[Rubber_Duckie_27]

It's downright depressing for my fiance and I to look at the real estate listings. We were planning on buying a home in about 2 years (gives us a year after the wedding to save up the downpayment), but there's no way we could afford the kind of home we'd like at these prices. We are planning our budget based on my income only, since I have better job security and benefits, and he will be a stay-at-home dad when kids come along.

Actually, yes we could afford a home...if we lived in a slummy, crime-ridden city with very poor schools, farther from my workplace. Simply ridiculous.

Really, when a fixer-upper of a 1940's-vintage 3 bedroom/1 bathroom ranch on a small lot in a decent town in central Connecticut costs in excess of $170K, it's pretty daunting for a young couple to try to buy a home.

[petercooper]

Hopeflly the bubble will burst or deflate somewhat in the next 2 years. We're in a similar situation

[Hammerhead]

you're looking at 2x that amount here in the DC area.