Your post sure assumes a lot! It would be pretty foolish to take on a mortgage, in general, if a job loss could jeopardize making the monthly payments on time

Your post sure assumes a lot! It would be pretty foolish to take on a mortgage, in general, if a job loss could jeopardize making the monthly payments on time for any reasonable period. Being priced out doesn't necessarily mean "cannot afford" but can also mean "cannot justify paying."