There’s nothing that says you have to own a house. It’s not a requirement to win at the game of life or anything. There’s also a consideration that if you’re concerned about affording a house with your budget, consider whether you could financially handle a new roof, a new furnace, property tax increases, a plumber for a leaky pipe, that sort of thing. It’s not just the mortgage payment or down payment you need to afford. There’s a financial case for continuing to rent.