Renting is WAY better than owning a house, amirite?

i mean whatever works for you. There have been times when my rent increased by as much as 30%.

by bbreitenberg 2 days ago

Love having my mortgage stay the same year after year. Minor tax changes but essentially the same payment. Also, my mortgage payment is just slightly higher than the rent I was paying at an apartment. And it really won't increase over the next 30 years. Soon, my mortgage will be significantly less than rent

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I love how my mortgage has basically stayed stagnant. But I know people who's rent has changed like three times since my wife and I bought our house... Two years ago lol

by Mother_Session_1655 2 days ago

Just be sure to do your homework wherever you end up moving because I know that Florida is one of the worse cases out there (next to California), but insurance rates spiking seems to be a consistent story regardless of the locale.

by maciefarrell 2 days ago

Quick question, You think landlords are just eating that cost for their renters?

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I've been kicked out 2 rentals the last 8 years because the owner wanted to sell the house. Never renting again if i can avoid it

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Yeah, renting is great if you have infinite money. My house to rent=$3000 today. My mortgage=$1300 because I brought it at a smart time 4 years ago.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

let's not conflate smart and lucky timing in a market you don't control or influence

by Ferneherman 2 days ago

i don't think i've ever heard someone say "i wish i didn't buy my house 10 years ago"

by PromotionStock 2 days ago

People who bought at the height of the market in Florida.

by mariannegoodwin 2 days ago

welcome to inflation

by Ferneherman 2 days ago

In 10 years do you think rent will be higher or lower than it is right now?

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Smart is knowing when it's a lucky timing with foresight rather than hindsight

by Anonymous 2 days ago

i'll remind the kids who were freshman in highschool in 2020 that they just needed to be smarter about timing

by Ferneherman 2 days ago

Well they would be 19 or 20 so unlikely to be home buyers at that age anyway?

by Anonymous 2 days ago

If you have infinite money, buying is just as good, because you can just pick up your phone and have all those projects done by professionals...including landscaping and maintenance....

by Murl43 2 days ago

Your rent is the most you'll ever pay. Your mortgage is the least you'll ever pay.

by West_Confection 2 days ago

I've also sometimes found myself in situations like this

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Also depends on family situation. It's pretty hard to find a decent rental for a family of 4 and doubly so if someone works from home and needs an office. Finding a studio or 1 bed is way easier

by Jermeygrady 2 days ago

Owning pets is what pushed me to own. It was becoming a pain in the ass to find rentals who would allow a dog and cats.

by dexterbogisich 2 days ago

Something to keep in mind: Landlords absolutely budget for maintenance and repairs. They know they will need to fix things, and they price rent accordingly. Another thing, not all landlords are good and timely. There are many horror stories of people begging their landlord to fix something and they simply don't get around to it. You have had bad luck with owning, but you can just as easily have bad luck renting

by Donaldrunolfsdo 2 days ago

Yeah OP acting like they're not paying for any repairs or maintenance is short-sighted. They 100% are. It's baked into the rent

by Popular_Vanilla8849 2 days ago

I think OP's point is that the maintenance didn't involve any unexpected expenses, nor require any budgeting. Obviously maintenance is baked into the rent. OP is simply delighting in the fact that his monthly payment was $XXXX, and no matter how many things broke, that number wasn't going to change (at least not until the terms of he lease expired).

