So many tales of woe. My heart goes out to those with 1k+ plots and feeling the strain of this extra expense to get something more shiny and new.
In reality, you already made bank so stop whining.
No one is forcing you to improve your land.
But for the less greedy among us, who only own a few plots purchased at a remarkable $140-$400 price point, $6 (current) is barely a sniffle.
We welcome the opportunity to get something shinier, for such a low cost. Thank-you SL.
Can I suggest you Land Barons complaining so much, perhaps sell a few plots to improve your chances and embrace the potions. Because I'm sure the bulk of the new players would love the opportunity to get some cheaper land around here.