[Erin]

I'm way outside of Chicago and it's bad here too and I don't feel that salaries are keeping up. My parents bought a new house 20 years ago for $130000 and it's worth $280000 or more now. But salaries haven't doubled in 20 years! We are in a "cheap" townhouse that costs more than single family houses in other areas. If we want to move up to a single family we are talking $300,000. That's insane. It only gets worse as you head toward Chicago. We are ready to move away. They just aren't building "starter" homes here and everyone was so used to properties going up up up they are being greedy and asking too much for crappy houses that need a ton of work just because they are in a certain area.

Also, people can afford these houses by having 2 parents working. There is no option for one parent to stay home or you just can't live here...