The key is to make that decision based on your preferences, and not simply by going with the generic advice to buy a home from a purely financial perspective. Many people do this (take the generic advice). Many people in this comments section by their own declaration (explicit or implicit) haven't done the math. It's really kind of shocking, at least to me it was. I was stressed we could not afford a home in our area, then I did the math and realized by renting, I'd come out _very_ far head. For me it's not about wealth but financial independence and stability. At our current earnings and rent, if we continue renting, and I were to lose my job, I could cover our expenses in our area _for years_ (even if our rent increases 50%). If we buy, I'd need to sell within 6-12 months and if the home had dropped in value (like, at all), I'd be potentially underwater. So the bit that sounds more stable (buy the home) can easily be less so, and in practice _is_ less so for many people.

While I would absolutely love to purchase a home (for your reasons), the reality is I have more stability for my family (particularly my kids / school) by renting for at least the next 5 years, but very likely throughout their school.