3 ms·

As someone that happily rents (I enjoy the increased optionality that comes with this option), the constant push to get everyone to own a house seems weird to m

• nunez 4y ago
  same. i rent largely because i haven't prioritized buying. (i.e. the money i could have saved for the down payment went to accelerated student loan payoff, cars and fun stuff) aside from the federal tax breaks and very high amount of leverage ($40k to get a loan on a $200k unit that you _might_ be able to resell at $300k to get into a larger $400k unit that you _might_ be able to resell at $500k to get into a larger $600k unit...), I never saw, and still don't see, the benefit of home ownership. actually, that's not true. for people with families who need (or "need") stability, home ownership makes a lot of sense. you're going to be in the same town until the children reach maturity...might as well get a loan on a house since you're going to stay put for a while. cheaper than hoping that your landlord doesn't bump the rent up. however, we are not having children, have moved three times in the last six years, and spend a lot of time traveling. i very much like emailing my landlord "hey, weird noise" and they bring in their contractor friends to look into it on their dime i do hate how there is this sense that you should feel "bad" for not owning, i.e. renters are always pictured as troubled people in financial distress who don't have a choice but to rent.