[thecardcheat]

All of this - and maintenance. The house that may be "inexpensive" re: sale price may cost just as much to fix. The cost of fixing X sq ft of thing or replacing appliance Y may certainly increase with the size of the home, but even small homes can have major expenses (and if you are in a "cheaper" area this means more home for less, so more to fix).

Lack of regulation in places without rigid building code enforcement can also make it hard to find people who aren't hacks (if you can find people at all) in construction.