i work in real estate and have vested interest in it. I enjoy...

i work in real estate and have vested interest in it. I enjoy the markets, what drives "value", etc.
i rent, and have done for quite some time.
being 28 i haven't had the need to purchase a house due to my personal circumstances (FWIW i think anyone with children should go for ownership asap). but i have friends that have committed to mortgages over the last 5 years, have had effectively no growth, and their lives have been negatively impacted.
those who aren't yet on the ladder i have advised to save the mortgage/rent difference, maybe some in shares, but bolster their deposit. then, when the time is right, go for it.
buying a $400k home with a 95% LVR isn't great. if you can save $90k and have a $330k loan (after stampduty), much better, and you haven't made a large sacrifice.
my opinion is of course that the market will not show significant growth here in the next 2-3 years.
long term though and for stability, can't beat the bricks and mortar.