I make 150k / year. I'm an SDE 2. The problem isn't the monthly payment, the problem is the down payment.

And you've said in several places how engineers make 200k+ after 5 years. Maybe in total compensation and only in FAANG; but there are a loooot of engineering companies in Washington and the Seattle area that aren't getting hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock that's increased 5-10 fold in the last 2 years.

What exactly is the problem with a downpayment on a 350k (or, heck, 500k) unit? Obviously there are exceptional circumstances, e.g. you're supporting multiple people on your salary alone, which might make it difficult to save up 70-100k quickly.

But if you're single, your annual after-tax take-home is ~95k, assuming you max out your 401k contribution, and ~110k, assuming you don't contribute at all. Saving 50% of that does not even require living particularly frugally. That gets you to the top-end of the required down payment in 2 years.

In 2 years, the housing prices will be even higher. I just presently don't have much saving, but that's what I'm planning on doing, yes - well, not saving 50%, I do spend more than that per month; but saving at a fast rate.

Even with saving, though, I should probably save at least one more year to have an emergency fund again, so it's probably more like 3 years, but your point still stands.

It’s not just the FAANG companies. You should really check out your worth on the job market. Why dismiss someone telling you that you should easily be able to get paid more? Why the victim mentality?