I’ve thought about that debt thing, but not sure it would be possible to do it anonymously. here’s the rub: if you were to pay off their debts, what’s to say that they wouldn’t go out and run it back up again?

No, you’re doing it right. It always works for me. 13 years of marriage later, I’m still saying it... just a little lower.

Bingo! Elio is never gonna happen.

You apparently have never ridden those freefall roller coasters before. You definitely DO float up in the air with zero G’s when you drop in freefall. We used to put pennies on our knees right before the drop and watch them float up as we fell for a few seconds. There is no possible way one could “lie flat” in a…

Dumb dumb dumb. If you are in a freefalling elevator, you will feel ”weightless”, floating in mid-air, unable to lie flat anywhere inside the elevator until you go SPLAT!

This chart makes no sense. It says if I’m 18 years old and save 95% of my salary, I get to retire the following year, enjoying a carefree life for 70 more years? NO WAY.

Again, you are wrong. I lived in southern CA too during the housing bust and you may not know this, but it was a simple internet request to the county assessor’s office website to ask for a reduction in property taxes since taxes are based on property value. (NO lawsuit is required to reduce your property taxes... I…

“long-term it is vastly more expensive at least in Irvine, CA.”

“I don’t have to worry about the ridiculous HOA regs as a result of renting.”

You definitely pay all that and more... plus profit for the landlord. You can always hire a pro if you own... just like the landlord is likely to do.

...and renting is kind of like encasing large sums of YOUR money is someone else’s carbonite.

Your future, 30-years-from-now self will thank you.

Looked into this. It’s nearly impossible to find a desirable lot in a city in the western U.S. which allows it due to strict zoning laws.

You’re conflating the shared costs of renting a condo with an HOA which employs a super vs. owning a house. If you BOUGHT the condo instead of buying a house, you would still reap the same benefits you claim are exclusive to renters.. of course, your shared costs are again spread out among fellow condo owners and…

It only takes about 7 years of living in the same, owned house to make it worth it. If you move a lot (like military personnel) then I could see the argument for renting, but those situations are very rare and a small percentage of the population. Most people want to work where they live and if they get another job,…

You ARE paying for ALL those things (and more!) Why don’t you get this? The landlord is not losing money on you... unless he’s stupid.

The numbers are in your favor if you buy... even if only for 10 years. 7 years seems to be the general rule of thumb for whether or not it’s worth it to stay.

Those of us who are making money off of renters thank you for perpetuating the innumeracy of America. It’s the only way we landlords make money. YOU pay for all our taxes, interest, HOA fees, maintenance, etc... all rolled up into a tidy little payment called “rent”... plus a little extra for profit.

Your own example disproves you. When that $1000 water heater gets replaced, guess who REALLY is going to be paying for it... the RENTER! It’s already factored into your rental payment. You are paying for ALL repairs, maintance, taxes, PLUS extra profit for the landlord. That’s a fact. They don’t rent out to you at a…

This debate is over but it keeps coming up in silly articles like this. It has been argued a million times in excruciating detail and owning always wins. I have to laugh when I see people say, “I don’t pay repairs, I don’t pay property taxes”