The loan we took out was about 80% annual salary. We took out a 15-year loan, paid at least double on it per month and have paid it off.

Ours is about 200% but coming down slowly the more we make each year. Of course in Saint Paul if you want to live in a really nice neighborhood, you have to pay $300k for a 2 bedroom, 1 bath home with 1,000 square feet. So, we had to spend a little bit more for more space. It really is ridiculous. We also bought our house March 2005, just months before the housing collapse. We lived in a condo downtown and really wished we had stayed there a few more years because we could buy a really big house for very little....