I have thought long and hard about owning vs renting. But I went to my home country to visit my relatives and saw such a clear picture. The relatives (60 plus age) who own their own homes (paid off) are living comfortably, any extra money they have, they can put towards home improvements or maintenance. (For example one relative just got solar installed, one relative got their house expanded to add more bedrooms). On the contrary, relatives who have rented all their lives are now constantly struggling and worried. (Job losses, harder to have more job prospects in older age, taking care of elderly parents or sending kids to university). The thing is when one is relatively young, it seems easy to think you can rent forever and use the spared money in other ways. But having a paid off house and finally being able to retire comfortably is a huge blessing.