I live in a rural area (relatively speaking - town of about 1000 people) - around me if you don't show up to look at a house, ready to buy, and with no continge

I live in a rural area (relatively speaking - town of about 1000 people) - around me if you don't show up to look at a house, ready to buy, and with no contingencies - you are not going to get a house. I know many folks near me who have listed their house, had 40 people show up the first day (open house) and sold it the next day, for cash, for 20% over the asking price - around me, those stories are very common. I study the RE market in several places that I am connected to every day - I watch houses come on the market, and are under deposit within days. I feel really bad for young people looking to buy their first place (including my kids) - they can't pay cash, and they are on a budget - they have almost zero real options other than to continue to rent and wait for a RE crash. IMO, it's coming, but who knows when.