Fear and Homeownership- Why are so many people afraid to take the leap into homeownership?

I've encountered so many people who say they are interested in purchasing a home, yet, when they are told exactly what they must do to make it happen, I never hear from them again. It makes me wonder what is going on. Why do so many of us "freak out" when our opportunity comes to finally have what it is we always said we wanted. Are we that afraid of rejection that we think we may not get what we want, and that it will hurt knowing that what we want will now be outside of our reach? Do we prefer to tell ourselves that the reason we don't have what we want is because we did not try to seriously make it happen? Well, when it comes to homeownership, you can have what you want- you just have to act!! If you do everything you are told and you have not been preapproved for a mortgage, sure it will hurt, but the good news is that it does not mean you can never be a homeowner. This just means that you have more work to do before you can get a loan. Before I purchased my first home, I was turned down for a mortgage and it hurt. I, however, did not let this deter me. I did all that I had to do to in order to improve my credit, and within two years I was approved. This would have never happened if I didn't try. Even better, I felt so proud of myself for being able to significantly turn my credit situation around on my own. You can do it too! Others fear the costs and expenses related to being a homeowner. I remember that for a long time I didn't want my own home because I thought the price to heat a house could be as high as a mortgage (which was my mother’s situation). Yet, when I finally became a homeowner, I was shocked that my gas bill was nowhere near the amount I feared and was very affordable. The moral of this story- go for what it is you say you want!! If you want to be a homeowner, push the fear aside and do what you need to do to make it happen!! Have a little faith. Remember, faith is the substance of all things hoped for, and faith without work is dead!!