I want to take a minute to tell you about a recent trip of mine.  I was fortunate enough to be able to tour some of the western part of England as well as London and Amsterdam.

I am sort of a house fanatic (love architecture and anything about real estate) and it was interesting to see the house styles and construction materials that I saw in England and Amsterdam.

To start with, I do not think I saw one home that was covered in vinyl or even wood for that matter.  Every house I saw was made of brick, stone or masonry.  That included the roofing materials.  There was slate and tile and on some of the older (much older, think 300 plus years) properties, there were literally 1" flat stones covering the roofs of these older homes. I have no idea how they support the weight.

So it was cool, everything had a very "real" feel about the building and construction materials.  Of course, that would contriibute to higher prices of the houses.  Housing prices can still keep the average British person from owning a home.  Many rent flats or if they purchase, most of the homes are attached in some way, whether in a "townhouse" style or larger homes that have been divided into "condo" type properties. 

I was told by a lifelong resident of England that "everyone aspires their whole life to have a detached home".  A detached home, where you have your own yard and you no longer share walls with your neighbor.  Something like "a man's home is his castle".

So we are a little short on castles here in the US, but for the most part, if your goal is to buy a home, a detached home, most people here can do it.  Our housing prices are lower (yes we may not employ the most expensive building materials, but then again, our homes are more affordable) and interest rates on 15 year mortgages are now below 4%.  The affordability factor on homes in this country is now amazingly in the favor of buyers. 

My parents, who bought their first home in 1960, never never never could have imagined interest rates as low as they are now.  They paid 7% then for a loan.  Now is really the time to buy if you are looking for a home.  Is your castle waiting out there for you?