I would like to preface this by saying that, while I am a relatively new player, I have about 7 friends who all play this game and regularly give me information on how it works and what the systems in place are.
In terms of decorating and generally living in houses, I think this game has a fabulous system. I love the intricate work you can do in decorating and designing a home, and the sense of community in wards as a whole feels very rewarding.

That said, the house purchasing system is the single worst designed system in an MMO that I have ever seen. None of my friends, even the ones who own houses, really understand how the purchasing system works. I've seen timers on houses hit 0 and reset, not knowing why they never became available for purchase, and I've sat at houses for 8+ hours multiple times doing nothing but trying to purchase it; everyone I've spoken to believes this to be a normal experience.

The system is grossly unintuitive, poorly designed, and perhaps worst of all, under-explained. The official FFXIV page on housing doesn't even mention the function of the timer or when houses are available to purchase. Following the logic of that page, one is lead to believe they can immediately purchase any house on sale.

I really and truly love this game, but this piece of it has left such a poor taste in my mouth. If anyone understands the system or has a guide to it, I would very much like to know. Thank you for your time.