SDR, I agree that an SFR would be a better choice for someone with a family. I too, would not purchase a condo, even if I would be living alone in it with my dog and cats.

As I recall, Scarlett had a $500K cap as the limit she could spend on a property and didn’t want to live in areas where she could get an offer accepted for <$500K on an SFR. That leaves three choices, buying a (larger) townhome now that is affordable in one of her "choice" areas, deciding to consider SFR's in areas she previously didn't want to live in or continue waiting, hoping SFR's go down in her "choice" areas. Correct me if I don't have your story correct, Scarlett.