Excellent post.
While today it may take about 9 years to pay for your home the associated costs of ownership (property taxes, utilities, insurance, maintenance, repairs, upgrades, etc.) are rapidly rising as well thus making a home purchase these days an even greater burden.
We have a 3 bdrm starter home, fine for 2 seniors. Until Biden, value remained about the same, Tax Assessment doubled, taxes went up, Insurance went up. Same for the 2 cars, one is driven once a month or so and is 13 years old. They are garaged. A big reason we are the next city, next county over from Memphis, and crime has gone up. Mostly burglaries, and shoplifting. Covington actually has a higher violent crime rate. While still the same county, has a more liberal crime policy than we do.