I hear this all the time. When I look for affordable homes, there are SOOO many. People just seem to want that affordable home in the downtown of a city. That likely wont happen.

No silver bullet. We could rent, too. Housing is an unavoidable cost center regardless of the path. You just need to choose what makes sense for you and your family. Just don't think of it as an investment; it's a liability, like a vehicle.