I like your idea, in fact, I've noticed already that there are a lot of homes that are not accessible (they aren't used for anything) and some are quite nice. I guess the problem is that players home have a separate, private instance, so that would require some work. Yet, for me, the more homes, the merrier, especially if they're small and can be purchased with gold. I've complained already once that many players houses seem "detached" from the contest (quite literally, sometimes they're out of town/settlement), while in town there are places that are abandoned.