The high desert areas are especially prone to losses because they are farther away from major employment. That means that these areas will be the first to suffer from declines and the last to recover when the trends turn.
During the last real estate recession (1990-1996) the Lancaster/Palmdale areas got nailed worse that almost any other area in L.A. County, and that’s really saying something. I fully expect the same to happen this time too. Those areas now have more service-type businesses than last time, but those aren’t the kinds of income that pay mortgages.
Rent a house and let the landlord worry about maintenance, decorating, yard improvements, resale value, and such. Then you can spend that time and effort on your job and your family. You won’t be missing out on any upside to real estate values because there won’t be any.