I haven't experienced that but if I did, I would not hesitate to use cheats to afford a house. Did you use the story creation in CAS? That can give you reduced funds, although I would still expect a lot more than 2k.
The simplest cheat would be freeRealEstate.
You could also use kaching (1k simoleons), motherLode (50k), or the money cheat which allows you to set any amount you want. I think you'll also need testingCheats on if you use the money cheat. You'll probably have to move your Sims into an empty lot before using any of these cheats except freeRealEstate.
- kaching
- motherLode
- testingCheats on
- money 16000