Yeah that's a very common sentiment from Boomers who didn't live through the housing bubble "You're throwing away your money!!!" But what is "better" depends on a ton of factors, and I used some online calculators to determine that where I live, when looking at rent costs, housing costs, my salary, my likelihood of moving within 5 years... it all boiled down to a knife's edge of I could benefit either way. I have a landlord that hasn't raised my rent more than $10 in eleven years (not a common situation at all) who is also willing to make improvements to my duplex no question asked. Since I moved in here I've gotten new appliances, new carpet, new windows... all at no cost to me.

But now I do plan on buying the place and renting out the other half. I am more stable now job-wise than I was before (I don't think I'll have to up and move any month now), and I have a lot more savings for the down payment. Up until now buying would have been very difficult for those reasons.