Drywall is not a wealth hack. Know what you're locking yourself into.
Mortgage is the absolute MINIMUM you pay; rent is the MAXIMUM. Property taxes, HOA assessments, dynamic insurance rates, roofing, leaking sewage pipes, and boiler repairs are all dynamic, and they belong to you.
Take your budget, add 2% of the total property value per year, and divide by 12. Can you still afford your dinner?
The realtor will show you a peaceful street on a sunny Tuesday at 11:00 AM. They won't show you the next-door high-school garage band, the highway roar at 8:00 AM, or the sketchy street traffic at midnight.
Drive to the property at 11 PM on Friday, 6 AM on Monday, and 3 PM on Sunday to verify the noise and neighbor profiles.
Waiving inspections to win a bidding war is how you buy a collapsing foundation, a flooded basement, or a silent wood-rot colonization that costs $50,000 to remediate.
Hire an independent, aggressively critical inspector who is NOT recommended by your real estate agent.