Those who are living in SF, Manhattan, or other areas where the cost of housing is high, should not feel bad about this poll! You are paying for location (location, location, location) as well as for the house when you buy a house. These are simply choices that we all make; some prefer to spend money to be in a certain location, with various advantages, and others might prefer to spend more on travel or
other expenses.
There is no One True Way to spend money.
That said, this poll is encouraging me to think that 10%-11% isn't an unusually huge amount to spend on my next home, even here where home prices are lower.
I am SUCH a homebody, that it makes sense for me to spend more on my home than some. Honestly I would spend up to 16% without batting an eye, if I had to and if I could recoup that much on resale. But here, I don't have to and would never get it back on resale of a house small enough for just me.