Actually, some (not all) of these places are outrageous. With no debt (car paid), making over twice min wage, and with almost zero entertainment expenses ( I didn't have cable, didn't rent movies, didn't go out often) I would have barely scraped by with an apartment- had it not been for A LOT of OT. It was a decent place, not one of the bigger nicer complexes, but not crap either. It was also decently priced considering what else is out there. I've seen crap-holes with bad management go for an arm and a leg.
At any rate, that was for a single guy. Heaven forbid someone around here try to raise a family. Without 10 years of experience, luck, military benefits, or college + several years of work experience, you really can't afford it.
On the other hand, you can't change the market, so why b****? At the end of the day, all you can do is either work harder/more or move somewhere else.
Best option for someone starting off? Get a few dependable people together and split the costs of renting a house. Work to increase your income and save up as much as possible along the way. As soon as you can afford to do so, buy something.
