Maybe it depends on the area and kinds of properties one is looking at? Only a little anecdata, but the few times I've looked (affluent university town, once r

Maybe it depends on the area and kinds of properties one is looking at? Only a little anecdata, but the few times I've looked (affluent university town, once recommended as a place to do a tech startup)... if one could swing a downpayment on certain places, the monthly costs were lower than rent one would otherwise have to pay, on places not as nice.