[djmcmath]

$275K buys an 1800 sqft house with a view of Mt. Rainier, Seattle, and the Puget Sound within walking distance of downtown Silverdale. Many of my friends bought perfectly acceptable homes in slightly less prestigious neighborhoods for closer to $150K. $6 still gets a movie ticket -- or $5 at the matinee, or with a military discount. There are a number of theatres that are cheaper than that, too. Gas, unfortunately ... $2.60, even at the Navy Exchange.

(shrug) California is expensive. Boston is expensive. NJ is expensive. Most of the rest of us can live reasonably well with much smaller numbers on our paychecks.

Dan