Cool discussion. I've always felt that modern homes, for the most part, are cheap garbage, like most consumer products in North America. I've also wondered why everyone needs all that space, do you hate your family that much that you never want to see them? Besides that all the modern glues, carpets, paint fumes in new home are PROVEN to make people sick.

All that said, my wife and I LOVE our 950sf, 1929, 2 bedroom house. It's built like a tank (although I feel for the old growth trees that were cut to make the old place! ), cool in the summer (thanks to the 80 year old trees encircling it), OK to heat in the winter, looks great, has "character" that you can't buy anymore, etc. We have two kids (2.5 and 1, boy, girl) who currently are sharing a room, if we can afford it we would like to convert part of the attic into a loft for our bedroom so kids can have their own rooms on the main floor (basement too dank to live it, great for storing bikes though!). I'd also love to put in a geothermal heating/cooling system one day with in floor heat.