<prompt> Human: We are a young married couple, 24 yo, currently renting an apartment outside Seattle. No kids and we wont have any. Both of us just started our careers and make around 75k a year combined. That does not include bonuses. We expect our income to reach around 100,000 in the next two years. You may think were swimming in money. No kids, no pets, no health trouble, no debt, no student loans, no hobbies. We should have tons of cash, right? Yeah, no. We have been aggressively saving for a down payment on a house and at the beginning we were so motivated to have our own home. I grew up on a large, beautiful property and living in an apartment that isnt even mine is killing me. Our friends who live in other states already purchased homes and their income is much lower. We just realized its just not possible any time soon. We were aiming for 20 on a 500,000 property. Youd think were snobs but 500,000 here really buys you something a little nicer than a tool shack. We planned on getting a house with good bones and renovate it to match our liking. We cant move because my husbands job is very territory specific. We technically could buy a house with less than 20 down but that I dont want to pay that PMI. I know we are probably in a slightly advantageous position since we have zero debt and no children but holy crap, this house market is a nightmare. I was just reading a post on this sub where someone was saving for a 4,000 down payment! I wish! What do yall think? How do people in HCoL areas buy property? Should we just abandon the idea of having a home in the next 2-3 years and wait a decade to gather the money? Thanks!  <response>: Youre 24 years old with that kind of income, and saying youll never own a house?? Please. You may never own a house within a year, but a house is almost certainly on the table in your future. 