Hi All, I have been lurking on here for awhile and find all your advice to people really helpful to me as well and wanted to see if you could help me with my current dilemma.

I am 26 yrs old, I started working in my field when I was 18 so my career is pretty set, I earn good money. For the past 4 yrs I have moved almost every 6 months for jobs (I like to travel and didn't like the job I was in) -- due to this I have been single. In the past year or so I have fallen in love with the city I currently live in, I like my current job and have no plans of moving, I have decided this city will be my home for the rest of my life.

The issue is, my apartment lease is ending - I would have been living in this apartment for 2 yrs. The city I live in a rent is the same amount as buying a house.

I do want to find a partner eventually and have a house, and live with my partner but I currently do not have that.

I want to see if you think its wise for me to buy a house as a single woman or continue renting? even if my monthly payments will be the same.

I am asking this in more of relationship sense. As I am currently single I do often feel the emptiness and the work of doing everything on my own, but then again I do not want to stop living my life just because I do not have a partner.

I know for a house ideal would be to stay at least 5 yrs, but I do not know when I will find my partner it could be 5 months, 5 yrs or 50 yrs.

So, would it be better for me to continue renting even if its ends up being the same monthly price as a mortgage or should I buy a house? Does a man interest in a woman decrease if she is all independent and owns a house, earns a good living etc?

Any thoughts?

Thank you!

EDIT: A little back story: I kind of had to focus on my job and career for awhile and become independent due to my family situation being pretty bad - so I had to get out of my parents house and focus on becoming independent so I stay away from them.