I lived in Aspen 14 years, and I made more than enough to qualify for housing lottery, but most of my income was cash and therefore, I didn't qualify. I would have loved to buy something small there and spend the rest of my life living in a modest cabin in Aspen. As it is now, 26 years after first moving there, I own a home in Denver and (when traffic won't be bad coming/going) visit my friends who stayed and managed to make it work. I have a friend who is 42 that has had the same job and same employee/affordable 1br apartment since.