Yeah I would have been sitting pretty had I bought back then...problem was back then real estate was expensive too based on what you could earn in those days! Not only was it expensive, but I was young and not making much money as a high school student and then a college student, and then once the education was completed there were no jobs-at least none that would pay enough to buy a house. Even after I met my wife there the combine income was not enough to buy a house! Same is true today. My brother in law (my father in-laws favorite) was "given" at about half the going rate, a house they owned as a rental for $150,000 about 10 years ago when he got married and it STILL takes both of their incomes to pay for the house! And 3 years ago (last time I checked) that house located in 2 blocks north from downtown Goleta is worth $580,000 and it's cracker box of a house! If you know that area you know what I'm talking about. If the average income of lets say a respectable job like teaching is 45,000 a year and you have two teachers married for a total of $90,000 a year, those two teachers can't even afford the $3,300 a month (assuming two teachers could come up with with $50,000 down!) or so for the mortgage plus the high taxes and all your other normal living expenses.

Wow, those pictures sure makes me miss home, especially this time of the year here in Fort Wayne!