As a Swiss resident, you can buy property.

Citizens of a EU-15 country can buy any property they want anywhere in Switzerland, with the same limitations as for the Swiss.

Resident who are not citizens of a EU-15 country can buy a house for their own use. To buy a large piece of land a special autorization is still necessary.

Whatever your citizenship, there is no requirement to buy property in order to get residency. You can definitely live in rented accommodation, which can be of excellent quality in Switzerland.