannot go wrong.

[H1b2006]

Since you mention Austin, I had to comment about my experience during this wait for greencard.

Moved to US in 2008 as a student, and graduated during the financial crisis of 2010 and it was tough to get a job as no one was hiring back then. Finally landed a job after struggling for 3 months but did not feel this job was for me. I kept looking while taking up this job and within 2 months found the job at the company where I am still working at. I completed 10 years with the company yesterday. They filed for my H1 and PERM before I joined them and was able to get the Feb 2011 PD under EB-2. I felt lucky as I had not heard of a company filing for green card this quick. Fast forward a few years and moving to Austin but with the same company progressed as a Senior Consultant>Program Manager>Practice Manager and hoping to land into the Director role fairly soon.
In these years bought our primary residence in a good neighborhood in Austin, and after much hesitation with no GC in sight, took the risk and accumulated 4 investment properties over the years as we saw tech jobs moving here. They now turn out to be decent investments.
Wife lucked out with H4 EAD coming to life, landed a job as UI/UX Designer and has been happily working. She plans to stop working at 40 and focus on our now two toddlers and following her passion of teaching art. Greencard will come at its pace, every year we hoped it would be coming in 2-3 years and I am now 10 years and waiting and just recently filed 485. Now expecting to be greened by end of 2021 or 2022.
Do not let the green card get over your life, do as you feel is wise for you, you cannot go wrong.

Great to know other people having 4,5 properties on H1b. I hav 3 in US and 2 in india. once i gc this yr i will sell 2 in india and add 2 more in US. anyways it is getting difficult to manage prop in india from US and parents aging out.

[vedu]

I don't think you should still downplay someone who made a self made first million either. Remember this country has only less than 5% overall who make to that definition and to get there as a first generation immigrant against all odds is not minor league. I remember when I reached that milestone sometime (several years) back. That's as far I'm comfortable disclosing to your question on deca millionaires ;)

Zenzone,

No, I am not downplaying anybody who is a self-made millionaire. First hundred thousand, first million mark...all these milestones are praiseworthy because they become the seeds for the next milestone.

You do make logical points about the use of debt in your posts. I would rather not use debt at all than to use it foolishly. It is like when I bought my first car more than a decade ago, I was offered a very low interest debt. I was not very financially savvy at the time. So, I decided to pay in full upfront and not have anything to do with borrowing money. That was a good decision at the time because it gave me peace of mind. But today if I am in the car buying market, and if the car company offers me 0% interest loan without me losing my bargaining power on the initial purchase price, and not being forced into purchasing some special insurance, etc. as a condition for that loan, then I will grab that opportunity. And what do I do with that capital? For the sake of argument, say if I don't want to gamble it in the market (as such I don't consider it gambling), I will buy short-to-medium term US Treasury Bills which may give me 1/2% interest. But as we can already see, you have to apply a lot of thinking even to such a small decision making problem, and many times trying to play smart can bring your downfall if you miss one or two variables. So for an average person with a lot of in-built emotional biases, it can be best to stay away from leverage as much as possible!

You seem to be somebody who is a conservative investor and can eventually make it to that deca status. Congratulations on your prior achievements and good luck with future milestones. Do share with us when you get there!!!

[android09]

The simplest investment advice I ever got was the following:

1. Save 5% of your salary every year atleast. Don?t look at it. As a matter of principle, take out 5% of your paycheck and Just put it away in a savings or IRA account. In 5 years, you?d have saved atleast 25% of your salary.

2. Max out your retirement contribution. Save for retirement the day you start working.

3. Pay your debts. Retire as much debt as possible as soon as you can. No investments provide you consistent 18% returns. Debt leverage is a myth.

4. Invest in typical passive index funds regularly. In drip investment mode. Not essential to buy in tranches but rather regularly without timing the markets and regardless of market conditions. Buy the company, not it?s price. Reinvest all dividends back.

5. Invest in 529 if you cannot create a portfolio for your kids. My state(IL) gives me a tax break of upto $20,000 that?s invested in IL 529.