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Sure but an extra ~$1k baked into the cover those expenses is nice. And there's nothing unexpected. Our HVAC went out a couple of years ago in our house and that was an unexpected ~10k, then our water heater went out the same year. The next year our sump pump went out and the water pit needed repairs as well. Our savings can only take so much and it's hard to keep up with at times. Renting an apartment where I know I will always only ever have to pay X per month on my house is sounding nicer and nicer every year ha.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Renting is great when your rent doesn't go up and landlords fix everything, but most renters will tell you that doesn't happen. And if there's smaller issues or quality of life stuff, you don't get any say in if or when it happens.

by Zealousideal_Flow367 1 day ago

My landlord doesn't raise the rent which is cool. She takes 3 weeks for any big repair though. Water heater? 3 weeks. AC went out in 100 degree heat? 3 weeks. It's always 3 weeks.

by schambergerlily 1 day ago

True. Renting isnt some magic shield either. Ive seen landlords disappear for weeks while your ceiling leaks. At least when you own you know exactly who to yell at. Yourself.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I mean where I live owning is way cheaper.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Same, I've lived in two major cities. Every time I share my rent with people that own houses they're appalled. I essentially pay 30% more for a 2 bed 2 bath apt than a three floor house. I can't wait for my gf and I to buy

by Gullible-Clock 1 day ago

I guess but you are thinking short term. Eventually you will have a paid off house, and if you have a retirement fund you will be able to live there without a mortgage payment and be able to relax. If you rent all your life you can't.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I'm glad there's still people optimistic enough to think we're going to be able to retire.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Why wouldn't you be able to retire?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Because they won't be able to afford to pay rent and won't have paid off a house.

by keelingerling 1 day ago

Poor

by Russelotho 1 day ago

Do you not see the state of things right now?

by Cute_Composer9858 1 day ago

"The state of things" isn't keeping people from putting money into their retirement account and 401K. Retiring might be harder, but saying no one will be able to retire is just hyperbolic slop.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

What difference? Mortgages are equal or cheaper than the equivalent rented unit. Also, can you share investments that have guaranteed returns? I'm not aware of any.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Very rarely will rent be anywhere close to half the price or a mortgage

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I bought 3 years ago and pay 1600 for a three bedroom townhouse, a lot of one bedroom apartments here are going for 1600 now

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Come back in 30 years when you make that last $1500 payment on your house and the three bedroom townhouse you wanted to be in is $8500/month and that payment will never end and continue to go up.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

To OPs point, if I buy an equivalent home right now, my mortgage would be literally double my rent payment not including unexpected repairs. With the savings, I'm able to stack a lot of money in my retirement plans right now. The S&P500 will likely appreciate more in value than any home I bought. So with the same logic if I bought a house right now, in 30 years I might just be house poor with very little in liquid assets. Alternatively, with my current plan, in 30 years my retirement plans will be worth a lot of cheddar that I'm actually able to use and spend.

by schambergerlily 1 day ago

30 years I might just be house poor why would you be house poor AFTER you pay off your mortgage in 30 years? you would be 'house poor', if anything, at the start of your mortgage, not after 30 years of inflation against a fixed payment. property is also the most tangible form of equity you can own. its specifically why 'rich people' scoop up property to rent to the serfs haha. 30 years my retirement plans will be worth a lot of cheddar sure but so will that property theoretically. difference being you can take advantage of inflation with a 30 year mortgage. whereas it's constantly going to be eating your liquidity if you only hold stocks and bonds etc. Most also consider it more risk adverse than playing the stock markets only. your actually ability to invest will skyrocket after a few years as your living costs plummet compared to ever increasing rent.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

There are very, VERY few areas in the US where a mortgage payment is significantly more than the current rent.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I love owning a house. I prefer a house because I don't like people.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

If something breaks the landlord fixes it and that's a priceless feeling.

by DistributionThis6742 1 day ago

Yeah, but it's just a feeling because it's not like your landlord isn't charging you enough rent to cover the expenses for where you live, plus at least a small profit.

by keelingerling 1 day ago

I mean that is why some people rent right?

by DistributionThis6742 1 day ago

Considering how expensive houses are... Not just up front payment but upkeep Would a condo be any better? Genuinely asking.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Might be worse. It's like renting, but with increasing property taxes every year

by Embarrassed_News508 1 day ago

I bought my first house in 2011, sold it then bought another in 2022 with my then husband, got a divorce and then took the proceeds and bought a condo outright with cash, HIGHLY recommend, I only pay my HOA which covers basically everything really easy and affordable , plus it's mine. The only downside is the lack to space it just doesn't compare to the size of a home plus I don't have a basement/attic so storage can be tricky.

