Renting is not for everybody. There are real down sides from noisy neighbors, to keeping your car from dirt and damage.
I can’t imagine being a parent and wanting to rent. Being a child, I hated being in apartments when my parents had to rent between homes, and loved being in a home and having a yard to play in.
Families need homes. Singles and couple’s — not so much, but often love the lifestyle, and that is good too.
I’m a gypsy and like the freedom of not being tied to a house. At the same time, it sure is nice having your four walls that you can customize without a landlords OK and not having the rent raised over and over.
Not to say living in a home is a bed of roses. If you really hate a neighbor, there is no moving away from that situation. You are stuck with it.
Apartments are not the only noisy places. When I owned a home, my neighbor had occasional weeknight parties that would run to 2 am or later. The base sound came right through my bedroom wall. Believe it or not, the sound was louder in my bedroom than it was outside. I don’t know why.
Again, you can’t just move away from that kind of problem when you like the rest of your living situation. So you just put up with a few sleepless nights and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.
There is a reason homes keep their value. There is a real demand for them, so long as they stay in line with real incomes. I liked living in a home. But I am realistic enough to know that when home prices are far more than rent, it CAN make sense to rent and invest, rather than to buy a home. Especially if you are like me, and detest the work of home upkeep and enjoy the freedom and mobility that renting allows for.
There are 2 sides to every coin.
For me personally, if I ever had to rent again, it would be the worst nightmare of my life. I would honestly rather live in an RV than be a renter.