The American suburbs have never been a good place to live.
They are horrible places to live.
They are horrible places to grow a family.
The neighbor's house is too close, or too far away. Too close for any privacy. Should have just eliminated the space, to save on heating/cooling. But, that gets rid of the illusion that you have your own house.
There is no place to grow food.
There is no place to grow a family.
It quickly becomes so spread out that you need a car to visit family.
And you need a car to visit the grocery store.
It is the worst of both worlds.
How we got here
We changed from an agrarian farmer economy to a industrial assembly line economy.
We built our lives around the work provided by factories. Unfortunately the workers and the factory owners were set against each other, and so, the factory owners never considered themselves the center of the town, that when they left they would destroy the town that was built up. Neither did the workers realize that if they pushed to far, there would be nothing when the factory left.
So many ghost towns all over America, but we never learned the lesson.
Even worse, many people who owe their existence to the city, became activists against the pollution (perceived or real) that the factory/industry that supported the city. Like people complaining that the airport makes too much noise (when it was there first), that there is too much truck traffic, that is interfering with them getting to the store.
We have built up cities around industry, and then forgot that the industry is the entire reason for the city.
Like fast food workers complaining that they aren't paid enough, and so started getting replaced by automation, the factories will also be automated. Now, there will be nothing to support the city.
The collapse of the Automobile Slum
Humanity exists because humans grow enough food for everyone. This is the basis of civilization.
When we have enough food, and extra time, we can produce goods that will make our life better/easier.
So, we must prioritize our life's energy along these lines. When we create a community, we must first work on providing food for everyone. And then, because we are fairly addicted to manufactured goods, we must create an industry that produces something that other communities will want. This way, there is something to trade to others.
In the National Automobile Slum, there is none of this.
It was built up, relying on industries that were never really connected. Which everyone thought were separate. But, this net provided food, and other things necessary for life. However, a group of people wanted America dead. So, they sold off, got rid of, disconnected even further, the necessities of life.
We are dying. Society is dying. The thing that made it go is dead.
Today, most people do not do anything. Not as in, being lazy, i mean doing stuff, that is completely useless. Like filling out forms that go to the govern-cement that are then filed. Two people doing work that doesn't make anything better. They aren't even making an espresso and putting a heart on it. That is something. These people really do nothing except destroy trees and waste space.
And so, the suburbs with their ultra-high priced "houses" are already dead. We just haven't realized it yet.
Suburb Housing Prices Go Down
When you look out on the suburbs around the cities, especially those in blue states, see a ghost town. A really big ghost town. Everything is against their continued existence. These "houses" will drop in value until they cannot be given away.
Demographic decay - We are not having enough children to keep up with replacement. In the future, we will need less houses. Imagine, instead of scarcity that we see today, we have two empty houses for every potential buyer. No more houses need to be built. All we need to do is wait a little bit until Boomers (25% of houses are owned by them) give up their houses.
All Causes Mortality - People are dying faster, and faster. We are already at a "once in a 400 year event", and the numbers keep going up. Less people, more vacant housing.
Illegal Immigrants - These could make housing less available, if they all could get jobs, and buy houses. But there aren't that many unskilled-labor jobs, and the prices are out of that range. So, what we will get instead is squatters, NGOs buying up housing, and more crime. This may take up some of the inventory, but no one will want to live there after.
Economic Depression - All the big corporations are laying off people. All the new jobs are low skill, part time work. The industry that is the basis of our economy was gutted, so now there is less money for each person. And that means less people able to pay ultra-high house prices. And so, tent cities. More trash. More crime.
Food riots - This will be the big one. If you can get out of the cities, GET OUT OF THE CITIES. Our farmlands are petering out. If this wasn't bad enough, it seems a group has it in for food processing plants. They want you to eat ze bugs. They want you dependent of THEIR food, that THEY provide. And so, are cutting back in little bits everywhere. Soon, we will find food too unaffordable in cities. And then comes the riots.
The very expensive suburban housing of today, will become empty and abandoned. The prices will drop, and continue to drop. At some point it will not be worth selling, the costs of transferring (selling) the house is more than what a buyer would pay. Basically, you couldn't give it away.
The only people who will be buying houses in these cities is Blackrock. (yes, they are trying to keep inventory low, and acquiring property for 15 minute prisons) If they show up to buy your house. Sell and move. They will move you off that land, so if they are there, get out. Resistance is futile, unless you have the power to stop the govern-cement.
Move to a place where you have space to grow food. Move to a place where you can grow children.
Start an industry with your friends. Become a self sufficient community. It will get easier and easier as technology to provide power, internet and water become available to everyone, everywhere.