[ghaff]

>In ideal situations, I think almost everyone would prefer owning over renting.

I don't think that's true at all especially for people earlier in life/career. Even had I had more money in a brokerage account, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made a home purchase (whether single family house or condo) before I did. And I don't think that's all that unusual for people 10 years out of school or so.

Yes, I was at a point when I could afford it but I was also mentally ready to put down some more roots.

[skyyler]

I just think the difficulty of selling is a bit over-stated when talking about reasons people rent.

I really do believe the large majority of people renting are doing so because they can't afford to buy.