@crowbar, I’m glad I bought my apartment for cash years ago when I had the savings and the prices were within my reach. As a result, my monthly costs are low. I bought a home because I saw the writing on the wall and I knew that home ownership would be cheaper than renting. If I didn’t own this place, I could not afford to live in NYC. Frankly, rents in “normal America” are dang high too.
I have given serious thought to retiring overseas in Costa Rica, Thailand or another Asian country. Many Americans are retiring overseas because it is an affordable option.