The author disclaims that he's not a homeowner at the very end of the article, but these types of pieces steelmanning renting always read to me as thinly veiled pleas of "please exit the market so I can have more".

this is one of those where sheer facts and numbers can be interpreted either way and more so (in my opinion) than most other “arguments” it is almost impossible to change someone’s opinion once it formed.

I once spent 1/2 my Sunday trying to convince my best friend that he would have financially been better off if he rented (he paid off his house which he can sell today for $2,000,000) - I came with receipts (pun intended) showing how he would have been significantly better off if he rented and invested in the market but to no avail :)

And over the decades there have been many more pro-renting pieces like this in the general press than pro-home ownership. I’ve assumed the pieces are bankrolled by the investment community, because investment bankers can’t make money off of your money if your money is locked up in a home.

“Rent your apartment, save the difference, invest it in the financial casino of your choice and maybe you’ll win big this time.” Or maybe not. But the house (investment brokers) always win.