"...I don't know that anything can be done, nor am I advocating for anything to be done. I just want people to realize that making glib statements like, ask your parents for money, or just save more, aren't really workable answers either...."

Yes, they are realistic answers for SOME.  Could my ex and I have saved that kind of coin over 4 years?  You bet.  That's because I didn't bury myself in debt at the time.  But, we wanted a house immediately because my wife wanted a child, so I made the sacrifice.  

Don't expect to be able to buy some big, new house in an expensive housing market.  Buy some piece of garbage and expect to incur the costs of keeping it up or renovating it, if you demand to live in that high priced area.  Jeezus, is this the entitlement growth era?