> The 31-year-old paralegal and her husband, an apprentice plumber, live in a two-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot (111-square-meter) apartment
They can't afford kids? I have lived in 83-square-meter apartment with my wife and two kids and a I had a friggin' separate home office room to work from home. It wasn't ideal (we have moved when the youngest turned 5, so we wanted to give them separate bedrooms), but it worked pretty well. Granted, it was in Norway, not US, but one can't help thinking that people just don't know how to use the space they have.
Isn't the market telling that couple that they should move? I'm not being sarcastic at all.
If you can't afford to live in a city because you're priced out, and you want a different lifestyle as well (signalled by the stated desire for children), why wouldn't you move?
It's the bigger home with a bit of green space that they can't afford. You might be able to squeeze in a kid or two anywhere, but as you said, it wouldn't be ideal. I'm sure they're considering the trade-offs.
They can't afford kids? I have lived in 83-square-meter apartment with my wife and two kids and a I had a friggin' separate home office room to work from home. It wasn't ideal (we have moved when the youngest turned 5, so we wanted to give them separate bedrooms), but it worked pretty well. Granted, it was in Norway, not US, but one can't help thinking that people just don't know how to use the space they have.