What has happened in Arkansas is that someone in California can sell their two bedroom house for a million dollars, move to Arkansas, and pay for a house in full with money left over. Where as a guy in Arkansas can sell his house and move to Mississippi and he may profit enough to take the family out to dinner at Taco Bell. So for native residents of Arkansas, with native wages, we not only experienced standard inflation but west coast invasion inflation also. Now what was once a $60,000 house ten years ago, is now a $160,000 house.

If you can’t build a shed, addition, home on your own property with out government approval

You truly don’t own it

We have property taxes, we just rent our paid for land. lol

Ya, same here,,

X 2

And if you don’t pay your property taxes, at least here in Pennsylvania, they will forcibly remove you from your home and sell it to the highest bidder.

Not Californians, but NYC people. Same thing though, they create the demand and the price goes through the roof....people buying a "cheap" house for the lot, then tear down the house....open lots that are left going as high as a million bucks, then the builder puts a 2 million plus house on it....This place has changed big time, and not for the better...

The evolution of the American house can be seen in every small town in America. The average square footage has more than doubled Lots are bigger and complexity of the structures and landscaping is absurd. The best part is families are smaller. People are not buying shelter, they are buying an investment. The winner is the guy who collects property taxes and sells the homeowners insurance .

Long term home ownership is a poor investment

Nah...

As I said, the list goes on...and yes I do. Young folks have terrible financial habits from what Ive seen. Ive known so many young couple that get married and immediately want everything that their parents have, too ignorant to understand it took their parents a lifetime to get where they are at. Savell gave perfect example of young kid going into debt for a toy...promise you that isnt the last toy he'll likely go in debt for. Do stupid things with your money and then whine about how tough it is to buy a house....decisions have consequences.

Maybe if your strictly a numbers person with little emotion... my farm has been a terrible investment from a numbers standpoint, Great lifestyle though and good for raising kids that end up "normal". There's a peace that comes with owning a home, what's the price of peace?

Governments run on emotion Their numbers are not so good either.

A person needs a home. The memories made from raising a family in a home is priceless.

Homes are expensive to own, when people sell them they talk about the money they made. Most most forget about taxes, insurance and up keep.