There are plenty of people who WANT to own a home and can't for a variety of reasons including they don't have the required 10 to 20% down-payment, or their credit isn't as great as it needs to be (now the standards are much higher than they were in the past), or they put in a contract on a house that didn't appraise for the sales price and the owner wouldn't reduce the sales price to the appraised value and the buyer didn't have the cash to bridge the gap between their financing and the contract price, or some other reason?
This is a great market to buy in, but talk to a few real estate agents and they can tell you many reasons that deals are falling apart.
I talk to a lot of people who want to buy, but a good number of them that tried had issues. One gal is divorced but her EX paid late on joint debts so many times while they were separated that it will be a good 5 more years before she can get a mortgage. People - before you marry - consider that you need to have equal ground - if your credit sucks and his does too - no problem, but if you have good credit? At least get someone with equal credit - otherwise you're BOTH gonna look bad if his is bad and you marry him.
Speaking of getting married .... No one should get married w/o making plans for a possible split. It sounds bad but honestly it could save your butt later from being ruined by hi/hers issues, whether they be bad dental problems (saw over $13k go on that myself), or bad credit, and be careful to not have joint debt unless it is a home. In MD the debt belongs to the person who's name is on it, so you have a few in your name only, and he has a few in his name only. That way when you split up (if you do) there won't be a problem with having to make it equitable with lawyers and all, well except for the house.
I even made $10K in one day a couple weeks ago but we all know that is not the norm and what goes up, WILL come down. 
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