system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Married with Children] How could Al Bundy afford a house when he was making minimum wage?
gpt
He seemingly was more successful in the beginning of his career (was salesman of the year in 1968) and likely bought the house then.  Prices and interest rates would have been lower vs the later 70s and 80s.   And a 20 year mortgage is not out of the question.

So by the late 80s and 90s maintenance, insurance, and taxes may have been all they were paying.  

Changes in the shoe industry during that time could have accounted for some of that.  It is likely that early in his career he was in a well paid commission based position.   But by the 90s such positions were rarer and the commissions were lower.