I forgot to add that 99% of the “paid-off” properties in CA lie in areas which are NOT FAVORED by or UNAFFORDABLE to the younger, family-raising set (read: OLDer areas).
The reason why you have been exposed to only the “over-indebted homeowner” crowd is likely because you have never lived in any micro-areas of CA where the overall indebtedness is low, ER ;=].
