Why isn't housing priced higher? (why is housing random luck)

[MomomiMomi]

I don't understand why the lower prices are making people lose their minds. If SE didn't lower the starting price the ultra rich players would just buy up all of the plots immediately anyway. At least with the lower prices Joe Nobody has a [low] chance of grabbing a plot instead of being priced out from the start. There are a lot of issues with the housing system, but the lower prices are a step in the right direction.

Err... what? If they raised the starting price to be much higher, I'd maybe be able to grab one or two houses before anyone else gets a chance. At the current 3.3 prices I buy an entire ward.