In 1969 my father had been a teacher in the Long Beach Unified School district for 5 years. My mother worked week-ends as an R.N. I don't know what her salary was back then, but I recently found out that my dad's was $16,000. We lived in this house, which my father had purchased when we moved out there in 1964 for $13,500 (less than a year's salary of what he would make in five short years). Today, according to the BLS, he'd need to make upwards of $110,000 to have equal buying power. Ironic, given that the most he could make as a teacher in the same district today is just over $108,000 after 29 years and with 2 years of study beyond a Master's degree.

Over half a million for a 1200 sq ft house in a working class neighborhood is beyond insane.