It's a big house. My family has had the land for years, so really it shouldnt have cost as much as building one today would cost (definately!). That is why it is important to buy as much land as possible while prices are down. A friend of my dad's, who was poor, owned a very small lot in Downtown Memphis, and a guy offered to buy it for like 5 million smackers. There's no business like real estate.
Now if my dad would only get a job... Dude hasnt worked for years...
