<prompt> Human: Ive been lurking for a while, just coming out now with a question about my situation.Im currently 35, divorced in Pittsburgh. I have a job that requires a city residency. Its stable, but I cant live out of town. I checked on my credit last night, and my Experian score is at the 736. I have some credit card debt which is being tackled: major medical expenses led to a deceased child anyway, which led to a messy divorce and a whole lot of therapy to handle the emotional burden, and all of this financially killed me; after years of socking away at it all, I should finally get right-side-up early next year; Ive kept up with the payments. Im also working on building my emergency fund up; I should have 1 month stored away by the end of the year. My student loans are small I finished before the tuition explosion; they ended up going on a back burner when I applied for relief when my kids medical problems started up, and my car is completely paid off.Because of the CC debt and my desire to build my fund, Im not looking into getting a house right away. No sir, Id save for the fund, and then the down payment first. However, I have looked into the area on and off over the past several months just to get an idea as to what I could expect.I know its usually better to buy than to rent. However, in my town, there are really only 2 types of properties for sale when I look: old houses being sold for cheap as is, which can entail any number of expenses; or a handful of brand new places that are well-outside both my needs and my budget.My concern with the as-is properties is that I wont be able to afford a mortgage and any immediate repairs on an as-is property. I know somebody who fell into this problem, something didnt show up in the inspection, and shes now looking at thousands of dollars in home repair that she cant afford on top of her mortgage. Yes, the inspection will likely give me a good idea of whats going to happen and can give me a general idea about the costs, but clearly there are things that can slip by. It seems like theres a good chance of a big expensive that can hit soon that I probably cant cover when I first get the mortgage. Thats the risk with an as-is home.However, the few new developments being built in the city are well-beyond anything I can budget for. The 400K homes being built arent things I can even think about getting when Im only making 60,000year.If I could move out of the city, there are obviously many more options, but Ive looked at other jobs, and Id be taking a pay cut. My marketable skills are very few, and the board had to vote to let me have this job I actually dont meet the published qualifications; I just got lucky enough to have an opportunity to prove I had the skills.Now, I know anything can change in the future, maybe something ok will become available, maybe a real estate agent will have something to show in the future when Ive been able to save for a down payment, sure. Im open to that possibility. Unlikely things do happen. But, barring a comparable job that I qualify for that doesnt demand city residency, should I just expect to remain a renter for the foreseeable future?  <response>: I wouldnt say forever a renter. Just stay a renter until it makes sense to buy. Right now, it makes sense to rent. Re-evaluate laterSorry for the loss. If youre still dealing with that emotionally, I mean how can you not, maybe jumping into home ownership could be too much. Or maybe its just what you need to move on.But I think, from the situation you described, you are doing well. Congrats on almost getting out of debt. I would continue to rent until you are on more solid ground with your Debt, Job, Career, Life.Good luck 