I don't think you're offering the best advice.

I bought my (very modest) first house when mortgage rates were 9.5 percent! That was normal then. I couldn't believe it when they dropped to 6. Yet the house I live in today has a rate of under 4 percent. Buying that first house was the best move I ever made, even with the high interest rate. The house payment was pretty equal to the rent we had paid, and when we sold that house a few years later, we made enough money to allow us to buy a better house. I've never made even the median wage in my life; I've usually made significantly less. However, I'm now about two years away from owning this house free and clear. I will nave NO rent or house payment on this house at all ... and my house payments have actually been LESS THAN I would have paid for rent. Remember, when you rent, you cover the cost of the unit PLUS the landlord's profit. When you buy, you aren't contributing to someone's profit.

I would urge anybody to look at your local numbers and your personal situation when deciding whether to buy.