[may2011]

Hello ,

I wanted some advice about overcoming the inertia to invest in US on a temp visa. I am on H1B (PD May 2011 under EB2), applied for AOS in Oct 2020.I have been in the same company and the core function is also the same ( software eng).I am really uneasy when it comes to buying a house in US as I am still on a temp visa and I am wary of the uncertainty. I have heard about many cases where the primary's H1B extension didn't go through and they have to leave US after making huge financial investments here. My question is how are /have you overcome such concerns?

[rocketfast]

Hello ,

I wanted some advice about overcoming the inertia to invest in US on a temp visa. I am on H1B (PD May 2011 under EB2), applied for AOS in Oct 2020.I have been in the same company and the core function is also the same ( software eng).I am really uneasy when it comes to buying a house in US as I am still on a temp visa and I am wary of the uncertainty. I have heard about many cases where the primary's H1B extension didn't go through and they have to leave US after making huge financial investments here. My question is how are /have you overcome such concerns?

Everyone's case is different. In my case, I had a windfall and I saw house ownership as a way to save on taxes. The tax savings are not much anymore after the Trump tax reforms. I also had a working spouse so the H1B risk was reduced by 50%.

It really depends on what percentage of your savings you are putting in as the downpayment for the house. You should be okay to lose it as the worst case scenario.

One mind trick that may help you is to think of all the American citizens that buy houses in California even though there is an earthquake risk.

[qesehmk]

Hello ,

I wanted some advice about overcoming the inertia to invest in US on a temp visa. I am on H1B (PD May 2011 under EB2), applied for AOS in Oct 2020.I have been in the same company and the core function is also the same ( software eng).I am really uneasy when it comes to buying a house in US as I am still on a temp visa and I am wary of the uncertainty. I have heard about many cases where the primary's H1B extension didn't go through and they have to leave US after making huge financial investments here. My question is how are /have you overcome such concerns?

Don't agonize, you have waited far too long and I think you should be greened by October. Then buy a house that is not just an investment but is a home.

Home ownership is expensive. Anybody who tells you otherwise is wrong. Most of us go from 1000 sq ft 2 bedrooms to 3000 sq ft 4-5 bed. The monthly literally will triple. So if I were you, I would simply wait out few months remaining.

But as per other people with later PDs - I'd say - the worst downside is 50K hit should you have to sell the house. But if you have growing kids (5+ age) - nothing is more joyful to them than living in your own house with backyard and may be a dog. So don't worry about too many things. Who knows if you live in Phoenix or Austin your house could appreciate more than the hit you might be taking - just in case.

[may2011]

Don't agonize, you have waited far too long and I think you should be greened by October. Then buy a house that is not just an investment but is a home.

Home ownership is expensive. Anybody who tells you otherwise is wrong. Most of us go from 1000 sq ft 2 bedrooms to 3000 sq ft 4-5 bed. The monthly literally will triple. So if I were you, I would simply wait out few months remaining.

But as per other people with later PDs - I'd say - the worst downside is 50K hit should you have to sell the house. But if you have growing kids (5+ age) - nothing is more joyful to them than living in your own house with backyard and may be a dog. So don't worry about too many things. Who knows if you live in Phoenix or Austin your house could appreciate more than the hit you might be taking - just in case.

Thanks for the encouraging words.The plan is to wait for a few months at-least till I get the EAD in hand.I have been reading the the blog posts on the advantages of having an EAD and pending AOS.With that as a backup, I feel more comfortable.You said it righ..a house should be a home :)

[may2011]

Everyone's case is different. In my case, I had a windfall and I saw house ownership as a way to save on taxes. The tax savings are not much anymore after the Trump tax reforms. I also had a working spouse so the H1B risk was reduced by 50%.

It really depends on what percentage of your savings you are putting in as the downpayment for the house. You should be okay to lose it as the worst case scenario.

One mind trick that may help you is to think of all the American citizens that buy houses in California even though there is an earthquake risk.

that makes sense.Risk is always there :) thanks