Looking to buy a home? Here are the cheapest spots to look!

With rental costs going up across the state, many are looking to snag an affordable home. However, there are some challenges you could soon be facing due to competition.

Maria, after more than a year of waiting, was finally approved for a home loan. She went through home-buyer education classes held by the non-profit Trellis, tightening up her budget to set aside money for a down payment.

"I've been renting places and it's going so crazy high," said Maria. "[For] $1,400 I can do a house payment."

Now comes the hard part -- finding one in her budget as the average cost of a home in Arizona reaches more than $270,000, according to Zillow.

"It's tough to buy a house when the prices are increasing and the income is not increasing," said Patricia Duarte with Trellis. She says more people are needing help with down payments or even closing costs, not to mention finding homes that are less than $200,000.

Maria's Realtor, Maricruz Martinez, says the pool of homes in that price range continues to get smaller.

"Last night, we had eight houses on the list that she wanted to see," said Martinez. "This morning it was five houses and then later this afternoon, there were only four."

She says homes are getting several offers and in some cases those offers can't be beat.

"We're working against investors, and a lot of the times they have cash. So, there's little you can do against cash," said Martinez.

She says people are often forced to new neighborhoods, further from family or the schools their kids attend.

So, where can you stretch your money the furthest?

Here are the zip codes in Maricopa County with an average home price under $200,000: