Agreed. Buying or renting is a personal decision.

I'm just suggesting that the numbers can be a little more ... nuanced.

The age of the home, for example, can make costly replacements more likely and can make insurance more expensive (or unavailable at a reasonable rate).

Trees on the property (and their roots) can really raise the likelihood and cost of sewer line repairs and to what extent they may be covered by insurance (excavating under the slab, etc).

Tax rates in Austin are up 60% over the past 10 years AND property valuations for tax purposes have gone through the roof, meaning that even tiny, dilapidated, old homes are assessed at half a million dollars on which the owners must pay the ever-increasing tax rate. Double whammy.

Going in the other direction, the first home I bought lost a third of its value overnight in the Texas S&L scandal in the late 80s. People were trapped. They couldn't afford to sell, and as many lost their jobs, they could no longer afford to make their mortgage payments. So many walked away from their homes -- just left. The nice, family neighborhood turned ugly, and there were drug deals going down in the alley behind our house. No insurance for that.

Just a bit more nuanced is all. I'd caution that even once it's paid off, the home really owns you, not the other way around.