... in your case. There was a cash flow savings in your case.
I've moved several times and done the math each time. Sometime it's been more cost effective to own, sometimes to rent. There are a lot of factors that go into that calculation, and the math doesn't always fall on the side of buying. That's especially true if you don't expect to be in a house for decades.
My son is looking for rentals in our same community and the equivalent rental to what I had is now around $3000.
Even ignoring appreciation, in the long term there was a cash flow savings.