[vl]

The problem is that supply at such places is quite limited (why would there be excess build up if there was no demand?), so it takes just small increase of demand to dry up supply and drive up prices.

I know few people who are unsuccessfully try to buy "non-metro" houses: either prices are to high, or deals closed in just couple hours of property being listed.

[throwaway0a5e]

The people you know are likely constraining their search to only the kinds of places white collar urbanites find "nice".

There is no shortage of non-dilapidated double wides and 1500ft^2 houses in rural areas.

What there is a shortage of is recently constructed nicely optioned turnkey 1500-3500ft^2 houses. Basically if you're looking for the kind of house you find in an inner suburb with good schools in BFE it'll either be hard to find or expensive.

[rrrrrrrrrrrryan]

Reliable, fast internet is less of a nice-to-have and more of an absolute requirement when the whole family is going to be on Zoom calls all day.

Rural areas often don't have that. DSL is usually asymmetric, and doesn't have anywhere near the required upload bandwidth.