I’ve been analyzing property prices in my mid-sized city for five years, and buying a home still feels like a worse financial move than renting. When I factor in property taxes, maintenance, insurance, and the opportunity cost of a down payment that could earn 7% in index funds, the break-even point stretches beyond 15 years here. Sure, owning builds equity and offers stability—my cousin bought in 2018 and is up 30%—but that gain mainly reflects a hot market, not smart planning. Can we honestly claim homeownership beats renting when the math increasingly depends on luck or riding a speculative wave?