The usa is not an exception when rates hit 12%. And they were not a long time ago. Quantitative easing made money cheap after the 2008 crash, but that's over, and cheap money is no more. So eventually rates might rise and cost per house (in inflation corrected numbers) will lower.
It's basic math.
Sure, maybe they'll hiver at 3-4-5% for 2 decades, what do I know, but that was not the discussion.