> (i.e. the choice to rent) brings with it a significant chunk of spending on which you lose every cent you put into it. I really dislike this line of thinking

> (i.e. the choice to rent) brings with it a significant chunk of spending on which you lose every cent you put into it. I really dislike this line of thinking. Renting is not "throwing money away" because you have to live somewhere. Buying gives you the opportunity to capture any upward movement in the housing market and provides a stable payment over the long run but it also exposes you to risk of downward pressure and makes for a very illiquid asset. Renting gives you the ability to relocate on very little notice (in most places, your maximum is a year, assuming you get a better offer within a day of signing a new lease) and shelters you from immediate maintenance costs. The problem is that primary housing isn't an investment. It's just as much an emotional and financial decision as buying a car (versus, say, going car-free or leasing a car).