Buy a House

I’ve been discussing with a friend of mine my disdain for paying rent (ie someone else’s mortgage), but my lack of finances for a downpayment. This friend currently owns a home but is having a hard time paying his mortgage. We have been circling, for the past few days, the idea of a partnership where he sells his current property for a downpayment and I cover the mortgage. We can then both live in the house and rent out a third room, or just hang tight and build some equity. I’m a little nervous about it, but I think with proper legal guidance, we should be able to make it work.

I want to own my own home more than anything. Just have a tree, some grass, a veggie garden, space for a dog and be able to paint my walls any color I want.
It’s further off, I fear, than I had originally hoped. Taking 3 months off to figure myself out before taking on another job let the bills pile pretty high and killed the savings.
I’ve gotten really good at being stingy and holding onto my money with tight fists though, so hopefully this will facilitate financial recovery soon. Having a job now is also nice.