If you’re just going to break even after 4 years and move on, it would make more sense to rent. At least there you have no risk, and if you’re not going to make money anyway, why add risk?
1. Military families sometimes like to live in houses and neighborhoods rather than government quarters. There are a number of reasons related to quality of housing, quality of life, and lack of micro-management of one’s life by community managers (who, believe it or not, will measure your grass :>)
2. Sometimes the market increases greater than average growth, and a person can actually make money on the deal.
3. Tax deductions.