And Chateau de Villandry is obscene.

A very poor American tribute to the Loire Valley castle, the Draper "chateau" was one of three megamillion-dollar McMansions opening their doors to the grubby masses during the Salt Lake Parade of Homes this month. There's a two-story indoor waterfall, more than a dozen TV screens (including one sunken into the entry floor of the sports bar), an indoor basketball court and an "infinity-edged" pool in the backyard.

But my senses finally shut down in one little boy's room. Attached to the football-themed bedroom was a chamber the size of my living room, carpeted with astroturf - a mini Texas Stadium.

"Live Simply," the stenciled words on the perfectly tinted laundry room wall reminded. In a 9,000-square-foot house with a $4.2 million price tag.

Chateau de Villandry would reveal a lot to an archaeologist studying 21st century American culture.

It also exposes a lot about this state. If that house is really what Utahns want, it's a prime example of why the state's average home size leads the nation. And it explains why new home construction has stagnated and bankruptcies are creeping up again: Working families can't afford Utah's "standard" home, with four bedrooms, two family rooms and an under-stair, nook/clubhouse.

"We have seen a tremendous decline in affordability," says Kelly Matthews, an economist with Wells Fargo & Co.

Well, no wonder.

The parade's annual celebration of gee-whiz gadgetry, overstuffed opulence and excess space is a case study of housing trends - or conspicuous consumption, depending on your perspective.

"Most people like to see homes they can't afford," says Taz Biesinger, executive vice president of the Utah Homebuilders Association.

The chateau and its ilk are at the top end. The cheapest - and smallest - house of 33 was in South Jordan's Daybreak development. Parade homes ranged in size from 1,580 square feet to 11,000 square feet, and varied in price from $250,000 to $5.3 million. Even a middle-of-the-road home in West Jordan was selling for $652,400, unfurnished.

Chris McMillan and her mother, Sonja Welch, ventured out on a tour "for decorating ideas" a week ago.

"Some of the houses are really unbelievable," McMillan says, overlooking one of five family rooms in La Bella Vita in Riverton.

"Sometimes it makes you discouraged. We could never have afforded something like this. And my husband made good money. He worked for IBM," Welch adds. "But when you look at houses, you don't want to see what you've got."

Most Utahns will never live La Bella Vita. If the home doesn't sell, the developer, Sage Builder's Doug Jessop, will move in.

Homebuilders and bankers both acknowledge most Utahns have trouble affording even the average Utah home.

Matthews blames slowing home construction this year on the gap between stagnant salaries and double-digit appreciation in home prices. In 2003, the average Salt Lake County home sold for $187,000. This year, that home cost $298,000.

More specifically, Biesinger says, real estate speculators drove up home construction rates and prices last year. Now they're gone, the housing market has readjusted.

At the same time, Biesinger says Utah cities are perpetuating the state's "affordability problem," forcing up home prices with impact fees and minimum lot and home size requirements. So-called "starter homes" are discouraged.

"All they want are big houses," says Biesinger.

But this isn't just local government snobbery in action. The 2,500 square-foot house most of us grew up in isn't enough anymore. Many big Utah families want bedrooms for each child, a great room and three-car garage. And they'll commute to the foothills of the Oquirrhs to find it.

Utah is not immune to the subprime loan fallout. Many families who got into their big houses using interest-only loans could find their payments ballooning. National lenders are phasing out so-called "stated income" loans, where a buyer simply declares an ability to pay a certain amount each month. And buyers who apply for "non-conforming" or "jumbo" loans above $417,000 will have to pay higher interest rates.

For a while, Utah led the nation in home foreclosures. Those numbers are down. But real estate observers expect the number of Utah homeowners defaulting on their mortgages to spike again.

In the end, they may have no one to blame but themselves.

walsh@sltrib.com