While I have this very NYC/Montreal mindset of "What's wrong with renting the same place till the day I die?"
americanstd disagrees. I am not saying he's wrong, just that he and I don't agree.
Part of this is that we usually had no meeting of the minds on what we wanted in a house we'd own. He wants Modern! and I want Traditional! In other words, he wants a new house so it can be built with wireless in the walls, top of the line electrical systems, a dishwasher, washer and dryer hookups, etc. In contrast, I want a house with personality and architectural details. So he doesn't like the 1930s Craftsmen or ancient Victorians I like and I dislike McMansions.
Enter Tumbleweed Houses and this model:
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses/sebastarosa/ Since we've decided we like living small, 700 square feet is good. If we join their Small House group we get info on off-grid power and things like that.
Make sure you see the tour of the 96 square foot house--it's NUTS.