My back is still in tact

Update on the TV: Moved successfully. I did, however, need to take two different saws to our brand new entertainment center to make the set fit. All is well now. And no one injured themselves during the lugging/heaving of the set.

So a house in my neighborhood just sold for an atrocious amount of money. I thought the prices people were getting a year ago constituted highway robbery, and now this. This house originally sold for less than ours because of options, etc. They just sold for twice what we paid 3.5 years ago.

The funny thing is, when I talk to my neighbors who are moving, they all say the same thing: "We wanted to take advantage of the good prices and sell, get a bigger house and a bigger yard."

Yes, but... where are you going to go?! Everything else has gone up by the same percentages, if not more. The only way you're going to get something bigger/better is (A) shovel out a boatload of money/take on staggering amounts of debt, or (B) move waaaaaaay out into the boonies where your commute will be twice as long as it is now. No thanks on both of those.

Now, if I were moving out of the area, because of a job transfer or what have you, or for people like my parents who recently retired, it's great. Sell your house, move to another market, and you're in good shape.

For kicks I was on Realtor.com (looking up another neighbor's asking price) and I punched in the zip code where we used to live in Salt Lake Valley. Using my neighbors recent sale as a gauge, we could get twice the house (loaded with the options) and three times the yard, and have little or no mortgage (but given the job market out there, little or no income as well..).

So to all you Utah people, enjoy your housing prices.