In light of the new housing changes
I'd like to say that I am happy that something is being done. Myself and a good friend played on Goblin for a while, and had no issues finding a house to purchase. We were even able to shop around, ya know? Hopped over to Lamia and found out that there was a land crisis. Everything was taken, and it didn't take long to realize that most of those players were inactive. I personally think this change is a great start, however, there are some things to consider...
Some people might not completely quit the game and may be deterred to come back to the game if the gil they invested into a house is completely lost. Personal issues, financial issues, or any unforeseen event of life may prevent an adventurer from logging into the game for an extended period of time, and the time they invested into the game may be reduced if the gil is lost.
With those things in mind, I thought I'd give my point of view on the current housing issue. I think one of the biggest problems with housing is the inability to sell or trade your land effectively. The price of selling a house is absurd due to the mechanics that are involved. If things were simplified, some of the people who may not play for an extended period of time might be more inclined to release their property to a more active player for a price.
An in-game item, such as a deed, could be implemented which would allow for trading. Perhaps a market board specifically for housing located in the housing wards, or perhaps the item could be posted on the Market Board with the location listed in the notes so people could tour the property. If an inactive player failed to post their deed on the Market Board, it would be posted after a set amount of time and the property would be seized and auctioned automatically.
This, in my opinion, would dramatically increase the involvement in the housing aspect of the game. Property brokers and families alike may be more inclined to get involved, and I think creating content like that is incredibly immersive.
TLDR; Allow housing to be more easily tradeable through deeds and auctions.
This was an incredibly unorganized post, and that's due to the lack of attention I think this will receive. If it does receive some interest, I'll clean it up a bit for readability.