re: #20 Hecuba’s daughter

As you say — it’s the house and lot size that are the shock, given the prices.

Here’s a sample of a coastal community in San Diego county, the quaint old part of the town of Cardiff:

That’s what it costs to live nearer the ocean. Most of those are small and old houses, on small lots.

A young couple, much less a single person, can’t afford to buy there unless they have inherited a bunch of money. Even a two income yuppie couple are going to struggle with a million dollar mortgage.