Right on deadzone, don’t get married. And you’re right that SD has always been expensive.
With the RE boom, people have not yet realized how stretched they are because in their minds, they are still investing for the future. I have a friend who pays $2,600 per month to own an old house that would normally rent for $900. The house is pretty old and delapidated. But he’s making sacrifices to restore it and views his work as an investment. For the last two years, he could’ve been investing $1,700 per month risk free. I have a feeling that he’ll loose his shirt on this one. Go figure. The Real Estate industry has absolutely brain-washed people into owning.
So no, i don’t feel sorry for people who loose in real estate. I’d rather save my compassion for the migrant workers that everyone is beating up on.