Everyone says to bust my ass so I can buy a home. No, that means I am a slave to my home, and I have to jump hoops to get one. No, I'm not here to buy a home to be happy. Buying a home can become a great regret, especially when it depreciates or you need to move before 7 years I would say. Don't feel obligated to work incredibly hard to buy a home, because you'll still be paying high mortgage prices and be a slave to a full time job. You better love your job, it better be a great town, and you better enjoy fixing repairs!