I have both owned and rented. Having done this buy vs rent calculation many times and renting generally wins. Three factors not usually considered in the buy equation: 1) the house you’re willing to rent is less expensive than the one your willing to buy. 2) the value of the time you spend maintaining a home should be included in your return calculation 3) putting a lot of $ in any one investment asset (i.e. a single family residence) is riskier than a diversified portfolio of assets.