I am not sure if getting a fixer upper is an option for you. It made my husband and I thousands of dollars in the long run. The previous house we lived in, was not really liveable when we bought it, but you could maybe find one that is liveble, but could use some fixing up, as you get the time and money. We had severe termite damage, and basically gutted the house and re- did it ourselves. And in the 6 years we lived there, when we went to sell, we profitted $100,000 on it...that is a huge!! We did all of the fixing up ourselves, so that saved a ton of money too.

Anyway, that is an option. Although, you wouldn't want to bite off more than you could chew, so to speak, and get a house that needs too much fixing up, that it will become a money pit...