I agree absolutely, David; I just got what appeared to be the cheapest parcel in the whole of Bay City and it still amounted to the equivalent of $90 USD. Even for commercial use, I had to consider that for a bit before taking the plunge; if it were merely for 'fun' or a house or nonprofit hangout it would have been out of the question. That much dosh can go a long way towards entertainment expense
That said, from reading this thread alone, what the Bay City Alliance do adds a huge amount of value to the area, and it's a good template to start with. The moles have done a brilliant job (I love the statue of the tophat mole x3). I think being here will be much more rewarding in every way than if I'd gone for a cheaper roadside parcel on the 'main' mainland.
But yeah some of the prices are completely silly. u.u It's sad. There needs to be a medium between *zomgcheap* with thoughtless builds everywhere and *zomgexpensive* with empty parcels everywhere.