by leonardo25 1 day ago

I love owning a home- it's mine- but the trade off is pretty hefty when you're shelling out hundreds of dollars every few months to fix something. Apartment living had its perks.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Suddenly water becomes a major adversary.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

The thing with renting is it's predictable (well until the rent goes up) but meaning you know what you pay each month. When owning I consider my mortgage the "minimum" I will pay each month. Could always be higher to fix or improve something.

by Kassandra54 1 day ago

A few hundred-couple thousand a year for maintenance is peanuts compared to the equity you build by owning a house. If you bought in 2020 and did absolutely NOTHING to repair or maintain your property, it'd be worth double what you paid today. I get not wanting to spend time and effort to maintain a property, because your free time is very valuable, but from a pure cost perspective the equity from owning a home vastly outweighs the expenses that come with it

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Oh, believe me, we agree on that. The value of my home increased by $100k in just a couple of years (and that's excluding how much interest rates have increased- we dodged a bullet there). I also have a fixed mortgage, acreage, and a single family home where neighbors aren't breathing down my neck because my kids had the audacity to be kids. I love it.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

But mortgages are much more expensive than rent in most areas of the country now. So by renting you are saving money every month. If you invest that money in the SP500 that would have gone into your mortgage, on average you'll come out ahead. Mortgages/houses are basically just forced savings accounts. On average they aren't optimal financially

by Anonymous 1 day ago

You're right: they're about the same. Its not the rent or the mortgage that's the problem its the other costs that come along with the house that you don't have to worry about when renting.

by Rich-Sector 1 day ago

but most of the money you put into mortgage, you get back when you move out. Thats literally putting money on a piggy bank. renting is throwing money away.

by Garrisondaugher 1 day ago

This guy must work for one of those corporations that keeps buying up houses all over the country. The lack of logic and understanding is crazy

by Miserable_Math6561 1 day ago

And the problem with rent is that you don't get any of it back when you move out. You said you lived 8 years in a nice apartment. If you had spent 8 years paying off a mortgage, you could've been halfway through a 15 year house payment. That would've been some serious equity.

by Claud30 1 day ago

What about when you're in retirement? Will you still be glad that you rented and never bought?

by Legal-Rope-3101 1 day ago

Not with the rates now. Yuck. I guess it depends when you bought. We are at just under 4%

by Anonymous 1 day ago

My parents rented our apt for 25 years. Calculated with rent increase over the years etc, they spent about 800k. And they have nothing to show for it now. I've got a house with my partner and in the last 4 years we've spent very little on repairs because he fixes everything himself. If you're talking about convenience, sure. But owning a house definitely gives you a return on your money if you sell. Renting doesn't.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I think this is what people who love renting forget. Thank you for the reminder.

by Emmerichdavonte 1 day ago

Me and my husband LOVE apartment living. We're definitely not "home maintenance" people and we love that we can call the leasing office to fix anything Sure the rent that we pay could potentially be a down payment for a house, but taxes? Insurance? Maintenance???? Hell no.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

What about when you're in retirement and you're still renting, except the rent you'll be paying will be exponentially higher than it is now.

by Legal-Rope-3101 1 day ago

You do realize that your rent is paying for the taxes, insurance, maintenance and probably a little profit for your landlord, right? They aren't not charging you enough rent to cover all that.

by keelingerling 1 day ago

Yeah owning a home is work. My friends just bought a condo and love it.

by Fun_Airline4763 1 day ago

If you would have owned a house during that same time period, you would have most probably over $100k+ in equity in said home today....

