The prices of rent are WILD in some places, so when you can afford something but can't afford what you actually want, you are in fact saving significant amounts of money when you buy something smaller/less convenient until you can afford something better.

Yeah, that's absolutely the case here -- even more so before the property market crashed, but there's still received wisdom to get a foot in the door and work your way up to a nicer place, because rentals aren't well-regulated (so they're often in poor condition, and rents are so high it's hard to save while renting), and capital gains aren't taxed. It's a shitty system.

But when you currently have stuff like a private elevator, what more do you even want? xD

Maybe the dream is a house with a garden?

(Ooooh, or maybe the ghost-friendly light in the library is hurting his eyes?)

Ooh, that would make sense, given what his eyes have recently been through!

I really enjoy this concept/trope where this terrifying character has some people who know them in different circumstances and go 'oh, I love this kid, they're an absolute sweetheart' and everyone else is like 'WTF, are we talking about the same person?' xD

Ahhh, yes! That's so good (and so fitting for CSZ ETA: who sees himself as in monster in much the same way Shen Wei does).