Owning property in the US?

With the real estate market dropping in the states, I was wondering if there's any stipulations for Canadians owning property there? I'd like to move there (possibly Houston) on a sci tech visa, and it looks like in some cases, a mortgage may be cheaper than rent! Is there anything holding me back from buying property there?

Nothing especially. If you have two homes then the one that is not your principal residence will be subject to capital gains tax when you sell it.

On a regular B-1 or B-2 visitor entry you can generally only stay in the US for up to six months in a year, except in some limited circumstances.