Mortgage literally translated means Death Pledge!
Unless you are sure you are going to stay put, and that area has a good economic foundation that will be solid for a long time (which is very hard to gauge) DO NOT BUY! Ownership is more of a pain than anything with constant maintenance etc., and yes, societies have been brainwashed by the banking system into taking out mortgages and locking them down into an area, pay twice the amount in the long run and so on. Your reasons are sound; stick to them.