I have been really digging Cleveland as a city, so much cool beer and food and really friendly people.

I don't know what rents are like in that market, so take this with a big grain of salt.  

So.... if they bought the house only a few years ago, then maybe not a big deal, but if they bought it a long time ago and it has a low assessed value, this could mean major dollars in terms of property taxes every year, which is often overlooked.Hope that's some food for thought. 

I know the post you are talking about, and I recognized it as a lot of jadedness, but as someone who has dealt with most of what he was bitching about, I saw a lot of grains of truth to it.  

I'm hoping that by opening up my search to 200k, I can get something that would fit me- I'm 28 with a girlfriend and live in a very "hip" area of Columbus (think old school bars, trendy food, etc.).

I won some money, plus all the comps, free food, free rooms.

@Nam Nguyen I am still active duty past 14 but I do have some thoughts on this so take it with a grain :) What I tell first "termers" that are on the fence about reenlisting is not a sales pitch to stay for life since this obviously isn't for everyone.

Is toilet paper included, food, drinks, etc.

If it's my choice to buy, my down payment, my debt obligation, my returns, I get to own my successes or failures.So, hey, take my thoughts with a grain of salt :)  

The idea is that if the economy falls apart, people will always need food.