As rental prices go up and interest prices are low, buying is becoming a more and more popular alternative to renting. I know there are also loans for first time home buyers. The first thing I would do is discuss your thoughts with your parents. If you have a good relationship with them and they are financial secure, they may be willing to help you out with the initial costs and maintence, should you need it.

I might also consider getting a smaller place. Many townhouses and condos allow pets and tend to be a good investment as far as renting later on down the road.

The place I live is kind of a family effort. My parents have helped with most of the initial costs seeing it as a good investment where they will be able to get their money back later down the line. My sister lives with me, and we essentially pay my parents rent. We are also all responsible for maintence and repairs.

Although in fairly decent condition, in the last year I have needed to 1) replace the washer/dryer, 2) replace the garbage disposal, 3) have repairs twice on the a/c unit, 4) replace the water heater 5) fix small plumbing issues, etc, etc. I also have major water damage caused by a plumbing problem in the upstairs bathroom, which hopefully the townhouse asssiation will cover as they are supposed to cover structural damages. The association is also covering a termit problem. The a/c unit will also need to be replaced sometime in the next year. My fridge also needs to be replaced. Now, many of those things are interior things, and if your interior is new, it might be fine.

Also, because of the size of the house, you may want to consider getting more than one roomate. This will help ease the mortgage payments, and should one of the roomates move out, you'll still have some money coming in should you have trouble finding a replacement.

Anyway... you may want to consider renting a house, as another possibility, with or without roommates, as an individual landlord may be more willing to allow a large dog than an apartment.