Yes they are considering renting, but they have a child in school with special needs, who requires as little change as possible. They were hoping to get as close to a potential neighborhood as possible as to not make the child change schools again. If they can find a neighborhood that they are happy with they can eliminate more change by moving directly into a home instead of renting and then moving again. They are moving from San Antonio. Again, I agree with you that renting would be smart in most cases, but in this one avoiding it, if possible, would be preferable. Also, 4bdrms , low commute, and their lower price range is the perfect scenario, but ofcourse we all know you can't get everything and work near downtown Houston. They are very realistic about this. The two things that are most important are 1. schools, and 2. their upper budget of $165,000 or maybe $170,000. Commute and size of home can vary as much as it needs to within reason. Thanks for your input.