I own the house I live in - out right, no mortgage. I own a second house with a mortgage that I rent out. I should have that house paid off in 10 years. One day I will retire & move to the coast, the 2 I have now will be income. So, I love owning. I can plant, paint, build whatever. It (they) are mine

Because my wife and I chose the place where we live, and because we control all decisions about it. We are not at the mercy of a landlord.

When you pay rent you are giving that money to someone else, and you will never see it again. When you buy, you are investing in equity that you own, and can cash out any time you choose. When you leave a rental property, you walk away from all the money you put into it.

For me, the cost of renting is higher than the cost of ownership.

I sold and started renting. At my age I can't do the upkeep. Hiring it done is astronomical. I was paying $200 a month to have a small yard mowed and weed eated. I don't have to pay insurance, taxes, or the myriad of other cost that go with owning. I would rather live in a house but for me it's not cost effective.

I own but am selling soon. Downsizing is part of it, but also, I no longer want the responsibilities. I don't do a lot of the maintenance on my own, but you still have to be responsible for it all: snow removal, lawn care, etc.

I also like the freedom of not owning...if I don't like where I live, I can move again.

Maybe I will buy into an assisted living place later in life, but for now, renting seems to suit me better.

I own and built the house I live in on 45 acres. I’m retired and owe nothing. I can see a time when I can’t do the maintenance all myself and that’s when I’ll move into a city apartment.

For me ownership works. I have a two br, 1400+sq ft, two car garage townhouse. A similiar size apt. with covered secure parking is way above what I pay for a mortgage. I believe it is generational thing.

I have lived in my home 15 years, I posted here "Coming up on living here 15 years." about it here with pictures. I thought about selling and moving to an apartment a few years ago. After some deliberation, pros and cons, decided I am staying. Have a nice yard, neighbors, and neighborhood, in a small rural city that just rated the 9th safest in Wisconsin, plus I work within walking distance. Lots of pros and cons to home ownership but in my case, pros won out.

Own. My lifestyle's stable and permits it. When I was in the military and expected to move every couple of years, renting made sense, but now that things have settled down owning makes more sense. I don't even see it necessarily as an investment so much, any more, as a means of keeping pace with the cost of living. I'm in an area where costs are on the increase, so the value of my place is also going up, but if I were to sell today, I'd still have to find another place and, odds are, It'd be a lateral conversion into a similar neighborhood, with little gained or lost. If I were renting, that same scenario would be much more financially painful.

Own. Because its paid for. Only have insurance and taxes to pay. If you keep a house up it's not that expensive But if you let it run down then it can be a big problem.

Being older I prefer to rent. That said, there are a number of reasons for the drop in housing ownership, one simply being folks can no longer afford to do so. Wages haven't kept up and predatory lending practices have crushed many (including student debt).

I've been paying this home mortgage for 12 years. Looking forward to finishing it.

Owning a house is an investment in the future and gives you the sense that you have control of your life. Renting is money down the drain and you live at the whims of your landlord.

I do not have taxes, insurances and maintenance to deal with. My rent is probably about the same as a house payment and at my age I'm not worrying about building an asset as I'd be dead before that would happen. I live in a building with 2 full time maintenance people and things are taken care of quickly including snow shoveling and cleaning off my car.

I own my home and property, paid cash for a repossessed double wide mobile home for $20,000 including delivery and setup. I would never buy a home that puts me in debt for most of my life and would use primarily to sit in one room to watch TV and sleep in another a few hours at night.

For me, owning is about freedom more than investment. I can do what I want, be as loud as I want as long as the windows are closed, and don't have to worry about tobacco and other odors wafting from other units.

Buying a smallish three bedroom house is only slightly more expensive than renting a tiny one bedroom apartment, perhaps about the same as my live in lady friend pitches in a little (I don't actually ask for anything at all--love is like that). I can also help to take care of my lady's son and grandson using the extra space and the fenced in yard. That little boy is a pure delight.

I'm in the process of refinancing from a thirty year to a twenty year mortgage, which will cost another 47 dollars a month, but I'll accumulate equity much faster, increasing my net worth so my daughters will inherit a bit more when I die, probably just as the mortgage is being paid off.

Renting is awesome because it's somebody else's problem whenever something breaks. It can also suck, like when I have to move but don't want to.

With owning I don't have to deal with thin apartment walls. I can make my own paint decisions and own pets if I'd like. Less restriction. I have land to myself and more space. I don't have to worry about slumlords or the death of a landlord that may result in having to move. I take pride in caring for my investment. I previously owned a mobile home but not the land and couldn't stand it! We purposely bought a one story home so we won't have to worry about mobility issues as we age. I'm here until I die.

Rent is money thrown to the wind.

I work 95% at home. I rent as I like the ability to move quickly and carefree...well, and also I can't afford to buy ;D

You get equity with a home and something to pass on to your kids

I do own too big a house. If I was starting again, I would buy a very small house.

Home ownership just isn't possible in some areas, even if you have the money and credit score.

My daughter’s generation is buried in student loans.