Owner or Renter

• Belly35

  

  Are you a home owner and how many years?
  
  Are you a renter and how many year have you been renting ( apt or house)?
  
  I've been a home owner for 40 years in that period of time bought and sold three homes.
• Wally

  Can I be the first to say "Renting is for poor people"
  
  I own my house. Totally.
• Fab4Runner

  

  My boyfriend owns his house. I live there.
• BR1986FB

  I've owned three homes. Two I lived in, one I flipped. I've been in the current house 11+ years.
• BR1986FB

  Fab4Runner;1638750 wrote:My boyfriend owns his house. I live there.

  And his cat lives on his lap.
• Sonofanump

  I'll own my house in 12 years.
• Fab4Runner

  

  BR1986FB;1638753 wrote:And his cat lives on his lap.

  Haha, yes! And my dog is a member of the household as well.
• Con_Alma

  Own outright. Paid off mortgage several years ago.
• TedSheckler

  

  Squatter
• OSH

  

  Rent-to-owned for 9 months or so. Bought in February. Have only rented before this -- 1 house and 2 apartments in the last 4 years.
• Ironman92

  

  We are in our second house now for 11 years. Have never rented.
• Automatik

  

  Renter for 10 years running.
  
  I know, I know. #doingitwrong
• Sonofanump

  Automatik;1638815 wrote:Renter for 10 years running.
  
  I know, I know. #doingitwrong

  Due to your desire to live where you do, I don't think you have a choice.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  Own 2 homes. Bought first in 2005, currently renting it out. Bought current home in 2011.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  If I were to do it all over again, I'd look for a home to rent, as long as the price was reasonable. I'd save and save and save, buy land, and build exactly what I/we wanted. The perks of renting, and never having to pay for something if it breaks, plus having the ability to easily pack up and move away outweigh the perks of owning, IMO.
• cat_lover

  Own. Lived in it 25 years. Paid it off in 15 years.
• Manhattan Buckeye

  Both.
  
  And a landlord.
  
  As others have mentioned, owning a property and having to deal with upkeep is a colossal PITA. If it wasn't for the tax benefit one would have to be nuts to own a home and be on the hook for upkeep and property taxes.
• iclfan2

  

  Currently getting approved for a mortgage to start the home search. Sticker shock compared to my town in Ohio is a lot to take in though. Nothing nice under $350k for 3br.
• Manhattan Buckeye

  iclfan2;1638858 wrote:Currently getting approved for a mortgage to start the home search. Sticker shock compared to my town in Ohio is a lot to take in though. Nothing nice under $350k for 3br.

  
  Just being int he market, it is ridiculous. There is no middle ground. Either you see a smaller house in a horrible area where you have to wear neutral gang colors or else being in a McMansion in suburban territory.
  
  It was a very frustrating experience.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  The joys of living in a tiny town. Cheap real estate!
• Heretic

  

  Rent.
  
  Just works better for me. I'm not that good at "fix-it" home repairs stuff, so upkeep could get expensive. And I always tend to find myself in this "I have so much I want to do with my free time and not enough free time to do it" mindset, so adding things like yard maintenance and the like to my schedule would just be depressing, especially considering how in the past few years, my best friend went from un-married and renting to married with kids and owning and it seems like every few weeks, he's saying something along the lines of "Don't get me wrong; I love my family and life, but I just never have time to myself...sometimes I wish I could just have a few days to just do what I want instead of these obligations!" And I verbally sympathize while mentally thinking "Better you than me, bro!"
• 4cards

  

  ...owned my first house for 10 years and have been in current home for 17 years (paid it off 12 years ago).
• rrfan

  

  Own my house...and own three other houses and a duplex. Have flipped two houses.
• Automatik

  

  Sonofanump;1638817 wrote:Due to your desire to live where you do, I don't think you have a choice.

  Right on, but I haven't been here that long..always rented in Ohio.
  
  
  I'm not against buying, I definitely want to do it in the future for investment/rental purposes. It's just not in the cards right now.
• jmog

  Bought our house 8 years ago, still paying on it.
  
  30 year mortgage but have a plan to have it paid off in 15.