Sometimes (often? usually?) it's just that by the time you narrow it down to 1) houses that will let all my kids have their own bedroom, in 2) a school district

Sometimes (often? usually?) it's just that by the time you narrow it down to 1) houses that will let all my kids have their own bedroom, in 2) a school district where I won't have panic attacks about what a horrible experience I'm putting my kids through, and 3) in my budget... all that's left are McMansions, or smaller houses that similarly maximize space and ease of construction over quality of materials or nicer design. [edit] in fact I'd bet that, in my city at least, the overwhelming majority of mid-sized to large family houses that would sit on the lower half of the author's scale are in bad school districts, and many are neglected and deteriorating in outright slums.