They were counting the present value of the buying decision. Which includes the present value of the resale 20 years later. I have no idea if the calculator t

They were counting the present value of the buying decision. Which includes the present value of the resale 20 years later. I have no idea if the calculator that they used factors in property taxes and insurance. But insurance averages something like $5k/year for $1 million of coverage, so does not significantly alter the prices. Whether property taxes do depends strongly on where you live. But generally it is much less than a mortgage.