[crisp444]

What do you mean? The American Dream in the 1950's meant a family, a 1200 square foot house with a lawn in a middle class suburb, television, one car parked in front and a plastic above-ground pool in the back. Hardly luxurious or out of reach by today's standards...

Maybe young couples would be able to afford the dream of owning if they didn't insist on buying a 3000 square foot house with an in-ground pool as their first home. Buy a condo/townhouse/apartment instead. Or just rent until you're 35-40, as is common in much of Europe. The middle class nowadays spends so much money on Louis Vitton bags, expensive stereo equiptment, and GPS systems for their 2-3 cars that many find it hard to afford to buy property.

We're better off than ever before, and many people don't realize it because they are spending so much money on luxury goods that it becomes difficult to pay the bills.