Homes in my area are being built for $550,000 and up. Yes, way more expensive than they are worth. But you don't have the gun violence. You have health care like we don't. Those two make up so much of the "deficit." Someone explained to me recently how much you all pay for income taxes up there, and, when I factored in the cost of paying for private insurance family plan ($25k a year), your taxes for income at least, weren't unreasonable. Count your blessings. Not being the king of the world is also a benefit of living in Canada.