Several decades ago, a couple of my nutty sisters tried to convince my elderly mom to sell her house and just rent an apartment. I told my mom that was nuts, because even if she could afford the rent then, it would continually go up beyond her ability to pay. Years later, the house sold for many times what it was worth back then. Renting is okay while you're saving up for a down payment on a home, other than that it's money down the drain.
I'm in the same place. Home ownership should mean just that, owning it without a mortgage. If I had to sell quickly, I could always put my house up for auction and get a decent price, since it's in great shape and attractive.
But you know what? My first house, which I paid off thus had great equity, I had for 30 years. It was tied to the same stable job for my career. Expenses and taxes were manageable while I paid off the mortgage. For people starting out today, it's not that easy.
Repairs are getting out of control, and housing codes add to that. Lots of people don't know if they'll be in their current job long enough to make it a sound investment. Property taxes can get crazy out of control. Add to that, with domestic uncertainty, who knows where it'll be best to live in the future?
If I planned to move again, at my age (retired senior) I'd probably rent. Figure my budgeting on being around 20 more years and renting makes more sense than being tied to a condo development or the whims of local government.