I've done 50 million jobs for the Jarl of Markarth, including slaying a dragon, and I still can't buy a house. I'm about to try Riften next, but I'm starting to think it's bugged. Is anyone else having trouble buying houses, or am I the only one?

Are you asking the Jarl himself or his advisor fellow? That is the one who sells houses, the Jarl cannot be bothered with such petty things.

Same here, I've done the potion quest for the steward and it won't let me talk to him after helping the jarl

The only house I've been able to buy is the one in Whiterun. I can't get dialogue for the other houses, I think they're bugged.

in Whiterun ask tha Jarl's assistant "the bald guy" after you slay your first dragon.
He will sell it to you during working hours between 8AM-8PM

Yep, been speaking to the old guy who gives me all of the bounties. Nothing's come up at all.

THere are also only a few houses TO buy. Spoilers follow

They probably aren't bugged but can only be activated during certain times.

Done what is required for Markarth, steward still won't talk to me
EDIT: on mobile, so just deleted spoilers

Editted my previous post with a spoiler tag.

Before you can buy a house in any town, you must complete enough local quests to be appointed as a Thane by the Jarl, then and only then are you able to buy a house for that town from the appointed person. So far, it seems doing three quests for locals plus the quest the jarl gives you is enough for the appointment to Thane.

I looked around on the net, a lot of other people are having problems with buying houses.

Local quests, like random quests for the npcs? The jarl of Riften won't give me any quests, neither will her steward. So which npc quests do I need to do to be able to buy Honeyside?

For Rfiten, look into the Skooma business. There's someone selling Skooma ( you got to talk first to an Argonion female in Riften who works at the fishery - should start a chain.)

I heard somewhere that he will only talk to you about the houses when standing next to the throne for some reason.

Woeks for me, you have to be Thane to get it and do the first dragon quest. Cost 5000 tho not cheap.

I've done the murder conspiracy quest, the hall of the dead quest, the elf anti-Talos police people quest, and a bunch of bounties. I've got to be made Thane after this bounty.

Update: Just got a new quest from the Jarl. I think this is it. Thanks guys.

Let us know how it goes!

Posting because I have the same issue, unable to purchase a home in Markarth! Have killed the leader of red doubt twice and also another elsewhere. No dialogue options from the steward period.

I think it's bugged. I had the option to buy one and declined as I didn't have the money. When I did and went back the options is completely gone. I did most of the quests and nowehere am I able to buy a house. Just glad I've got a big room with the Dark Brotherhood as I was almost always encumbered.

Exactly this has happened to me in Markarth. Really annoying, I really want a house in my favourite city! When the Jarl first said I could buy a house if I talked to the steward, a quest came up in my inventory, saying I needed to "help Markarth citizens 5 times" or something like that. I'd already done that, so it was completed as soon as I got the quest, but since then the dialogue option hasn't been there.

I'm also having this problem. I've been working for hours on quests so I could buy the house in Markarth, and now it seems to be bugged. Does anyone know of a fix or a console command that could be used as a workaround?

For all people who are having trouble getting Vlindrel Hall, the process is as follows:

1.) Talk to the Jarl and tell him you're interested in buying property.
2.) Build reputation with Markarth by doing little "go kill a bandit/Forsworn leader" quests. Each time you finish one, wait an hour of game-time then talk to the Jarl, the steward, and the innkeeper at the Silver-Blood Inn; one of the three will have the next quest, but it varies which one. You have completed this portion when the Jarl's idle dialog (i.e. what he says when you're just standing in the throne room not talking to him) becomes friendly -- i.e. he says he's glad to have you around.
3.) Be level 20 or above. I have a feeling this is the place most people are having trouble; if you're below level 20, once step 2 is done all house-related dialog options vanish until you reach level 20.
4.) Talk to the Jarl and he'll send you to retrieve his father's shield. Complete this quest, and the Jarl will declare you eligible to buy property in Markarth.
5.) Talk to the Steward and buy the property.

I cannot talk to the steward Raerek. When I talk to him, he says he is the Jarl's uncle, I can collect bouties, but no other dialogue options are available. Any help?

Here is what I did and tried so far:

I finished several quests in Markath, even made the Forsworn one and scaped the prision. He doesn't talk to me. So I started the bounty quest by asking in the Silver-Blood Inn if they had any jobs. I killed the guy (funny, because the Forsworn in that cave were friendly), I came back and Raerek would only talk about the bounty, no other dialogue options.

So I pulled the console, I killed him, resurrected him, enabled him, disabled him. Nothing I do works! He just doesn't talk to me, it doesn't open the dialogue box :c