Is the "American Dream" 997 Square Feet?

I had the pleasure today of getting a haircut (at Supercuts!) and of taking a close look at a house for sale at 267 Colusa Avenue in Kensington, CA.  Here is the zillow report on this house.   I think this 997 square foot house will sell for about $475,000.   The backyard was terrific and that's the key attribute I look for in a house. Any house can have a toliet or a fridge or a couple of bedrooms but for me the backyard is the key.   Now, I agree that a home that is 997 square feet (with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom) is tiny but as the U.S enters a period of prolonged austerity --- I believe that it is important for economists to set an example in downsizing.    For those of you who have visited our 1,700 square foot home, you will see a pattern that we are scaling down our consumption so that over time we are likely to live in a 200 square foot house.   This house is 3 blocks from my in-laws and 2.5 miles from UC Berkeley.    If we buy this home, we will be willing to rent it to you for $8,000 a month and we will fill the bookshelves with signed copies of our books.  We need to earn a rate of return on our investment.