Yea, don't listen to that guy. He probably doesn't own. The taxes are built into your mortgage payment. I bought my first house at 22 and it's a much better investment then renting.

You will have the look for something in a lesser desirable neighborhood more then likely but plenty of those are safe. Possibly right on the outskirts of Fed Hill or Canton and hope the "good" area pushes towards you. Definitely find a good realtor and their are some first time home buyer incentives you can probably qualify for.