Cheryl Pate-Yow rushed to LGI Homes Inc.’s sales office south of Houston the day after receiving a mailer that said she could own a new home for $689 a month, only $24 more than rent on her one-bedroom apartment.

“I’m sick and tired of renting, and my money goes nowhere,” Pate-Yow, a 46-year-old former chef, said during a visit to LGI’s Hall Park community showroom. “I didn’t think I could afford to own, but I got this flier in the mail.”