While moving to a suburb had an increase in space as one of its boons, the primary driving force by far was housing costs. Reducing housing costs by half or mor

While moving to a suburb had an increase in space as one of its boons, the primary driving force by far was housing costs. Reducing housing costs by half or more and locking that cost in by buying (no rent hikes) has dramatic effects on one’s ability to accumulate savings and work towards achieving true financial security. If I could’ve found a decent apartment in the city for the same price as my house, I likely would’ve opted for the apartment instead because being within walking distance of essentials and things to do is very compelling. Unfortunately there’s not much in US cities that can be had for the same price, and what little can isn’t pleasant to spend extended amounts of time in as one does with remote work. This doesn’t have to be a problem. In Tokyo for instance there’s plenty of suitable apartments for a decent price, especially if you’re ok with downtown being a 20m train ride away. We don’t build our cities like that, though.