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Either you make a lot of money and have your life set up or you just like to burn money

by Witty-Fisherman-9631 1 day ago

most things you have to replace in a house you really only have to replace once every 20 years. the rent in an apartment increases every single year. and when you make a monthly payment on a house you're literally paying yourself vs paying an apartment that literally goes into the void. i'll argue the only single benefit to not owning a home is simply not cutting the grass. For everything else a house is infinitely better.

by SuitThin 1 day ago

Building wealth for someone else is better for you?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Paying rent is money you will never see back. Owning a house is an investment. You're only thinking short term.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Then buy an apartment or condo? What you're describing really is that you just don't like to keep up the maintenance of a home. If you purchase a condo (like I have) you don't have to pay for shoveling, I have shared laundry machines, and my HOA covers basically all my utilities.

by leonardo25 1 day ago

"There was not a single dime that came out of my pocket." You paid for those repairs with your rent.

by StandardSun 1 day ago

I never shoveled snow. I never cut the grass. It was great. You can own and literally do this, you just have an HOA that takes care of it. So this point is invalid.

by Correct_Serve_9776 1 day ago

My parents have that plus a gym, tennis courts, two pools, a clubhouse with a wood workshop, ceramics, a library, all sorts of amenities. I want to live with them!

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Sell your house and see how much you hate the probably 60 thousand dollars you make.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Until your rent is so high that you might as well just pay off the mortgage of a house

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Id love to have a garden, cut my grass, repair stuff in my garage and shovel snow. Renting is ass

by Amazing-Falcon 1 day ago

Homeownership can be more expensive than renting. With insurance, repairs, maintenance, water, garbage, sewage and taxes - it adds up. Then, if you're lucky enough to pay it off, you still have to pay property taxes. Some people pay close to what some people rent for in property tax. And if you don't pay your property taxes, the government can take your house. If that's the case, do you actually own your home or does the government own you?

by Key-Leadership-3802 1 day ago

The reason why people buy homes is so that they don't have large monthly outgoings (rent) at a point in their lives when they have limited income (retirement) and end up without housing security at a vulnerable time.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I mean, you pay for all this in your rent. The maintenance and wear and tear from living are priced in to your one rent payment. You can have that in your house too! Plenty of companies will give you full house coverage for repairs/maintenance for a fixed monthly fee (though it likely doesn't cover replacing your AC, idk). Plenty of folks willing to cut grass and shovel snow for a fee. It's not as convenient as just calling one number, but the "lifestyle" is achievable by outsourcing all the chores! This is definitely not an unpopular opinion btw. There are many folks and situations that would be bet off renting vs. owning. It's not as straightforward as "this is strictly better than that"

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I would much rather own a house. I wouldn't have to deal with neighbors stomping on their floor and keeping me awake all hours of the night and I'd be able to paint rooms whatever color I'd want and hang wall shelving without worrying about losing a security deposit. I'd be able to do my own repairs which would take one day rather than one week for someone to even come look at it. Owning is also cheaper if you know how to do your own repairs

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I'm in a 2800 sq ft, 5-bedroom home valued at $700k. My mortgage is $1600 per month with roughly $10,000 in annual property taxes. In ten years, my home will be valued at over $1M, and my mortgage will still be $1600 per month. You're holding onto an unpopular opinion for good reason. Recommend finding a good local general contractor and groundskeeper if you can't recognize the privilege of our situation.

by Infamous_Share_3320 1 day ago

The only time to buy is during a recession when others are forced to sell

by Anonymous 1 day ago

An opinion that's basis is determined by where you live doesn't make it unpopular. It just makes it idiotic.

by nils00 1 day ago

None of those is a financial problem if you have a buffer.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

People absolutely should budget for home repairs and upgrades. And at least it gets done and done properly if you're smart. There are landlords who do things poorly and some that refuse to do anything. Even if the city goes after them

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I feel like North Americans are especially obsessed with home ownership, it really doesn't make sense for everyone

