It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. For those fortunate enough to own their homes, the Howard years were boom times as personal wealth skyrocketed and family homes doubled in value. It was a very different story for those on low and middle incomes stuck on the rental treadmill, seeing their hopes of buying their first home disappear into the mist. The Howard years embraced a decade in which the traditional relativity between average household incomes and median house prices was shattered, putting home ownership beyond the reach of a vast number of Australian families.…