Oh god, I’ve thought long and hard about this over the years and my conclusion is that there’s no good advice that applies to everyone - whether you should own

Oh god, I’ve thought long and hard about this over the years and my conclusion is that there’s no good advice that applies to everyone - whether you should own or rent depends heavily on what you value, how long you plan to stay put, and what alternatives you have when it comes to what to do with your money. Renting gives you flexibility and keeps any cash you might have free, but it also is a sunk cost with each passing month. It’s pretty simple math. Owning a place ties up cash in the form of a down payment, and a lot of people underestimate the true cost of maintenance and repairs over time on both new and old buildings. But the ability to build equity over time and the amount of control it gives you over your living situation makes it an obvious choice for me. If you can get into a multi-family or income generating property, your returns are obviously higher. I’d always look at appreciation potential as a bonus if it happens, it’s never a reason to buy. I think the truest and most important thing to keep in mind is that money is made and lost when buying real estate, not selling it. Educate yourself, be picky, take your time, be realistic about costs, and do your very best to buy well.