In all things housing, the mantra to repeat is, "houses are cheap; it's land that's (sometimes) expensive." By the way, if these prices surprise you, then you

In all things housing, the mantra to repeat is, "houses are cheap; it's land that's (sometimes) expensive." By the way, if these prices surprise you, then you should have a look at the housing market in the vast majority of the U.S. that isn't near an ocean. The country is full of perfectly-fine housing in working-class neighborhoods for $150k or less.