Ray doesn't seem to worry about money, but he is conscious of it -- he talks about how expensive his clothes are (usually once they're ruined from dumpster diving or baby vomit *g*) and seems aware of the cost of things. Oh, and in Pizza and Promises, he spends, what, $600 on the Comet? Frannie throws away $300 of his money by not bargaining the salesman down. So they can't be too strapped for cash, or she never would've done that, right?

I think how expensive the house was would strongly depend on how long it's been in the family. If they bought it early on, it might not signify wealth. And maybe the parents helped out with it. I don't really understand why it's in Ray's name and not Ma Vecchio's, though.