I bought with an fha before the minimums increased...and then used the equity in my house a couple of years later to refinance with a conventional loan to avoid the pmi. I don't owe hundreds of thousands so it was easier for me than it would be for most.

I think homes would generally be less expensive if we knew how to build and fix them. or if we stuck to the basics instead of getting caught up in that hgtv bs. ive saved thousands by doing things myself. home depot has free workshops and reasonable too rental prices. all of my appliances except the dishwasher were free and in great shape because others were upgrading. I paid like 500 for a whole house of used carpet, had it installed for cheap by an apprentice who wanted experience, and cleaned it myself. I sanded/refinished my own hardwoods and bathtub. bought a ten dollar sprayer and a ten dollar bottle of pesticide after laughing at a 200 dollar quote from a company. I craiglisted until I couldn't craigslist anymore. and you can grab a few helpers from the home depot parking lot for cheap but quality repairs that you can't do yourself.

shit I went on a high tangent. oh well. I think I made my point somewhere.