Did you read my post? I said gold IS NOT the problem. At a certain point I had 50K+ and I did not even touch any quest.
The point is NO house, no shack, not even a damn permanent room at a inn is available without getting involved in (sometimes lengthy and annoying) quests
Bounty quests are all that is required for a house in whiterun, you do not ever have to touch the MQ, just don't talk to the Jarl about dragons.
I did two bounty quests and got the house offered to me.
It takes no time at all.
He didn't say it was hard to get the money for a house, he said you couldn't get one with out having to activate some quest that you might not wish too.
For instance, the cheepest house which requires you to activate the main quest, like I don't want too yet.
You do NOT have to activate it, just don't talk about it and do a few bounty quests. I had a house in every city, level 30+ and was almost finished with the storm cloaks when I finally talked to him about the MQ.
Are you able to learn the words if you didnt start the main quest?
Yes.
Here we go again, some one wanting something for nothing.
Look at it this way. Why should they let you buy a house? You just barely escaped being executed and now brings the news that dragons are alive again. For all they know you might be bat[censored] insane and one sore toe from impaling someone and wearing them as a hat. Ofcourse you would have to prove yourself.
This.
Because having a empty house in your city generates no tax income at all, and cost them money in the end, since a empty broken house lowers the house value of the other houses around it.
OP is not asking for the house in Whiterun without the quest, he is asking for a shack anywhere without a quest.
There are plenty of places to safely store loot with out buying a house, if you want something for nothing go find the barrels in whiterun outside the player home are safe. The same for the ones in riverwood outside the blacksmith area. The chest in riverwood house is safe, the lady even offers you her bed and storage as well as gifts from her.
Its in the dialog, she tells you stay as long as you like.
Winterhold offers a bed and storage, so does the companions.