Hurray! Finally saved up 6mil for my personal house!

[Purrfectstorm]

supposed to be casual cosmetic content that is denied to the casual player base.

denied to the casual player base.

casual friendly

yet lets restrict player homes and all associated features to the hardcore, first come first serve crowd.

I think you're misusing the terms casual and hardcore here, especially if it's plot availability, not pricing, that you have an issue with. You seem to be equating "hardcore" with "haves" and "casual" with "have-nots." There doesn't seem to be much correlation to actual hardcore playing having anything to do with getting a plot.

You were either there when new plots opened up or you weren't.

I don't think that timing makes one hardcore or not. But then I've never liked the whole hardcore/casual dichotomy some players seem eager to push. Point of fact is that your post insults both groups. On the one hand it paints "casuals" as players unable or unwilling to get access to the housing feature (it is actually very easy i.e. "casual" these days) and on the other hand the "hardcore" players have an unfair advantage due to their no life status. This is way too many assumptions for you to take on and seems like a bit of cognitive dissonance to me:

I want housing.
I can't get housing.
So I'll denigrate everyone who has housing by calling them "hardcore" (a term which you seem to be using negatively here).

When SE first released player housing, I would've probably agreed with much of what you've said, but some things have changed: prices have come down, SE has released more plots of land, and gil is plentiful to be had. I think there is plenty of reason to suspect that this trend will continue so I'd suggest saving your gil and waiting till it's your turn (pricing is affordable + land is available). This WILL happen.

I want to be clear that I don't completely like what SE has done:
- how housing is limited at all
- how personal and FC housing is shared
- the price of plots and houses

but I DO like that:
- you need a house to have a chocobo stable or garden
- that these things are resources that reward you for having invested in a house
- the feeling of accomplishment at having purchased a house

TL;DR version: not a perfect system but easy for the average player to take part in, if not right off then down the road a ways.

Final note: I'm a "casual" player and I actually enjoy grinding for things I want in game be it gear or housing. Casual doesn't mean you want things handed to you. And I don't think that waking up an hour early to log on when new plots open up makes you particularly "hardcore" either.