households is very well off. People see this and want it. We now live in a world where most married couples are 2-income households and the buying power has almost completely vanished. I have no idea how much this household-income-inflation affected things versus the government printing money like crazy, but I have a hard time believing they both haven't played a big part in it - that and the desire to have bigger houses and nicer stuff (which itself is a natural consequence of encouraging 2-income households).