The one game that stands out in housing (that I've played) is the fortress you earn/occupy in Neverwinter Nights 2. That was soooo unbelieably cool how you could manage it and stuff.
That concept (of owning and managing a fortress plus your surrounding lands, like trying to secure your reputation and family's power while upholding the rights of your kind, protecting the borders and such..) should be made in a game on its own, man...
