Biggest drag for Russian was the drop in oil prices. Sanctions were more of an add on later. Like an 80/20 split. If the Russian leadership had foreseen the drop in oil prices, they might have passed on Crimea.
Russian real estate prices in USD are down significantly since 2013 then but have recovered some this year with the rise in the price of oil.
Guys like this are the best chance for Russia and normal relations with the US.
We can only wish him and those like him well.
Prices even in 3rd third cities will always be higher than the US for many reasons.
Key problem is the inability to produce large amounts of housing in a cost effective manner (partly due to corruption/lack of infrastructure/lack of financing).
The list of reasons is fairly long and isn’t easy to resolve.
