I'd like to know too. Full disclosure, I live in IA (DSM). I've seen my neighborhood go up 30-40%. Houses that were ~180k are now pushing 300k. Now, I think th

I'd like to know too. Full disclosure, I live in IA (DSM). I've seen my neighborhood go up 30-40%. Houses that were ~180k are now pushing 300k. Now, I think the market will normalize a bit but still. There is no such thing as a starter house unless you're willing to give up a good education for your kids, live in bumfuck nowhere (and that's coming from someone who lives in Des Moines, IA-- which many people would consider nowhere). Move rural? Good luck. Small towns are drying up for any/all services. Amazon and co are pushing out anything local for shopping. Cost of living for stuff not related to housing is just as high or HIGHER due to lack of infrastructure, plus the lack of meaningful choices (small town stores have higher prices due to lack of purchasing power and limited suppliers). I'm not saying it's impossible, live off the grid and have your own farm. But doing that with a family, while working 60+ hours a week just to pay your rent, unless you're an SWE. The crunch is REAL for most people.