It's pretty simple, work and save.  Buy into the equity ladder, a small condo is where my wife and I started.  We made the move from FL with nothing but job offers.  Renovated the condo piece by piece over the course of two years and sold for a nice profit.  We turned that profit into a house with a nice yard in West Lakewood.  Denver West to the foothills is an amazing place to live.  To build a life here takes hard work.  I'm 32, my friends in down town want out, but they've played too much to save for a down payment.  They go out multiple times a week, I might meet them at a bar once a month.  Priorities...   Why would anyone leave the Denver area for Dallas or Chicago?