The flexibility that renting gives you is as addictive as the financial gain. For better or worse the world has changed in the last 20 years. People no longer work for 1 or 2 companies until they retire, now they’re likely to work for 6 or 7, and doing so requires moving a lot. Owning a house can tie you down and limit your career options in this fast changing world.
You better have a very stable job or a house near an employment center if you want to avoid some painful decisions in the future.