RenterClint,
No apology necessary (BTW, it’s neither mine nor Chris’s neighborhood) and there’s no reason why you couldnt stay where you are as a renter. If you love it stay there and raise your family there as a renter. I know of several original owners that kept their homes as rentals with very low fixed carrying costs and no intention of selling anytime soon. Save your money and eventually you can move somewhere cheaper to retire.

As for this being the best area of SD, I’ll go a step further. I’ve lived and traveled the entire country. I grew up in a town across the country that most people in the US have heard of with some of the best schools in the nation. I am a firm believer that where I live is the best area in the US (at least for what I like) and thats why I choose to live here.

Lastly, I am starting to see my friends inherit wealth from their parents. How the wealth transfer from our parents generation to ours impacts things is another great unknown.