It isn't easy right now, especially on one income. I pay rent of about $1000/month, plus around $100/year in renter's insurance, which is average. It gets me in a decent area of town where I feel safe, keeps me close to work, etc.

To get a house I could afford that is more than a half hour drive from the office and is in an area of town that where bars on the windows are commonplace, I'd end up paying out more than $1700/month with mortgage, insurance, taxes, etc. I'm just not comfortable with that, especially when it comes to adding a car payment back into the equation or attempting to get a place in a neighborhood I'd actually enjoy living in or in a house built recently enough to meet the most recent hurricane codes.

Renting, at least for the moment, works fine by me, especially since I can up and move whenever I want without having to try to sell in the current market.

I'm rather hoping for this, myself.

Or pay for any of the repairs. It would bother me to have a place fall to disrepair. If I were going to own a home I would want enough money to do upgrades ect. Sell for a profit if needed.