Keep in mind ridiculous house prices are only in a handful of cities. The rest of the country exists and is doing just fine, thank you very much.

I live in Houston and made $75k right out of school as an IT consultant. I lived in the cheapest apartment I could find in my favorite Houston neighborhood -- a place with a lot of art and nightlife. Despite it being a happening place, it only cost $700/mo in 2012.

I was a big fan of the finance blogger Mr. Money Mustache and lived cheaply, on about $30k/yr. The rest of my salary went towards paying off my relatively low school debt, then I funneled it all to my Roth IRA, 401(k), and ESPP. After maxing that out, I bought taxable investments too.

My goal was to retire in my mid-30s after making an average developer salary. From 2012-2015, my net worth went from -$30k to $150k. It's still rising, but not as quickly because my fiance doesn't have the same crazy ideas about money that I do.

I bought a 3-bedroom townhouse in a nice neighborhood right near downtown. I can easily afford it and I'm not even making 6 figures yet.