Senior Citizens On The Arizona Trail

Bombing the middle class with housing inflation and the illusion of the American Dream in the 21st Century.

Los Viejos Citizens purchased their first home, a 1380 square foot (128m2) house in Westchester near Los Angeles Airport in 1970.

They had misgivings about living in L.A. but it wasn’t until a job transfer in 1979 to beautiful Oregon that they realized just how crowded and filthy it was.

Their first home was a block from the San Diego freeway. It had an orange shag rug, a mustard-colored refrigerator, and no washing machine. When they closed escrow they had seven dollars for food until their next paycheck.

So they hosted a housewarming party with friends and family and told them to bring lots of cooked food for the “party” at their unfurnished home with only sleeping bags in the bedroom and a ping pong table and vinyl record player in the living room.

The leftovers lasted two weeks and bridged them to the next payday. Each one thereafter they saved, built equity, and prepared for a family.