This cannot be overstated. I think many of us see the mortgage, taxes, and insurance are less than rent and call it a win. We are vaguely aware of the money pit

This cannot be overstated. I think many of us see the mortgage, taxes, and insurance are less than rent and call it a win. We are vaguely aware of the money pit and getting out issues but they are hard to predict and easier to sweep under the rug. This conversation should always be accompanied with, "Assume $5k per year for maintenance," or some related concrete number based on condition and size, so we force ourselves to deal with a number instead of brushing it off. Also, real numbers for seller's closing costs. Still, I think for most markets in the US anyway, buying does make economic sense if you plan to stay in it for several years and enjoy or don't mind taking care of a building, to use peer's phrase. This calculator is excellent, btw: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/buy-rent-calculator.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/buy-rent-calc...