In Canada, the price for the detached home that you want increases faster than the townhouse you could afford, so the plan of buying a starter home to help buy the home of your dreams is not really sensible anymore. It requires your other wealth/income to increase to compensate for the different appreciation rates of the house vs townhouse, or for you to move further and further from your current location, which will probably negatively affect your income or at minimum, your quality of life.