I think Suffolk might hold a different culture and there is more I need to uncover before I proceed.

I ended up going with Keller Williams because of their training and support and mainly their culture.

The whole tech culture is shiny new and they would prefer a sterile high end apartment. 

The edges near the stove were buckled from heat & it also had a lot of cuts from years of using it as a cutting board.Then I bought a lower grade of 3/4 inch Chinese granite for yet another rehab.

I don't think the cultural change you're talking about - which I agree seems to be real and growing - will affect the midwest as much as it will affect rural properties around coastal cities which are just outside traditional commuting range.   

Some of it is cultural, I am a kiwi (new Zealander), and most of our clients are from similar cultures to ours where we tend to resent paying for anything.

They are using up their population also and they aren't both big enough and cheap enough to take over the Chinese production. 

At the heart of this issue is the fact that Americans have a culture of buying too many things and we can’t seem to get rid of most of it.

You are bound to have a bit of culture shock!  

I'm a huge soccer enthusiast and one of the things we do not have in our area is a outdoor sports complex that can be a beacon for our growing youth sports culture.