Should I buy a house or continue renting?

I am in my early 20's, married, and have 2 dogs. I am currently renting an apartment in my hometown (small Ontario mining town) and I am getting frustrated with the living conditions and throwing my money away to someone else's mortgage.

Today was the year I planned on buying a house. A few months for now I will have ample savings for the down payment, closing costs and an emergency fund. The plan was to buy a small starter home that would actually be cheaper than renting.

But lately I have been seriously considering moving to Toronto (or within commuting distance) in the future. I don't plan on moving soon but I am hoping within 10 years so I can develop my career and build a savings to protect me if I cannot find a job there for a year. It may be sooner because the mines in our town are shutting down soon and there are genuine concerns our economy could collapse.

I feel torn. Even putting the finances aside, I don't want to have to rent for a decade… But on the other hand I don't want to be prevented from moving because I am stuck with a house that no one wants. And then there is always the 'what if I don't actually move?' conversation in my head to argue that I should just buy.

My parents of course encourage me to buy a home locally to settle down and have kids and live here the rest of my life, but the feelings I have about living in/near Toronto just keep on coming back. I vacation there every year rather than going somewhere new/exotic.

Any advice for me?
Added (1). As for my housing market, prices are a bit high but it seems they will certainly plummet in the near future with closure of mines and layoffs.
I am also unsure of the idea of being a long distance landlord should i not be able to sell it…

I am intrigued at the idea of buying something near Toronto and then renting it out until I am ready to move. But I do have concerns about being long-distance from the property and the additional costs if something goes wrong.

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