Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

There are enough articles in various reputable economic formats that examine this phenomenon. For example, search Spiegel and "Vergleichsrechnung 2007 vs. 2017 War der Immobilienkauf früher leichter?" For high earners, houses are cheaper to purchase today, as the increased wages of the upper middle class and above have risen significantly more than prices. Additionally, the low interest rates contribute. What hits hard are the ancillary purchase costs and the own contribution necessary for financing, which naturally increases along with the rising prices. Only in a few metropolitan regions such as Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne do even the wealthy without an inheritance have to stretch more. This does not apply to the majority of houses sold.

You don't seriously want to say that Uncle No. 2, with a "normal salary" of a technical draftsman, 4 children and the sole breadwinner, was able to afford something like this without an inheritance/gift and that the land was not already owned??

Come on... not even in the 70s, sorry!

But the subjective examples don't help either. I could give you countless examples of such row houses or even two-family houses that were only possible through overtime and moonlighting.

The 70s houses with marble and pools did exist too. But by then there was already something in the family or business or whatever

You’re not seriously going to tell me that Uncle No. 2, with a "normal salary" of a technical draftsman, 4 children and being the sole breadwinner, was able to afford something like that without inheritance/gift and the land not already being owned??

Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.
The family has East Prussian roots and came to Bavaria after the war with a small suitcase. Believe me, there was simply nothing to inherit.

Uncle No. 2: Technical draftsman at the car manufacturer (no, not a designer), sole breadwinner, 4 children...
Villa with pool, marble floors and almost 2000m2 garden...

Sure, in the 70s he would have earned about DM 2,300 gross as a good technical draftsman, plus DM 360 child benefit. So net for 6 people about DM 2,000 (I assumed and estimated 1975). Construction interest rates were around 8%. Let’s say half of the income went to financing. That means about DM 130,000 was financeable.

THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH IN 1975 EITHER!

Construction costs were on average DM 1,250/sqm in 1975. So at most a 75 sqm house plus tiny plot. More was not possible back then without equity or doing everything step by step in own work.

Yes, that’s exactly what I want to say. The family has East Prussian roots and came to Bavaria after the war with a small suitcase. Believe me, there was simply nothing to inherit.

Sorry, there is a catch somewhere. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think you’re deliberately claiming something that isn’t true. But either the draftsman had other income, won the lottery, or carved the marble himself from the quarry. Or was he not really a draftsman? In any case... no way... it didn’t work like that in the 70s either.

Yes, that's exactly what I want to say. The family has East Prussian roots and came to Bavaria after the war with a small suitcase. Believe me, there was simply nothing to inherit.

Then your uncle is really fooling you. If I were involved in illegal activities or holding a lottery win, I wouldn’t go bragging about it... but go ahead and keep living the dream. The problems start somewhere completely different. It begins with rent prices. If I HAVE to spend 30-40% or more of my income on that because there simply are no alternatives, then not much is left to save. Friends of ours started saving for a house two years ago without stocks. In the end, it didn’t bring anything at all. And please don’t forget the current standard of living here. The 20-30 year olds (myself included) all walk around with an almost new smartphone, lease a nice car, have a high-end stereo system, TV, Thermomix, Spotify, Netflix, Prime, or whatever. You are overwhelmed everywhere by advertising and buying incentives. There was none of that with my grandparents. A Golf was parked in front of the door and the TV was used for 20 years. When they came home with their 2500 DM per month, more than half of that could easily be put aside. The height of technology was a corded phone, kitchen appliances, and maybe the Premiere subscription.