Actually.......cities with the highest unemployment are also where the home ownership is high. Especially rural. No downer here, just a fact. It's because people when they need work, sometimes Need to move and can't because they own a home. So make sure you have a skill that is very much needed. At our last residence, so many friends and neighbors lost their jobs and had to move and they let their houses foreclose. Equity down the toilet, but looking at their lifestyle I think they had their homes in hock. We didn't and survived and made a killing when the housing market bounced back. But it was very tough going for about 5 years.