I was about to post a link as well - A REAL TOR!

(warning not 100% safe for work - also, that term doesnt work too well outside of the us - means nothing in the UK ;))

We're not buying a house for the hell of it. Our landlord is selling the place and has given us our walking papers. We were supposed to be out by June 1st, but he gave us some extra time. Every suitable place around here was at least a hundred dollars more per month than what we're paying, and we just can't do that.

So, as of this afternoon, we're in Escrow! They accepted our offer, and we're going to have a place to live! Thank GOD! You have no idea how stressed out we've been! And the best part? The mortgage will be within $5 of what we've BEEN paying for rent! Wheeee~!!! *does a happy dance*

That's good news, but that's a seriously screwed up real estate market if a mortgage is that much less than the cost of renting.

It's like that in my city too. I'm paying a lot more in rent then I would for a house if I decided to hunt out a deal. I'm just on the fence about taking on all the ownership duties. I might go the condo route, which is a compromise that appeals to me.

Around here it's a bit like that, it's a bit less to buy a house than to rent one. But, most people can't afford that because it's ridiculously expensive. Even an entry level apartment is typically going to be $1k per month and that's for something pretty tiny.

I keep hearing about how there's new units that are going to be coming into the market and the price never seems to go down. I guess that's what happens when you're living in one of the fastest growing cities in the country. And prior to the latest growth spurt the dumbasses in city planning were allowing people to turn apartments into condos while trying to get more and more people to move here.

I'm not inherently opposed to people moving here, but until the city does something about the cost of housing and the traffic, we shouldn't be encouraging people to move here. All that does is benefit the people who already own property.
Condos vary, but I kind of like my brother's condo. It's a nice enough place, and it even has a swimming pool that's open during the summer months.

You have to pay dues, but it's not necessarily going to be any more expensive than if you're having to pay out of pocket for repairs on your own house.

Quite so. Condo fees are one of the first things I check out when I find a place I'm interested in. But in general I am fine with paying a regular fee if in turn I am exempted from maintaining the exterior and the grounds. That kind of trade I can live with. The largest downside to me is that you still have walls in common with other folks, which can be fine or nightmarish depending on those folks.

A condo (or apartment!) is simply not possible in our situation. Our youngest is profoundly autistic and non-verbal. When she's happy, she yells; when she's mad, she yells; when she's sick or hurting, she screams. :( That simply would not work out in an apartment-type setting!

And yet I've had neighbors before that I would have traded for your family.

In many places, rental property is scarce, and the combination of relatively few qualified and motivated buyers, inelastic demand for housing at any price, and limited supply of suitable rental property drives up the price of rentals. Screwed up, yes; unusual, no.

Anyway, good for you, OP.

Some states allow a Realtor to represent the buyer, though not all do. A capable buyer's agent is your friend in situations such as this. There are "exclusive buyer's agencies" that trumpet their ability to get the best terms for you as buyer.