Sometimes people do get put into situations where buying earlier than optimal seems like the only option. However, people often use a variety of excuses to buy a house simply because they want to buy a house (even if they don't have the necessary funds for risk management).

-We are having a baby, so we need to move out of our 2 bedroom apartment and get a 3 bedroom house -Our rent is increasing so we need to buy a house (even though the mortgage is often more than rent) -We need a garage for our cars, so let's buy a house -We have money in our savings that isn't earning anything for us, so let's buy a house and put it to work. -We don't like sharing walls with neighbors, so we need a house. -Our parents say we are throwing money away at rent and should buy a house so we can build wealth.

Each excuse has some validity to it, but none of them really mean you need to buy a house RIGHT NOW.