Her parents built their dream home with single income in the 90s. Now, she can't afford it with 'dual income'

When Nichole, a working woman who goes by @nikkiv428 on TikTok, visited her parents, the realization just hit her, right in the head. As she stood in the backyard of the house she grew up in, she realized even with double incomes, she and her husband could never afford the lifestyle her parents built in the '90s. The video has gotten over a million views online since Nichole posted it on July 12, 2025.

Nicole, her husband, and their son live in Jersey City, and like many, they also dream of buying a house. Notably, Nicole and her husband are both working professionals with well-paying jobs. According to Newsweek, while she works in digital marketing, her partner is an attorney. However, despite the family having dual incomes, the aspiration of buying a house seems like a far-fetched vision to them. Meanwhile, her parents, who raised her in the '90s and survived on a single income, built something so extravagant that today Nichole and her husband only crave it in their dreams. Nicole stood in the backyard of her parents' house and raised her camera to record the lavish place she'd grown up in, which even had a swimming pool. "Grateful to have had the most idyllic childhood, but man, I wish I was raising my family in a different era sometimes," she confessed.

Real estate values are nothing like the 1990s, especially after the pandemic. In fact, according to a report by the New York Post, citing an analysis by ResiClub, housing prices in the United States have increased 47% since 2020. Nicole, too, agrees to the dynamic shift in the housing market post COVID-19, and she shared, "It just clicked how drastically things have changed in one generation if you didn't get in the housing market before or early COVID. Now it's impossible; salaries haven't budged, but the houses have skyrocketed in value."

Meanwhile, reacting to Nichole's profound realization, @kylem477 commented, "I make more than my parents did put together in the 80s and 90s and will never come close to the lifestyle they could afford on their public school teacher salaries." A user who goes by @tiggycosplays on TikTok shared, "My mom, making less than I do now, bought our 4-bedroom house in '94 for 150k; it’s now worth 1.5 million, and I can’t even find a one-bedroom condominium in that area for less than 400k. How are we supposed to afford to exist at this point?"

Chiming in, @cait confessed, "I’ve made more than my parents did combined since my first job out of college, and I still can’t afford what they have." @rainbowbritebitch explained, "The money was FLYING HIGH in the 90s. Small businesses were booming, and we were making money HAND OVER FIST. There will never be another decade quite like what we had under Clinton, unfortunately. RIP 90s." @bakerbutterlyfe revealed, "2 incomes making more than anyone in my family ever thought was possible. Still can't afford to buy a home. I was so close to buying a house before the pandemic, like legit approval. Then 2020 happened, and it's been a battle ever since." Another user who goes by @emily.marie521on the platform wrote, "My boyfriend alone makes more than my parents do. They raised 4 children in the 90s. I can’t even imagine having one child right now."

You can follow Nicole (@nikkiv428) on TikTok for lifestyle content.