Even as a homeowner I support renting rather than buying. My circumstances are different than most people’s. Most buyers live in their homes 5 years. If you don’t believe me, pick a few properties and look at this resale histories on sdlookup.com.
The best way to look at home prices is to look at same-house price histories and listings. Same with renting, look at how much it would cost you to “carry” a house vs. rent a similar one in the same neighborhood. Think about it as buying a car for 5 years or leasing the same car for 5 years. I know that my approach is rather simplistic but I believe it applies to most buyers — especially the first-time buyers.