Leaving pricing aside, the principal advantage to owning versus renting is that your “rent” can’t, for all intents and purposes, increase on you if you have a fixed-rate mortgage. That’s not to say that you should pay today’s ridiculous prices in lieu of renting, but as a general rule you should be WILLING to shoulder a higher all-in monthly housing payment (mortgage, taxes, insurance, etc.) versus renting. The monthly premium you should be willing to pay should reflect net tax advantages, the fact that rent can’t be (meaningfully) increased on you (again, for all intents and purposes), and “intangibles” such as peace of mind, etc. LESS maintenance costs. That’s why it’s completely logical to be willing to shoulder a meaningfully larger gross all-in monthly cost of owning versus renting. But 50% to 100% higher (as is the case currently) makes no sense whatsoever.