I agree with what you are doing. Right now may not be the absolute best time to buy a house, but I don’t think it’s a bad time either. It’s a lot better to buy a house this summer than it was last summer – prices have softened some, there is a lot of inventory to choose from, and for the first time in 10 years, there are some great deals out there, too. If you can afford to possibly lose some equity in the next several years, if you don’t want to rent, and if you believe you will stay in the house for 4-5 years plus, by all means go ahead and buy. This may not be a popular opinion on this forum, but for many buyers, it’s the best decision right now.