The trend I'm seeing is people realizing that maybe living 40 miles or further away from their job isn't such a great idea after all...
At the last company I worked at, the boss' son bought a condo that was 40 miles away from work. His reasoning? HE wasn't paying for gas, the company was. That lasted about three months, till the owner (his dad) realized just how much he was spending on gas compared to the other employees. His gas allowance was cut down to be more inline with what the other company vehicles were costing. So now, on top of having to pay for his own gas, he's realizing that it takes him 3 HOURS a day to drive to/from work.
He sold his condo (At a pretty big loss!) and moved back in a lot closer.
The 'drive until you qualify' (for a loan on the size house you want) mindset is quickly going away.
What good is a big, beautiful house in the far suburbs if you get there just in time to go to sleep at night, then have to jump up and rush back to work the next day? Not to mention other costs... like health... people work all day, fight traffic jams to get home, and want to relax... where is their exercise time?
A lot of people are realizing that there is a value to be put on their time, and much better ways to spend that than on huge commutes every day.
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"There is no greater wonder than the way the face and character of a woman fit so perfectly in a man's mind, and stay there, and he could never tell you why. It just seems it was the thing he most wanted." Robert Louis Stevenson
