The houses aren't what's causing it.
The massive inflation/deflation in prices is based on the utility of the land. Yeah, the houses themselves don't cost all that much - the land is what's causing the price fluctuations. When somebody can't develop the land with as many houses (what happened to my grandparents) the value of the land drops. The other problem is that Seattle has developed a really bad case of sprawl - you can't develop any new lots in the areas where it's actually convenient to commute from. Combine this with a population that is resistant to "new" taxes to pay for any kind of public transit, and you're basically fucked.
End of world rescheduled for day after tomorrow. Something should probably be done. Please advise.