All I know is if you can afford to buy a house { a single family} then its a good buy as compared to a condo. But what if you can't afford a single family house. There are other expenses to worry about when you own a house such as : roof, windows, siding, heating resources ect.. They are major expenses to consider. When you buy a condon you are saving your money in essence. Every month your condo mortgage payment goes towards your equity {less interest and condo fee}. Hey its better than renting, althought not as good as owning your own home.