Where abouts are you Stumpy Dave? I live in West Yorkshire where thankfully you can still buy a nice 3 bed place for 150k
My wife and I have are currently in our 2nd house, and have been here for 5 years. The housing market in Michigan is great if you're a buyer, but sucks if you want to sell. Our plan was to bee here 5 years and then make another move, but looks like we're stuck here for a little longer until the market's better. I love having my own place, working in the yard, etc. I couldn't imagine living in an apartment again.
I have a friend that owns a condo because he travels so much and doesn't want the hassel of maintenance. Might be a good combination for you to look into Lance.