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Renting a flat is great when you're young (if it's affordable). Especially if it means living close to work or cool parts of the city.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Yeah, bad landlords have basically made everyone think that owning a home is the only solution and renting and landlords evil. I know quite a few single people who could own a home financially but don't because they don't want the responsibility. I also know a lot of older families who sold their house when their kids moved out to rent so they could have an easier time. The theory of renting is solid. But theory isn't always reality and there are TONs of bad landlords and slumlords, that's where the real issues are.

by Own-Bicycle 1 day ago

I rented from 1988-2022. In three countries. Numerous states. Never had a good landlord. Ever. Ok was fine in Gemany. That was one year

by Anonymous 1 day ago

If owner can't make fixes on the house then I completely agree.

by YouPsychological1219 1 day ago

To each is own OP. I totally understand and agree with you that renting an apartment is nice and definitely has its benefits (as you mentioned). I think when most people say owning is better refers to the benefits of owning a home are > the benefits of owning an apartment. Example: say your rent is $2500 / month but with that you don't have to shovel snow, cut grass or all the negatives you mentioned. Say you rent for 8 years as you mentioned and your rent increases 3% a year. Over those 8 years you're paying over $270,000, what do you have to show for it paying that much? Are the memories you made on the weekends not having to do projects, cut grass, shovel snow etc worth it by not having an asset worth anything? That's what I mean by owning a house > than benefits of renting. You're paying significantly more (arguably) and not having an asset to show for it. The memories you made aren't worth it to anyone else. The house on the other hand is worth the money you put into it, often times worth more. Not saying everyone needs to own a home, everyone is different and enjoys different things I just think people would rather own something after paying $270,000 toward living. That often times will increase in value.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

You probably wouldn't feel the same in 20 years when you are paying the same amount or already paid off your mortgage and rents have tripled. Also you'll have much more net worth owning a home than if you rented, considering your property value can double over the course of just a few years like it did during COVID. This just sounds like you don't like doing basic chores

by Agitated-Metal 1 day ago

Its really just about timing with real estate and of course personal situation . For example , its hard to say it was a bad idea for my friend to buy a 145K 4 bedroom house that he sold for 375k 7 years later, even though it was a hassle for him in many ways during.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

As if landlords actually fix things properly if at all.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

There was not a single dime that came out of my pocket. Actually, every dime of that came out of your pocket. You paid for the renovations with your rent, you just paid for it at the end of the month.

by Exciting_Low 1 day ago

You should buy a condo then. Still home ownership but someone else is doing the snow shoveling.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Mhmm. Same here. We bought a house 4 years ago and I spend a lot of time lamenting about it. It's not fun to be house poor when the place starts falling apart. I still prefer it to apartment living bc that almost broke me mentally, but renting a house could be good.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Yes but your rent money goes to someone else. Your mortgage is an investment for you. Of course everyone should do what they think is best for them but I do have 2 co-workers approaching retirement about the same age. One rented and the other purchased a house. The renter is still paying rent, but the home owner has payed off their mortgage fully. So they can continue to live there without the expense or they can sell/downsize and they have that profit for retirement.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Isn't that a case of "it depends"? Owning a house is usually cheaper than renting in the long term. But renting can be more convenient.

by Destinycollins 1 day ago

Whatever works for you. My mortgage, insurance and bills have always been under $3K/month in my 3B1B house while my friends pay $2K+ with a roommate in an apartment They enjoy their life and I enjoy mine. Aside from my AC breaking a few years ago and fridge issues last year, my maintenance cost has been pretty low. I'm happy with where I'm at

by Original-Mind-1037 1 day ago

The challenge for most people is that rents continue to rise where your mortgage payments build equity. But yeah, I would not buy a house unless my financial situation got much, much better, because the random expenses that pop up all the time are no joke.

