Time Versus Money

I just read an article about the average commute time in America. In itself, it was shocking and appalling. I miss the America where people walked down the street to work at the corner store, law office, postal counter, or other local job. I say that like I knew a time when that existed, but I guess what I mean is that I miss the idea of it from the books I've read.

Anyway, another shocking statistic in the article was:
"San Francisco... the average cost of a home was $1.45 million in 2007." Well, let me just write you a check for that $300,000 down payment. Again, I am forced to ask myself, just who are the people buying these homes, and how are they doing it without jumbo mortgage loans? Well, I can tell who it's not... me. I'm not rich, but I'm certainly not poor, either. Which, I suppose, puts me solidly in the middle class, which, media tells me, has been priced out of all of the three bedroom homes anywhere near any city on the east or west coast.

I'm not really stunned, but more... let's call it miffed. I'm miffed at the silly housing market and economic state of the USA.