I have bought my small house a couple of months ago, after a few days of full hunt: every hour i checked the housing plots to see if some houses were demolished. I couldn't believe myself when i got it and i was really happy. At that time i nearly just had the money for the plot and my play-mate had to lend me money to buy the housing permit. We decorated togheter (we divided the crafters, i am ltw, wvr, alc, he is crp, gld) with a lot of effort and time of our almost 50 crafters, and now my house is finished minus the basement in wich i cannot still decide how to decorate it.
I love my house and i do a lot of gardening and i take care of our chocobos in the stable (mine is already lvl 15, his is 13).

When the houses in shirogane arrived a few weeks ago, my mate tryed to buy a medium house there but didn't get it. Instead i convinced him to take a small house near mine, so i became also his tenant and i can use another garden patch and 2 more vase in his house. I also put my ALT's chocobo in his stable (since i can't make my alt my tenant -.-)
Beside this, his house is empty. He did not have the time for now to decorate it.. and even if it will never do it i think is up to him to do as he please ..

Unfortunately i can understand the feelings of people who fell behind again with this patch and didn't get a house. I can in fact confirm (i know one player myself) that someone are sitting down theyr 3rd, 4th, 5th house to sell it in the near future :/

As someone stated the first move that should be made to counter the problem as soon as we can, is to randomize the time avaibility of the house when it is relinquieshed.