renting in your 40s and making quite literally 1/3rd of salary an american sounds really cool now that i think about it
This is a discussion about whether living in a suburb with a massive house is significantly better than living in a smaller apartment in a city.
He could be a Canadian and sharing a condo with 10 people!
If someone in the US can afford a huge house in a popular and safe suburb, it is very likely they could also afford a smaller, luxurious condo in Manhattan, Los Angeles, or San Francisco.
1. Marketing 2. Needing to fill space
I believe most Americans live in far too large houses and would benefit from downsizing, especially once the kids move out. Additionally, I think Americans would benefit from some strategies to avoid impulse buying (the ones I have used successfully in the past, but have lacked the discipline to maintain include never buying anything the day I think of buying it, but always waiting at least 1 day, and avoiding using credit cards and almost entirely depending on cash).