Do you own or rent

I rent an apartment ina complex here. I have been here for three years now and really like it. The building is a security building where you need a key to get inside the building itself from the out side in. They have buzzers for all the apartment as well for when guests show up they can just push the apartment number and the person can buzz you in. I hope to own my own house with in the next few years though.

I rent and would love to own a home someday as I don't really like being crowded into a tiny place where you can hear and see what everyone in the neighborhood is doing and they can see me, too. I can't stand hearing all that noise. If I was in a quieter building or neighborhood, I might like it better. A home is a good investment, too, and you can borrow on it for things like medical bills. But, there are good sides to renting, like you said, we don't have to maintain anything. If something breaks inside the apartment, they call the plumber, electrician, etc, not me. And, I don't have to do any yard work or maintenance. It might be different if I were renting a home, but not an apartment. I don't feel people look down on me at all. Some apartments are so expensive and lavish that the rent is higher than a lot of house payments.

We rent because we cant afford a house note AND the up keep on the home when things break. I really dont give a rats patootie if someone thinks less of me because I rent. With the way the economy is now adays, I'm sure there will be alot more people renting homes instead of owning one.... I just noticed your screen name on here, hey maybe were kin somehow! LOL

Very interesting discussion... I've never had a home, but my parents own it. (They built their own house in the 70s when it was cheap to get a loan due to inflation & all..) My Granny was a rentner all her life, and NEVER wishes to own anything!!

She says people in her building who bought a flat there (she rents one) only had trouble & higher costs with it all!!
And as most of them are of older age, owning the flat basically means more to leave to kids or grandkids... (So in that respect, I wish she did own the flat!! lol But maybe then kids & grandkids would quarrell over it?!! Which would be a bad thing, cause now we all really get along well..)

So, I would own a flat or house or property as investment, to let or sell, but not just to 'live in it' by myself, cause then it's just a bunch of costs... A friend of mine who is single is fed up with her house & the costs & the work too, & is now looking to sell it & buy an appartment!!

Well right now I own my mobile home, but I pay rent on the lot. The lot rent includes facilities here that let me play pool, use the gym and the pool, sauna and hot tub. There is also a clubhouse that is used for large dinners and dances they have. Yep, I'm in a retirement complex and haven't even hit 50 yet. LOL But, its nice, its quiet and I don't have screaming kids all over the place. I've owned homes before, but sold my last home several years ago to pay off medical debt when I became disabled. It wasn't a wise choice, but hindsite ya know? I see nothing wrong with renting. But, to me if you can afford a higher rent then you may as well put the money into a home so that its building equity.

Renting a home is the same as your own home.
The only difference is that you can never own
the house because you just rented it. We own a
home, we used to rent before. But we realized that
you will be renting forever. It's better to buy
your own. If you have no home you can't be called
less than perfect citizen. pease don't think it that
way. And if you build another house again. Stay away
from the hurricane frequented places.

In this country everybody lives in apartments since they do not believe in homes with gardens. It just isn't their culture. I moved from a big house with massive garden across the road from the beach in South Africa to an apartment in Turkey and I find it horrible! I hate being so close to neighbors and having no garden to put something in or go sit in on a cool summers evening! Here the same amount of people rent that buys, so I suppose it isn't seen as a "status" symbol here, I don't know...could even be..I don't speak Turkish, so I hardly know what they think.

We do not rent or own our home because we are in the military, but my thoughts are your living situation does not define who you are. If their are people that look down on you, it can only be because they are rude and ignorant. Some people just like to be mean for no reason at all. I say if you are ok with it and your husband is ok with it, then wo cares what the rest of the world thinks. Once they reize that you don't care they will move on to the next poor unfortunate victim to critisize.

There might be some snobs that look down their noses at people who rent houses or apartments, but there are people who look down on me because I live in a double wide mobile home. I own it, yet I hear people all the time saying people that live in "trailers" are trash. I don't consider my double wide a trailer, it is a home..it's my home.

It has to be devastating to live in a home and it get destroyed like that. I'm sorry you have gone through this.

First of all let me say Im sorry that you lost your home in Katrina. I dont see why anyone should look down for someone renting. I think it is a personal choice at times and at other times a monetary choice. We rented forever and then bought an old house that we are still working on to make home. I myself wouldnt mind renting if it was like the house Im in but I know there isnt many of them.

I do like having the right to change things when I grow bored, or having a garden and stuff. But you also have the upkeep of it all too.