by Ok_Cardiologist7425 1 day ago

If you calculate the maintenance cost monthly its still cheaper than renting and you can pass down the asset to your kids/wife/family to sell or live in. Renting is only making rich schmucks richer.

by eriberto63 1 day ago

Whatever works for you, but you're not investing into your future where you should be mortgage free by the time you retire.

by Roderick81 1 day ago

If you're happy that's what matters. Even when renting our homes, I'd mow and do routine stuff for the yard. I even did light maintenance in the house. I enjoyed it and the landlord told me to deduct it from rent.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

To "buy a house" absolutely does not mean to "get a mortgage and pay taxes." The cost of owning a house includes house maintenance, cost of appliances and cost of landscaping. You simply are not ready for those. Sometimes, people try to save by doing things themselves. Sometimes, they don't. But even with these costs accounted for, for mortgage rates below 5% buying a house brings in more money in the long (10 - 15 years) run than renting, providing 4% average real estate appreciation rate. Too long of an excel sheet to explain why.

by Life-Carpet4684 1 day ago

We own a home. My husband is constantly complaining about having to do things round the house. He's constantly complaining about having to fix whatever breaks, constantly complaining about mowing the lawn, constantly complaining about removing/shovelling snow. He had this house before I met him, so it was his choice to own this house. Sometimes I feel he's not fit for a house and we should get a condo or something. But he wants to own so that we have something of value to leave the kids.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

You're allowed to buy a condo where you have no yard, live in a neighborhood with an HOA that takes care of landscaping and snow removal, or pay someone yourself to do those tasks. You can also get professionals to do the repairs and renovations for you. You were already paying for those things while renting, but at a huge premium so your landlord could have a profit.

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

Make sure you come back in 10 years time when you sell, saying how much you hate the value increase that you just realised.

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

Until the landlord jacks up your rent and sells it and you're forced out

by lavadamoore 23 hours ago

At 60 we sold our house and moved across the country. We now rent a house. It is expensive, but, the money from our house sale covers our monthly rent. So we basically live for free, just like in a house. The only downside is not being able to capitalize on increases in the value of the house but that is offset by not worrying about property taxes or fire insurance, which is crazy here in Ca. Some of the benefits of owning a house are really just benefits of having capital, not necessarily the physical structure.

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

Rent vs Buy calculators are showing renting is cheaper in a lot of cities too But I kind of suspect there are going to be shortages of homes to rent in a few years because people will notice this, and progressive governments are introducing rent control which tends to disincentivize renting a home

by Jordonheathcote 23 hours ago

Giving 30-60% of your income to a landlord, when you don't have to, instead of building equity is nuts.

by Awkward-Being-1444 22 hours ago

You know, I actually agree with you! I've rented, owned a condo and now own a house. And if we ever sell for whatever reason, I wouldn't buy another house (or condo). I'd look for a nice rental instead. The amount of work and money that goes into maintaining a house is insane. We love the house, the backyard and having a pool and all that but it's a lot of work. And by the time it's paid off, I know there'll come a point where we're at an age where we don't want to deal with all the work and headaches.

by Anonymous 22 hours ago

when you're 80 years old, on a fixed income, and the landlord raises your rent 50% because property values have gone up, what are you going to do?

by PromotionStock 22 hours ago

Do you know what I did? I picked up the phone and called the office and it was replaced. There was not a single dime that came out of my pocket. When I lived in an apartment we had issues with the plumbing that I had to resolve myself, issues with our bathroom sink that I had to fix, issues with our electrical constantly tripping the breaker that I had to fix, and a lot of other stuff that I had to fix. I called the manager multiple times, and the apartment multiple times, and I got ignored every single time. I would literally call them multiple times over multiple days, email them, then fix the issue myself, and then call them again, and I never heard back from them. Point being: apartment living is really nice when they actually do their job, but most apartment buildings in the USA don't do that.

