Sigh, sadly true. Quite a few years ago, when retirement was still a bit of a fantasy for us, my wife and I — relatively frequent visitors to Santa Fe from the east coast — thought we might want to buy a part-time retirement home there. One day, we visited a number of open houses. We actually found one within reasonable walking distance of the Palace of the Governors (sic!) that, at least by Washington, D.C., standards, was a steal. Needed a little fixing up, but nothing we couldn't afford.
You live in DC? One of my two favorite big cities, along with Paris. I love to go there for my novels, to do "research," AKA a tax-deductible interlude. I don't understand why it gets dissed -- reasonable climate, great art galleries of all kinds, interesting stuff going on almost every night, if you wish to look for it. Fast trains to Philly and NYC. Access to Chesapeake Bay for sailing and fishing. And, if you want to be terrified for some reason, you can always stop in Baltimore. While you were checking out prices in Santa Fe, I was checking out the cost of an apartment at the Watergate (because it's one big complex close-in that allows large dogs.) They were surprisingly affordable, but my wife said, "What about my horses?" They don't take horses, though the residents do produce a lot of horseshit. Sigh. I've settled, like you have, for extended stays.