I’m going to echo a comment I made a few weeks ago — this is a drum you beat quite often, that home ownership is somehow a rip off. The truth is much more nuanced and individualized. Some things you fail to mention: fixed mortgage rates allow you to know what your housing payment will be for 30 years, give or take fluctuations in taxes; the tax incentives attached to home ownership, that renters just don’t get; and the building of equity. But of course you know this.

Renting also has upsides, mostly related to increased flexibility — you can put your money in the market, not be on the hook for repairs, move at the drop of a hat.

Neither one is better than the other. The question of whether to rent or buy just comes down to what you value more (tax breaks, stability) or increased flexibility. There is no one size fits all here.