These days in my market, renting is significantly cheaper than buying on a monthly basis, not even considering the down payment. Housing is an expense and should be minimized. Owning a house you live in is not really investing because the returns are too low after you consider expenses. People are free to buy as long as they don’t kid themselves. Buying a rental property, on the other hand, where the tenant pays all your expenses and then some, is a very different and more lucrative scenario. All of my houses have returned more than 15% per year CAGR for almost a decade. I have built way more wealth through simple single-family rentals than I would have in index funds. More work but more reward.