by Latter_Law4718 22 hours ago

A house is a liability, and there are countless Gen Z and Millennial videos expressing despair that they may never get to own that liability. There's a reason why most financial advisors and net worth calculators exclude a house: because it's a liability. And not just any liability. It's an ever-increasing one, due to replacement costs, updates, repairs, insurance, and taxes.

by Adept_Money 22 hours ago

Id also add that African Americans who grew up in the 40's, 50's and 60s would strongly disagree with this take. Simply put in those days most weren't allowed to buy homes and therefore they couldn't generate any form of wealth to their offspring. Even those who served in the military were denied FHA loans or VA benefits for home ownership ie redlining. Obviously things have changed were home ownership like college degrees have lost some of its allure but still it would've dramatically helped communities in those days.

by Mission-Frosting-900 22 hours ago

It's like saying ubering is far superior to driving yourself. Yeah, but in the long run it's going to be a major financial hardship. In 20 years when your house is paid off and worth 1.5mil I bet you won't regret not renting.

by LoanDifficult 21 hours ago

My mortgage is cheaper than most rent, my property value up $100k after 4 years, and I'll eventually pay it off. So I'll take the extra I extended expenses. Plus, I absolutely love to mow the lawn

by Good-Swing 21 hours ago

Imagine the 70 year olds that can't afford rent because they quit working.

by Anonymous 21 hours ago

Try a condo. We loved ours! Lifestyle was great! But we needed a yard.

by Anonymous 21 hours ago

A house seems like a huge headache. I just have a condo in a highrise. If anything needs to be fixed, the building has a maintenance crew that knows the building inside-out and are on-call 24/7.

by kennedy32 21 hours ago

Yes, there are advantages in renting, just as there are advantages in owning. Convenience, not having to do certain maintenance, or if you expect to move in short durations, or don't have the funding to deal with unexpected issues with something you own makes it a great decision for some. If you plan on living somewhere for a LONG time, I think buying is usually better...unless it is a dying market, you hedge against monthly rent increases, landlords selling a house out from under you and evicting you, etc....but as I said, it entirely depends on your circumstances and how you value the maintenance of renting. The difference? The first house I bought in 2001, I currently rent out for around $2000 today, and when I look at insurance, mortgage, property tax, etc, I pay just under $1000 per month. Were I still living there but renting, I'd be paying double for those conveniences. I bought the house for $145k back then, owe like 50k now, comparable listings are for around $380 k, meaning I now have over $300k in equity in the place now. Similar with the condo my wife bought. How much more money and time have you dumped into the house you own in that time, what is right for you, etc.

by Murl43 20 hours ago

I pay 500 more a month for a 4/4 townhouse than I did a 1 bd apartment. In 6 years I've replaced a lot of things and paid about 36k/yr on my mortgage. My property value has gone up over 400k. I've made money by buying, and will continue to do so.

by Xboyer 20 hours ago

Renting it from a bank, then owning it.

by Able-Cricket2762 20 hours ago

I agree. With good, quiet neighbors and amenities like a pool and a gym and dog park, I much preferred living in my luxury apartment overlooking trails and forest than living in a house I constantly have to maintain / fix / upgrade. Only buy a house if you know you can afford it, and then some.

by Anonymous 19 hours ago

It's really depends on how you live but if you own a house you can sell it when you get old. When you rent you will be renting forever and you won't be able to build equity 🤷🏿‍♂️

by Anonymous 19 hours ago

You're only half talking about renting v buying but rather appartement v house here Snow, lawn etc, doesn't happen if you are in a flat (whether you own it or not)

by Anonymous 18 hours ago

Will you feel the same way when you're retired? Once the mortgage is paid off, those repairs are cheaper than rent and you have a financial asset.

by Anonymous 18 hours ago

I have had good and bad experiences renting. I prefer being a renter too. But it just takes one bad landlord to ruin that.

