Has anyone else noticed that buying a home in a mid-sized city now costs nearly 10 times the average local salary? I grew up in Ohio, where my parents bought their first house for $45k in 1988. For my generation, that same starter home is $350k, yet wages barely doubled. Is this just inflation catching up, or have we quietly accepted that homeownership is no longer a realistic milestone for most people? I'm genuinely torn because I love the idea of owning property, but the math rarely adds up unless you get family help or move far from jobs. Maybe renting and investing the difference is the smarter play—but I still worry about losing the stability and freedom that comes with owning your own space.