Around then, yeah. We had an odd confluence of events, landlord selling house out from under us right when I got some bonus $ that would make it possible to do beginning renovations and found a house that was solid but very oddly arranged so people didn't buy it and I could bargain, and a zero down government loan. I was utterly convinced we were buying at some peak, but fuck me, prices just kept getting higher until they now make no sense. I'm sure it's a bubble, housing has to have a relationship to wages in the area.

The city has some programs to help people buy a house, forgivable down payment grants - if you live in the house 20 years you don't pay it back - and others to help low income homeowners with repairs, but of course the wait-list is insane. They are trying though.