by Anonymous 18 hours ago

I am perfectly happy renting until I get enough cash for a DP. My job moves me at least every three years, if not sooner, so having to sell every three years would be cumbersome. I'd likely pay more in closing costs and moving expenses than what I'd gain through appreciation. Also — LOL to the people who think I don't pay property tax like an owner does. My house is assessed just like an owner occupied property is. The landlord remits payment for it…where do you think they get the money for that from?

by Anonymous 17 hours ago

I absolutely agree you're paying for convenience and that is attractive to many people and lifestyles. Owning is a better investment in the longterm, but that's not what everyone is looking for. I love owning my house and it was the right decision, but I also understand people who prefer the convenience of not having to worry about upkeep and be able to be more mobile. That comes at a price.

by Anonymous 17 hours ago

I wish I can afford to rent. The rent average $3200/m here and my mortgage is $1500/m.

by Anonymous 17 hours ago

When you move out of an apartment after 8 years you just get told your deposit won't be refunded

by Far_Market 17 hours ago

So building equity rather than enriching someone else's life.

by schadenmyrtie 17 hours ago

Idk man if I could afford a home I'd be happier knowing my payments are at least going towards owning something with value that will only go up as time goes on and I can actually make my money back and then some after selling it. Renting is basically throwing away money that you'll never see again

by Anonymous 16 hours ago

I love my house and been in it for 24 years without any major problems! Thank you Lord. But some people don't like owning their house. My suggestion sell it and move to an apartment and be happy. Life is too short not to be happy.

by Nienowkyler 16 hours ago

Two words: shared walls.

by Glittering_Eye6200 16 hours ago

It sounds to me like you would have preferred to buy an apartment. Even if you rented that house, you still have to do all that yard work.

by Turbulent-Juice 16 hours ago

I agree with you. I have owned a house and 3 condos and back to renting. As a single 50yo I like not having to take care of anything if it breaks and my apartment is super nice. I can only afford a condo where I live due to HCOL but I don't want to be involved in an HOA any more. I also don't like to feel tied down so renting works best for me at this stage of my life.

by Lazy-Thanks-8115 16 hours ago

My house has doubled in value in 5 years

by Marielaschroede 15 hours ago

Good for you for having good income, available housing, and a good landlord. I'll happily be sitting here creating an investment in my house that I can use later if I need.

by Anonymous 15 hours ago

Half your points are the difference between living in a flat and living in a house. For the rest, landlords build repair and maintenance cost into the rent. If you did this with your mortgage, you wouldn't have a problem. The difference between monthly rent and a mortgage on the same property is typically much greater than the cost of repair and maintenance. And it is your property to do as you like with. There are definitely advantages to renting. For certain situations or lifestyles. But for the large majority, buying is a much better deal.

by Anonymous 15 hours ago

Yeah but there's no where to rent in my town that allows my 10 animals so I'm SOL on renting

by Much_Ask_8548 14 hours ago

Ok. I have a fixed mortgage, so I never worry about it going up. You do you

by Loraine49 14 hours ago

I mean yeah, if you are made of money or expect to work until your death, sure.

by Anonymous 14 hours ago

Renting from a good landlord is definitely more convenient than owning a house. Renting from a bad landlord is awful and not something I'd wish on my worst enemy. I've always had to shovel snow when renting a basement or house; only apartments get out of it, and that means waiting for whatever company they hire in order to drive (or I still shovel). Seems childish to complain about planting flower gardens in your own damn yard; if you don't want them, you have absolute control to do something else. Maybe your partner wants them, but that's still your choice to make your partner happy instead of being a whiny baby about making your yard look better.

by Ernseraudrey 14 hours ago

If you don't have a stable job (possibility of having to move) or older renting might be better. I have rented but holy crap having a house I can do anything I want to do with is the best. I have added a garage, I can weld and work on my cars. I can have any pets I want.

by Manuellabadie 13 hours ago

I'm sorry you don't like an investment you can live in?

by Even_Humor_4505 13 hours ago